Spencer Sheehan on 2009.08.07 19:24

Last month I blogged about the joint venture announced between ECOtality (OTC:ETLY) and Shenzhen Goch Investment Ltd. to develop charging stations for electric cars. At the time, the deal hinted at a big chance for the company to enter the Chinese market...

Spencer Sheehan on 2009.08.06 20:04

China’s GDP figures have perplexed commentators for years, particularly in light of their strange relationship with energy consumption. In late 2008, some analysts pointed to a huge drop in energy consumption as a clear sign that GDP growth had hit a wall and hailed it as a proxy indicator more reliable than government announcements which at the time trumpeted lower, but not insubstantial, growth.

To address some of the derision surrounding GDP calculations, China’s National Bureau of Statistics issued a report on August 3 attempting to explain the paradox...

Natalie on 2009.08.05 19:47

Cosmetics retailer Sephora has proven to be a sunny spot for LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (EPA:MC, OTC:LVMUY), its parent company and the world’s largest luxury products group, and a huge roadblock for competitor Sa Sa International Holdings Limited (0178.HK)...

Spencer Sheehan on 2009.08.05 18:11

China Daily ran a story today detailing plans to link Chongqing to Rotterdam via an inter-continental rail line by 2012. Although not alluded to in the article, the link has been in development for some time on both the European and Chinese sides and, when completed, has the potential to connect China not only with Europe but also Central Asian and the Middle Eastern states, all of which had developed into prosperous export markets prior to the recent trade slowdown.

In 1993, the European Union launched the Transport Corridor Europe Caucasus Asia (TRACECA) program in a bid to link Europe to Central Asian republics (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan) and three Caucasian republics (Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia)...

Jing Li on 2009.07.31 15:05

Lately, I have been connecting the dots between elderly people and 3G. On the bus, one older woman described 3G applications, such as going on the internet and watching TV, to her girlfriend.

"I’m not familiar with the internet, but I would like to watch Beijing opera (jingju) on a mobile phone,” the friend replied...

Ivy on 2009.07.27 12:49

Earlier this month, State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) announced that R&D of smart grid technology will start in 2010 and related infrastructure construction will be complete in 2020, with more than RMB 200 billion to be invested each year...

Ian McGuinn on 2009.07.16 14:39

China changes fast. People often quote some article that was written in the New York Times a few years back claiming that a year in China is equivalent to 4 years in the US. I haven't seen this article, but the pace of development here seems to lend some credibility to the argument, even if it's merely anecdotal...

Matthew Plowright on 2009.07.14 15:02

Much has been written about the enormous potential of China’s e-commerce sector; however, until I switched banks, my own online shopping experiences had proved rather less positive.

While all of China's major banks issue China Unionpay debit cards – Unionpay, in which TelecCommunication Systems Inc...

Natalie on 2009.07.10 18:36

Chinese sports brand enterprise Li Ning (2331.HK) tapped into the badminton market when it announced this week that it had wholly acquired Kason Sports (Hong Kong) for RMB 165 million. According to Li Ning's five-year plan ending 2013, the company hopes to shrink the ratio of "Li Ning" brand revenue from 95% of total revenues to less than 80%...

Spencer Sheehan on 2009.07.09 18:42

In February, I highlighted concerns that a lack of charging stations may stymie development of China’s fledgling electric car market. However, the recent announcement of a joint venture between Ecotality (OTC:ETLY) and Shenzhen Goch Investment Ltd...

Gwynn Guilford on 2009.07.09 18:24

This Seeking Alpha article on NetEase (Nasdaq:NTES) by Zhang Xiaofan – a blogger with whom I’m not familiar – brings up the useful point that NTES’s share price tracked closely with the PCU of its blockbuster game Fantasy Westward Journey (FWWJ), until NTES won the rights to World of Warcraft (WoW) in mid-April, sending NTES to its current heights...

Chenhao Zhang on 2009.07.03 19:32

Over the past few weeks, speculation has been mounting that China is planning to issue a new RMB 500 bank note in November . Reports suggest that the new note, which would be far and away the largest face-value bank note in circulation on the mainland (the current largest note is the red RMB 100-bill), will feature the portrait of Deng Xiaoping.

China’s central bank, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) has been busily denying these plans in the mainstream media over the past few weeks...

Megan Ko on 2009.06.26 13:28

When I logged in to ZX Online earlier this week, I found a notice from the Perfect World (Nasdaq:PWRD) police detailing the ways other gamers are trying to steal my stuff.

The first of which was a rudimentary phishing scam meant to lure people in to giving out their passwords, bank accounts or even monetary deposits in order to “collect a prize.”

Others were craftier and involved a pair of scammers at an online bazaar, the gamers you know and love, and tales of lucrative bugs...

Steven Ho on 2009.06.11 19:19

China Ping An Insurance (2318.HK, 601318.SH) (Ping An) is on its way to becoming a true financial powerhouse by building up its banking business to match revenues with its core insurance and investment units...

Megan Ko on 2009.06.11 15:41

Some China-eat-China deals leave a lot to be desired when it comes to details on synergies and stratagems, and Shanda's (Nasdaq:SNDA) recent agreement to buy 51% stake in Hurray (Nasdaq:HRAY) is no exception...

Guo Cheng Gang on 2009.06.08 11:51

User habits and government control make it hard for foreign companies to succeed in China's Internet market. Google (Nasdaq:GOOG) has been overshadowed by Baidu (Nasdaq:BIDU) and Facebook by Kaixin001...

Ian McGuinn on 2009.06.05 13:48

For those of you who haven't been, BarCamp is an interesting gathering of entrepreneurs, investors and idea people. I didn't make it last year, but the 2007 event was worthwhile. It is happening on June 14th here in Shanghai...

Mike Revzin on 2009.06.05 10:31

This might not be a case of “What’s good for Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company is good for the country.”

That relatively unknown company may become the proud owner of GM’s Hummer unit, a brand that is synonymous with “gas guzzler.”

China seemed to be on a roll toward encouraging fuel efficiency...