China Economy Forum

[TaiShang]

Can this vessel put us into number 2 of the world in terms of tonnage and TEUs that it can carry?

The world's number one vessel, CSCL Globe

World's largest container ships sets off on maiden voyage from China | Daily Mail Online

Koreans seem to be the trend-setter. Now they have China approaching on their side mirror, lol.

 

[cirr]

These Japanese brands are bloody cheap nowadays。

Hisense to buy Sharp America in $23.7M deal

By: Claire Reilly | cnet.com | Posted: 31 Jul 2015, 16:13

Chinese TV manufacturer Hisense has today announced it will acquire Sharp America in a deal worth $23.7 million that will see it take over the Japanese company's TV business in North and South America.

Hisense Group today released a statement confirming it would purchase "all equity and assets of Sharp's TV factory in Mexico for $23.7 million with rights to use the 'Sharp' brand name and all its channel resources in both North and South American regions."

In a TV market dominated by the likes of LG, Samsung, Sony and Panasonic, this deal will see Hisense become a serious contender in the Americas, and also marks a broader shift by Chinese brands to grab a bigger slice of the consumer market in the region. Having manufactured flat panels for more than a decade, Hisense is well-placed to capitalise on potential growth in an industry with its eyes set on 4K and OLED TV technologies, and to capture consumers looking for an established brand with a lower price tag.

Sharp Corporation, the 103-year-old Japanese electronics company, was an early investor in LCD technology but has struggled in recent years to keep up with Korean and Chinese competitors. Sharp has championed innovations like a fourth sub-pixel (yellow) to enhance picture quality in LCD and this year has added Android TV to its line up.

While the Sharp name may endure on retail shelves as Hisense gains the right to continue using the brand, Sharp's American operation will otherwise move from Japanese hands and come under full ownership of the Qingdao-based Chinese company.

Founded as a small radio factory China in 1969, Hisense is an established manufacturer of major appliances and whitegoods, TVs, tablets and laptops, and claimed "overseas sale revenue" of $2.6 billion in 2014. A strong brand in China, the company now sells in 130 countries worldwide.

But while Hisense continues to be a strong brand in the Chinese market, similar to fellow Chinese players TCL, Haier and Changhong, it has been pushing to achieve the market dominance and brand awareness enjoyed by Korean heavyweights Samsung and LG, and Japanese powerhouse Sony.

The company has been pushing to distinguish itself from rivals, partnering with Roku in 2014 to produce a line of flat panels for the US market with Roku streaming built-in. It also took to the stage at CES in Las Vegas this year to show off a number of eye-catching innovations including the Vidaa Max short-throw laser projector and the Chill, an in-home beverage vending machine.

The company has also been on a marketing offensive for broader recognition outside its homeland, with sponsorship deals for the Nascar Xfinity Series in the US and the F1 Grand Prix.

But while Hisense may not have broken into the 'big four' TV brands outside Asia, it is joining other Chinese manufacturers such as TCL in making a strong impression on the global AV market. With a strong presence at CES in recent years, these Chinese challenger brands are making a strong play in the 4K space, bolstering their smart TV offerings and slowly but surely becoming a force to be reckoned with.

It remains to be seen what the deal means for Sharp's wider international operations and the implications for its TV business in Japan and other markets outside the Americas.

Hisense and Sharp have been contacted for comment.

Hisense to buy Sharp America in $23.7M deal - OFweek News

 

[Jlaw]

China’s Top 10 Exports - World's Top Exports

In 2014, China’s top 10 exports accounted for 66.9% of the overall value of its global shipments. Exports from the People’s Republic of China amounted to US$2.343 trillion, up 48.5% since 2010.

Based on statistics from the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook Database, China’s total Gross Domestic Product amounted to $17.632 trillion in 2014.

Therefore, exports accounted for about 13.3% of China’s total economic output.

Given China’s population of 1.36 billion people, the total $2.343 trillion in 2014 Chinese exports translates to roughly $1,728 for every person in the country.
China’s Top 10 Exports
The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Chinese global shipments during 2014. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of China’s overall exports.

