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Archive for May 9th, 2008

Innovation Features Industrial Park

May 9th, 2008

Great headway has been made by the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park in the past 13 years due to policies encouraging innovation and investment.

Built in May 1994, the park covers about 4% of Suzhou’s land and population and produces 15% of the city’s GDP, 25% of its foreign investment and 30% of foreign trade. It mainly targets capital-intensive, technology-intensive and flagship projects. So far, the industrial park has set up a comprehensive network to attract investors and ensure that the park secures multibillion-dollar projects.

Recently, the park has attached greater importance to projects that highlight science, technology and service.

It has approved more than 3,000 foreign-funded companies with total actual foreign direct investment of $13.4 billion. Its trade volume has grown to $56.7 billion. In addition, it has made over 10 policies to improve innovation and encourage investors to set up R&D centers. And plans encouraging IPR protection and aiming to attract skilled professionals have also been launched.

Popularity: 12%

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China Merchants Bank Stepping into Insurance Industry

May 9th, 2008

China Merchants Bank (CMB), the country’s largest credit issuer said it would take all 50 percent of the CIGNA &CMC shares that is worth 142 million yuan. CIGNA &CMC, founded in summer 2003, is a Sino-American joint venture offering life, casualty and health insurance. US-based CIGNA Company holds the other 50 percent of the shares.

As an agent for CIGNA &CMC’s insurance policies, CMB has earned 66.39 million yuan in service fees from the company during the first 11 months of last year.

This new step, aiming to improve the bank’s revenue structure and sharpen its competitive edge, must first be approved by the China Banking Regulatory Commission and the China Insurance Regulatory Commission.

BPOVIA Ltd based in China is always ready to offer you the business or financial information you need at any moment.

Popularity: 16%

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Direct Air Route to Be Launched between Beijing and Seattle

May 9th, 2008

The first direct air route between Beijing and Seattle, the commercial and technology center in the north-western Pacific, will be launched on June 9th by Hainan Airlines. This will be the fastest air link between China and the US.

The new route will be operated by Airbus A330-200s, each of which contains 36 business classes and 186 economic classes, meeting passengers’ different demands.

The direct route will shorten the original 16-hour flight to 11 hours, making travels on the two sides of the Pacific more convenient. Flights are scheduled to operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Hainan Airlines will have return tickets with the competitive price of RMB2580 on sale from June 9th to June the 30th and single tickets from Beijing to Seattle priced at RMB3990 during June 9th and October 31st.

On May 8th, Hainan Airlines signed an agreement with the well-known NBA of the US to jointly promote the popularity of the new air route and the legendary player of NBA Gary Payton is invited as the ambassador of the Seattle line.

This air route will provide overseas business people with much easier access to China to explore its markets and search for business opportunities. In the same way, BPOVIA Ltd based in China connects our clients with the country by offering reliable and professional consultations and virtual assistant services.

Popularity: 14%

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Allied Efforts to Prevent Hazardous Websites

May 9th, 2008

Yahoo Inc. and McAfee Inc. are cooperating to provide a new security feature that allows people using Yahoo for online search to see a red exclamation mark and a warning next to links that McAfee has identified as serving dangerous downloads or using visitors’ e-mail address to send out spam. In other words, if McAfee has identified a site that attempt “drive-by download”, Yahoo user won’t see the link at all.

According to Priyank Garg, director of product management for Yahoo’s search division, the lurking threats on the Internet is one of the most important concerns for Yahoo users. Yahoo and McAfee wish the new service will quell users’ anxiety about accidentally clicking on malicious links, thus helping people protect themselves and moreover surf free and safe online.

Popularity: 13%

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Flat Screen TV Sales up by 71% in Q1

May 9th, 2008

According to a report by Beijing-based CCID Consulting, sales of flat screen TVs in China soared 71% year-on-year to 2.98 million sets in the first quarter.

In terms of sales volume, Samsung ranked first in the liquid crystal field, followed by Hisense and Skyworth. Sales of 32-inch liquid crystal flat screen TVs took up less than 35% of the total while sales of 40-inch and above sets exceeded 35%. And it is estimated that flat screen TV sales will total 9.26 million sets this year, 11.57 million in 2009 and 15.71 million in 2010.
Regarding revenues, sales of flat screen TVs grew to 60.6% year-on-year to 24.64 billion yuan.

“The surge owes much to the upcoming 2008 Olympics as consumers brought forward their purchase plans and favored bigger sets,” CCID senior analyst Tian Xiaona.

China’s consumer market is rapidly expanding due to the increasingly strong purchasing power of the people. This unfolds great opportunities for business people world wide. For all those interested in exploring the Chinese market, BPOVIA Ltd based in China can always be the source. With our talented team offering consultation and virtual assistant services, our clients can expect the most professional services in the business process outsourcing circle.

