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【Xinhua.net】U.S. energy official impressed by China’s emission cuts
BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- China has shown "impressive seriousness" about combating climate change despite economic pressures, according to a senior U.S. energy official."China is dealing with a number of different imperatives at the same time. It has spent a great deal of focus on delivering more megawatts to the Chinese population, especially in the poor areas. That is understandable... But China has indicated a considerable seriousness [in its efforts to combat climate change]," said Jonathan Elkind, assistant secretary for the Office of International Affairs with the U.S. Department of Energy, at a forum in Beijing on Monday.Elkind said at the event organized by Chinese thinktank the Center for China and Globalization that he was particularly impressed by the Chinese government’s pledge to reach a peak of emissions no later than 2030 and to lower the proportion of non-fossil energy sources in China’s total fuel mix to 20 percent in the same timeframe.He noted China’s moves to limit polluting coal-fired power generation amid broader industrial reforms in the country. "A major evolution is taking place in the Chinese economic structure and this is a background force that no one can ignore, and decision-makers in China and the rest of the world should learn to respond intelligently to this trend."As the foundation of the economy moves from heavy industry toward service, Elkind said he expected a big reduction in the number of Chinese depending on the steel sector and other heavy industries for their livelihoods.Elkind, whose office is responsible for international energy cooperation, also highlighted the importance of energy partnerships between China and the United States."Our clean energy collaborations are more than a good idea, more than a matter of commercial opportunity for our respective companies. They are a matter of our mutual necessity," he said.Private firms will play a bigger and bigger role in clean energy, coming up with new technology and creating jobs, according to Elkind.From government bodies to enterprises, China and the United States have expanded their cooperation in energy conservation through platforms including the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center, the Breakthrough Energy Coalition and the Clean Energy Ministerial.Elkind said that these partnerships must continue. "The kind of U.S.-China leadership we saw from our leaders on the way to [the Paris Climate Conference] will now be required again -- both in terms of what we each do domestically and in terms of how our countries collaborate in order to deliver the low-carbon future that our societies need."From Xinhua.net，2016-1-26.
2016年1月28日 -
【新华网】美能源部官员:中国在经济新常态下仍展现出节能减排决心
新华社北京1月26日电（记者张钟凯）美国能源部国际事务办公室助理部长乔纳森·埃尔金德日前在北京表示，作为世界上最大的发展中国家和温室气体排放大国，中国在节能减排方面展现出难能可贵的负责态度。 “中国当前同时面临着多重任务，既要不断发电推动减贫和经济发展，又要坚持节能减排以实现能源改革和碳排放目标。在这种情势下，中国对低碳转型的表态和行动所展现出来的决心令人印象深刻。”乔纳森·埃尔金德在中国与全球化智库圆桌会上如是表示。 埃尔金德指出，中国提出的在2030年将非化石能源占一次能源消费比重从2015年的15％提升到20％左右是一项宏大的目标，同时其对燃煤发电对碳排放和空气质量的影响有着清晰的认识和积极解决的态度，中美双方在碳捕捉等清洁能源技术方面的合作大有可为。 埃尔金德认为，当前中国的经济结构正在由投资拉动向消费拉动转变，对重工业发展的依赖减少和服务业的高速发展有利于中国推动能源结构优化和节能减排。“这一轮经济结构调整是大势所趋，中国政府和全球投资者应把握机遇，灵活应对新常态的到来。” 2015年，在第七轮中美战略与经济对话中，中美双方就加强气候变化与能源合作达成共识，目前已在8个领域开展了30多个合作项目并取得积极进展。在气候变化巴黎大会上，中美两国领导人重申了之前达成有关气候变化的承诺。 埃尔金德表示，“未来中美双方进一步推进各自的节能减排行动和加强双边合作对于全球应对气候变化问题至关重要。中美合作不仅是为了创造商业机会，更是出于大国发展的要求，也为应对国际问题的多边合作作出表率。” 实际上，中美在共同应对能源气候方面的合作正在逐渐从政府及有关监管部门层面的沟通协商深入到地方及企业层面的创新合作。“阿里巴巴董事局主席马云、ＳＯＨＯ中国董事长潘石屹等中国企业家参与由比尔·盖茨发起建立的突破能源联盟就是个很好的例子。”埃尔金德说。 据埃尔金德介绍，美国政府当前的能源战略注重对清洁能源技术进行从孵化到应用的全方位投资，而市场力量将对此发挥重要作用。“低碳经济的构建不仅仅是技术的创新，还将带来大量就业和商机，而在推动清洁能源技术创新中需要追求降低技术成本，以便于政策实施和技术推广。” 埃尔金德建议，中美双方可以继续在核能、清洁能源，以及碳捕集、利用和封存以及绿色贸易等领域加强合作，同时希望能在知识产权保护等方面有更充分的协调沟通。文章选自新华网，2016年1月26日