1. Electronic equipment: US$571,045,520,000 (24.4% of total exports)
2. Machines, engines, pumps: $400,910,983,000 (17.1%)
3. Furniture, lighting, signs: $93,390,874,000 (4.0%)
4. Knit or crochet clothing: $92,002,609,000 (3.9%)
5. Clothing (not knit or crochet): $81,453,227,000 (3.5%)
6. Medical, technical equipment: $74,020,496,000 (3.2%)
7. Plastics: $66,816,299,000 (2.9%)
8. Vehicles: $64,243,754,000 (2.7%)
9. Gems, precious metals, coins: $63,212,400,000 (2.7%)
10. Iron or steel products: $60,685,405,000 (2.6%)

Some of the industries supporting these exports, such as manufacturing electronic equipment and producing clothing, are labor intensive. This may explain why China’s unemployment rate was just 4.1% in 2014 — compared to the estimated 9% global average.

Please note that the exports listed above are at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level.

-------------------------------------------------

Most people would never guess #8

 

[cirr]

China’s Top 10 Exports - World's Top Exports

In 2014, China’s top 10 exports accounted for 66.9% of the overall value of its global shipments. Exports from the People’s Republic of China amounted to US$2.343 trillion, up 48.5% since 2010.

Based on statistics from the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook Database, China’s total Gross Domestic Product amounted to $17.632 trillion in 2014.

Therefore, exports accounted for about 13.3% of China’s total economic output.

Given China’s population of 1.36 billion people, the total $2.343 trillion in 2014 Chinese exports translates to roughly $1,728 for every person in the country.
China’s Top 10 Exports
The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Chinese global shipments during 2014. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of China’s overall exports.

1. Electronic equipment: US$571,045,520,000 (24.4% of total exports)
2. Machines, engines, pumps: $400,910,983,000 (17.1%)
3. Furniture, lighting, signs: $93,390,874,000 (4.0%)
4. Knit or crochet clothing: $92,002,609,000 (3.9%)
5. Clothing (not knit or crochet): $81,453,227,000 (3.5%)
6. Medical, technical equipment: $74,020,496,000 (3.2%)
7. Plastics: $66,816,299,000 (2.9%)
8. Vehicles: $64,243,754,000 (2.7%)
9. Gems, precious metals, coins: $63,212,400,000 (2.7%)
10. Iron or steel products: $60,685,405,000 (2.6%)

Some of the industries supporting these exports, such as manufacturing electronic equipment and producing clothing, are labor intensive. This may explain why China’s unemployment rate was just 4.1% in 2014 — compared to the estimated 9% global average.

Please note that the exports listed above are at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level.

-------------------------------------------------

Most people would never guess #8

The value of vehicle export will at least double from 2014 figure by 2020.

 

[cirr]

China smartphone AP shipments to grow 23.5% in 2H15

Eric Lin, DIGITIMES Research, Taipei [Friday 31 July 2015]

Shipments of smartphone application processors in the China market are expected to grow 9.7% and 16% on quarter, respectively, in the third and fourth quarters of 2015, according to Digitimes Research.

Overall, China's smartphone-use AP shipments will increase 23.5% on year to 300 million units in the second half of 2015, Digitimes Research estimated.

Despite seasonal factors, smartphone AP shipments in China advanced 8.7% on quarter and 23.8% on year to reach 128 million units in the second quarter thanks to a decline in inventory in the previous quarter and new models launched by smartphone vendors, Digitimes Research noted.

Among the top-five smartphone AP suppliers, MediaTek is expected to see its shipment growth slow down in the third and fourth quarters after a significant gain in the second quarter.

Spreadtrum Communications is expected to roll out two solutions, the SC7731G and SC9830A, for the entry-level segment in the second half of 2015, which will add pressure on MediaTek and Qualcomm in the low price sector.

Qualcomm is expected to see its shipments decline in the third quarter before making a rebound in the fourth quarter, buoyed by the launch of new products.

Shipments from HiSilicon Technologies will gain momentum starting the third quarter as the vendor plans to roll out new chips for high-end smartphones in the quarter.

Leadcore Technology's AP shipments will suffer a setback in the third quarter due to decreased orders from Xiaomi Technology, but will rebound in the fourth quarter thanks to new orders from Xiaomi and other smartphone vendors, Digitimes Research commented.

Digitimes Research: China smartphone AP shipments to grow 23.5% in 2H15

 

[TaiShang]

Huawei Tops Microsoft in Global Phone Market in Q2 2015, Report Shows
Global mobile phone shipments rose 2 percent in the second quarter of 2015
Jul 31, 2015

Strategy Analytics noted that Huawei captured 7 percent of the global mobile phone market in the second quarter of this year, up from 4.8 percent during the same timeframe in 2014. Conversely, Microsoft (MSFT) saw its market share fall from 11.8 percent in Q2 2014 to 6.4 percent in Q2 2015. Here are the details.

