In today’s fiercely competitive world, products or services are facing one common problem, the old ways of segmenting consumers along broad socio-demographic and class based lines, has ceased to aptly describe the modern consumer, especially in terms of their ‘real-time’ relationship with a brand. Why? Because Digital technology and ‘Big’ data are changing the way…

Margaret Thatcher’s passing has generated an outpouring of opinion on the legacy of her time as Prime Minister of England.  She was a controversial figure in life and continued to be in her death.  Because she was so firm in her beliefs, one might say unyielding, there will likely never be a final judgment on…

最近美国各大报用充满戏剧性的通栏标题，报道了来自中国的网络安全威胁问题。最新一条来自Mandiant公司的消息更指明，上海郊外的一座大楼正是大部分威胁的来源。虽然其中一些报道近乎歇斯底里，但是毫无疑问的是，所谓的网络战已经打响，而且中国并非世界上唯一卷入这种活动的国家。…

American newspapers are full of dramatic headlines about a cybersecurity threat coming from China.  Most recently, a report from Mandiant Corporation has actually identified the building outside Shanghai from which much of the threat emanates.  Some of the coverage borders on hysterical, but there is no doubt that the so-called cyber war exists.  But there…

This news strikes me as truly extraordinary.  Foxconn is going to allow employees to vote for their own union representatives.  Given that the company has 1.2 million employees, that's a lot of people to be introduced to true democracy. And this passage is particularly remarkable: The move is part of Foxconn's attempts to tweak its…

A new approval from CFIUS. Apparently, DNA sequencing does not reprresent a security threat: BGI-Shenzhen and Complete Genomics. (NASDAQ: GNOM) announced Friday that they have obtained clearance from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States ("CFIUS") regarding BGI's proposed acquisition of Complete pursuant to the previously announced Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated…

The message at the U.S. Ambassador's Investment Forum in Beijing on December 5th could not have been more clear to Chinese companies.  WE WELCOME YOU! Seeking to offset the disproportionate attention paid to some high profile deals that have encountered resistance in the U.S., American speakers at the forum, myself included, emphasized to the attending…

China's growing overseas foreign direct investment was the focus of the U.S. China Investment Forum in Beijing on July 17th, attended by representatives of more than 200 Chinese companies considering investments in the U.S.  Fleishman Hillard was a major sponsor of the event, which brought together leaders from business and government from both sides of…

Beijing is a difficult city to navigate, made more so by the fact that even the natives don't know where anything is.  I spent about a third of my day yesterday lost in the city and nobody could help me. In the morning, I set out for breakfast with some colleagues at the Park Hyatt…

I am in Beijing, for the first time an a couple of years.  As with any stretch of time in this city, a lot has changed since my last visit.  Interestingly, both the U.S  and China are going through leadership transition processes.  For China it's a once in a decade event.  For the U.S., it's…

I attended a panel discussion yesterday on China. The event was held under Chatham House rules, meaning I can't reveal the organization or the participants. But I can describe the issues discussed. The event was clearly scheduled to coincide with Secretaries Clinton and Geithner's visits to China for the annual Strategic & Economic Dialogue (S&ED),…

Marketplace, a program of American Public Media, has a fascinating and balanced video of workers assembling IPads at Foxconn's Shenzhen manufacturing plant.  The assembly line is clean and modern and there's a clip of workers playing soccer and the company-built soccer field.  A much more benign picture than we've seen from other media outlets. Click…

is a radio program on National Public Radio that takes a controversial issue and subjects it to an Oxford-style debate with an audience that votes at the end on who won the debate. Its most recent debate tackled the issue of China versus the U.S. and which country is more capitalist.  It was a fascinating…

Fleishman Hillards corporate communications team in China, led by Dana Xu has issued a report that examines trends in China in 2012 across a variety of categories.  It is an excellent overview of what promises to be an extraordinarily consequential year in the modern history of China.  It is worth a very thorough read. Click here to…