2016年1月28日 -
王伯庆：我的麦可思故事
▼王伯庆，生于1954年，1990年赴美国留学，获得统计学理科硕士、经济学博士学位，麦可思数据公司创始人、总裁，中国高等教育供需跟踪评估系统（CHEFS）创始人。2015年10月，王伯庆创办的麦可思在新三板成功上市，这是中国首家提供高等教育管理数据与解决方案的专业公司，也是高校、社会大众和政府公认的第三方权威数据机构。拓荒者要有坚韧的精神，我的经验是诚实地去做，专业地去做，时间长了就能化解困难。中国社会需要更多的海归来发展“低市场化”领域的咨询服务，专业服务的市场化是国家的既定战略。 MyCOS 我是大学七七级的，“用功”是我们这届大学生留给大学的记忆。本科我是学工程的，出国学的是经济学。1994年博士毕业后我就留在美国工作，从那时起我就想回国工作或创业。每个人都有自己的时机，我一直等到2006才回国。因为要找一个适合自己的创业机会，而我的工作经验是做就业研究和数据分析。那时，“大学生就业难”开始成为中国的社会问题。我在就业调查和数据分析的领域已经积累了近16年工作经验，适合来做大学生就业的实证研究。 要解决大学生就业问题，就需要跟踪大学毕业生的就业结果，如就业的职业、行业、薪资、能力满足度等，把就业情况反馈回教育机构，教育机构可以根据市场需求来调整专业的规模结构和培养定位。作为一个产业快速发展和人才需求巨大的国家，必须长期坚持做好毕业生的就业跟踪评价，才能提高大学毕业生的就业质量，保证产业发展。 我是2006年1月回到西南财经大学任教的，西南财大是我出国前任教的大学，我知道自己要创业做大学生就业研究，因此一开始就跟学校商定，我不能做全职人员。当年10月，得到西财置业的唯一天使投资，麦可思公司就成立了。“麦可思”是从英文音译的，即“MyCOS”。常有人问我，这是国外公司吗？之所以把公司取名为“MyCOS”，是“My China Occupational Skills（我的中国职业能力）”缩写。 作为教育研究圈外的人来做教育咨询，自己需要面对两个问题：一是积累教育研究的知识，二是需要取得圈内专家的认同。随着工作开展，教育行业的知识逐渐累积起来。最困难的还是取得教育界的管理者和专家们的认同。这个困难在于，我要通过所做的工作逐渐建立信誉，本土公司作为独立方是否科学公正是需要观察的。我常常也被问到，教育系统原来有自己的就业统计，你一个民营公司来做第三方就业跟踪调查，结果跟教育部门数据不一致时，还能不能保持独立性？这些都是一家民营公司来开创高教管理咨询产业所面对的问题。 一个民营公司做大学生就业跟踪调查，要靠自己慢慢做。海归创业常见的启动资助我也没有精力去争取。大学生就业问题对社会至关重要，但体制外的机构来解决一个体制内最关注的社会问题，遇到了比制造业或软件类的创业公司更多的困难。当时高教管理咨询产业在国内尚是空白。 开始的近三年时间里，麦可思的工作是公益性的，我们做全国、各省的大学生就业研究，然后再把调查报告免费送给各省。没有收入，麦可思不断地筹款，我经常的工作是找投资和借钱。那时也必须经常面对员工辞职，主要原因还是不看好这个公司。应了句老话“坚持就是胜利”，2009年麦可思迎来了最大的转机，由于国际金融危机，全国上下都开始非常重视大学生就业了。一些高校付费请麦可思作数据分析。创办近三年的麦可思公司终于有了进账；2009年由麦可思公司编写的《中国大学生就业报告》顺利发布，被誉为中国第一本就业蓝皮书，连续发布的该年度报告获得了社会和教育界专家们的高度认同。至此，麦可思算是走上正轨。 数据改变教育 今天，麦可思已经成为中国最好的高等教育管理咨询与数据的本土公司，为六百多所大学提供基于实证的专业咨询服务，涵盖就业、教学、教师发展、招生、专业建设等各个方面。麦可思也得到了政府教育机构的信任，承接了人社部、司法部、教育部的重要研究课题，为一些省市教育部门长期提供专业服务，成为每年的《中国高等职业教育质量年报》主撰稿单位之一。麦可思得到了高等教育界专家们的认同，我作为专家也参加了一些国家级重大科研课题，担任学术杂志的编委。我自己非常珍惜这些来自顶尖专家和学术机构的认同，没有这份专业的认同，是无法为教育机构提供系统性专业服务的。 大家说，麦可思开创了中国高等教育管理咨询与数据产业。那么，麦可思在中国高等教育的发展中起了什么作用呢？正如中国教育学会会长钟秉林先生最近评价麦可思的作用时说：第一，为解决中国教育改革发展中的重大问题做出了贡献，如就业问题；第二，为完善教育研究的方法论体系做出了贡献，大数据和实证研究是高等教育研究的方法论方面需要加强的环节；第三，探索了在中国现行管理下民营企业参与教育管理产业。 麦可思也在国际上树立了中国教育咨询产业的一个品牌。麦可思与世界银行、OECD（经合组织）和亚洲开发银行都有研究合作，与哈佛大学、哥伦比亚大学的教育机构联合召开高等教育研讨会。今天，麦可思正在努力实现自己的愿景，成为教育界最信赖的智库。 回顾创业历程，民营公司做教育管理咨询不是一帆风顺的。这里最主要的障碍是教育评价和管理咨询的市场化程度低，本土专业公司的教育管理咨询服务业是基本不存在的，对民营或海归企业的置疑根本上源于大家不习惯这个领域的市场化。拓荒者要有坚韧的精神，我的经验是诚实地去做，专业地去做，时间长了就能化解困难。中国社会需要更多的海归来发展“低市场化”领域的咨询服务，专业服务的市场化是国家的既定战略。海归不仅能在工业科技上创业，更可以在提供专业服务上发挥优势，这里的成熟案例如CCG（中国与全球化智库）和麦可思。我希望自己的麦可思故事能够鼓舞更多的海归投身于智库型创业，推动专业服务的市场化。海归企业要胸怀大志，提高专业水平，拓展产品服务，优秀的企业还应该着眼于国际市场。文章选自《海归者说-我们的中国时代》，主编：王辉耀/苗绿，中译出版社
2016年1月27日 -
【China Daily】Government workload heavy in 2016, Li says
