'Made in China' really doesn’t mean what it used to

[Raphael]

'Made in China' really doesn’t mean what it used to

Among shoppers in the West, the notion persists (pdf) that “Made in China” indicates—to put it bluntly—junk. Many still prize labels boasting a product was made in, say, Italy—even if a growing number of Italian products come from factories that are Chinese-owned and staffed.

But the quality of Chinese-made clothes is rising fast. China’s garment industry has been investing in manufacturing technology and training for decades now, and its workforce has collectively gotten better at stitching and assembling garments as China makes a growing share of the world’s clothes.

There are still dim, claustrophobic sweatshops—too many, sadly. But China is also home to a highly skilled, highly specialized garment industry, one that supply chain managers of global mass-market clothing brands, and even some high-end labels, regard as offering the best mix of price, speed, and—yes—quality.

“If I was to make a basic men’s jean, I’d make that in Pakistan,” Edward Hertzman, co-owner of the trade publication Sourcing Journal, tells Quartz. “If I was going to make a fashion woman’s garment, I would move to China because their skill set is better, their hand is better, their finishing is better, and they can handle that type of fashion.”

© Provided by Quartz China's share of global clothing exports
The industry has become so specialized that entire cities in China may center on manufacturing particular types of clothing. In her book Overdressed, author Elizabeth Cline marvels at the existence of a city near Shanghai that makes most of the world’s socks—about 9 billion pairs a year—and another in Zhejiang Province with around 5,000 factories all making children’s clothing. “There’s also a Sweater City and an Underwear City,” she writes, “where huge volumes of each are churned out in highly concentrated areas.”

That intense focus allows factories to become extremely proficient.

Indeed, luxury fashion labels now routinely make things in China. Burberry, Armani, and Prada have all manufactured there, because it’s cheap but also because they’re still able to get good workmanship for the price. Even the Japanese brand Visvim, known for its fanatical attention to detail, produces high-end, handmade footwear there.

Miuccia Prada makes about 20% of Prada’s collections there. And, she told the Wall Street Journal, “Sooner or later, it will happen to everyone because [Chinese manufacturing] is so good.”

China also has its own burgeoning, home-grown luxury fashion industry, featuring Chinese designers who make their elaborate creations in their home country.

© Provided by Quartz Rihanna arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating "China: Through the Looking Glass" on Monday, May 4, 2015, in New York.
The oft-repeated analogy for China’s manufacturing progress is Japan’s evolution. Now regarded as a paragon of precision and efficiency, it too once had a reputation for shoddy exports. Toyota and its method of “lean manufacturing” helped the country rehabilitate that image, and in fact some Chinese garment manufacturers have followed Toyota’s lead specifically. (It’s a particularly apt comparison because Toyota originally made fabric looms, not cars.)

For Roger Lee, CEO of Hong Kong’s TAL Group, “lean manufacturing” is essential to his operations. The giant shirtmaker, which says it produces one of every six dress shirts in the US, operates 10 factories, including two in China. “Before, if you started production of a shirt, it would take you about two weeks to get it out,” Lee says. “Today, if you put one shirt in, you get it out in two to four hours.”

TAL Group, which calls itself an “innofacturer,” has become known for its data-driven efficiency. But Lee tells Quartz that his company is not alone: China’s garment industry has worked to improve quality and speed to stay competitive. That’s because as wages rise rapidly in China (pdf), some production has shifted to deadly-cheap countries such as Bangladesh. “Where labor is still relatively cheap, it’s not as important to be efficient in that way,” he says. But “in China, we definitely have to be a lot more efficient if we’re going to survive.”

© Provided by Quartz Employees work at a garment factory in Hefei, Anhui province, April 8, 2010. China's economy is likely to grow by more than 10 percent in 2010, thanks to recovering exports and rising consumption, a government researcher said in remarks published on Thursday. REUTERS/Stringer (CHINA - Tags: BUSINESS) - RTR2CJVY
A “Made in China” label doesn’t guarantee a good product, of course. It’s a large country that’s still developing, meaning some industrial areas are more advanced than others. Hertzman tells Quartz that determining an item’s quality can only accurately happen on “a factory-to-factory, product-to-product basis.” Still, generally speaking, he says, “sourcing executives have a higher expectation of the fashion and the value-added products coming out of China than other countries.”

The proof, according to Josh Green, CEO of Panjiva, a site that connects sourcing professionals with suppliers, is that despite the rising wages and costs of doing business in China, companies have not walked away. “[China is] viewed by people who make buying decisions as unique and hard to replicate elsewhere,” he says. “If anything, China has developed such advanced capabilities, it’s making it hard for other countries to compete.”

