China’s business world is littered with rags-to-riches entrepreneurs—Jack Ma, chairman of Alibaba Group, was an English teacher before starting Alibaba. Not all such magnates are equal, however, and joining Ma in the upper echelons of China’s rich list was Wang Wei, chairman of delivery and logistics company SF Express, who initially started out by lugging packages between Hong Kong and mainland China, operating in a legal gray zone as he did so. But now SF Express has grown to become the most successful logistics company in China. Listed in Shenzhen Stock Exchange in early 2017, the company has many competitive advantages over its counterparts.
Chinese E-commerce Companies Head to the Countryside
Chinese e-commerce companies like Alibaba and JD.com are finding a lucrative opportunity in rural areas. But what kind of strategies will work there?
China Data: A Milestone for RMB Internationalization
Essential numbers on China: from the RMB internationalization to the contraction in the luxury market, growth in e-commerce transaction value, and more
Has the Shanghai Free Trade Zone Lived Up to Its Promise?
A year on from its debut, we examine the hits and the misses of the much-touted Shanghai Free Trade Zone.
China Roundup: Rules on Foreign Investment in China’s Healthcare Sector Eased and Alibaba’s SingPost stake
The week that was: Government eases regulation on foreign investment in China’s healthcare sector; Alibaba picks up a 10.35% stake in Singapore Post; and the government’s pricing and corruption crackdown squeezes profits of pharmaceutical companies in China. Mending China’s Healthcare System China’s healthcare system is in urgent need of an overhaul (for a detailed […]
China Round-up: China’s Exports Rise as do M&As, and Alibaba Invests in Haier
The week that was: China’s exports do better than expected, local officials get new evaluation criteria, and e-commerce giant Alibaba invests in white goods major Haier. Export and retail numbers beat expectations China’s exports in November surprised analysts again—the 12.7% year-on-year increase tops a Reuters’ poll of a 7.1% rise and more than doubles October’s […]
A Nation of Provinces
In March 2011, Jiuquan’s Municipal Energy Bureau issued a set of regulations imposing “construction requirements” on wind energy firms. Companies that failed to buy local equipment, the notice said, would no longer be able to do business in the area. In response, China’s National Energy Board (NEB) issued a statement banning Jiuquan officials from “requiring […]
E-tail versus retail: Can upstart company 360Buy succesfully compete with the two reigning giants of the appliance market?
When the top two Chinese home appliances retailers, Gome and Suning gained a third of the consumer market for the home appliance industry, they probably never considered the possibility of any potential threats from smaller appliance retailers with fewer resources. But over the past seven years, the domination of the appliance market by these two […]
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