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
  Huawei has surpassed Microsoft as the world's third-largest mobile phone vendor, according to a new report from Strategy Analytics.
  
  Huawei has surpassed Microsoft (MSFT) as the world's third-largest mobile phone vendor, according to a new report from Strategy Analytics.
  
  The market research firm noted that Huawei captured 7 percent of the global mobile phone market in the second quarter of this year, up from 4.8 percent during the same timeframe in 2014. Conversely, Microsoft's market share fell from 11.8 percent in Q2 2014 to 6.4 percent in Q2 2015, dropping the company to fourth overall.
  
  "Microsoft's 6 percent global mobile phone market share is sitting near an all-time low," Strategy Analytics Executive Director Neil Mawston said in a prepared statement. "Huawei is rising fast in all regions of the world, particularly China where its 4G models, such as the Mate7, are proving wildly popular."
  
  Other report results included:
  
  • Global mobile phone shipments grew 2 percent annually to reach 435 million units in the second quarter of 2015.
  • Samsung and Apple (AAPL) ranked first and second, respectively, in global mobile phone vendor shipments and global mobile phone vendor market share during the quarter.
  • Smartphones accounted for eight in 10 of total mobile phone shipments during the quarter.
  Smart Analytics also noted that Xiaomi ranked fifth among global mobile phone vendors and remains a major player in the China mobile phone market.
  
  However, Xiaomi's local and international growth appears to be slowing as it faces intense competition, according to Strategy Analytics.
  
  
  

 

[opruh]

One by one, Chinese brands are starting to rule the world. High quality always win.

 

[cirr]

China to realize nationwide electricity coverage

energycentral | Posted: 04 Aug 2015, 10:59

China is planning to bring electricity to the last people in Qinghai Province who remain off the grid, according to the National Energy Administration (NEA) on Monday.

Around 39,800 people in Qinghai Province will get access to basic electricity, said Liu Qi, vice chief of the NEA, giving no other details such as the date when the project will be completed.

The NEA recently decided to provide electricity to the high altitude areas with harsh natural conditions and a sparse population.

Power grid work is high on the rural agenda because it does not just improve people's lives, but sustains infrastructure investment and boosts growth.

The National Energy Administration announced on July 7 that it would spend 92.6 billion yuan this year on upgrades, with 20 billion yuan coming from fiscal funds and the rest financed through bank loans.

China sees infrastructure investment as a route to growth. The Shanghai Securities Journal reported on Monday that nearly 900 billion yuan worth of investments on roads, railways, airports and other infrastructure projects were approved by the National Development and Reform Commission in the first half of 2015.

China to realize nationwide electricity coverage - OFweek News

 

[TaiShang]

Huawei Consumer Business Group Announces 1H 2015 Financial Performance

Impressive overall revenue growth of 69%, Strategy proves successful with 87% Y-o-Y revenue growth of handset business

22 July, 2015

[Shenzhen, China, July 22, 2015]: Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today announced the business performance of its Consumer Business Group (BG) for the first half of 2015. Huawei Consumer BG continued to record remarkable business growth in 1H 2015 with the total revenue reaching a total of USD 9.09 billion, showing an impressive year-on-year increase of 69%. The unit’s sales income represented 32% of the total income of parent company Huawei Technologies, up from 24% in the same period last year. Huawei’s handset business revenue reached USD 7.23 billion in 1H 2015, recording a year-on-year increase of 87%. This was due to the success of Huawei Consumer BG’s strategy of focusing on mid-to high-end handsets, which contributed to both the increase in shipments and average selling price.

“This incredible growth is a testament to our core business strategy to offer premium quality products, bringing our expected earnings for 2015 from USD 16 billion to USD 20 billion.” said Mr. Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei Consumer BG. “Such a remarkable and rapid growth in performance is a result of Huawei’s Consumer BG’s commitment to consumers’ needs and our core strategy of providing innovative hardware technology and software experience. With our consistent and huge investment in R&D, Huawei is set to become one of the key players in the long-run.”


Huawei’s smartphone shipment outperformed the market


In 1H 2015, Huawei Consumer BG shipped a total of 48.2 million smartphones, representing a year-on-year increase of 39%, while global smartphone demand has only recorded a 7% growth in the same period . Shipment for the mid-to-high end category recorded a year-on-year increase of 70%, representing 31% of the total handset shipment and 42.9% of total income. The income of the mid-to-high end category increases 388% while the profit of this category representing 44% of the total profit.


