How to make money in China - Shaun Rein

Shaun Rein

Business analyst Shaun Rein, author of The War for China's Wallet: Profiting from the New World Order explained at the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club how foreign companies become winners and losers in China. The “methodical, systematic plan” to garner support for the One Belt, One Road initiative was the result of a “divide and conquer” strategy on the part of the Chinese government, he said.

The Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club:

“China is no longer a cheap place to do business. The cost of doing business is crazy high,” he said at the December 12 club breakfast. 

Rein pointed out that foreign brands including KFC and Starbucks make a huge profit in China. But he warned that multinationals were increasingly adhering to the political goals of Beijing in order to operate there. Publicly backing the One Belt, One Road initiative – President Xi’s development strategy to establish trade routes between Eurasian countries – is one way of staying in favour with the Communist Party. Those who speak out against China, said Rein, risk economic punishment or outright banishment. He gave the example of the Philippines, whose mango imports to China were blocked after an international tribunal on territorial disputes ruled in favour of the Philippines. The block was lifted once Rodrigo Duterte came to power in the Philippines and declared allegiance to China over America. 

“The theme of the book is that China punishes and rewards countries,” Rein said. But he added that now China has also started punishing foreign companies for the actions of their countries’ governments, citing South Korea’s Lotte Group, which provided land in South Korea for the U.S. THAAD missile system. 

Rein said the “methodical, systematic plan” to garner support for the One Belt, One Road initiative was the result of a “divide and conquer” strategy on the part of the Chinese government. 

He predicted that multinational financial services would continue to suffer in China, but that foreign insurance companies would flourish, as would wealth management.

More at the website of the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club.

Shaun Rein is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more strategic experts at the China Speakers Bureau. Do check out this list.

How Starbucks conquered a tea-drinking nation - Tom Doctoroff

Tom Doctoroff

Starbucks opened its largest outlet last week in Shanghai, and is moving from US to China as its largest operation. Marketing guru Tom Doctoroff looks at the strategy of the US coffee retailer who entered a tea-drinking nation, and gained tracking few foreign companies got, he explains in IdealsShanghai. "A Houdini act of Marketing".

Tom Doctoroff:

I once heard an analogy that Starbucks is a true modern day colonial power – one that quietly enters a country, builds four walls around people and puts expensive lattes in their hands. Of course, the actual concept behind the Starbucks brand in the West lies in Howard Schultz’s  ‘The Third Space’; being the space between home and work where consumers can slip into a plush chair and quietly read a book in total anonymity and relaxation. 

China, however, is a different beast entirely. For one, it’s a nation of tea drinkers, and secondly, consumer behaviour here is very specific. Yet this week brought with it the launch of Starbucks’ new roastery concept in Shanghai, another ribbon to add to a year that has seen Starbucks become the fastest growing brand in China, with 3000 physical stores, a new one opening every 15 hours, and plans to open 5000 by 2021. 

Starbucks has entered the China market with extreme precision. ‘The Third Space’ has no relevance in this market and they recognised this instantly. For a premium price and a premium brand, Chinese consumers don’t desire relaxed anonymity, they want to project an identity and status associated with their choice. It was critical that Starbucks localized their strategy, and they did. This is something I like to call ‘Houdini’s Act of Marketing’; Starbucks needed to work out how to maximise public consumption – only then could it charge premium prices. 

To a foreign brand looking to make a splash in China, scale is everything. When it launched, the real estate strategy was always to secure big stores in high end office buildings. Individual chairs were also demoted in favour of bigger tables to create social spaces. Starbucks was aligning itself with the ‘professional elite’ and the stores rapidly became a gathering site for people who wished to identify with, and more importantly, project this image.

More in IdealsShanghai.

Tom Doctoroff is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form. 

Are you looking for more strategic experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.  

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Bike-sharing: only at the start of their development - Jeffrey Towson

Jeffrey Towson

Bike-sharing companies in China had a rough year, combining huge investments and limited returns. Smaller ones went bankrupt and market leaders Mobike and Ofo are rumored to discuss a merger. Peking University investment professor Jeffrey Towson still see enough room for success, he tells the South China Morning Post.

The South China Morning Post:

For users, the cost of a ride is a pittance – about one yuan, or 15 US cents, for an hour – with much cheaper deals available. In a recent promotional campaign to lure riders from its competitors, Mobike offered unlimited rides for three months for only five yuan. Rival Ofo has a similar inventive scheme. 