 

[TaiShang]

How a 'creativity revolution' is changing China's cheap-clothing reputation
DANNY SINOPOLI

The Globe and Mail

Published Friday, May. 22 2015, 4:00 PM EDT

(Rihanna photo via Getty Images)

If there was one dress that stood out more than any other at the Met Gala in New York this month, it was pop star Rihanna’s opulent golden cape gown – and not just because of its wow factor. The source of the dress – the Beijing atelier of Chinese couturier Guo Pei – was as notable to many observers as its fur trim and long train.

Five years ago, the idea of Chinese couture would have been laughable on these shores, where the country was best known for cheap clothes and toxic toys. But the once unthinkable – China’s transformation from knockoff nexus to maker and exporter of high-design goods – has been gaining traction in the West. And Rihanna’s turn on the red carpet, seen by millions around the world, could very well be the tipping point between skepticism and acceptance.

“We’re seeing a creativity revolution in China and it’s being driven by two things,” Shaun Rein, the American-born founder of the China Market Research Group and author of last fall’s The End of Copycat China: The Rise of Creativity, Innovation and Individualism in Asia, said in a phone interview from Shanghai, his base for the past 20 years.

“First, more and more Chinese consumers – especially young people – want to buy quality products made by Chinese for Chinese, so designers are responding to that. Second, the Chinese economy is slowing, so those designers and manufacturers who are being aggressive about meeting domestic demand are also thinking globally.”

To be sure, high-end fashion and furnishings constitute only a tiny fraction of total Chinese exports so far, but the foreign followings they are developing are of the most influential kind: stylemakers and power wielders in the fashion capitals of the world. Take Uma Wang and Helen Lee, cutting-edge Shanghai fashion designers whose collections are available in only the trendiest boutiques in Europe, Japan and the United States. “The cool thing about Uma Wang,” says Melanie Innocenti, buyer for the past two years at H. Lorenzo, a leading Los Angeles clothing boutique, “is she designs her own fabrics: these dark, romantic prints you won’t find elsewhere – there’s nothing like her on the market and she’s consistent in her approach and quality.”

One indication that Wang’s work is a far cry from fast fashion is the prices it commands: from $400 for a scarf to $4,500 for a dress. “We’ve been carrying her since almost her first collection three and a half years ago,” says Innocenti, who notes that H. Lorenzo ships internationally, including to Canada, through its website, shop.hlorenzo.com. “We buy something from her collection every season. And we treat her like something special because we feel she is.”

Hart Hagerty, a designer and brand strategist who lived for six years in Shanghai and currently works for Carrot Creative, VICE Media’s digital ad agency, in New York, recently cited Wang, Lee and another Shanghai designer named Nicole Zhang as cool Chinese couturiers likely to appeal to Westerners. According to Hagerty, their ateliers are akin to similar operations in Europe or North America, employing high-quality textiles and top-notch talent and machinery. She even produces her own small line of jackets in the Chinese city because of the sewing talent there. “China is working very hard to improve its labour standards,” Hagerty says over the phone from Charleston, S.C., her hometown. “There’s a lot more transparency now. China’s reputation for creating quality goods will only grow.”

Before that happens, however, the country is going to have to overcome some pretty entrenched Western prejudices to build on its small-scale successes, both Hagerty and Rein agree. “It’s hard to become a player in an industry; it takes more than a few years,” says Rein. “Some [Chinese] electronics firms, like handset maker Xiaomi, are on their way. I think it’s going to be harder with fashion – for one thing, the body sizes [in the West and in China] are different. I think [Western penetration] will happen first with shoes, handbags and especially furniture. China has a rich tradition when it comes to furniture making and some of the designers in that field are taking it to the next level.”

A new appreciation for Chinese furniture was certainly on display at this year’s Milan Furniture Fair in Italy. Five years ago, organizers and manufacturers there were complaining about Chinese companies coming to the fair and then duplicating what they saw back home on the cheap. This year, however, the Chinese presence was a lot more positively focused and received. Among other initiatives, a new co-operation agreement seeking to combine Italian design know-how with Chinese technical mastery on a larger scale was signed by industry and government representatives from both countries. Visitors could peruse higher-end Chinese lighting themselves in a show called China Meets Italy, while an exhibition of avant-garde Chinese furniture by six leading designers, including the highly regarded Chen Yaoguang and the architect Zhu Pei, attracted appreciative crowds at the Università degli Studi. The latter exhibition was sponsored by the Guangdong Huasong Furniture Group, a major Chinese firm “actively reforming the industry” through improved design and standards, according to show organizers.