The Chinese government will face a particularly weighty workload this year amid great uncertainty over world economic trends and China’s own challenges as it undergoes a period of economic transition.That was the thrust of remarks made by Premier Li Keqiang during the State Council’s plenary meeting on Friday in Beijing."At the moment, the world economy is developing with deep uncertainty, and the task for the Chinese government in 2016 will be heavy," he said.On Jan 6, the World Bank, headquartered in Washington, DC, cut the global growth forecast for 2016 to 2.9 percent, saying that weak growth among major emerging markets will weigh on global growth in 2016.Li noted that many world organizations also lowered their predictions for world economic growth several times in 2015, and China also has its problems and contradictions to face during this stage of transition.Therefore, the government needs to do a better job putting forward its structural reforms this year, especially its reforms on the supply side of the economy.Li also said comprehensive measures should be employed to maintain stable growth.The meeting, attended by officials from various State departments, was to discuss the draft of the Government Work Report, which will be delivered at the top legislature’s annual session in Beijing after the Spring Festival.The State Council will then send the work report to provincial regions to solicit opinions. It serves as a general guideline for the government’s work as it reviews progress in the previous year, makes plans and sets targets for the current year.Li said that China had met its major goal set in the 12th Five-Year Plan (2010-15), during which the country’s GDP rose from 40.9 trillion yuan to 67.67 trillion yuan ($6.2 trillion to $10.3 trillion).The achievement was not easy, Li said, adding that those measures that proved effective should be further employed and developed.The government needs to make concrete progress in handling the decrease in industrial profits, maintaining stable increases in China’s exports and imports, expanding effective investments as well as accelerating reforms of State-owned enterprises in 2016, Li said. He stressed that the government needs to pay attention to answering the concerns of society.This year marks the beginning of the country’s 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), a new national development plan that Li described as a defining stage for China in building a moderately prosperous society.The coming five years also will be a crucial stage for China in avoiding the so-called middle-income trap that many countries have found themselves in.Wang Huiyao, president of the Beijing-based think tank Center for China and Globalization（CCG）, said that stabilizing China’s economy will be important in giving other countries confidence in the world economy."Having pessimistic feelings about the world economy is quite a typical phenomenon for many countries in the world, as many European countries are still in economic recovery and the US will have another year of presidential debate," he said. "China’s economy continuously grows larger, and its export figures started to decrease in 2015, which means that the country’s economic reliance on the world has decreased. Stabilizing China’s economy will help other countries with confidence during a world economic downturn."Wang, who began a term as one of the 10 counselors of China’s State Council, or the Cabinet, in early 2015, said that directly facing social concerns shows the government’s strength and confidence in achieving its goals in 2016.(By Zhang Yue)From China Daily, 2016-01-23
2016年1月26日 -
郑永年：中产阶层正在变成 “三明治夹层”
