https://www.scmp.com/rss/26869/feed George Chen is managing director and co-chair of digital practice at The Asia Group, a business and policy consulting firm. He is a former head of public policy for Greater China at Meta/Facebook en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The United States and China are not only locked in a growing tariff war that could drag the world economy into a recession but also stuck in an increasingly fierce competition in the field of artificial intelligence. So far, the US is seen as the leader in AI technologies but that does not necessarily mean it can simply declare itself the winner in the AI contest. The so-called DeepSeek effect – the revolutionary impact of the technologies developed by China’s home-grown AI start-up DeepSeek –... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3307357/ai-race-against-us-china-racking-real-world-wins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3307357/ai-race-against-us-china-racking-real-world-wins?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Apr 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Since its debut more than 17 years ago, Apple’s iPhone has been more than a smartphone in the eyes of Chinese consumers – it has been a status symbol. This was especially true for China’s younger generation, who grew up with US cultural influences from drinking Coca-Cola to watching Hollywood films as Beijing opened its economy to foreign investment in the early 1980s. Recently, however, the iPhone has seen a decline in appeal, and Apple, the world’s leading consumer technology company, is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3275082/why-apples-iphone-losing-its-shine-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3275082/why-apples-iphone-losing-its-shine-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Aug 2024 12:30:09 +0000 Some of the world’s leading tech companies such as OpenAI and Google have decided to exclude Hong Kong from the list of markets where their advanced, generative artificial intelligence (AI) services like ChatGPT are available. Such decisions were made by those companies themselves rather than the Hong Kong government. Unfortunately, the restrictions may be the result of a lack of communication, and misunderstandings between the private sector and the Hong Kong government. OpenAI launched ChatGPT... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3272443/hong-kong-cant-afford-lose-out-generative-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3272443/hong-kong-cant-afford-lose-out-generative-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Aug 2024 01:30:11 +0000 This is my seventh year in Hong Kong. If you ask me what really makes Hong Kong different, compared with Shanghai where I was born or the rest of China, the first word which pops up in my mind to this question will be “freedom”. Freedom is not just a concept but something that all of us can easily understand and experience. Whenever you walk across the border and step onto Shenzhen, Hong Kong’s closest neighbour, you know you need a bit technical help to keep you connected and informed on your... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1890587/last-not-least-lets-talk-about-freedom-once-again-and-why-it-makes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1890587/last-not-least-lets-talk-about-freedom-once-again-and-why-it-makes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Dec 2015 05:00:00 +0000 I have a personal story to share with you about the development of private equity, which may offer some indication of how fast the industry has grown over the past decade. Many years ago I was appointed by my former employer Reuters as the British news agency’s Asia private equity (PE) correspondent. When I tried to introduce my job to friends in China, I was a little surprised that some thought PE stood for “physical exercise”. When I relayed this experience to acquaintances at KKR, one of the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/1888961/money-may-make-world-go-round-philanthropic-mission-makes-tech-start?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/1888961/money-may-make-world-go-round-philanthropic-mission-makes-tech-start?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Dec 2015 13:45:43 +0000 Global car-hailing app Uber and its local rival in China, Didi Kuaidi, are de facto in a business war, after Tencent, a key investor of Didi, decided to remove Uber from one of the most powerful online marketing platforms in the world’s No 1 internet market. What’s the key takeaway of the story here for other foreign businesses if they are considering doing or expanding business in China? It’s getting more difficult to make money in China, especially when you have to compete with local monopoly... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1887451/tencent-blocks-uber-wechat-so-what-fair-play-can-we-expect-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1887451/tencent-blocks-uber-wechat-so-what-fair-play-can-we-expect-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Dec 2015 05:00:00 +0000 Can the internet really fix everything? What about finding the next William Shakespeare or Mark Twain just on the internet? Xu Yuanxiang, vice president of Alibaba Pictures, apparently frustrated many veteran movie professionals by saying publicly last week that his firm "would not hire professional movie script writers any more" but turn to so-called "netizens' wisdom" for the next great story that his firm would make into a national bestselling movie. Xu's comments, made at an industry forum,... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1884919/we-cant-fix-everything-internet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1884919/we-cant-fix-everything-internet?