China and I

China tops the charts in IPO listing

Surging Chinese stock markets won the global IPO crown  hosting more share flotations and raising more capital than bourses in any other country.

Other emerging markets, from Brazil to India, also boasted record IPO activity, but flotations slumped in mature markets under the weight of a credit crunch touched off by the meltdown in the U.S. subprime mortgage market.

No doubt that emerging markets are to be seen through. The latest in IPOs was the one of Petrochina at the Shanghai Stock Exchange and for the first time in history, a company listed at a market value of 1 trillion USD topping Exxon Mobil.

Documentary about the People's Court of China and its legal system

China vs India - Race to the Top of the World

Fortune magazine: China's Top 25 Brands

Just came across a post from the China Game Blog about the Top 25 Brand in China according to a poll made by Fortune magazine in mid-2006. No details were given about the methodology to choose the Top 25. My question is where are the Baidu, the TCL, the Lining, the Alibaba, the Samsung, etc...?

1- BMW: No surprise the German automaker is at the top of the list: German quality, position itself as a high brand, very good after sales-service.

2- Microsoft: Not the best product in the market. Firefox is nowhere in sight, at least in China. Strange at the same when you know that 95% of the window softwares are copies. Probably, the American dream of Bill Gates, the richest man in the world makes its magic.

3- Intel: Surprise to find them here. Not a very sexy product but at the top of the market for the past 20 years or so. The American dream?

4- Mercedes Benz: German automaker known for its quality but fail to provide good after sales-service. Remember the Wuhan story?

5- Coca Cola: One of the first Foreign brands to get into China. You can find it everywhere.

6- IBM: Reliability. Probably the sell of its PC division made him even more famous.

7- Haier: Probably, the most successful Chinese brand in China and abroad. Well deserved position!

8- Nokia: 35% market share in China. Their mobiles still look very trendy for Chinese consumers.

9- Wuliangye: No business deal without it. Foreigners be aware!

10- Kwechou Moutai: If it is not Wuliangye, it is moutai. Strong stomach is needed. Avoid them! I prefere Ergoutou.

11- Airbus: A380 makes the company famous. Chinese prefers to fly Airbus than Boeing more space for their legs. Ask your staff!

12- Porsche: Late comer in the Chinese market but makes a very good impression with the social elite. You can find the Porsche Cayenne everywhere!

13- Audi: A4 or A6, ask your government official which one he/she has?

14- Lenovo: The purchase of the IBM PC division raise its profile.

15- Motorola: Still famous but poor quality.

16- Wal-mart: Carrefour is much bigger in China but nowhere in sight. Strange!

17- Boeing: Behind Airbus but coming back strongly. I am sure the  boeing 787 will be  very successful here.

18- Google: Baidu search engine is favoured but google is liked among Chinese because of its success around the world.

19-Tongrentang: I would have put this pharmaceutical company at a higher position. Here is a company used by all generations in China.

20- Tsingtao: My favorite drink in China. Personally, they shall expand more aggressively abroad because the Foreigners like it when they come here.

21- Pepsi: For the young generation. They lost against their arch-rival Coca Cola.

22- Siemens: has spread everywhere and has more than 50 JVs around China.

23- Sony: Good products like the Bravia and the fame of the Playstation but their mobile is loosy, at best.

24- Nike: Copied but the Chinese like it.

25- General Motors: was in much higher position but failed quality of their new products....Will probably fall from the Top 25 in the coming years.

Chinese Direct Investment Abroad Has Grown Twenty-Fold Since 2000

Via China Challenges, PPI gives a glimpse of what has been an increase by twenty fold  of  Foreign Direct Investment by China. I would assume  the FDI will continue  to increase  in the next two decades as  China as large economic  reserves  that it doesn't know  how to spend.

To have a full view of the article, please go to  PPIonline.

Update: To mirror the article published above, I suggest you read the excellent article the Wall Street Journal called "China Bear Hug"

Oscar Schindler from the Middle Kingdom: the Shanghai people

During the Second World War, Shanghai was one of the few cities were the jewish community was not at risk. Su Fei from Sexy Beijing goes back to Shanghai with her jewish father and visits the compound where he has lived at that time. Very moving story and it tells more Shanghai history and its people. Must see videos! You can find the story at Danwei and the videos here.

Typepad harmonyzed in China and update

What a surprise this morning when I saw I couldn't access all the typepad websites. Blogspot, youtube and now Typepad have been out of favor by the government.

Dear Typepad bloggers, we have been harmonyzed.

Update: Sorry, sorry, sorry! I was wrong, terribly wrong! The Chinese government (this time at least!) is not to be blamed on the typepad harmonization. It was just a temporary maintenance done by typepad company. My apologies again!

Brits get rich in China Part VII

Richard Brubaker from All Roads lead to China Blog was the first to post this serie of 7 posts about Brits coming to China looking for business luck or survival. I was supposed to publish them in early october but the harmonization of youtube early this month postponed my wish. It would have been impossible to watch on youtube from China. Now I can post them.

Latest product recall from China

I start to understand the buzz about product recall from China (via FEER Blog).

My 10 survival tips for young foreigners looking for jobs in China

This morning, a soon-to-be MBA graduate from my former Business school CEIBS contacted me for advice on a job application in my former company. After giving him some tips, he mentioned how hard it is to find a job here for a foreigner while in Germany, his native country, it is much easier and he can get a high salary. It would be an understatement to say he is perfectly right! Even with a good resume (and he has!) foreign companies tend not to hire foreigners,  why?

1- HR managers are mainly Chinese, so they hire Chinese staff; there is no foreign HR manager dedicated to them except probably Headhunter firms (This also can be discussed!).

2-Budget control: Local foreign entities have a budget plan to fulfill. Cut on Foreign labor costs is a primary target of a financial director.

3- Expats are mainly paid by the HQ. (I tend not to include the halfpat in my definition of expats!)

By acknowledging that, I can give you my 10 tips or so:
- China is not the dream country for youngsters looking for jobs, even with 10% or plus economic growth
- Go back to your native country to look for jobs sending you to China.
- Acknowledge if you find a local job (even well-paid!), you will have no medical insurance or fund for your retirement pension. 
- Always ask for a labor contract to your employer.  Even a foreigner  is protected  by  Chinese labor laws. The  Chinese courts enforce labor decisions (even for foreigners!).
-Don't believe your boss when he tells you "start with a local package and if you work well, you can have an expat one" Pure lie! Decisions for expats are made at HQ and you have no connexion there.
- Don't forget in case of localization you are in the front row.
- You have no chance of survival if you do not speak Chinese. Mastering the language shall be your competitive advantge against your boss who represent here the company HQ.
- Even if you like China as a halfpat and benefit from the economic miracle, stay your eyes opened; you may have chance to find an expat package in another country when you have had your China experience.

- Color fade, it is not because you are the little white guy that you are more competitive than the local guy. (I say that because I see too often youngsters think they deserve a well-paid job because they are westerners! Untrue!)
-Strengthen your personnal skills in order to beat the competition (Foreign or Chinese)!

PS: I think China bloggers will finish by calling me Mr 10 tips!