Despite the unattractive economics, Jeffrey Towson, an investment professor at China’s elite Peking University, said bike sharing is “definitely not a fad”. 

“The economics of the business are becoming clearer. Rental revenue is still the foundation. Advertising revenue may be part of the picture,” he said. “Some Ofo bikes, for example, have had Minions advertisements on them. And perhaps delivery and e-commerce revenue will come in the future.” 

While Towson is bullish on the industry’s business prospects, he is not confident that more than a couple of companies can peacefully coexist. 

“If it was in the United States, I think it could end up as giants with many smaller players coexisting. But there seems to be a Chinese phenomenon to eliminate the competition by taking over the entire industry,” he said. 

One example in the car hailing business was the fierce rivalry between Didi Dache and Kuaidi Dache. In 2015 they merged to form Didi Chuxing, which absorbed Uber China the following year, becoming the only dominant player in the mainland Chinese market.

“Investors tend to step in to stop a price war because it is their money. It is better to spend the money on growth than fighting each other,” Towson said. 

Bloomberg first reported in October that Ofo and Mobike were in merger talks, but neither company would confirm the speculation. In November Zhu Xiaohu, a tech sector venture capitalist and early investor in Ofo, called for such a merger during a forum attended by Mobike co-founder Hu Weiwei. 

Despite pressure from investors, there is no sign that the two bike-sharing giants will merge any time soon. Ofo is raising another US$1 billion from investors, including Alibaba, and is expected to put any proposed merger plan with Mobike on hold, according to a number of news outlets, citing market sources. Ofo has declined to comment. 

“The merger of Ofo and Mobike is going to be a big topic of discussion in 2018,” Towson said. “But [whether it happens] depends on the availability of capital … and in China there is a lot of capital.”

More in the South China Morning Post

Jeffrey Towson is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more innovation experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

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Management skills needed for China's outbound investments - Shaun Rein

Shaun Rein

One of the key barriers in China's massive outbound investment programs, like One Belt, One Road (OBOR) is the lack of management talents, tells author Shaun Rein of The War for China's Wallet: Profiting from the New World Order on the Human Resources page at LinkedIn. "Private Chinese companies have the capital and will pay for consulting services, especially companies in the tech sector."

Human Resources:

Rein: China wants to raise USD 1 trillion to invest in dozens of countries under the OBOR initiative in order to grow economically and cement power. What are the odds of success? I think it will succeed but it won't be easy. Many companies Chinese companies simply don't have enough management talent to operate across dozens of different countries led by diverse ethnic and religious groups. As companies grow regionally, they will need to recruit and retain the right country heads and regional leaders.Right now too much decision-making is in the hands of CEOs and founders. Chinese companies, as well as corporations from nations like Pakistan and Malaysia that are part of OBOR, will need to rely on executive search firms to find the right talent quickly.    

LZ: What sectors are Chinese state-owned enterprises and private Chinese companies investing in the most as they expand overseas? Are there specific regions or sectors they are targeted? 

Rein: Private Chinese companies have the capital and will pay for consulting services, especially companies in the tech sector. They understand they need top talent as they expand, predominantly into Southeast Asia and Africa.    

LZ: What are the underlying reasons behind the international expansion of Chinese companies? Are they political or economic? Do Chinese firms prefer to grow organically or through mergers and acquisitions? 

Rein: Chinese companies typically look to grow abroad for three main reasons: 

1. To gain access to technology quicker than developing it organically. We have also seen examples in the construction industry where Chinese companies grow via acquisition. Zoomlion acquired Dutch crane maker Raxtar to move into the high-end hoisting sector, for example. 

2. To acquire western brands to bring back to China. Building a strong brand can take decades, so it is easier for Chinese companies to buy brands abroad. A Chinese company bought Australian condom maker Jissbon, for instance. 

3. To diversify revenue streams. Although China still enjoys strong growth, it is not at the 10% clip of years past, so Chinese companies are looking to buy assets abroad to diversify revenue streams away from China. Businesses like Alibaba and Baidu, for example, have been investing aggressively in the US, for example.    

LZ: Some criticism of China’s outbound strategy is that companies, especially SOEs, bring their own machinery and talent pool when they expand abroad and don’t source equipment and labor locally as much as local politicians expected. Do you see non-Chinese nationals being allowed into key management positions to bring strategic input to the business? 

