China Economy Forum

[TaiShang]

Chinese companies unveil new products at Mobile World Congress
Published: 2015-3-3 10:10:36

Chinese companies, Huawei, ZTE and Lenovo have presented new products at the 2015 Mobile World Congress (MWC) from March 2 to 5.

Monday saw ZTE present the ZTE Grand S3, which has an eye recognition system to unblock it. This system, called Eyeprint ID, is integrated into the phone's camera and recognizes its user by looking at the veins and white spaces in their eye.

This new smartphone contains a 5.5-inch, fully-HD screen with a Snapdragon 801 processor and a 3GB RAM memory with 64 GB of internal memory.

LTE also presented the voice-operated ZTE Star 2, the Blade S6 and Spro 2, which is a smart projector with an Android operating system.

Huawei presented the Huawei Smartwatch and two more wearables: a wristband and a headset.

The CEO of Huawei's Consumer Business Group Richard Yu highlighted that the Android powered Smartwatch, which will be on sale in the "middle of the year," has a six-axis motion sensor and heart rate monitor as well as a round sapphire glass screen with a 286 pixels per inch display.

It was designed to look more like a classical watch, while rival products were "more like gadgets," he added.

The Smartwatch allows its wearer to receive and send e-mails and download applications. It has a 4 GB memory 512 MB of RAM and Bluetooth 4.1

The 2105 MWC also saw Huawei launch the Talkband B2, an update of the company's Talkband B1, which is a combined wristband/Bluetooth headset device, along with the Talkband N1 headset, which has 4GB of embedded storage, allowing wearers to carry around 1,000 songs with them as well as enjoy voice call facilities.

Huawei's MediaPad X2 is designed to succeed the X1 and is a 7-inch screen tablet with (long-term evolution) LTE connectivity, which can also be used to make voice calls. It hits the market in two versions, one with a 16GB memory and another with a capacity of 32 GB.

Lenovo presented two smartphones on Monday, along with the pocket Vibe Shot projector, which is a hybrid between a smartphone and camera, which possesses a 16 mega pixel camera able to take clear photos in low light.

The Lenovo smartphone has a 5-inch screen and Snapdragon processor working with the Android 5.0 Lollipop system with 32 GB memory, support for Dual SIM and 4G connectivity.

Meanwhile, the Lenovo A7000 is the first smartphone with Dolby Atmos technology to improve sound quality. It has a 5.5 inch HD screen and a thickness of 7.9 mm and at a price of 169 US dollars is aimed at the budget end of the market.

 

[cirr]

Xiaomi launches GoPro video camera rival at a fraction of the cost

Paul Bischoff

12:14 pm on Mar 2, 2015

Chinese smartphone and gadget maker Xiaomi this morning unveiled its newest toy, a GoPro-like sports video camera dubbed YiCamera. In typical Xiaomi fashion, the camera is now on sale at the Mi.com website (in China only) via flash sale at a fraction of the cost of its American inspiration: RMB 399 (US$63.50).

Xiaomi didn’t actually create the YiCamera. It’s made by the same company as the Ants smart webcam, or "Xiaoyi," which is also sold through Xiaomi’s online store. Xiaomi has struck partnerships with several gadget makers to offer a wider array of devices under its popular brand name, cementing its role as both a device maker and an ecommerce company.

The new camera takes 16MP photos and 60 fps 1080p H.264-encoded video captured by a Sony Exmor R CMOS sensor. The f/2.8 aperture lens captures ultra-wide 155-degree panoramic views. Shooting modes include slow motion and adjustable time lapse photography. It boasts built-in wifi and Bluetooth and an app for editing and sharing video on your smartphone. Here’s a spec comparison chart with the entry-level GoPro Hero model:

YiCamera vs GoPro spec comparison | Create infographics

Unlike the GoPro, YiCamera doesn’t appear to come with a plastic protective case, instead mounting directly to the accessory of your choice. Those accessories include a selfie stick and a harness for your cat or dog.

Xiaomi’s other peripheral accessories include an air purifier (see our hands-on here), asmart power socket, lightbulbs, and a blood pressure monitor.