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Nov 2015 08:00:45 +0000 The year 2015 may not be remembered as a good one for the traditional media industry in Hong Kong but there has been more activity in the new media marketing and advertising business, just reaffirming the pressure on the industry's transformation. We've seen a handful of newspaper and magazine staff layoffs and business closures this year in Hong Kong, mostly due to the general downtrend in traditional media business, in particular print and radio, as the younger generation dramatically change... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1881778/traditional-media-industry-playing-catch-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1881778/traditional-media-industry-playing-catch-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Nov 2015 10:00:45 +0000 What is the most  advanced digital society in the world? America? Britain? Or Germany? No. The answer is a  little-known country in Europe – Estonia. In fact, Estonia has grabbed a lot of attention in recent years, especially after its digital citizenship initiative which gave everyone in the world the potential to “virtually” become an Estonian so they could more easily set up a business online for market entry into the European Union, of which Estonia is a member nation. Estonia is often... https://www.scmp.com/business/global-economy/article/1878989/pay-taxi-credit-card-and-free-wi-fi-everywhere-why-it-so?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/global-economy/article/1878989/pay-taxi-credit-card-and-free-wi-fi-everywhere-why-it-so?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Nov 2015 04:45:45 +0000 Israel can boast an astonishing success rate when it comes to local start-ups, and the so-called “godfather” of the country’s hi-tech industry says “tiger moms” play a large role. Yossi Vardi said many business founders in his motherland are indebted to their mothers for pushing them to excel from childhood. “The true answer to why many entrepreneurs in Israel can be so successful today is they have their Jewish mother,” said Vardi, dubbed the “father of ICQ”, once the most popular online... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/1878223/godfather-israels-hi-tech-industry-credits-tiger-moms-its-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/1878223/godfather-israels-hi-tech-industry-credits-tiger-moms-its-new?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Nov 2015 11:15:00 +0000 Chinese start-ups have quickly assumed some leading roles on the world stage by positioning themselves on the cutting-edge of technological innovation, but US firms still dominate global business, Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said on Wednesday. “Among the world’s 20 largest start-ups nowadays, 14 are American and the rest are Chinese,” said Ilves, a former journalist who ascended to the presidency in 2006. He made the comments in neighbouring Finland at SLUSH, Europe’s largest... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/1877883/easier-ship-wine-buy-mp3-across-borders-europe-estonian-leader-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/1877883/easier-ship-wine-buy-mp3-across-borders-europe-estonian-leader-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Nov 2015 12:00:45 +0000 How can a medium-sized Nordic nation with a population smaller than Hong Kong grow more start-ups than any other country in the world? Ilkka Paananen, founder of the world’s No.1 mobile game company Supercell, believes Finland’s unique business culture makes all the difference. “I think the Finnish culture is to get things done, although we don’t talk too much,” Paananen said this week during a group interview at the company's headquarters in Helsinki. READ MORE: Silicon dreams: Can Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/1877779/six-reasons-finlands-record-start-success-clash-clans-maker-supercell?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/1877779/six-reasons-finlands-record-start-success-clash-clans-maker-supercell?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Nov 2015 07:00:15 +0000 Is Visa a financial services company or technology firm? Ditto for transport firm Uber and sportswear maker Xtep. Industry boundaries are getting blurred, and almost every business now needs some kind of technology support to move forward. A friend recently joined Visa. When congratulated on his new job at the world's largest credit card company, his reply was: "Visa is actually now a technology company." Initially, I was not so sure about the changing business nature of Visa but later realised... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1876835/industries-step-technology-era?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1876835/industries-step-technology-era?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Nov 2015 15:30:15 +0000 Sequoia Capital, the world’s largest venture capital firm, has increased its investment in “smart marketing” company Appier, the first start-up it has funded to date in Taiwan. Taipei-headquartered Appier said Tuesday it had successfully closed US$23 million in its Series B funding from five global investors including Sequoia, known for its backing of leading technology companies like Apple and Google. Other Appier investors include JAFCO Asia, TransLink Capital, MediaTek Ventures and an... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/1875117/staying-ahead-cross-screen-era-sequoia-joins-u23m-investment-round?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/1875117/staying-ahead-cross-screen-era-sequoia-joins-u23m-investment-round?