Rein: In some cases, China companies actively support promoting non-Chinese to senior executive positions.Take Geely automotive has injected capital and connections into Volvo but kept most of the leadership in charge of the famed Swedish automaker. In another example, Alibaba hired Michael Evans, formerly of Goldman Sachs, to be its president of international operations. Chinese firms acquire assets abroad to get brands, technology and management know-how.

More at the LinkedIn page of Human Resources.

Shaun Rein is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you interested in more experts on China's outbound investment? Do check out this page.

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Why Tim Cook kowtowed to China - Shaun Rein

Shaun Rein

Apple removed many VPN's from its Chinese app store, and CEO Tim Cook joined China's internet propaganda show last week. Author Shaun Rein of The War for China's Wallet: Profiting from the New World Order explains in ChinaFile why Tim Cook got an audience in Wuzhen, and Google's Sundar Pichai not.

Shaun Rein:

The rewards China bestows on the these foreign Internet companies can be huge—China is Apple’s largest market outside of the United States. It generated 18 percent of Apple’s global revenue in the third quarter of 2017. Most of its products are assembled in China. Executives salivate at the size of the Chinese consumer market. It has become the largest market outside of the U.S. for companies ranging from Starbucks to Nike. 

China has a long memory, too. While Tim Cook spoke to a packed auditorium in Wuzhen, his counterpart at Google, Sundar Pichai, spoke to an empty room. Reports were that authorities never made it clear what time Pichai’s speech was set, so no one knew when to attend. But Cook’s words in support of China’s Internet policies will be used in propaganda by the government to show how open they are to foreign players. And Cook will be rewarded with continued access to the lucrative Chinese wallet. 

China has smartly used it wallet to get what it wants politically beyond its own borders. See how publisher Springer censored its own book catalog. China’s wallet is a power so large and lucrative that no single Internet company can withstand it. Going forward, it is only at the government-to-government level that these issues can be worked out. It is surprising that neither the Obama nor Trump administrations made a bigger push for greater access for Western technology firms in China—such a push should be couched not as a human rights issue but one based on money. America’s Internet companies are losing out on billions of dollars of profit under the current policies.

More at ChinaFile.

Shaun Rein is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more internet experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list. 

Will bike-sharing firms merge? Not yet - Jeffrey Towson

Jeffrey Towson

Will Mobike and Ofo, China's largest bike-sharing companies merge, like car-sharing firm did in the past? Not yet, says Peking University professor Jeffrey Towson. International expansions goes well, capital is freely available, and a crippling price war has not yet emerged, he argues.

Jeffrey Towson is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more strategic experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list. 

"The War for China's Wallets" now available - Shaun Rein

Shaun Rein

Shaun Rein's long-awaited new book The War for China's Wallet: Profiting from the New World Order is now available at Amazon and possible a bookstore near you. "This book covers more geopolitics than my previous two books and looks at how China is cementing its power through economic carrots/ initiatives like One Belt One Road and by punishing countries like Norway and companies like Lotte that do not follow its wants politically. The book looks at how China is dealing with Southeast Asia, the Korean Peninsula, the Middle East, and how the US needs to respond," he writes at the publisher's website. 

Shaun Rein:

There is still a lot of money to be made from China's rise, but the profits come at a cost as governments and companies must adhere to the wants of China's government. These are turbulent times politically, and I wrote this book to help governments and companies understand how to navigate China's rising political ambitions. Many argue a war between the US and China is inevitable -- I disagree with this notion, but better understanding is key as are building economic ties.

More at the publisher's website.

Shaun Rein is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more stories by Shaun Rein? Do check out this list.

The long-term effects of China's religious revival - Ian Johnson

Ian Johnson

Religious persecution in China is high on the political agenda, but most people do not see how the country's religious revival is going to change our relations in the long run, argues journalist Ian Johnson, author of The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao at the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.

Ian Johnson is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more stories by Ian Johnson? Do check out this list.

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Ranking international schools in China - Rupert Hoogewerf

Rupert Hoogewerf

International schools are big business in China, not only for expat families living in China, but increasingly also for ambitious Chinese. Rupert Hoogewerf, chief researcher of the Hurun China Rich List ranked those schools for the first time at Hurun Education. YK PAO school, International School of Beijing, Dulwich College Beijing and Keystone Academy lead the top international schools in China, the report says.

Hurun Education:

 “China's international schools are young, especially compared with the top schools in the UK and US, many of which have been around for several hundred years. With the demand in the market for an international education, expect to see these schools and their alumni build an international reputation of excellence,” said Rupert Hoogewerf, Hurun Report Chairman and Chief Researcher. 

