Arthur Kroeberby Fons1 via FlickrAfter long internal debates, China has used the drop in world oil prices to introduce a fuel tax. In the China Economic Quarterly (CES), here republished by the Financial Times, Arthur Kroeber analyses the new tax.Rising dependence on imported oil is one of the main reasonsRead More →

Kaiser Kuoby Fons1 via FlickrInternet guru Kaiser Kuo will leave next week his current job as director digital strategy of the advertising agency Ogilvy & Matters, reports the Brand Republic. Kuo will continue to work as an internet consultant for the site Youku. Kuo, who joined Ogilvy in January 2007,Read More →

Victor Shihby Fons1 via FlickrAssistant-professor Victor Shih builds in his website on the argument by UBS’ analyst Wang Tao, suggesting that China’s central government might be able to control social unrest caused by the increased unemployment rates.Shih is much gloomier on the possible numbers of unemployed, estimating it at leastRead More →

Shaun Reinby Fons1 via FlickrShaun Rein of the China Market Research Group (CMR) has embarked in a really very interesting set of reports, details the global efforts of Chinese companies in ten key industries.Today’s report focuses on the financial services, and we reported already on the report about the autoRead More →

Shaun Reinby Fons1 via FlickrIn his second installment for Seeking Alpha on Chinese companies going global, CMR-director Shaun Rein describes the challenges for consumer electronics firms to reach Europe and the US. Learning the ropes, in discovering the way distribution channels work, how to deal with the tougher legal limits,Read More →

Charles McElweeby Fons1 via FlickrLeading environmental law professor Charles McElwee gives in his weblog an overview of the eight environmental resolutions for 2009, noted from the Ministry of Environmental Protections (MEP), one of the superministries established last year.Number three: Firmly carry out strict environment access system and curb rapid growthRead More →

Shaun Reinby Fons1 via FlickrAs their Western and Japanese competitors like GM, Ford and Toyota crumble, Chinese car companies consider going global. Shaun Rein of the China Market Research Group (CMR) interviewed top-executives and discusses possibilities and challenges for Seeking Alpha. As recently as 2001, many companies were reluctant toRead More →

Paul Frenchby Fons1 via FlickrPaul French, one of our specialists in recent Chinese history, recalled historical comparisons made by important Western visitors to China in his weblog. Is started with the American comedian Will Rogers comparing the countryside around Harbin with Nebraska.A few others: In the 1870s Jules Verne comparedRead More →

William Bao Beanby Fons1 via FlickrThe year 2009 has started with a rather large number of people asking to become a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Of course, we are not going to discourage experienced speakers to sign up with our service, but this week the flood has becomeRead More →

Image via WikipediaFor the first time in almost two decades I’m enjoying a New Year in Europe. I hope you all enjoyed it too, or will do so later this year in China, when the Chinese New Year will come over us. The European slowdown during the holidays has slowedRead More →

Victor Shih China’s communist party (CCP) is revamping its way to select its cadres, asking for capabilities rather than connections, writes assistant professor Victor Shih in his weblog. According to a new initiative of Hu Jintao, cadre promotion is now tied to an official’s ability to handle sudden shocks, likeRead More →

Image via WikipediaStarbucks is one of the enterprises in China that is being hit hard by the global downturn, harder than others, writes Shaun Rein in Seeking Alpha, because they rely to a large degree on foreign customers. Rein, director of the China Market Research Group (CMR) has been oneRead More →