Rapid revenue growth in regions around the world


Huawei’s global strategy continues to stimulate stable business growth in both China and overseas markets. Revenue surged 124% year-on-year in China, while some regions recorded more than 40% revenue growth. Western Europe, Northeast Europe, South Pacific, North Africa and Middle East recorded 45%, 54%, 41%, 164 % and 48% year-on-year growth respectively. Huawei's high-end smartphone shipment in Italy and Spain achieved year-on-year growth of 293% and 448% respectively. According to GFK , Huawei’s share of the global smartphone market continued to increase throughout the first quarter of 2015, recording 6.7% in January, 7.1% in February, 7.8% in March, 8.1% in April and 8.8% in May.


According to GFK, Huawei surpassed Samsung and Apple to achieve the largest market share in the China market, recording market share of 12.9%, 13.6%, 14.1% and 15.2% in March, April, May and June respectively. In global middle to high end markets (price range from 400 to 500 Euro), Huawei held 24% and 20% of market share in Spain and Italy respectively.


Huawei flagship devices ship towards the “5 million” mark


In 1H 2015, Huawei’s flagship smartphone, Huawei Mate7 shipped a global total of 5 million units with impressive sales in over 100 countries including China, Western Europe, Middle East, South East Asia, and South Pacific, among others. Huawei P7 recorded accumulative sales of 7 million units and was available in over 100 countries and regions. Over one million units of Huawei P8 have been sold in the first two months since launch with availability in over 52 markets including China, France, Spain and Italy.

Committed to becoming the most respected brand among global consumers


In May 2015, Huawei was named one of BrandZ’s ‘Top 100 Global Brands’ of 2015 for the first time, ranking in 16th position in the technology and science category with brand value of USD 15.335 billion. This follows Huawei’s success in being the first Mainland Chinese brand to reach Interbrand’s Top 100 Best Global Brand list in 2014.


As of June, our global social media community comprises of more than 6.8 million fans. This is a 40% year-on-year increase, with total volume of online conversations increasing by 60%. Specifically, the number of “mentions” of Huawei handsets in Spain and Italy rose 118% and 132% respectively between April 2014 and April 2015.


Committed to being a long-term competitor, capitalizing on the opportunity brought about by the “Internet of Things”


In the second half of the year, Huawei Consumer BG will continue to leverage its experience and knowledge in telecommunications hardware and software to capitalize on the opportunities presented by the “all things connected” era. Thus, Huawei intensified its wearables strategy and introduced the Huawei Watch W1, TalkBand N1 and B2 during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year.


Globally, Huawei has 16 R&D centers including an aesthetic research center in Paris, a mathematics research center in Russia, a design and quality control research center in Japan, a software research center in India, among others. As of June 30, Huawei has applied for a total of 76,687 patents, among which 18,000 are device-related. A total of 41,903 patents have been authorized on a global level.


In the development of interconnected cars, Huawei entered into a number of strategic partnerships with major automobile brands in 1H 2015, including Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi, with the latter two partners appointing their third-party suppliers to use Huawei vehicle-mounted 4G communication modules in their future car-networking equipment. By integrating the company’s capabilities in 4G and 5G networks, Big Data and cloud technology, Huawei aims to be the leading player in the interconnected cars industry and promote interaction among cars, smartphones and wearables to create seamless communications and a comfortable and safe driving experience for users.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

I'm shocked Microsoft had 11%.

Nobody buys their phones.

Windows Phone market shares around the world: A statisitical breakdown
"Windows Phone continues to struggle in the home of Microsoft. Market share in the United States dropped from 4.65% to 3.88% in 2014."

 

[TaiShang]

Globally, Huawei has 16 R&D centers including an aesthetic research center in Paris, a mathematics research center in Russia, a design and quality control research center in Japan, a software research center in India, among others. As of June 30, Huawei has applied for a total of 76,687 patents, among which 18,000 are device-related. A total of 41,903 patents have been authorized on a global level.

What I really care about is this.

 

[Water Car Engineer]

Window phones suck, Microsoft is having a bad, bad couple of years. They screwed up Xbox1 on launch too.

 

[TaiShang]

Huawei becomes best sold tablet brand in Finland: source
Xinhua Published: 2015-8-5 10:53:37

Huawei tablets have become hot selling products in Finland and enjoyed the biggest market share in the past few weeks, the company said on Tuesday.