Average annual tuition is about US$20,000, rising to US$45,000 for the big cities of Shanghai and Beijing. “It is a big cost to put a child through the international education system in China,” continued Hoogewerf. 

Between April and October, Hurun Education asked 110 international education experts in China an unprompted question to recommend up to five schools in each of ‘Greater Shanghai’, ‘Greater Beijing’, Guangdong and ‘Rest of China’. Hurun Education received 942 nominations in total, an average of just under 9 nominations per expert. Half of respondents were school principals and senior teachers with the other half including investors, overseas study agents, training institutions and administrative departments of education. 34% came from ‘Greater Shanghai’, including Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu; 33% from ‘Greater Beijing’, including Beijing and Tianjin, and 33% from the rest of China. 24% of respondents were non-Chinese. 152 schools received votes. Schools were ranked on an index of 1 to 100, the school with the most votes receiving the maximum index of 100. The rankings refer to international schools in Mainland China only. 

Rupert Hoogewerf, Hurun Report Chairman and Chief Researcher, said, “I believe this to be the first serious attempt to rank the international schools in China. This ranking is targeted at parents with children in China and admission officers of universities from around the world. I hope this ranking will help parents form an opinion on which international school is the most suitable for their child, by providing a comprehensive study of the market from the views of international educational experts in China.”

More at Hurun Education.

Rupert Hoogewerf is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more stories by Rupert Hoogewerf? Do check out this list.  

China: A fast changing society - Zhang Lijia

Zhang Lijia

Stability is the key word for China's political leaders, but when author Zhang Lijia of Lotus: A Novel on prostitution in China looks back at her last thirty years for her life, she sees a unbelievable change, she tells in a wide-ranging interview in the Australian Financial Review.

The Australian Financial Review:

Zhang says today's situation is very different from 30 years ago. The initial working title for her memoir was Frog in a Well, to convey her feelings of being trapped in the factory, only able to see a patch of sky that hinted at the world beyond. At the factory, she was banned from wearing lipstick or dating and female workers had to prove they weren't pregnant by showing evidence of bleeding every month. 

Today, Zhang says people feel more comfortable with the freedoms they have. This has stopped people from speaking out about the government's tighter control of society, which Zhang finds frustrating. 

"I find it incredible so many people have swallowed the line that what we want is stability. I was even having a conversation with someone who supported me and took part in the demonstration [a group of 300 factory workers organised by Zhang to march in late May 1989 as a show of solidarity with the protesters in Tiananmen Square] and he saw that as a youthful, impulsive action and said China now needed stability." 

Zhang tells me she left China in 1990 to live in Britain but returned to Beijing three years later and began working for the ABC's then China correspondent Ali Moore as a fixer. She resigned from the ABC to become a journalist in her own right and her writing has appeared in the South China Morning Post, Far Eastern Economic Review, Japan Times, The Guardian, Newsweek and The New York Times...

Then: doing research on prostitution has not been easy.

"Prostitution is still a very sensitive topic," she says, with a distinct British accent, honed by years of listening to the BBC. Zhang also lived in Britain during her marriage to British reporter Calum MacLeod, which ended 12 years ago. The couple have two daughters. "Even academics have trouble to do research. They cannot get funding," she says "In China prostitutes are stigmatised. People think they are dirty and cheap. A few years ago there was a big crackdown [on the sex industry] in Dongguan. Prostitutes were paraded in the street." 

Zhang says a film director showed some interest in the novel but he was told by the authorities "prostitution doesn't exist in China".

More in the Australian Financial Review. Zhang Lijia is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for experts on cultural change in China? Do check out this list.
 

Why religion did not die out in communist China - Ian Johnson

Ian Johnson

China started - after initial suppression - to tolerate religion under Deng Xiaoping, as the communist rulers of the country expected religion was something for the older generation and would die out. Journalist Ian Johnson, author of The Souls of China: The Return of Religion After Mao explains in a Q&A to JWT Intelligence why they were wrong. And the implications for business.

JWT Intelligence:

Why was religion in China suppressed to begin with? 

It’s important to go back to before the communists, back to the 19th century when other countries were confronted with how to modernize. Many people felt religion was holding people back. In late 19th century China, some saw religion as a social ill, similar to footbinding or opium smoking. Buddhism, Daoism, folk religions were by and large suspect. Hundreds of thousands of temples were destroyed. When the communists took over in 1949, they carried it forward in more radical fashion. During Mao’s Cultural Revolution from 1966-1976, he banned all places of worship. Mao himself was almost like a god; the little red book almost like a bible. Then he died. 