Xiaomi launches GoPro video camera rival for just $63

 

[Keel]

Russia Dumps Most US Paper Ever As China Reduces Treasurys Holdings To January 2013 Levels


Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/18/2015 22:02 -0400


Back in December, Socgen spread a rumor that Russia has begun selling its gold. Subsequent IMF data showed that not only was this not correct, Russia in fact added to its gold holdings. But there was one thing it was selling: some $22 billion in US Treasurys, a record 20% of its total holdings, bringing its US paper inventory to just $86 billion in December - the lowest since June 2008.






It wasn't just Russia: the country that has ever more frequently been said to be in the same camp as Russia - and against the US - namely China, also sold another $6 billion in Treasurys in the last month of 2014, which would have made its US treasury holdings equal with those of Japan, if only Tokyo hadn't also sold over $10 billion in the same month.



And while we know that Russia used at least some of the proceeds to buy gold, the bigger question is: just what is China buying with all these stealthy USD-denominated liquidations, and how much gold does the PBOC really have as of this moment.


Buy low sell hi - basic concept that housewives know. What is so "stealthy" about it?

 

[TaiShang]

Lenovo absorbs new acquisitions
China Daily, March 4, 2015


Lenovo Group will focus on absorbing the two major businesses it acquired last year into its operations in the coming months, according to Yang Yuanqing, the company's chairman and CEO.

Lenovo acquired IBM Corp's low-end server business in September, and it bought Motorola's mobile business in October.

Yang, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, was asked by China Daily as he attended the annual session whether the company planned to make further investments this year.

"We've already spent a lot of money," he said. "We will make further considerations if we have the money."

The quarterly revenues of Lenovo, the world's largest personal computer maker and third-largest smartphone producer, reached $14.1 billion last year, up 31 percent year on year, the company disclosed last month.

Motorola for the first time sold more than 10 million units in the final quarter of last year and is re-entering the Chinese market following a two-year absence.

Yang told the media in February that the two newly acquired businesses are "achieving great momentum" in their first quarter of integration, according to Xinhua News Agency.

In addition to its plan to absorb the new investments, Lenovo will strive for greater growth in two areas, smartphones and servers, Yang told reporters on Tuesday.

Lenovo has launched new mobile phones at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Yang was asked whether the company planned to sell these models in China and replied, "We'll not just be entering the country, we want to occupy markets across the world." He said he hopes the Chinese economy "will continue to maintain its high pace of development".

"I believe such high-speed development can be realized," he added. "Domestic consumption is a very critical driving force. That is what a major part my proposals (to the CPPCC) will focus on."

 

[Keel]

Global Smartphone Shipments in 2014 Total 1.167B with Samsung and Apple as First and Second, TrendForce Reports

TAIPEI, Jan. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Global smartphone shipments totaled 1.167 billion units in 2014, a year-on-year increase of 25.9%, with combined shipments of Chinese brands reaching 453.4 million units. Chinese vendors thus managed to encompass almost 40% of the global shipments and represent six of the top ten smartphone brands worldwide.

"2014 was definitely an impressive year for Chinese brands as they gained more share of the global market," said Avril Wu, global smartphone analyst of TrendForce. Even so, Wu noted that the pooled shipments of numerous Chinese brands were still less than the combined shipments of the 2014 brand leader, Samsung, and the second best, Apple. Their shipments together accounted for 518 million units. "This shows that the fierce competition among the brands relatively and severely narrowed their profit margins," said Wu.

Samsung and Apple retained their first and second spot in worldwide smartphone shipments

2014 was a difficult year for Samsung as its market share dropped to 28% compared with 32.5% of the previous year. Nonetheless, Samsung retained its number one position. According to Wu, Samsung's large-size, high-end Galaxy Note series faced stiff challenges from iPhone 6 Plus, while its midlevel and low-end smartphone shipments were undercut by inexpensive Chinese brands. As a result, Samsung's overall shipment target had undergone downward revisions since the beginning of 2014, with annual growth in shipments only at 8.4% (around 326.4 million units).

In 2014, Apple maintained its high annual growth rate of 24.5%, which translates to 191.3 million units shipped worldwide for the entire year. With 16.4% market share, Apple was a solid number two in the worldwide smartphone rankings. Apple's position was attributed to the success of its first large-size smartphone model, the iPhone 6 Plus. This new category addressed Apple's lack of smartphones with above 5" screens and thus significantly raised the fourth quarter shipping ratio.