Ruan Hao

Hong Kong’s Ruan Hao, whose Cat Table was showcased in Milan last month.

“The metalwork is exceptional and the design is catching up,” one lighting executive, Suthee Bhandhukravi of Bangkok-based Lightsculptures Co., said of China at the fair.

According to Rein, the same economic slowdown that is prompting Chinese firms such as Guangdong Huasong to step up their game has had the added benefit of winnowing out the substandard manufacturers that dominated in the past. Many of those subpar players have also disappeared, he said, because the Chinese government started cracking down on them. “An image of shoddiness still exists [in the West], but a lot of the factories [that contributed to that impression] have gone out of business. Now, the standards in many factories are higher than they are in even more mature markets.”

Sherman Lin

Sherman Lin is a designer of modern furniture with traditional echoes.

While the efforts of the Chinese government to improve manufacturing standards have borne fruit, it will now have to capitalize on its momentum by communicating a design identity that both defines the country and sets it apart, says Kathy Bloomgarden, chief executive officer of Ruder Finn Inc., a global public-relations agency that has extensive experience in China. “What is holding China back from achieving international cachet is brand-building, both on a macro– and micro-level,” Bloomgarden says via e-mail. “Just as Japan is known for its simplicity in design, global markets need to know what Chinese design stands for. Brand China needs an established set of values that are consistent and well-known around the world.”

And now the world is watching. The Rihanna effect, as it might be dubbed, has generated more buzz for Chinese designers and particularly Guo Pei than any government effort could. The attention is guaranteed to send Guo’s career into overdrive – she has already announced a collaboration with M.A.C Cosmetics and plans for a ready-to-wear line – and to make the Metropolitan Museum’s China show, called China Through the Looking Glass, a blockbuster.

In reality, the red carpet at the Gala offered a better glimpse of contemporary Chinese fashion than the exhibition, which focuses on Western fashion inspired by China, does: Only two or three dresses by Guo and other Chinese designers are included.

For a more balanced take on the country’s current design scene, visitors to the Met would be well advised to walk a few dozen blocks to the south and east to the Madison Avenue branch of Barneys New York. In a nod to the Met show, the department store has commissioned a four-piece capsule collection by the Chinese-born designer Huishan Zhang. Heavy on the colour red and intricately embroidered, the pieces have been well-received and are proudly made in China, a fact that likely wouldn’t have been highlighted just a year or two ago.

Huishan Zhang

 

[Aepsilons]

'Made in China' really doesn’t mean what it used to

Among shoppers in the West, the notion persists (pdf) that “Made in China” indicates—to put it bluntly—junk. Many still prize labels boasting a product was made in, say, Italy—even if a growing number of Italian products come from factories that are Chinese-owned and staffed.

But the quality of Chinese-made clothes is rising fast. China’s garment industry has been investing in manufacturing technology and training for decades now, and its workforce has collectively gotten better at stitching and assembling garments as China makes a growing share of the world’s clothes.

There are still dim, claustrophobic sweatshops—too many, sadly. But China is also home to a highly skilled, highly specialized garment industry, one that supply chain managers of global mass-market clothing brands, and even some high-end labels, regard as offering the best mix of price, speed, and—yes—quality.

“If I was to make a basic men’s jean, I’d make that in Pakistan,” Edward Hertzman, co-owner of the trade publication Sourcing Journal, tells Quartz. “If I was going to make a fashion woman’s garment, I would move to China because their skill set is better, their hand is better, their finishing is better, and they can handle that type of fashion.”

© Provided by Quartz China's share of global clothing exports
The industry has become so specialized that entire cities in China may center on manufacturing particular types of clothing. In her book Overdressed, author Elizabeth Cline marvels at the existence of a city near Shanghai that makes most of the world’s socks—about 9 billion pairs a year—and another in Zhejiang Province with around 5,000 factories all making children’s clothing. “There’s also a Sweater City and an Underwear City,” she writes, “where huge volumes of each are churned out in highly concentrated areas.”

That intense focus allows factories to become extremely proficient.

Indeed, luxury fashion labels now routinely make things in China. Burberry, Armani, and Prada have all manufactured there, because it’s cheap but also because they’re still able to get good workmanship for the price. Even the Japanese brand Visvim, known for its fanatical attention to detail, produces high-end, handmade footwear there.