专家简介郑永年，新加坡国立大学东亚研究所所长、中国与全球化智库(CCG)学术专家委员会主任。从人口占比来看，中国的中产阶层仅占成年总人口的10.7%，大大低于全球水平的14%，与之形成对比的则是发达国家较高的中产阶层比例。 中国卷入全球化的浪潮，经历了产业革命，社会结构呈现出多元化特点；而随着国民思想的进步，权利意识的觉醒，复杂的社会矛盾也逐渐突出。 与此同时，中国的崛起也带来了外部地缘政治的一系列改变。在国内国际如此错综的环境下找到正确的方向，推进现代化的国家治理，成为一个重要的课题。经济基础对一个国家的稳定很重要 多数人谈论一个国家的治理，通常会从政治体制着手，并在此基础上进行分类。然而我认为，一个国家是根据经济基础的变化来调整政治制度的。世界上从来没有一个固定的、永恒不变的制度，判断一个制度的好坏，关键在于能否有效治理。 在当前的整个世界版图中，有效治理已成为一个难题。欧美的民主制度曾经在有效治理上取得了辉煌的成绩，但这一制度目前也出现了问题。美国等多党派的民主政治已经逐步由精英民主走向大众民主，并演变成党派的互相否决制，造成民主社会“空转政府”的现象。 而更多的国家，如中东、泰国、乌克兰也出现了对民主政治制度的水土不服。现在看来，让整个世界都建立像西方一样的民主秩序很难，中国也面临如何建立自己的秩序的问题。 与政治制度相比，经济其实对于维持一个国家和社会的稳定更加重要。任何一个政权、社会，乃至企业，只要经济搞得好，无论民主还是专制大家日子都好过，如果经济搞不好，不管什么政治制度，大家都很难过。 与美国通过内部制度的崛起不同，中国的崛起得益于良好的政策，即善政。改革开放之后，中国进入高速增长，良好的政策带动了经济发展，释放改革红利，但社会制度仍然缺失，消费社会仍未建立。中国的中产阶层还远远不够 从“善政”向“善治”转变，完善社会制度，推动中产阶层。 在任何政治体制中，中产阶层都是一个社会稳定的根基，有了一个强大的中产阶层，即使其他因素仍有所缺失，也不会出现大规模的不稳定状态。 2015年年初，美国总统奥巴马向国会提交了一份近4万亿美元的2016财年联邦政府预算案，其中最重要的内容就是推动21世纪中产阶层经济发展的理念。同样，新加坡政府向国会提出的财政预算案中推出多项措施，突出了扶持中产阶层和中小企业的重要性；习近平主席从2014年12月提出的“四个全面”的第一项，就是“全面建成小康社会”。而“小康社会”的概念，与“中产阶层”的思路不谋而合。 根据瑞士信贷银行2015年10月发布的最新报告，中国的中产阶层人数在2015年达到1.09亿，从绝对值上排在全球首位。但是从人口占比来看，中国的中产阶层仅占成年总人口的10.7%，大大低于全球水平的14%。与之形成对比的则是发达国家较高的中产阶层比例，其中澳大利亚最高为66%，新加坡、日本均有六成以上的成年人口进入中产，而美国、韩国则占到四成左右，甚至连南非的中产阶层都达到14.8%。 过去三十年，中国的经济增长比亚洲四小龙都要迅速，但中产阶层仍然捉襟见肘。中国产生了很高的GDP，但收入分配并不公平。目前为止，中国仍然没有建立起两头小、中间大的橄榄形社会，也正因如此，中国所倡导的消费社会迟迟无法实现。人民的收入虽然增加了，但没有好的制度保障。生一场大病就可以倾家荡产，在这种情况下，没有人敢去消费。 从历史上看，要维持一个国家的良性运转，中产阶层是关键的力量。近代国家统一之后，商人成为主导阶级，西方各国经济得到持续的发展。19世纪的工业革命带来了大规模的工厂和生产方式，产生了新兴的工人阶层，他们靠出卖劳动力维生。这是西方资本快速积累的黄金时期，但同时也是雨果笔下的“悲惨世界”。 20世纪初，意识到自己受到剥削的工人阶层爆发大规模暴力的社会自由运动，经过漫长的斗争，他们获得了工资的提升，并得到了更多的社会保障，从而造就了一个庞大的中产阶层。从原始资本主义到福利资本主义的转型，是一个政治和社会改革的过程，通过将部分资本注入社会，造就一个稳定的中产阶层，这是保持一个社会健康发展的前提。中国应借鉴东亚各国经验，建立橄榄形社会 能否建立以中产阶层为主体的社会结构，考验着执政者的职责与能力。与西方通过暴力运动造就中产阶层相比，中国应该借鉴东亚国家治理发展的经验。亚洲四小龙不仅创造了经济奇迹，更重要的是创造了一个社会奇迹，在二三十年内创造了一个庞大的中产阶层。 亚洲四小龙接受了欧洲早期暴力的工人阶层运动的经验教训，由政府主动制定社会政策：如日本60年代经济起飞时提出的工资倍增计划；台湾和香港通过扶持中小企业发展实现收入再分配。而新加坡虽然不倡导高福利的政策，但是在李光耀时代，政府为底层20%的穷人提供保护，为他们提供就业和培训，鼓励他们通过劳动改善生活，并通过“居者有其屋”的公共住房制度，以及低福利的中央公积金体系等培养了庞大的中产阶层。 政府在经济发展过程中主动做社会政策，使得东亚模式比西方更成功。中国应该更多地借鉴东亚各国的经验，由政府主导建立良好的社会制度，从而建立起最有利于社会和政治稳定的橄榄形社会。中产阶层正在变成“三明治夹层” 不过，在贸易全球化的冲击下，各经济体的中产阶层也在近年来面临再次被挤压的危险。 瑞银的报告指出，全球财富在2013年增加了8.3%，达到创纪录的263万亿美元，但是贫富差距却在进一步加大，1%的人拥有近50%的财富。尽管全球个人财富的平均值达到创纪录的5.6万美元，但是个人财富的中位数却从2007年金融危机爆发以来下降了14%。报告指出，自2008年以来，财富分配两极分化趋势在加深，这一现象在发展中国家的经济体中尤为突出。 从80年代开始的经济全球化带来了资本的流动，而“趋利避害”的本能导致资本家将生产转移到人力成本较低的欠发达国家，资本拥有者与工人工资的差距不断加大。资本是可以流动的，政府和选民却不能。政府失去了就业和税收，造成中产阶层面临压缩。 在全球化状态下，越来越多的社会问题都是由资本引起。但是，社会运动的反政府性质，更使得政府难以在资本、社会之间建立起一种均衡状态。 今天，很多政府都处于一种困境：“亲商”会招致选票的流失，而“亲民”会造成资本的流失。越来越多的政府难以在“亲商”和“亲民”之间达成平衡。小米、华为等企业纷纷走出去，这一战略是正确的，但同时它也带来了全球化的问题——不在技术所在国创造税收及工作岗位，而这，同样也是作为廉价劳动力提供者的中国在过去几十年经济飞速发展中所面临的现状。 尽管苹果富士康等跨国企业为中国带来了数以亿计的就业岗位，但却无法产生适合中产阶层的岗位。而这些流水线上的农民工并没有办法成长为传统意义上的中产阶层。 中产阶层正在变成社会中的“三明治夹层”，这是中国和世界都面临的难题。一个企业不在自己的国家创造就业和税收，这是人类共同面临的一个问题，不是哪一个国家的问题。本文选自新华网思客，仅代表专家个人观点，不代表机构立场
2016年1月25日 -
【China Daily】Global push
It’s not just Chinese state-owned and private enterprise behemoths grabbing the headlines for their overseas acquisitions; smaller companies are making waves, tooChina’s most important holiday, the Lunar New Year, is drawing near, but entrepreneur Shu Wenbin has no intention of relaxing and taking time out to party. Instead, it’s his busiest time of the year.Apart from meetings with potential partners across China, the general manager of Continental Interior Design and Construction Ltd also plans overseas trips to the United States and other markets to seek out business opportunities he may able to seize after the holiday."China’s real estate and construction industries have slowed down in the past two years, new residential and commercial projects are seeing sluggish growth, and