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Nov 2015 03:30:15 +0000 China announced last week it is finally ending its controversial “one family, one child” policy at a time when the country’s economy is in its worst shape in more than a decade. The more practical question is not how many kids that Chinese parents should have, but where to get the money to raise more kids. I have to take the “one child” policy story very personally because I was born in 1980, the year when the birth control policy was officially implemented. Like many of my 1980s fellow Chinese,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1874617/finding-money-raise-kids-issue-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1874617/finding-money-raise-kids-issue-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Nov 2015 07:30:45 +0000 How can you enjoy a 360-degree view from the rooftop of an historic temple in Tibet or the grand ballroom of one of the legendary hotels in Hong Kong without going there in person? This is where cutting-edge virtual reality (VR) technology comes into play, and a major multinational corporation is now putting it into practice. READ MORE: ‘The dawn of the virtual reality era’: Oculus Rift headset heralds brave new world of entertainment Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is making one of its biggest... https://www.scmp.com/tech/innovation/article/1873432/short-cut-shangri-la-virtual-reality-headsets-offer-360-degree-tours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/innovation/article/1873432/short-cut-shangri-la-virtual-reality-headsets-offer-360-degree-tours?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Oct 2015 09:45:00 +0000 Low capital requirements, advanced technology and the widespread use of mobile devices make launching a new business far easier than ever before, according to a senior executive at Google. The Greater China region including Hong Kong and Taiwan shows great potential due to the high penetration rate of smartphones, which mean that many transactions can be done within just a few clicks, said Kevin O’Kane, Google’s managing director for small and medium business in the Asia-Pacific region. “The... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/1872688/heading-cloud-google-says-now-best-time-launch-start-asia-due-low-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/1872688/heading-cloud-google-says-now-best-time-launch-start-asia-due-low-it?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Oct 2015 03:30:45 +0000 Pixels, Hong Kong’s largest digital advertising sales company, announced a new set of tools on Monday dedicated to mobile advertising that it claims will help its clients reach a wider audience and tap media-savvy youngsters. These include three HTML5 ad formats built into apps: ActiVoice, Vrical and Real Time Weather. ActiVoice enables voice-activated searches, similar to Apple’s Siri; Vrical lets advertisers showcase their products using 360-degree photos; and Real Time Weather automatically... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/1871442/hong-kong-ad-firm-pixels-launches-new-tools-multi-platform-content?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/1871442/hong-kong-ad-firm-pixels-launches-new-tools-multi-platform-content?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Oct 2015 23:00:30 +0000 China’s three internet giants, Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent – often referred to collectively at BAT – are apparently thinking of the same thing: fasten your seat belt, tighten your budget and stop hiring. Is this a good thing or bad thing for the long-term development of internet business in the world’s No2 economy? The growing power of BAT has rapidly become a challenge to many other, smaller internet businesses in China and one of the challenges it poses related to hiring. Due to the higher pay... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1871884/what-does-bats-hiring-freeze-really-mean-entire-internet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1871884/what-does-bats-hiring-freeze-really-mean-entire-internet?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Oct 2015 06:30:30 +0000 SCMP Group is expanding into e-commerce via a landmark investment in Hong Kong-based online retailer MyDress.com, it announced on Tuesday. The publisher of the century-old South China Morning Post newspaper is keen to share in the rapid growth of the changing dynamic in the digital era. The Hong Kong-headquartered media holding company, owned by Malaysian-Chinese billionaire Robert Kuok Hock Nien, said it has agreed to acquire a majority stake in MyDress Holdings Ltd, operator of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1869952/china-focused-media-group-scmp-pivots-e-commerce-acquisition-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1869952/china-focused-media-group-scmp-pivots-e-commerce-acquisition-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Oct 2015 03:30:00 +0000 What can a start-up really sell? A product, service, or just a concept? This must be the first question every start-up founder should ask. I was in Taipei for a Google event about start-ups and innovations last week. Google sent 10 best-performing Hong Kong start-up "students" in its EYE Program, an initiative to support small businesses to grow, to Taipei to meet their peers. The difference in a start-up business model between Hong Kong and Taipei is obvious from the first slide in their... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1869227/hong-kong-and-taiwan-take-different-start-routes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1869227/hong-kong-and-taiwan-take-different-start-routes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Oct 2015 14:30:15 +0000 Can Shenzhen, the former boomtown in southern China’s Guangdong province known for its pioneering economic reforms, remain the “world’s factory” for global technology start-up firms? The head of a start-up accelerator in Taiwan that is backed by the nation’s government believes her team can change the playing field by leveraging the island’s unique advantages in terms of design and quality of hardware. Anita Huang, a former regional executive for US technology giants Google and Yahoo, was... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/1867525/watch-out-shenzhen-taiwan-upgrading-grab-manufacturing-orders-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/1867525/watch-out-shenzhen-taiwan-upgrading-grab-manufacturing-orders-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Oct 2015 11:00:30 +0000 Founders of start-ups in Hong Kong should be more ambitious and think of broader horizons when launching companies if they want to scale up their businesses in the years to come, a senior executive at Google said this week. Entrepreneurs in the so-called Asia's World City should adopt a “multi-city strategy” when forming their business plans or risk getting stuck in one small market, said Lee-feng Chien, the internet search giant’s managing director of its operations in Taiwan. A typical... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/1866946/think-outside-city-start-ups-hong-kong-should-look-taiwan-become?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/1866946/think-outside-city-start-ups-hong-kong-should-look-taiwan-become?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Oct 2015 05:30:45 +0000 The spirit of entrepreneurship has been certainly coming back to Hong Kong this year after growing doubts in recent years over where to find the next Li Ka-shing. From almost any Starbucks shop across the city to a fast-growing number of high-level industry events, perhaps the three topics most often discussed are start-ups, innovation and entrepreneurship. In other words, as young Hongkongers keep complaining about low-pay entry-level jobs, many are striving to become their own bosses. I was... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1866373/busy-season-hong-kongs-future-entrepreneurs-coffee-shops-airport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1866373/busy-season-hong-kongs-future-entrepreneurs-coffee-shops-airport?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2015 14:30:45 +0000 Have you seen McDonald's Hong Kong's new advert for its Big Macs on YouTube?  Inspired by Cantopop songs and dedicated to Hong Kong customers, the kareoke-like clip went viral almost instantly after its debut in July, scoring over 1 million views within just one month. That’s the power of advertising. More lessons on this subject can be gleaned from the hit US TV show Mad Men, set in New York City in the 1960s, but chief among them seems to be the one about how people like to be inspired on a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-gaming/article/1865536/cantopop-and-fast-food-what-mcdonalds-viral-kareoke-inspired-ad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-gaming/article/1865536/cantopop-and-fast-food-what-mcdonalds-viral-kareoke-inspired-ad?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2015 08:00:45 +0000 Try and guess which company is the No4 smartphone in the US market after Apple, Samsung and LG? It's a Chinese company. Many American smartphone users may not know ZTE, one of the two largest telecoms equipment makers in China, but ZTE is already the fourth largest smartphone vendor in the US, with a nearly 8 per cent market share, according to consultancy firm Strategy Analytics. The bigger story behind ZTE's No4 position in the US market is about the long-term strategy that many Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1863992/zte-who-chinas-next-push-smartphone-brand-names-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1863992/zte-who-chinas-next-push-smartphone-brand-names-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2015 09:45:30 +0000 How important to the US is President Xi Jinping's first state visit to America? The answer could be mixed. For the US government, Xi is of course a very important visitor. But most Americans may consider Xi just another foreign leader visiting the United States. On Friday morning, just as US President Barack Obama was welcoming Xi to Washington, US House Speaker John Boehner announced his resignation from Congress. Major American broadcasters that were expected to broadcast live a joint press... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1861796/pope-john-boehner-and-xi-jinping-whos-more-important?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1861796/pope-john-boehner-and-xi-jinping-whos-more-important?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Sep 2015 12:15:00 +0000 The economies of China and the United States are now deeply connected. You don't need a PhD in economics to know this. It can be seen in many aspects of everyday life. I was in the US recently just a few weeks ahead of President Xi Jinping's scheduled visit. During this trip, I was approached by many ordinary Americans who were interested to know my views on the Chinese economy. To my surprise, awareness is now high among Americans of Chinese brands such as Alibaba and Xiaomi rather than just... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1859910/ignoring-politics-can-be-bad-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1859910/ignoring-politics-can-be-bad-business?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2015 13:30:15 +0000 One of the most frequently heard terms in global capital markets this year must be the "new normal", which generally refers to how China plans to deal with its slower economic growth and avoid a hard landing that could have a negative impact on world economies. The real challenge for Beijing, however, is how to explain the "new normal" story well. Premier Li Keqiang was undoubtedly the most widely anticipated speaker at the World Economic Forum's (WEF) China-focused annual conference in Dalian... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1857800/selling-chinas-new-normal-story-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1857800/selling-chinas-new-normal-story-world?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Sep 2015 13:45:15 +0000 Alibaba chairman Jack Ma Yun, one of China's richest men, said yesterday he was used to being "unlucky", having seen the share price of the e-commerce firm he founded tumble in recent weeks. There were "too many smart people to compete with" to maintain a leading position in the internet business for long, Ma told an audience at the Annual Meeting of the New Champions, the World Economic Forum event held this week in Dalian . Ma's comments come at a sensitive time for markets, with global... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1857072/im-used-being-unlucky-one-chinas-richest-men-alibabas-jack-ma-reflects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1857072/im-used-being-unlucky-one-chinas-richest-men-alibabas-jack-ma-reflects?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Sep 2015 20:48:07 +0000 Alibaba chairman Jack Ma Yun, one of China's richest men, said on Thursday that he is used to being "unlucky", as the e-commerce firm he founded saw its share price tumble in recent weeks. There are "too many smart people to compete with" to maintain a leading position in the internet business for too long, Ma told an audience at the Annual Meeting of the New Champions, the World Economic Forum event held this week in Dalian, China. Ma's comments come at a market sensitive time, as global... https://www.scmp.com/tech/leaders-founders/article/1856921/unlucky-alibaba-billionaire-ma-tells-summer-davos-hes-used?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/leaders-founders/article/1856921/unlucky-alibaba-billionaire-ma-tells-summer-davos-hes-used?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Sep 2015 05:15:30 +0000 Chinese premier Li Keqiang will give the keynote address at the annual World Economic Forum summit in northeast China on Thursday, but don't expect much live-tweeting as access to social media remains highly restricted.  Officially called the "Annual Meeting of the New Champions", the event takes place in the port city of Dalian in Liaoning province from Wednesday to Friday But while some recent sporting events in the country have seen the censors loosen their steely grip, the Great Firewall... https://www.scmp.com/tech/social-gadgets/article/1856614/twitter-riddle-china-hosts-summer-davos-refuses-relax-internet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/social-gadgets/article/1856614/twitter-riddle-china-hosts-summer-davos-refuses-relax-internet?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2015 04:30:00 +0000 From Shanghai to New York, many business accounts are already using Instagram to promote their products and services, though more for marketing and branding purposes, as well as to attract “fans”. But three years after Facebook acquired the popular photo-sharing app for US$1 billion, it has finally shown its huge potential to add to the various profit streams of the world’s largest social media network. Starting from this month, Instagram will allow any advertiser to run ads on its platform in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/1856579/instagram-launches-global-ad-service-and-facebook-lays-another?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/1856579/instagram-launches-global-ad-service-and-facebook-lays-another?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2015 04:00:00 +0000 Global investors and government leaders will have their eyes on the northern Chinese port city of Dalian for the next few days as premier Li Keqiang is expected to speak at the “Summer Davos” to an audience of over 1,700 including many who are increasingly concerned about the development of the world’s second-largest economy. Li is no stranger to the “Annual Meeting of the New Champions” of the World Economic Forum (WEF). “Summer Davos” was in fact an initiative launched by Li’s predecessor, Wen... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1856569/what-expect-chinas-premier-li-keqiang-he-seeks-reassure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1856569/what-expect-chinas-premier-li-keqiang-he-seeks-reassure?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2015 02:00:45 +0000 Ten Chinese companies, mostly new internet and technology industry leaders, have been crowned "Global Growth Companies" by the World Economic Forum (WEF) despite increasing international concerns about China's economic slowdown and its impact on other emerging markets. The WEF announced a total of 132 such companies ahead of an annual summit in Dalian, China on Tuesday. The award is widely recognised globally as a vote of confidence in the further development of those businesses. The growing... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/1856228/didi-kuaidi-dji-among-10-chinese-start-ups-picked-wef-global-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/1856228/didi-kuaidi-dji-among-10-chinese-start-ups-picked-wef-global-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2015 04:30:30 +0000 Almost everything in China could be political, including your decision to buy your next smartphone - whether you choose foreign brands like Apple or you support a national brand like Huawei. Ahead of Wednesday's scheduled launch of Apple's new iPhone 6S smartphone, state broadcaster China Central Television ran a Quality Report programme that strongly criticised the performance of cameras in a number of top-selling foreign smartphones, including Apple's iPhone 6 and Samsung's Galaxy S5. The... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1855743/foreign-smartphone-brands-apple-victim-rising-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1855743/foreign-smartphone-brands-apple-victim-rising-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Sep 2015 13:00:30 +0000 What do Malaysia's missing flight MH370, the deadly blasts in Tianjin and the stock market crisis in the world's No2 economy all have in common? Incompetent governance. The whole world was shocked when the Malaysia Airlines flight went missing on March 8 last year. But that shock quickly turned into frustration, especially for the Chinese families of missing MH370 passengers, due to the weak crisis management and bad communication of the Malaysian government. The recent chemical explosions at... https://www.scmp.com/business/commodities/article/1853860/malaysias-mh370-chinas-stock-crisis-bad-governance-compounding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/commodities/article/1853860/malaysias-mh370-chinas-stock-crisis-bad-governance-compounding?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Aug 2015 14:15:45 +0000 Jayne Leung, a native of Hong Kong, has witnessed up-close the fast changes that the media and advertising industries have experienced over the past 15 years. She moved from traditional advertising to meet head-on the challenge of cyberspace, and is currently head of the Greater China region for Facebook. When Leung joined Facebook about five years ago in Hong Kong, the internet start-up didn't even have an office in the city. But that didn't discourage Leung, a former regional executive at... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/money-wealth/article/1853703/changing-faces-whats-not-about-facebooking-living?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/money-wealth/article/1853703/changing-faces-whats-not-about-facebooking-living?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Aug 2015 14:45:00 +0000 I first visited Hong Kong about 15 years ago as a tourist and the small plastic Octopus card left a very strong impression on me – I could use it to do many things from taking the subway to buying drinks at 7-Eleven stores around Hong Kong at a time when cash remained  king in my hometown of Shanghai. I remember one thing that I found disappointing during my first trip to Hong Kong was riding in a taxi. If I  could use an Octopus card to go almost anywhere on the city’s MTR subway system, why... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1851833/octopus-card-uber-mindset-blocks-hong-kong-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1851833/octopus-card-uber-mindset-blocks-hong-kong-future?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Aug 2015 07:15:30 +0000 Facebook has accelerated its mobile-first strategy, with all of its new products and functions that share breaking news or video clips set to load on smart devices without the time delays or glitches that frustrate users, a top executive for the world’s largest social media network said this week. The shifting paradigm comes from the top down in response to a request from founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, said Jayne Leung, Facebook’s head of Greater China. “We actually pivot to mobile... https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-gaming/article/1851157/facebook-making-mobile-its-top-priority-smartphones-become-main?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/apps-gaming/article/1851157/facebook-making-mobile-its-top-priority-smartphones-become-main?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Aug 2015 10:00:30 +0000 Uber is keen to work with the Hong Kong government to develop "smart regulations" to fit with people's needs in the digital era as the embattled taxi-hailing app rallied public support in the wake of a raid by police on its offices in the city. Speaking to the South China Morning Post, Uber north Asia general manager Sam Gellman said the firm – one of the fastest growing start-ups in the world, valued at over US$50 billion – was ready to sit down with the government anytime to talk and work... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/1850129/uber-exec-hopes-smart-regulation-hong-kong-sharing-economy-following?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/1850129/uber-exec-hopes-smart-regulation-hong-kong-sharing-economy-following?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Aug 2015 04:30:30 +0000 Two events in a single day last week made Hong Kong a very ironic city for business development. First, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying talked about innovation. Second, the government stifled that innovation to help the old economy survive. Last Thursday a number of industry groups released a survey showing nearly one in three people in Hong Kong who use the internet dip into services such as car-hailing app Uber, flat-rental site Airbnb, crowdfunding operations or other peer-to-peer platforms.... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1849976/hong-kong-seeks-innovation-chokes-firms-can-power-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1849976/hong-kong-seeks-innovation-chokes-firms-can-power-development?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Aug 2015 15:15:30 +0000 I recall a time when Hong Kong was widely considered one of the best destinations in Asia for people to come to work, especially for professionals from neighbouring countries, including Singapore. But now something is changing. My first trip to Singapore was in the early 2000s. At that time, those high-end hotels and conference facilities in Marina Bay didn’t exist at all. Singapore was often jokingly referred to by high-flying investment bankers as “Singabored”, as they complained the city... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1848150/singabored-talent-magnet-singapore-raising-its-stake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1848150/singabored-talent-magnet-singapore-raising-its-stake?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Aug 2015 03:45:00 +0000 Once upon a time, it was considered heroic to break a national monopoly in the taxi business, but it soon became a different kind of monopoly by itself. This is certainly far from the original definition of a "sharing economy". Didi Kuaidi, often dubbed by media as the "Uber of China", is now in a new public relations crisis in its home market after the car-hailing app suddenly decided to add a so-called "dynamic extra fee" to passengers' rides that depends on location, weather, traffic... https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/1847928/china-car-hailing-app-didi-kuaidi-next-monopoly-taxi-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/1847928/china-car-hailing-app-didi-kuaidi-next-monopoly-taxi-business?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Aug 2015 07:45:15 +0000 It's official. China is now at war, a war between the old economic establishment and the new camp of business backed by technology giants and innovators. On one side, Premier Li Keqiang has been pushing his so-called "Internet Plus" strategy for the past few months, personally encouraging the public to do business and shop online. But on the other side, the public has also heard quite different opinions from the central bank. Last Friday, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) shocked the internet... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1845899/chinas-digital-economy-faces-mindset-challenge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1845899/chinas-digital-economy-faces-mindset-challenge?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Aug 2015 12:30:45 +0000 Those who follow me on Twitter may have noticed that I have been on the road for the past few weeks. Wherever I go, from Singapore to Shanghai, local transport is a growing issue. In Shanghai where more than 60,000 taxis with official government licences are on the road every day, the locals keep complaining about the lack of cabs as well as worsening service standards of 'official' taxis. Meanwhile, more locals, especially the tech-savvy younger generation, use Uber or Uber-like local... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1843787/when-60000-taxis-are-not-enough-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1843787/when-60000-taxis-are-not-enough-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jul 2015 09:00:45 +0000 As mainland stock markets scramble to their feet after three weeks of massive falls, investors and analysts wonder how the government will begin to lift its hand after its heavy intervention, with mainland media saying the authorities will be withdrawing its rescue funds. The speculation came after financial news portal Caijing reported yesterday that the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) was studying how to withdraw the estimated 1 trillion yuan-plus (HK$1.26 trillion) in funds that... https://www.scmp.com/news/article/1842331/chinas-authorities-urged-mull-stock-market-exit-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/1842331/chinas-authorities-urged-mull-stock-market-exit-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jul 2015 17:45:45 +0000 Former Hong Kong chief executive Tung Chee-hwa said at a forum in Singapore on Monday that if he were younger he would go to the mainland to start a business. "If I'm 25 years old, I'll go to China," Tung said at the annual Future China Global Forum in response to a question from the audience about the mainland's economic development. "You don't need to go to any other markets because China is already a huge market," he said at the conference, which is supported by the Singapore... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1841456/go-china-start-your-business-while-youre-young-says-former?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1841456/go-china-start-your-business-while-youre-young-says-former?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jul 2015 08:15:30 +0000 Beijing's decision to suspend new listings amid the worst stock market crisis for years is not a good long term solution, a top Chinese investment banker told a forum in Singapore on Monday. Levin Zhu Yunlai, son of ex-premier Zhu Rongji and former chief of China International Capital Corp (CICC), said that the government must think of a more systemic approach to dealing with the challenges it is facing in the capital market, including the rebuilding of investors' confidence following the recent... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/1841444/chinas-suspension-ipos-amid-stock-market-crisis-not-good-measure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/1841444/chinas-suspension-ipos-amid-stock-market-crisis-not-good-measure?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jul 2015 07:30:30 +0000 Here's my advice for those who are in the public relations business: think twice before you write the word "innovation" in your press release because the word is already widely overrated. I've received dozens of emails from different company PRs trying to promote their new products in the past week, especially during the first Asia-focused Mobile World Congress Shanghai event. When they tried to introduce their new products, "innovation" (or "innovative") was so often cited that I quickly lost... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1841282/chinese-innovation-lost-shuffle-beijings-blessing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1841282/chinese-innovation-lost-shuffle-beijings-blessing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jul 2015 14:00:00 +0000