Under Deng Xiaoping’s capital and economic reforms, control over a lot of society was loosened. He allowed seminaries to open, and monks, nurses and imams to be trained. It was thought that some old people still believed in religion and religions would slowly disappear. 

But they didn’t? 

No. As people got wealthier, there was a widespread perception that in China, there is a lack of shared values and China is in a sort of moral vacuum. We see this in social media—somebody is injured in the street and nobody helps them. There are food safety scandals. People are asking, “what sort of society have we become?” This is one of the reasons people are turning to religion. 

Now the government feels some religion can be useful, especially if it doesn’t have foreign ties. Some are viewed less favorably, like Islam and Christianity. But Buddhism and Daoism are now tolerated and even encouraged. This slow shift that began about 10 years ago really picked up pace under current President Xi Jinping. 

We see an explosion in the number of temples, churches and mosques paid for by ordinary people through donations. Religions are getting more active in proselytizing and even Buddhists and Daoists are trying to compete in this religious marketplace.

More in JWT Intelligence.

Ian Johnson is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more experts on cultural change at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

US regulator bans HK accounting firm - Paul Gillis

Paul Gillis

The efforts by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB)  to get access to Chinese data from US-listed Chinese firms went into a new phase as it banned a Hong Kong accounting firm, reports Beida accounting professor Paul Gillis on his weblog. It could be a new item on Trump's China agenda, he suggests.

Paul Gillis:

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) has published disciplinary actions against a small Hong Kong CPA firm, Anthony Kam & Associates and Anthony Kam himself (Kam). Kam and his firm have been fined, censured, and banned from doing audits of US listed companies for at least five years because of shoddy work on Sino Agro Food, Inc (SIAF), a Chinese reverse merger. 

Kam was found to have signed off on the 2012 audit of SAIF without actually conducting an audit. Kam had taken over the audit from another firm and reissued the financial statements without doing any work other than obtaining a representation letter from the client and getting a copy of the prior auditors working papers. Serious deficiencies were found in the 2013 and 2014 audits. 

The PCAOB lamented that it should have inspected KAM at least twice since 2009, but was unable to do so because China blocks access. Somehow the PCAOB was able to pursue this action; possibly it was done under the 2013 Enforcement Cooperation Agreement. If Trump wants to get tough on China, he might start by demanding the Chinese comply with US laws or else delist their companies from US markets.

More at the ChinaAccountingBlog.

Paul Gillis is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more financial experts at the China Speakers Bureau. Do check out this list.  

Tencent's Pony Ma: the consistent growth factor - Rupert Hoogewerf

Rupert Hoogewerf

In the dramatic battle between the two major Chinese IT giants, Alibaba and Tencent, Alibaba's Jack Ma often grabs the attention, outspoken and in excellent English. Tencent's CEO Pony Ma is a dark horse, but now Time dives into his background. For Rupert Hoogewerf, founder of the Hurun China Rich List, Pony Ma has been a factor of constant growth, he tells the magazine.

Time:

This year has been an exceptional one for (Pony) Ma, thanks to surging stock prices in China. Prior to 2017, Ma was worth $20.8 billion, according to Bloomberg’s billionaire index. In 2017 alone, Ma has made $21.5 billion according to the index — 5th-most on the index and second in China only to industrialist Hui Ka Yan, whom MONEY profiled earlier this year. Five of the top-10 wealth gainers in 2017 have been Chinese, according to Bloomberg. But it is Ma — no relation to Yahoo owner Jack Ma — who is set to have an increasing presence on the world stage. 

“Pony is unique in that he has been one of the most consistent players on the Hurun China Rich List,” Rupert Hoogewerf, publisher of the Hurun rich list, which tracks Chinese wealth, told MONEY in an email. “I can’t think of anyone else that has grown so consistently.”

Pony Ma

More about Pony Ma in Time.

Rupert Hoogewerf is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more stories by Rupert Hoogewerf? Do check out this list.  

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How China becomes a global leader in AI and driverless cars - Mark Greeven

Add caption

China's high-tech companies like Alibaba, Tencent, Xiaomi and Baidu are pushing the country to become a global leader by developing new business models, says Zhejiang University professor Mark Greeven, author of Business Ecosystems in China: Alibaba and Competing Baidu, Tencent, Xiaomi and LeEco to the South China Morning Post.