As for LG, its strategy of "promoting high quality products at low prices" paid off with strong market reception to its flagship smartphone models, ranging from G2/G2 Pro to the newest G3. "Right now G3 is the first smartphone outfitted with a 2K screen that gives users better viewing experience," said Wu, "and this showed LG's advantage of having a display panel manufacturer as under its wings." For that reason, LG was the dark horse of 2014 with its ranking jumped up to number four and annual shipment growth at 75.4% (70 million units shipped).

Chinese brands represent six of the global top ten due to their high C/P products and rising domestic demands in China

Lenovo officially completed its acquisition of Motorola from Google in the fourth quarter of 2014. The acquisition and reorganization process took almost a year since Lenovo's announcement. With the merger finalized, Lenovo's total shipments in 2014 exceeded 90 million units and its annual growth surpassed 100%. It ranked first place among Chinese smartphone vendors and third worldwide with its 7.9% global market share.

With the introduction of the Honor 6 model in 2014, Huawei wholly changed its strategy of using smartphone chips from Qualcomm and MediaTek for its high-end products. Honor 6 is packed with Kirin 920, a 4G chipset developed by Huawei's subsidiary HiSilicon. "HiSilicon's product roadmap shows that in the future it will pursue R&D in midlevel and lower-end products," said Alan Chen, Chinese smartphone analyst of TrendForce, "and Huawei also determines to eventually become self-reliant in chipset supply." With approximately 70 million units shipped and an annual growth around 70%, Huawei was ranked number five in the 2014 worldwide smartphone shipments. The company benefitted from its unproblematic overseas expansion, its rapid growth within China, and its good working relations with telecom operators.

As for the smartphone makers with the best cost-performance products, the title goes to Xiaomi. Its flagship models cost around US$300 to US$350, but they match their high-end counterparts from international vendors in hardware specs. Since its rise inChina during the latter half of 2011, Xiaomi has been able to more than double its growth each year. Its 2014 annual shipment growth exceeded 200% with 60 million units shipped, and at one point managed to edge out the leading vendors in China such as Samsung, Huawei, and Lenovo. Xiaomi ranked six worldwide in 2014.

Chen further stated that MediaTek's success with complete reference design for 3G chips allowed the company to take over China's smartphone market in the last few years, creating difficulties for the top manufacturer Qualcomm. With Chinese telecom operators actively promoting 4G smartphones in 2014, however, Qualcomm came back strongly based on its adoption and enhancement of MediaTek's model. Qualcomm's 4G solution for smartphone OEMs, which is better priced and more in tune with Chinese clients, threatened MediaTek's standing in China. According to TrendForce, 4G smartphone's penetration rate in China was around 20% in 2014 and estimated to exceed 40% in 2015
http://press.trendforce.com/press/20150120-1806.html

Contact

Ms. Lilia Huang
+886-2-7702-6888 ext 640
LiliaHuang@TrendForce.com

Chinese lacquer wood folding screen

 

[TaiShang]

China to trial Shenzhen-HK Stock Connect
Source:Xinhua Published: 2015-3-5 9:09:31

China will launch Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect program on a trial basis "at an appropriate time," according to a government work report to be delivered by Premier Li Keqiang at the annual parliamentary session Thursday.

The move, part of the world's second largest economy's effort to deepen financial sector reform, came after the country launched the similar scheme of Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect in November.

Under the scheme, Hong Kong-based investors are allowed to trade Shanghai-listed stocks under a daily quota of 13 billion yuan (about 2.1 billion US dollars) and total ceiling of 300 billion. Shanghai traders may invest in Hong Kong-listed stocks under a daily quota of 10.5 billion yuan and a total ceiling of 250 billion yuan.

Officials have hailed the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect program, saying it is conducive to consolidating the role of Hong Kong as an international financial center, and speeding up the building of Shanghai as an international financial center to raise the competitiveness of China's overall capital market.

Hong Kong's financial secretary said last month that the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect project had been operating smoothly.