Miuccia Prada makes about 20% of Prada’s collections there. And, she told the Wall Street Journal, “Sooner or later, it will happen to everyone because [Chinese manufacturing] is so good.”

China also has its own burgeoning, home-grown luxury fashion industry, featuring Chinese designers who make their elaborate creations in their home country.

© Provided by Quartz Rihanna arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating "China: Through the Looking Glass" on Monday, May 4, 2015, in New York.
The oft-repeated analogy for China’s manufacturing progress is Japan’s evolution. Now regarded as a paragon of precision and efficiency, it too once had a reputation for shoddy exports. Toyota and its method of “lean manufacturing” helped the country rehabilitate that image, and in fact some Chinese garment manufacturers have followed Toyota’s lead specifically. (It’s a particularly apt comparison because Toyota originally made fabric looms, not cars.)

For Roger Lee, CEO of Hong Kong’s TAL Group, “lean manufacturing” is essential to his operations. The giant shirtmaker, which says it produces one of every six dress shirts in the US, operates 10 factories, including two in China. “Before, if you started production of a shirt, it would take you about two weeks to get it out,” Lee says. “Today, if you put one shirt in, you get it out in two to four hours.”

TAL Group, which calls itself an “innofacturer,” has become known for its data-driven efficiency. But Lee tells Quartz that his company is not alone: China’s garment industry has worked to improve quality and speed to stay competitive. That’s because as wages rise rapidly in China (pdf), some production has shifted to deadly-cheap countries such as Bangladesh. “Where labor is still relatively cheap, it’s not as important to be efficient in that way,” he says. But “in China, we definitely have to be a lot more efficient if we’re going to survive.”

© Provided by Quartz Employees work at a garment factory in Hefei, Anhui province, April 8, 2010. China's economy is likely to grow by more than 10 percent in 2010, thanks to recovering exports and rising consumption, a government researcher said in remarks published on Thursday. REUTERS/Stringer (CHINA - Tags: BUSINESS) - RTR2CJVY
A “Made in China” label doesn’t guarantee a good product, of course. It’s a large country that’s still developing, meaning some industrial areas are more advanced than others. Hertzman tells Quartz that determining an item’s quality can only accurately happen on “a factory-to-factory, product-to-product basis.” Still, generally speaking, he says, “sourcing executives have a higher expectation of the fashion and the value-added products coming out of China than other countries.”

The proof, according to Josh Green, CEO of Panjiva, a site that connects sourcing professionals with suppliers, is that despite the rising wages and costs of doing business in China, companies have not walked away. “[China is] viewed by people who make buying decisions as unique and hard to replicate elsewhere,” he says. “If anything, China has developed such advanced capabilities, it’s making it hard for other countries to compete.”

Let's not forget Vera Wang. Her name is synonymous with high end wedding dresses and posh style.

 

[Genesis]

Let's not forget Vera Wang. Her name is synonymous with high end wedding dresses and posh style.

She's American. Not Chinese, that's like saying Marc Jacobs is whatever he is, and not American.

Anyways, China still needs time, it's the first step, make the stuff that luxury brands sell, then create the prestige ourselves and make with ready and waiting Chinese partners that have already proven themselves internationally.

 

[Raphael]

Let's not forget Vera Wang. Her name is synonymous with high end wedding dresses and posh style.

Born and raised in NYC. We can't 'claim' her at all.

 

[Aepsilons]

Born and raised in NYC. We can't 'claim' her at all.

Yes, she is. However, she's actually 100% Han Chinese, and her family are originally from Shanghai, actually.

She's American. Not Chinese, that's like saying Marc Jacobs is whatever he is, and not American.

Anyways, China still needs time, it's the first step, make the stuff that luxury brands sell, then create the prestige ourselves and make with ready and waiting Chinese partners that have already proven themselves internationally.

She is Chines-American, but her apparel's haute style is actually Chinese-inspired. Light and elegant , not to mention exceedingly expensive. lol.

I should know. I used to date a girl who preferred her brand.

Anyways, China still needs time, it's the first step, make the stuff that luxury brands sell, then create the prestige ourselves and make with ready and waiting Chinese partners that have already proven themselves internationally.

Dude, if your girl loves shoes, you'll know that a girl " can't have enough " of Jimmy Choos. lol.

Yea, he's Chinese, and yes, a pair of Jimmy Choos range from as cheap as $800 to as pricy as $5,000.