investment prospects are uncertain," he says."Overseas markets, especially in Southeast Asia and South America will be new growth points. Prospects in European and US markets are also good."Shu’s company, which offers interior design and construction services, started its overseas business in 2012 through its partners, big state-owned enterprises operating overseas. The company has about 150 employees and annual revenue of about 300 million yuan ($45.5 million; 41.8 million euros), of which about 20 percent is from overseas.It used to enjoy about 30 percent annual growth on average, but in the past two years, with slower growth in the construction sector and rising labor and material costs, searching for new opportunities globally has become an attractive option."We are planning to set up a company and operate directly overseas, and I want half of the company’s revenue to come from overseas by 2017," Shu says.His company is typical of Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises that are increasingly going global at a time when the government is accelerating economic restructuring and easing restrictions on overseas investment.Headline-grabbing mergers and acquisitions by Chinese enterprises of totemic companies in the West suggest an invasion, but it was only in 2014 that China’s outbound investment reached $140 billion, for the first time overtaking inbound investment of $120 billion, according to the Ministry of Commerce. President Xi Jinping predicted in 2014 that China’s outbound investment will reach $1.25 trillion over the next decade.This trend is set to accelerate. The 2015 Report on Chinese Enterprise Globalization, published by the Beijing-based Center for China and Globalization(CCG) , says that in 2014 and the first six months of 2015, the annual number of newly increased outbound investments (686) was about six times the average number (121) from 2008 to 2013."We are on the verge of a big wave of Chinese companies going global," says Wu Jianmin, China’s former ambassador to France. "In the past, it was mainly big companies that were interested in going global, but now so are smaller and medium-sized companies. Many companies have realized that if they don’t look for opportunities globally, they will probably die in China finally."In 2015, Chinese companies made nonfinancial direct investments of $118 billion in 5,085 companies in 153 countries and regions, a year-on-year increase of 14.7 percent, according to the Ministry of Commerce.Wang Huiyao, director of the Center for China and Globalization(CCG), says in about 63 percent of the cases, Chinese companies’ overseas investments are between $100 million and $1 billion."The number of smaller outbound investments (below $100 million) is growing fastest, as private companies and SMEs are playing a bigger role," he says, adding that, in 2014, private companies’ outbound investments saw a year-on-year growth of 295 percent, and they made up of 69 percent of the total number of cases.Xiao Qiang, director of the China Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Institute, says most SMEs that the institute has helped go global have annual revenue of between 50 million yuan and 400 million yuan and an employee headcount below 2,000.He says of the total, SMEs’ outbound investments account for 30 percent of the value and 80 percent by number of cases.Long Yongtu, former vice-minister of commerce, says