Popularity: 15%

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China’s New E-savings Bond

May 9th, 2008

According to the Ministry of Finance, the first electronic savings bonds of the year, worth about 30 billion Yuan, will be issued on May 16.

In 1994, China issued another variety of savings bond—the bearer treasury bond that has become a popular investment tool for the public and important channel for the government to raise funds for major construction projects. By comparison, the e-savings bond is more convenient for investors, such as interest will be paid by direct deposit into the investor’s account. The bond will be sold at branches of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and only to individual investors.

In addition, further e-savings products will be introduced.

BPOVIA Ltd will always be your business information source of China.

Popularity: 12%

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HR-Challenges in BPO Industry

May 9th, 2008

The BPO industry is developing fast in the world, especially in India where the annual growth rate is estimated to be 50 percent. However, there are some problems that cannot be ignored in the sound progress of BPO industry, such as human resource management.

The main challenge for HR professionals, said James Huang, CEO of BPOVIA Ltd, is how to manage a large number of people at a very short time. A HR professional has to handle heavy pressures in the BPO sector as the requirement needs keep changing on an hourly basis. With the help of some parameters, such as the certificate launched by NASSCOM, it’s neither difficult to choose top-level managers nor freshers. HR policies should also be customized to brand building, for human resources are becoming human relations with more emphasis on emotional bonding.

Compared with India, China’s BPO industry is not fully developed, but is catching up in many aspects. BPOVIA Ltd is just one of the competitors, who are taking an active part in Chinese business development.

Popularity: 15%

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Auto Imports Soar in 1st Quarter

May 9th, 2008

According to statistics released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, China imported 103,200 vehicles in the first quarter this year, a 74.54% increase year on year.

A total of 28,534 off-road vehicles with 3.0-liter engines or above, with an average unit price of $40,900, were imported in the first quarter, soaring 262.57% compared with the same period in the previous year.

In addition, the country also imported 16,624 cars with 3.0-liter engines or above during the period, up 75.28% year on year. The average unit price reached a higher $57,900. Imports of luxury auto brands such as Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen, Volvo and the latecomer Infiniti, increased a sharp 82% in the first quarter.

“Buying imported vehicles as a second option is a growing trend among affluent people,” said Xu Di, director of marketing department at China Automobile Trading Co Ltd.

In terms of sales, a Guangzhou-based Audi dealership witnessed a 230% year-on-year sales growth in the first quarter. Huang Weiwen, marketing director of the distributor, pointed out the luxury car market is slightly affected by economic depression and high-end consumers’ consumption temptation is also not very seriously impacted by the gloomy stock and property markets.

For businessmen around the globe, China, with the strong purchasing power of consumers, means a huge potential market to tap. To facilitate your businesses in the country, BPOVIA Ltd is always ready to provide you with the most professional services in consultation and virtual assistants.

Popularity: 17%

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Airplane JV to Be Launched on Sunday

May 9th, 2008

A joint venture company will be launched on Sunday in Shanghai to develop and build the country’s first large airplanes.

The new company has a registered capital of 19 billion yuan, with its largest shareholder being the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council. Other shareholders with different stakes are the Shanghai State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, AVICⅠ, AVICⅡ, Baosteel, Aluminum Corp of China and Sinochem Corp.

By this move, China Commercial Aircraft Co Ltd aims to manufacture passenger jets with at least 150 seats, strengthening its competitive edge over Boeing and Airbus in the fast-growing aviation market. And its first aircraft are scheduled for takeoff by 2020.

Above all, the company will be to develop an operating structure and a research and development center which is to be based at the Shanghai branch of the First Aircraft Institute under the China Aviation Industry CorporationⅠ.

The institute currently employs 700 staff, who previously designed the 50 to 60-seat MA60 turboprop aircraft and the 70 to 90-seat ARJ21 regional jet. And such experience obtained in the development of these smaller aircraft will lay a solid foundation for the development of larger planes.

Popularity: 14%

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Google—A New Strategy on China’s Online Market

May 9th, 2008

Google and Chinese software company Kingsoft have announced a co-branding strategy on China’s online market— the launch of a web-based dictionary.

With this alliance, netizens can use Google’s translation service on Kingsoft’s popular English-Chinese dictionary software PowerWord that has estimated 30 million users. Moreover, Google’s web search and photo search services will be embeded in the new dictionary service, which will carry both Kingsoft and Google logos. According to Google, the two companies will share the online advertisements revenue.

It is a new approch of Google to compete with smaller local companies, such as Baidu.com on China’s online ad sales market and customer preference. This alliance will also help Google expand its user base in China and even make it a software client similar to Tencent’s QQ.

Since last year, Google has been making efforts to furthur fit into local market by partnering Chinese companies, like China Mobile, China Telecom. As a result, Google’s market share in China has grown by 0.9% in the first quarter of this year.

As a virtual assistant, BPOVIA Ltd is offering online service related to your business. If you have any needs, please contact us.

Popularity: 20%

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