 

[Vassnti]

Isnt this a little out of date? Made in China hasn't ment junk for years. I have a made in China phone, computer "appologies to the Republic of China for the bits made there" sitting on a made in China chair and a probably made in China desk. Thank god China likes lamb your probably eating a made in Tasmania sheep.

 

[zeronet]

not just in garment industry, the same thing happens in many other manufacturing sectors. Google's new generation Nexus smartphone will be OEMed by Huawei. Those manufacturers provide best balance on quality, price, workmanship, and delivery speed. it is very tough for other countries to compete with.

 

[AndrewJin]

fried egg!

 

[TaiShang]

Shanghai port group eyes German assets
June 4, 2015

Port of Hamburg. [File photo]



Shanghai International Port Group Co Ltd is seeking a stake in the Port of Hamburg, the world's largest free port, German newspaper Hamburger Abendblatt reported on Wednesday.

The report said SIPG had also expressed interest in the Port of Bremen, another of Europe's largest ports.

SIPG Chairman Chen Xuyuan said that close cooperation between his company and either of the European ports would be lucrative and all parties involved would benefit. Chen made the comment during a port conference in Hamburg.

SIPG, which is listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, owns the largest port in the Chinese mainland. Its clients include many companies in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone.

According to SIPG's official website, as well as press releases and disclosures to investors in May, the group has expanded into overseas markets. It won a 25-year franchise in Haifa, Israel, and joined the construction of Zeebrugge in western Belgium, the country's second-largest port after Antwerp.

SIPG did not respond to questions about the German ports on Wednesday.

SIPG is not alone among Chinese companies in seeking opportunities to own or operate ports overseas, especially amid increasing trade between China and the rest of the world.

On May 15, China Ocean Shipping Group was chosen as one of three shortlisted bidders for a 51 percent stake in Piraeus Port, Greece's largest port. Binding bids are due by September. COSCO manages two container piers at the port and has been in talks with Greece to buy a majority stake.

China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corp invested $1.5 billion for a 51 percent stake in the agribusiness operations of Hong Kong-based Noble Group and reached agreement with the Netherlands-based agricultural and commodity trading group Nidera BV to acquire 51 percent of its shares in 2014.

Those deals will enable COFCO to control the two companies' port assets in South America (Brazil and Uruguay) and Asia to conduct grain storage and port loading businesses, according to Dong Liwan, a professor of international trade at Shanghai Maritime University.

Expanding port businesses can profit port owners in various ways and help trading companies improve efficiency and reduce costs, said Dong.

"It is also helpful for China's agribusiness companies to ship grain or other agricultural products such as palm oil and cotton to various markets through ports where they have operating leases or partnerships. It can save time by simplifying local customs requirements and other administrative procedures," said Dong.

 

[AndrewJin]

 

[Bussard Ramjet]

'Made in China' really doesn’t mean what it used to

Among shoppers in the West, the notion persists (pdf) that “Made in China” indicates—to put it bluntly—junk. Many still prize labels boasting a product was made in, say, Italy—even if a growing number of Italian products come from factories that are Chinese-owned and staffed.

But the quality of Chinese-made clothes is rising fast. China’s garment industry has been investing in manufacturing technology and training for decades now, and its workforce has collectively gotten better at stitching and assembling garments as China makes a growing share of the world’s clothes.

There are still dim, claustrophobic sweatshops—too many, sadly. But China is also home to a highly skilled, highly specialized garment industry, one that supply chain managers of global mass-market clothing brands, and even some high-end labels, regard as offering the best mix of price, speed, and—yes—quality.

“If I was to make a basic men’s jean, I’d make that in Pakistan,” Edward Hertzman, co-owner of the trade publication Sourcing Journal, tells Quartz. “If I was going to make a fashion woman’s garment, I would move to China because their skill set is better, their hand is better, their finishing is better, and they can handle that type of fashion.”

© Provided by Quartz China's share of global clothing exports
The industry has become so specialized that entire cities in China may center on manufacturing particular types of clothing. In her book Overdressed, author Elizabeth Cline marvels at the existence of a city near Shanghai that makes most of the world’s socks—about 9 billion pairs a year—and another in Zhejiang Province with around 5,000 factories all making children’s clothing. “There’s also a Sweater City and an Underwear City,” she writes, “where huge volumes of each are churned out in highly concentrated areas.”

That intense focus allows factories to become extremely proficient.