the trend of Chinese companies going global is irreversible. China’s corporate and private bank deposits amount to more than 138 trillion yuan, and the abundance of capital makes it easier for Chinese companies to invest overseas."Globalization is to allocate resources globally. If Chinese restructuring is conducted with a global scope, its economic transformation would be less painful and is more likely to succeed," he says.Wang Chaoyong, founder and CEO of ChinaEquity Group, a Chinese venture capital institution, says there are three ways for Chinese companies to go global: products, industrial capacity and capital."I have observed huge changes in all these three," he says. "In the products, I have seen quality, added value, and brands have improved greatly. In capacity going global, a big feature is that, be it a state-owned company or SME, they cooperate and form clusters to explore overseas markets."For capital going global, Chinese investors in the past would typically buy US treasuries, European government bonds or some blue chips, but now private equity and venture capital have become the main avenues for capital going global."The number of overseas mergers and acquisitions is also increasing rapidly, through which many companies are able to get overseas products, technology, sales channels, design, and so on," he says.A recent example is Shenzhen Ellassay Fashion Co Ltd, a high-end female clothing company, which bought a Hong Kong company that owned the German fashion brand Laurel for 11.18 million euros ($12.1 million) as part of its global expansion. The takeover would see Ellassay own Laurel’s design, pricing and production rights at all its stores on the Chinese mainland.A recent report from Dealogic, an international information provider on investment deals, says Chinese outbound M&A volume increased for the sixth consecutive year to a record $111.9 billion in 2015, breaching the $100 billion mark for the first time.A recent report from Boston Consulting Group shows the changing trends in Chinese overseas M&As. From 1990 to 2014, about 40 percent of M&As were in energy and resources. But in recent years, only about 20 percent have involved energy and resources, while about 75 percent were in technology, brands and market share.Manufacturing is an important sector that has drawn the attention of Chinese entrepreneurs, who are encouraged by Made in China 2025, China’s national strategy to upgrade its manufacturing sector.Figures from the Ministry of Commerce show that, from January to November 2015, outbound investment in the manufacturing sector was about $11.8 billion, a year-on-year increase of 95.4 percent, with $5.89 billion going to equipment manufacturing, a year-on-year rise of 117.3 percent."Germany and the US, whose manufacturing is most advanced, have become targets for Chinese companies," Wang at the Center for China and Globalization says.Joyson Electronics, an auto parts company in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, is a typical investor in Germany’s high-end manufacturing. The company was established in 2004, and since 2011, has acquired four German companies in auto, software, robot and auto parts sectors. It has now about 20 production and sales bases and four research centers globally, and is a supplier for top car brands including BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz."SMEs should go global instead of just