The South China Morning Post:

Greeven, who co-wrote Business Ecosystem in China: Alibaba and Competing Baidu, Tencent, Xiaomi and LeEco with Wei Wei, said Chinese companies have found a new method of organisation that will help it become a global innovation leader. 

The business ecosystems of Chinese companies differ sharply from those of US juggernauts such as Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple, according to Greeven, whose book came out in September. 

In the US, one company usually creates a platform which outside companies either plug into or use. In China, an outside company does not plug in, but becomes part of the business as one of hundreds of players in an ecosystem, Greeven argues. 

A distinct trait of a Chinese innovation ecosystem is the “glue” that exists between all the participants. For example, in the case of Alibaba – the owner of the South China Morning Post – the payment function is shared in its ecosystem. 

The five companies in the book’s title are all digital driven, but they mix hardware and software, online and offline and old and new industries. They include relatively old companies such as Tencent, which was set up in the 1990s, and younger companies. 

What they have in common is an aversion to adopting the standard metrics structures used by most multinationals. Greeven found. Their unique ecosystem, under which suppliers, distributors or customers become partners, helps them achieve early success in a highly uncertain business environment.

More in the South China Morning Post.

Mark Greeven is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more experts on innovation at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

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Dilemma's for brands when coming to China - Ben Cavender

Ben Cavender

Victoria Secret's high-profile problems with authorities in Shanghai were not the first when big brands try to organize events in China, nor will they be the last. Brands are simply not aware enough of politically or morally sensitive issues, different from their home market, says branding experts Ben Cavender to Reuters.

Reuters:

The issue has underscored a dilemma for global brands, sports franchises, moviemakers and performers looking to tap China’s big-spending consumers while keeping on the right side of often stringent rules about content and behaviour. 

“Brands have to be much more aware of politically or morally sensitive topics here,” said Ben Cavender, Shanghai-based principal at China Market Research Group, adding the lure of the market meant most people would nevertheless take risks. 

“It’s a very different political environment than their home markets and we’re at a time when China is on a drive to clean up behaviour and push a sort of moral code.” 

China has long kept tight control of performers it allows into the country. Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Bjork and Bon Jovi are all banned over perceived bad behaviour or for broaching sensitive topics like Tibet or Taiwan.

More in Reuters.

Ben Cavender is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

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Why it is good to be an author in China - Zhang Lijia

Zhang Lijia

While most of the media stress government control on journalists and authors, Zhang Lijia, author of Lotus: A Novel on prostitution in China, sees huge advantages too, she tells the blog Women and Gender in China (WAGIC). "Internationally Chinese women writers are almost invisible. This is another reason that I want to keep writing."

WAGIC:

S: What would you say are the opportunities and challenges of being a (female) writer in China today? 

China is the seventh heaven for writers and journalists. Like any society that is going through such rapid social transformation, there’s always tension and drama – these are exactly what writers and journalists seek after.

It is difficult to be a writer anywhere in the world. In China, most writers have to deal with the extra challenge of facing censorship. Right now, the publishing and writing fields are still male-dominated. Internationally Chinese women writers are almost invisible. This is another reason that I want to keep writing. 

S: One of the areas that you talk about in your public speaking is the changing role of women in Chinese society. What would you say are the main challenges facing women today? 

LJ: The main challenges facing women today is the deeply rooted male chauvinism and the growing gender inequality. Market economy has placed women in an unfavourable position. But I am optimistic because women have taken the matter into their own hands, as reflected in the growing activism since 2012. It would have been much better if such activism is tolerated by the authorities.  

S: What do you have planned next? 

LJ: I am writing a literary non-fiction on China’s left behind children. Coming from a journalist background, I found fiction writing extremely challenging. In this non-fiction book, I plan to apply some fictional techniques I’ve learnt, such as setting the scene, good dialogue, sense of suspense and character development, which, hopefully, will make the book more engaging and literary.

More in WAGIC.

Zhang Lijia is a speaker on the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

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More control and more openness: China conundrum - Victor Shih

Victor Shih

China's economy is more and more controlled by the state, but the country is also pledging more openness. Political analyst Victor Shih looks at CNBC whether China can deal with this conundrum, or not. China's agenda and ambitions are clear, but now how they might work out, he says.

Victor Shih is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

Are you looking for more political experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

More at CNBC.
Leveraging is expanding too rapidly in China, academic says from CNBC.