World Bank Predicts Moderating Growth in ChinaThe World Bank has issued a report entitled China 2030 that predicts moderating growth in the near to mid term.  The report indicates that the current rate of growth is "unsustainable" under current policies.  World Bank President Robert Zoellick was sanguine about the short term forecast, according to a…

My colleague, Dana Xu is our Senior Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications, Fleishman Hillard China.  She has some valuable insights on Chinese outbound investment.  Worth a thorough read: For years, economic headlines about China centered on foreign direct investment (FDI) – the capital flowing into the country from abroad. Now, the story is…

Doug Guthrie is Dean of the George Washington University School of Business. In addition to his academic business credentials, he is also a China scholar and a huge advocate for better economic relations between the U.S. and China. In today's China Daily, he tasks President Obama to task for not speaking out in favor of…

The Wall Street Journal has a fascinating interview with the Dean of the China Europe International Business School, John A. Quelch.  Dean Quelch talks about his plans for expansion and is clearly bullish on the growth of Chinese brands.  But he predicts that the business to business sector will lead the way.  His key quote:…

This week's Economist launches a new weekly special section on China.  It is a testament to the undeniable importance of China in the world economy.  According to the magazine: The principal reason is that China is now an economic superpower and is fast becoming a military force capable of unsettling America. But our interest in…

Today's Financial Times has a story describing the growth of Chinese investment in Europe, particularly in Great Britain, described as "the most popular destination in Europe for Chinese inward investment."  Chinese investors see opportunities in Europe and Europe certainly needs the money. According to the story, Europe offers a vast range of investment opportunities that…

Fleishman Hillard has won the Public Affairs Consultancy of the Year from PublicAffairsAsia at the Annual Gold Standard Awards Dinner, just concluded in Singapore only hours ago. The distinction recognizes outstanding performance in the areas of public affairs, government relations and corporate affairs by Fleishman-Hillard Korea, the most highly decorated office in the agency's Asia…

Here's a video of a 30 story building that was constructed in China in 360 hours.  That's 15 days, 2 weeks.  Watch and be amazed. http://youtu.be/LTmV9nltA_k

My colleague, Hanneke Verhelst, in Fleishman Hillard's Amsterdam office has deep experience with China.  She served as the public diplomacy officer in the Dutch Embassy in Beijing and she developed the current strategy for public diplomacy in China for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  She has some wise advice for Chinese companies seeking to…

In a story broadcast by National Public Radio in the U.S., Chinese investors talk about one important incentive for investing in the U.S., something called an "investment green card."  As Chinese companies seek financial opportunities abroad, their owners are seeking opportunities to emigrate.  According to the story:Last fiscal year, nearly 3,000 well-to-do Chinese applied for…

The Wharton School has issued a report on the challenges facing Chinese companies seeking to grow internationally.  It's is a fairly downbeat description, indicating that Chinese brands are viewed negatively all over the world in terms of quality.  Even within China, foreign brands are viewed more favorably that indigenous Chinese brands. A July 2011 survey…

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has released a report project strong growth in Chinese investment overseas.  "Going Out" is one of the priorities of the 12th Five-Year Plan announced last year and it is clear that the Chinese government will be encouraging companies to invest overseas.  China is now the fifth largest source of…

Even while the Obama Administration is encouraging foreign direct investment from China into the U.S., it is also pointing to China as representing a strategic threat to the United States in Asia.  The just released Defense Strategic Guidance shifts resources to Asia and explicitly cites China's growing power as the reason.  While Obama did not…

Elizabeth C. Economy a the Council on Foreign Relations has a quick and dirty review of all the Republican candidates' views on China.  It's short, a bit snarky, but very informative.Check it out.

Fracking, the process of extracting oil and gas from shale deposits by injecting water and other chemicals into the ground, has become very controversial globally.  In the U.S. environmentalists are complaining about the negative effects on water supplies.  And just yesterday, Ohio has suspended fracking due to suspicions that the process is causing earthquakes.The controversy…

In the previous post, I described how candidates for the presidency in the U.S. often take a harsher line on China policy than they end up implementing as president.  Like in any country, it is politically advantageous to be on the side of nationalism, as opposed to trying to introduce "nuance" into the debate. It…