doing business at home, otherwise you would be sifted out. Overseas M&As could be a good way, " says Wang Jianfeng, president of the company. He says in 2009, when it first tried to sell auto parts overseas, the company met with many difficulties."It was impossible for Chinese SMEs to enter the overseas high-end auto and electronics industry then, but after we acquired a German company in 2011 the situation started to change," he says.Long, the former vice-minister of commerce, says an important platform that will accelerate Chinese companies going global is the Belt and Road Initiative, a development strategy proposed by the Chinese government in 2013.The initiative refers to the New Silk Road Economic Belt, which will link China with Europe through Central and Western Asia, and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which will connect China with Southeast Asian countries, Africa and Europe."The world needs China’s investment. It is estimated that for infrastructure of countries along the Belt and Road to reach the global average level, at least $8 trillion in investment will be needed," he says.According to the Ministry of Commerce, in 2015, Chinese companies invested $14.8 billion in 49 countries along the Belt and Road, a year-on-year increase of 18.2 percent.Stephen Phillips, chief executive of the China-Britain Business Council, says the advantage of SMEs are that they are nimble and have entrepreneurial management teams good at seeking out opportunities."The SMEs are a very important part of the internationalizing process, and there’s almost a subtitle of SMEs, that they are almost born to be global, so those that have got great technology, or very innovative, they can actually be international companies more or less from day one," he says.From China Daily, 2016-01-22
2016年1月25日 -
【China Daily】Global presence doesn’t make a multinational
Visitors check out smartphones and other gadgets at the Lenovo stand at the 2015 IFA consumer electronics and appliances trade fair on Sept 4, 2015 in Berlin. Sean Gallup / Getty ImagesThe world will continue to see more and more Chinese companies internationalizing, experts sayAs Chinese companies ramp up their presence on the international stage with a string of headline-grabbing acquisitions catapulting them to global fame, some experts urge caution: Most still cannot be called true multinationals."I think there are a small number of Chinese companies that are already global companies, but it is a very small number, like Lenovo and Huawei," says Stephen Phillips, chief executive of the China-Britain Business Council."Some Chinese banks have a very significant international presence as well, but they mostly serve the Chinese customer base, rather than serve the international customer base, so they are only part of the way to becoming truly global in my view."Despite many state-owned enterprises that have an international presence and private sector companies that are beginning to internationalize quite rapidly, there are very few that are globally recognized."But it is changing really quickly, much more quickly than probably any other country," he says.Phillips says the world will continue to see more and more Chinese companies internationalizing, and they need to do it for at least two reasons: one is to diversify markets and the other is, if they genuinely want to be leaders in that field, they need to be exposed to global