 

[TaiShang]

China's loans to small and micro firms rise by 3.08 trln yuan in 2014
Source:Xinhua Published: 2015-3-6 18:08:22

The outstanding loans extended to small and micro businesses in China rose by 3.08 trillion yuan ($500 billion) from the start of 2014 to hit 20.7 trillion yuan by the year end, China Banking Regulatory Commission said on Friday.

The loans to small and micro businesses accounted for 23.85 percent of the country's total loans, according to the statement, adding that the growth rate of such loans exceeded the average rate of all loans nationwide by 4.2 percentage points.

The loans were shared among 11.446 million small and micro firms, up 9 percent from the same period in 2013.

 

[TaiShang]

 

[ahojunk]

A tale of two HSR.

In China, it is economically viable and profitable. It is the pride of the country.

In Taiwan, sad to say, it is not.

------------------------
Government poised to take over high-speed rail: MOTC | Economics | FOCUS TAIWAN - CNA ENGLISH NEWS

Government poised to take over high-speed rail: MOTC
2015/03/08 19:23:51

Taipei, March 8 (CNA) The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) is preparing to take over Taiwan's loss-plagued high-speed rail system until regulations are revised to ensure its continued operations, a ministry spokesman said Sunday.

Transport Minister Chen Jian-yu (陳建宇) is scheduled to brief the Legislative Yuan's Transportation Committee on the matter and answer lawmakers' questions the following day.

According to a report submitted to the Legislature, the Transporation Committee in January rejected a proposal for financial reform of the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC), operator of the bullet train service.

In the absence of a financial restructuring plan, the THSRC is expected to declare bankruptcy, so the government will be forced to take over operation of the system, according to the spokesman.

However, if the THSRC brings forth another fair and reasonable financial reform proposal in compliance with laws and regulations in the future, the ministry will continue negotiations with the corporation based on creating a win-win-win situation among the government, the general public and the company.

In other transport-related news, the ministry will continue to urge the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) to strengthen its review of navigation guide systems at airports and improve navigation safety management after two plane crashes in less than a year involving TransAsia Airways, according to the spokesman.

The CAA has mapped out short-, middle- and long-term strategies for strengthening the overall safety of navigation operations and will continue to improve navigation safety management systems, the spokesman added.

International visitors to Taiwan reached a record high of 9.91 million in 2014, the spokesman went on, citing statistics compiled by the Tourism Bureau.

In addition, there are 65 Halal restaurants and 13 national scenic areas friendly to Muslims travelers, prompting media outlets and travel agencies in the Middle East to explore tourist attractions in Taiwan, according to the spokesman.

(By Tseng Ying-yu and Evelyn Kao)

 

[BoQ77]

Any corruption in Taiwan HSR projects ?

 

[AndrewJin]

A tale of two HSR.

In China, it is economically viable and profitable. It is the pride of the country.

In Taiwan, sad to say, it is not.

------------------------
Government poised to take over high-speed rail: MOTC | Economics | FOCUS TAIWAN - CNA ENGLISH NEWS

Government poised to take over high-speed rail: MOTC
2015/03/08 19:23:51

View attachment 200589

Taipei, March 8 (CNA) The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) is preparing to take over Taiwan's loss-plagued high-speed rail system until regulations are revised to ensure its continued operations, a ministry spokesman said Sunday.

Transport Minister Chen Jian-yu (陳建宇) is scheduled to brief the Legislative Yuan's Transportation Committee on the matter and answer lawmakers' questions the following day.

According to a report submitted to the Legislature, the Transporation Committee in January rejected a proposal for financial reform of the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC), operator of the bullet train service.

In the absence of a financial restructuring plan, the THSRC is expected to declare bankruptcy, so the government will be forced to take over operation of the system, according to the spokesman.

However, if the THSRC brings forth another fair and reasonable financial reform proposal in compliance with laws and regulations in the future, the ministry will continue negotiations with the corporation based on creating a win-win-win situation among the government, the general public and the company.

In other transport-related news, the ministry will continue to urge the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) to strengthen its review of navigation guide systems at airports and improve navigation safety management after two plane crashes in less than a year involving TransAsia Airways, according to the spokesman.

