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February 2012
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China to Become the World’s Largest Importer by 2014

According to The Economist, China will surpass the United States to become the largest importer in the world by 2014. There are plenty of opportunities for companies to take advantage of China’s growing middle class. Here are a few useful tips if you are interested in exporting to China:

  • Check out your local Chamber of Commerce or Export Assistance Center and familiarize yourselves with legal and regulatory issues in China. These facilities also have a lot of resources and services that can help you develop China market entry strategies and find the right business partners.
  • Consider rebranding or repositioning your products in China. Remember, what works in your native country may not work in China. You really need to learn about Chinese culture, understand Chinese consumers, and adapt your products and services to the China market.
  • For smaller brands, e-commerce is a great way to break into the China market without significant upfront cost. China’s ecommerce has been growing at 60 percent each year in recent years. More than 100 million Chinese shopped online last year. And China’s Internet users are expected to reach 750 million in 2015.
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My Interview on BBC World News

On December 6th, I was on BBC World News to discuss eurozone debt crisis and how the Chinese middle class can help re-balance the West’s economy.

The Biggest Story of Our Time: The Rise of China’s Middle Class

I will be speaking at San Jose State University on November 8th, 2011. The topic of my presentation is “The Biggest Story of Our Time: The Rise of China’s Middle Class.” I will give an overview of the demographics of the emerging Chinese middle class and discuss what the rise of China’s middle class mean for entrepreneurs.

The event is hosted by International Business Association, a student-run organization. Please see the event details below:

When: Nov. 8, 2011, 6:00 pm

Where: Science Building 164 (SCI 164), San José State University, San José, CA 95192

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Jack Ma’s Real Intention: Yahoo! or Alibaba?

Soon after Jack Ma gave his keynote at the China 2.0 conference at Stanford University, the U.S. media was flooded with news that “Jack Ma is interested in buying Yahoo.” At a time when Yahoo!, one of the world’s first Internet pioneers, is struggling, a Chinese suitor sounds particularly alarming.

I was at the conference. Ma started his speech by assuring the audience that his appearance in the States has nothing to do with “getting to Yahoo.” But no one seemed to believe him. Most questions directed to him were in the vein of: “Do you plan to buy Yahoo?” “Have you approached Yahoo for a deal?” “How are you going to buy Yahoo and when?”

Jack Ma’s answer to these questions was, not surprisingly, politically correct: “I am very interested.”

People who speculate that Jack Ma’s aim is to acquire Yahoo! may have missed the point. His real intention may very well be to expand his Alibaba Group to the U. S. market. “I want to learn one thing here,” he said, “how we can help U.S. SMEs (small and medium enterprises). What value we can create between us, Amazon and eBay.”

That has always been Jack Ma’s ambition. People who have followed his story may know his famous line: “eBay may be a shark in the ocean, but I am a crocodile in the Yangtze River.” Now, the crocodile is testing the water in the ocean. Will the crocodile turn into a shark?

Read the full story by me on Forbes: Beware of Crocodile Entering the Ocean.

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The Chinese Dream Book Trailer for the Chinese Edition

This is a book trailer for the Chinese edition of my book The Chinese Dream, now available in China:

I really like this version. I think it is good for Chinese audiences. What do you think?

The Chinese edition of The Chinese Dream is available at Amazon.cn and Dangdang.com, a clone of Amazon in China.

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