competition, whether in services or products, and by going outside the home market and competing with the best of the world."If companies mange that in that process, both accessing new markets and moving up the value curve, then they are going to be very successful, but not all of them will succeed. It is not easy, it is very competitive."Zhang Yang, a senior consultant with Spencer Stuart, a leading executive search and leadership consultancy, says that increasing overseas assets and income are only partial parameters of internationalization."If a company just invests in cheap resources overseas and then makes profit out of it, it is not truly internationalization, because they may not be a global company that adopts international standards and rules."She says international companies have different strategies and targets for different markets, and operate globally. Their management systems, governance and diverse talent would be important measuring standards. But if Chinese companies are gauged by these aspects, most of them would get low grades.She cites talent as an example. In many multinational companies, about 20 to 40 percent of the senior executive positions are held by talent sought globally, but in Chinese companies, the percentage is usually quite low: less than 10 percent.Qiao Jian, vice-president of the world’s largest personal computer maker, Lenovo Group, says that globalization is not just products or capital going global, but a global enterprise’s culture and leadership are key, which is what she learned from Lenovo’s failed experiences in the past.She says that in the first four to five years after Lenovo acquired the personal computer business of IBM, its business met great setbacks."When we reflect on it, at that time, we paid a lot of attention to products and strategy, but ignored the culture and leadership components," she says. "Managing people from different countries is not merely relying on policies and regulations but more about winning recognition from local customers, executives and employees culturally, so that we do business holding the same values."She says since 2008, Lenovo has made great efforts in global enterprise culture building, and its revenue is 15 times that of 10 years ago.Sun Yongfu, former head of the department of European affairs in the Ministry of Commerce, says that a company’s ability to integrate with the cultural and social environment in a given country is an important part of successful internationalization."We have seen many unsuccessful cases of Chinese companies going global, and the key is the differences in cultures, standards and concepts between the home country and the destination countries," he says."We are used to some ways of operating in China and would bring them to Europe and other parts of the world, but their culture, traditions and laws are quite different from us," he says. For example, Chinese employees would work overtime to get double pay, but Europeans might not hold the same view, he says.He says that Chinese companies should be able to adopt the destination country’s ways of operating and managing companies."They need to integrate with the local culture, respect local rules, get familiar with their management ways, do good in local communities and strengthen corporate social responsibilities. Currently, many companies are still deficient in these aspects."From China Daily, 2016-01-22
2016年1月25日