Indeed, luxury fashion labels now routinely make things in China. Burberry, Armani, and Prada have all manufactured there, because it’s cheap but also because they’re still able to get good workmanship for the price. Even the Japanese brand Visvim, known for its fanatical attention to detail, produces high-end, handmade footwear there.

Miuccia Prada makes about 20% of Prada’s collections there. And, she told the Wall Street Journal, “Sooner or later, it will happen to everyone because [Chinese manufacturing] is so good.”

China also has its own burgeoning, home-grown luxury fashion industry, featuring Chinese designers who make their elaborate creations in their home country.

© Provided by Quartz Rihanna arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating "China: Through the Looking Glass" on Monday, May 4, 2015, in New York.
The oft-repeated analogy for China’s manufacturing progress is Japan’s evolution. Now regarded as a paragon of precision and efficiency, it too once had a reputation for shoddy exports. Toyota and its method of “lean manufacturing” helped the country rehabilitate that image, and in fact some Chinese garment manufacturers have followed Toyota’s lead specifically. (It’s a particularly apt comparison because Toyota originally made fabric looms, not cars.)

For Roger Lee, CEO of Hong Kong’s TAL Group, “lean manufacturing” is essential to his operations. The giant shirtmaker, which says it produces one of every six dress shirts in the US, operates 10 factories, including two in China. “Before, if you started production of a shirt, it would take you about two weeks to get it out,” Lee says. “Today, if you put one shirt in, you get it out in two to four hours.”

TAL Group, which calls itself an “innofacturer,” has become known for its data-driven efficiency. But Lee tells Quartz that his company is not alone: China’s garment industry has worked to improve quality and speed to stay competitive. That’s because as wages rise rapidly in China (pdf), some production has shifted to deadly-cheap countries such as Bangladesh. “Where labor is still relatively cheap, it’s not as important to be efficient in that way,” he says. But “in China, we definitely have to be a lot more efficient if we’re going to survive.”

© Provided by Quartz Employees work at a garment factory in Hefei, Anhui province, April 8, 2010. China's economy is likely to grow by more than 10 percent in 2010, thanks to recovering exports and rising consumption, a government researcher said in remarks published on Thursday. REUTERS/Stringer (CHINA - Tags: BUSINESS) - RTR2CJVY
A “Made in China” label doesn’t guarantee a good product, of course. It’s a large country that’s still developing, meaning some industrial areas are more advanced than others. Hertzman tells Quartz that determining an item’s quality can only accurately happen on “a factory-to-factory, product-to-product basis.” Still, generally speaking, he says, “sourcing executives have a higher expectation of the fashion and the value-added products coming out of China than other countries.”

The proof, according to Josh Green, CEO of Panjiva, a site that connects sourcing professionals with suppliers, is that despite the rising wages and costs of doing business in China, companies have not walked away. “[China is] viewed by people who make buying decisions as unique and hard to replicate elsewhere,” he says. “If anything, China has developed such advanced capabilities, it’s making it hard for other countries to compete.”

I actually posted this exact same article before. Perhaps you can merge the two.

 

[TaiShang]

Chinese company Huawei to expand training to boost ICT capabilities for Africa
Source:Xinhua Published: 2015-6-5

Chinese information and communication technology (ICT) firm Huawei announced Thursday an expansion of its technical training program for Africa, aiming to build ICT capabilities in the continent.

The program dubbed "Seeds for the Future" will enable more than 1,000 students of ICT-related major across Africa to have access to high-level technical training in China in the next 5 years, it was announced during the World Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town, South Africa.

"Governments in Africa need to develop a vision of boosting connections. They need to invest or facilitate investments into national broadband plans and train technical talents, this will create jobs, boost economic growth and secure Africa's future," said Charles Ding, senior vice president of Huawei.

Globally, Huawei works with governments and universities to send students overseas, providing work experience with the world's best ICT equipment.

To date, over 10,000 students worldwide have benefited from the program, said the company.

Meanwhile, Huawei also announced a job creation plan for its local operation in South Africa.

"As the second largest economy in Africa, South Africa is an important market for Huawei. Currently we have around 1,000 employees in South Africa. In the next 5 years, we will increase the staff in South Africa by 50 percent to support our fast- growing operations," said Steven Wu, the newly appointed CEO for Huawei's South African operation, adding that South Africa's ICT industry is "poised for strong growth."

Huawei sold around 1 million smart-phones in South Africa in 2014, said Wu. The company is planning to double the figure in 2015.

 

[JayMandan]

I never thought the made in china products are junk, it's the alternative cheap chinese products imitating the top brands that are junk and can be deadly.