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Shanghai Tang has learned from its past mistakes–and now it’s gunning to become China’s first great luxury brand. Forget about cheap socks and DVD players. This is the next battlefield for global competition. Continue reading on this webpage (New Window)!
Here some related quotes!
Multinationals from China, India, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, and even Egypt are coming on strong. They’re hungry — and want your customers. They’re changing the global game.
Today I listened to the podcast of this week’s BusinessWeek cover story on emerging giants, the future multinationals not coming from the Western world but from emerging markets. Each with their own suprising business model. When emerging markets are in your field of interest, I highly recommend listening to this podcast and read up on the article. By clicking on this link you can download the audio file of this particular article.
Another very interesting podcast that I recommend is on Innovation Champions.
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BusinessWeek’s section “Innovation” features a report on architectural wonders around the world. You now may wonder what Design has to do with business? Well, increasingly “design thinking” (user-centred approach) is becoming the centre of stage to evolve the customer experience. Even during the last World Economic Forum designers were invited to emphasise on the connection between business and design.
Here a short overview of the architectural wonders as highlighted by BusinessWeek:
The prospect of hosting the 2012 Olympic Games have created an explosion of new buildings and dynamic renovations in The City of London.
From times immemorial, Italy is know from its innovative structures, built during ancient times, whose design still inspires plenty of architects. Currently, many high-profile architects are turning their sight on Italy which results in new contemporary architectures across Italy.
As oil reserves are shrinking, Dubai is shifting its focus from an Oil power to a hot spot for tourism. To become a highly attractive tourist destination Dubai is building new breathtakingly architectural tour the forces. Including many world’s first seen architecture as well, such as an underwater luxury resort.
As China climbs up the economic ladder and the Being 2008 Olympics and the 2010 World Expo are in foresight it is steadily working on its appearance before the global audience tunes in during these two events.
More information on business in relation to design is written in the article “The Power of Design” by the FastCompany and “The Creative Corporation” by BusinessWeek. A podcast on this topic can be found here. For now, keep in mind that “design” goes far beyond letterhead.
The Economist last week carried a special on the challenges ahead for the mighty China: How to make China even richer?
What a formidable challenge! I spent March 2003 and August 2005 backpacking in China and I was struck at how unequal the society was. There is so much misery in the rural areas! Trying to make these peasants even richer is an admirable goal. Actually, truth to be told, the main change in recent years is that now urban areas are richer than they ever were. How to make the peasants richer?
Difficult task, and The Economist has a clear suggestion for that:
Giving peasants marketable ownership rights, and developing a legal system to protect them, would bring huge economic benefits.
The article is very insightful, analysing the pros, cons (Some officials also see collective ownership of rural land as one of the few remaining badges of China?s professed ?socialism?) and possible route map to tackle down the project progressively, without hurry and without a pause, the way Chinese government likes to introduce changes..
Achieving a richer rural China, that is what I call an ambitious goal!
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Guess the function of this architectonic building…..? It’s the world first round Railway Station, construction will end this year! Billed as the biggest round station in the world, the new design featuring a glass and steel arch that covers 50,000 square meters in Minhang District.
Read more on this webpage!
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Always wanted to know what’s on the mind of our Far Eastern neighbours, China? Well, China’s most popular search engine, BAIDU.COM, has published their 10 most searched keywords. Here Baidu’s ‘hottest’ list:
- MP3
- ???? (TV sensation Super Voice Girls)
- ??(”Fairy Tale,” a pop song by Malaysian singer Guang Liang)
- QQ (instant messaging software)
- ???(Li Yuchun, the winner of Super Voice Girls)
- ??? (Korean TV series Dae Jang Geum or Jewel in the Palace)
- ?? (Jackie Chan’s move The Myth, also a band)
- ?? (”keep the Party in the vanguard”)
- ??(Kill the God, a famous internet novel)
- ??? (o2jam, an online music game)
Source: Shanghai Daily
This week I will verify this list with my fellow students from China! 
>>Note: As you can see I have some problems with displaying the Chinese characters, I will try to fix it as soon as possible<<
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On Nov. 9, in a conference call, Chambers (Cisco’s CEO) made a striking prediction: “It would not surprise me to see India actually challenge China, in terms of our business revenue, [in] three to four years.”
Chambers’ statement certainly goes against conventional wisdom. After all, China boasts a $1.6 trillion economy that’s growing at a 9% annual clip, and it’s the world’s largest market for many products. India, with the same 1 billion-plus population, has a $700 billion economy that’s growing at 7%.
What drives Cisco’s thoughts for playing its cards on India?
Deregulated telecom market
India’s growth rate is going to pick up, partly because of deregulation of its telecom industry which is leading to vast invetments in new Internet infrastructure. In contrast with China’s centrally controlled economy.
Entrepreneurship
Upcoming wave in Indian entrepreneurship together with tougher laws on intellectual property rights. This will make the nation an attractive place to set up R&D and venture operations.
Market dominance
In China, Cisco faces strong competition from Huawei Technologies and Harbour Networks Co., in India, you’ve got nobody that can be considered as a serieus competitor. Furthermore, tough competition in China forces Cisco to cut their known high gross margins, resulting not only in lower profit margins but also declining market share.
Immature infrastructure
Much of India still lack phone lines, carriers are installing higher-capacity Ethernet cables all the way to homes, the same cables found on Cisco office and consumer gear. This will ke it easier to interconnect with them trough Cisco networks.
India’s favourable preference
Longstanding suspicions between India and China are hurting Cisco’s rival Huawei. Recent concerns of India’s goverment adressing that Huawei might leak militarily sensitive information about India’s infrastructure to Chinese officials
As Cisco shifts focus to India, someone is going to learn a tough lesson: Cisco if it leaves too much business on the table in China, or its rivals, if Cisco has guessed right about what it believes is the best growth market of them all.
Sphere: Related ContentFor anyone who is interested, the Financial Times Asia Insight series of reports identifying and analysing the forces and trends behind the region’s dynamic growth.
Within 20 years — possibly far sooner — China will have the world’s largest economy. That will powerfully impact you: your job, your company, your economic future, and your country. In the book: The Chinese Century, Oded Shenkar shows how China is restoring its imperial glory by infusing modern technology and market economics into a non-democratic system controlled by the Communist party and bureaucracy.
Shenkar shows why China’s accelerating growth differs radically from predecessors such as Japan, India, and Mexico — and how it will lead to a radical restructuring of the global business system. Discover why the U.S. is most vulnerable to China’s ascent… how China’s disregard for intellectual property creates sustainable competitive advantage… and how China’s growth impacts every global business and consumer.
Above all, Shenkar shows what you must do to survive and prosper in “the Chinese Century.”
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