In the second quarter of this year, about 30,000 Huawei tablets were sold in Finland, surpassing Samsung and Apple, a source of the company told Xinhua.

"The brand sold pretty well in the beginning of this year, and in the last three weeks it was continuously ranked the first place," said the source.

While Huawei's share in the Finnish tablet market reaches about 35 percent, the biggest so far, Apple has nevertheless secured the most sales value, followed by Samsung and Huawei.

The news came days after Finnish media reported that Huawei surpassed Microsoft and became the third largest mobile producer in the world.

Having been used to the Nokia culture, Finns have obtained a unique taste for mobile phones, which could be "both challenge and asset" for Huawei, said Kenneth Fredriksen, Huawei's Regional Vice President told Xinhua on Monday.

The Chinese network giant has recruited about 100 people in its research and development (R&D) center in Finland, and the team has contributed a lot in designing the latest Huawei handset portfolio, said Fredriksen.

The R&D center in Helsinki was built up in late 2012, and it has kept expanding in terms of the size of its staff, said Cao Keqian, CEO of Huawei Finland.

 

[cirr]

China to build giant solar thermal plant 'the size of Bath'

5 August 2015, source edie newsroom

Artists impression of the Delingha power plant, courtesy of BrightSource Energy


China is set to begin the construction of what is expected to be the world's largest solar thermal power plant.

The Delingha plant, which will cover 25km of land in the Gobi desert, is slated to have a 200 MW capacity - enough to supply one million homes with electricity.

Once fully operational, the plant will prevent the burning of 4.26 million tonnes of coal every year, reducing CO2 emissions by 896,000 tonnes.

Solar thermal technology uses heliostats (computer-controlled mirrors) to concentrate solar energy into central towers, where the energy can be stored in the form of molten salt. Solar thermal is therefore capable of delivering a smoother power supply than PV, although it is currently more expensive.

The Delingha plant will feature six separate towers and thousands of heliostats covering an area the size of Bath. The project is a joint venture between US developer BrightSource Energy and Chinese companies Shanghai Electric and China Power Investment Corporation.

Evolution

The Delingha plant is just one of many ground-breaking renewable projects being undertaken in China, as the country scrambles to reduce its dependence on coal and improve air quality.

Between 2005 and 2014, China increased its solar capacity by 40,000% to 28 GW, and the country is expected to install 17.8 GW of solar PV capacity alone in 2015, accounting for almost 40% of global installations.

The transition away from a fossil-fuel economy shows no sign of slowing down, after China's largest export market for coal – the US – also announced drastic plans to cut coal consumption in the last week.

President Obama’s Clean Power Plan – which targets a 32% cut in power plant emissions – has been described by detractors as a ‘war on coal’.

China to build giant solar thermal plant 'the size of Bath'

 

[cirr]

China makers in discussions with vendors for 6-inch 4K AMOLED panels

Rebecca Kuo, Tainan; Alex Wolfgram, DIGITIMES

[Thursday 6 August 2015]

China-based AMOLED display maker Hehui Optoelectroics has developed 6-inch Ultra HD (4K) AMOLED panels with 734ppi and is currently in talks with various vendors to bring the technology to devices in the market.

The company also plans to extend its AMOLED reach to the wearables segment, and is proactive in seeking out new deals with handset vendors. Industry sources recently noted the company may supply HTC with AMOLED panels used in new handsets released in the second half of 2015.

Since it began mass producing new supply of AMOLED displays on its 4.5G fab in the fourth quarter of 2014, Hehui has been pushing low-priced AMOLED panels to provide competitive solutions for vendors such as HTC that are up against other major vendors.

The company has previously been geared toward providing white-box vendors with the technology and is now aimed at additional vendors, which now include HTC and Huawei Device. Both Huawei and HTC have not commented on their panel supply chain providers, however.

Small- to medium-size LTPS AMOLED panel production capacity is expected to grow 30% on year in 2015. In addition to South Korea makers pushing production, China makers are showing to be even more proactive in development, and may surpass Korea makers in LTPS AMOLED capacity by 2018 if they maintain their current expansion speed, according to Sigmaintell Consulting. The firm added it expects China makers to hold a global AMOLED capacity share of 31% in 2018 and 50% in terms of LTPS AMOLED, with the latter expected to surpass Korea makers.

China makers in discussions with vendors for 6-inch 4K AMOLED panels