The CAA has mapped out short-, middle- and long-term strategies for strengthening the overall safety of navigation operations and will continue to improve navigation safety management systems, the spokesman added.

International visitors to Taiwan reached a record high of 9.91 million in 2014, the spokesman went on, citing statistics compiled by the Tourism Bureau.

In addition, there are 65 Halal restaurants and 13 national scenic areas friendly to Muslims travelers, prompting media outlets and travel agencies in the Middle East to explore tourist attractions in Taiwan, according to the spokesman.

(By Tseng Ying-yu and Evelyn Kao)

From my perspective I think a country without a big domestic market and technology supports is inappropriate for an HSR network. China is successful for its geographic map and a huge market where five Guangzhou to Shenzhen lines are not enough (now 2 HSR lines and 1 traditional line). And this huge enough domestic market is the best place for technological innovation, like higher speed, trains for extreme weather(Lanzhou-Xinjiang, Dalian-Harbin) and bridge or tunnel construction in geologically complicated regions. As far as I know, some most advanced models of EMU are on trial.

 

[Misay]

Any corruption in Taiwan HSR projects ?

Because Taiwan is too poor，And Taiwan is too small，Taiwan also has developed road traffic，These are the reasons，I feel like I said is very objective，lol

 

[Echo_419]

A tale of two HSR.

In China, it is economically viable and profitable. It is the pride of the country.

In Taiwan, sad to say, it is not.

------------------------
Government poised to take over high-speed rail: MOTC | Economics | FOCUS TAIWAN - CNA ENGLISH NEWS

Government poised to take over high-speed rail: MOTC
2015/03/08 19:23:51

View attachment 200589

Taipei, March 8 (CNA) The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) is preparing to take over Taiwan's loss-plagued high-speed rail system until regulations are revised to ensure its continued operations, a ministry spokesman said Sunday.

Transport Minister Chen Jian-yu (陳建宇) is scheduled to brief the Legislative Yuan's Transportation Committee on the matter and answer lawmakers' questions the following day.

According to a report submitted to the Legislature, the Transporation Committee in January rejected a proposal for financial reform of the Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC), operator of the bullet train service.

In the absence of a financial restructuring plan, the THSRC is expected to declare bankruptcy, so the government will be forced to take over operation of the system, according to the spokesman.

However, if the THSRC brings forth another fair and reasonable financial reform proposal in compliance with laws and regulations in the future, the ministry will continue negotiations with the corporation based on creating a win-win-win situation among the government, the general public and the company.

In other transport-related news, the ministry will continue to urge the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) to strengthen its review of navigation guide systems at airports and improve navigation safety management after two plane crashes in less than a year involving TransAsia Airways, according to the spokesman.

The CAA has mapped out short-, middle- and long-term strategies for strengthening the overall safety of navigation operations and will continue to improve navigation safety management systems, the spokesman added.

International visitors to Taiwan reached a record high of 9.91 million in 2014, the spokesman went on, citing statistics compiled by the Tourism Bureau.

In addition, there are 65 Halal restaurants and 13 national scenic areas friendly to Muslims travelers, prompting media outlets and travel agencies in the Middle East to explore tourist attractions in Taiwan, according to the spokesman.

(By Tseng Ying-yu and Evelyn Kao)

Suprising

 

[AndrewJin]

Because Taiwan is too poor，And Taiwan is too small，Taiwan also has developed road traffic，These are the reasons，I feel like I said is very objective，lol

They have to buy trains and repair parts from Japan. And a PRIVATE company is never a good solution to railway systems, worldwide.

Suprising

Even India has a big enough market but if Modi intends to build a sound HSR system, India has to develop its own type of technology instead of being bullied by western EMU giants.

 

[Echo_419]

They have to buy trains and repair parts from Japan. And a PRIVATE company is never a good solution to railway systems, worldwide.


Even India has a big enough market but if Modi intends to build a sound HSR system, India has to develop its own type of technology instead of being bullied by western EMU giants.

We do have a big enough market but any srs HSR projects will only start in the next decade till then we Are trying to build more basic infrastructure like Roads,Railways(not HSR but Freight & Traditional),Power generation & Transmission etc
& as for being bullied those days are gone there are to many players in the HSR market for anything like this to happen