While the floors of the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges were awash in red ink, much of the black stuff was being splashed on financial pages to divine the fate of China’s currency, the Renminbi (RMB). Outsiders might care about the currency because of international competitiveness. China cares about it as a matter of international status, aspiring for … Continue reading »
China
The US and China – New Best Climate Buddies?
This week’s climate announcement by Presidents Barack Obama and Xi Jinping is certainly momentous. The United States and China account for nearly half of global greenhouse gas emissions, making their joint participation a necessary condition for any successful global response to climate risk. By stepping up together, they are also removing one of the main … Continue reading »
A ray of hope on climate change (breaking news from China)
President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a major deal on climate change this morning. As summarized by the Washington Post: China, the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, pledged in the far-reaching agreement to cap its rapidly growing carbon emissions by 2030, or earlier if possible. It also set a daunting goal of … Continue reading »
Hong Kong’s Protest Tradition [Part 2]
As student protesters in Hong Kong dig in their heels, China watchers are trying to make sense of the events over the past few weeks. One thing is certain: the days when locals joked that Hong Kongers cared only for money are gone. A political protest tradition is now alive and well in Hong Kong, … Continue reading »
Governments and Umbrellas in Hong Kong [Part 1]
The recent protests in Hong Kong have created a public relations landmine for government officials. Though the name of the protests keeps shifting – Occupy Central, the Umbrella Movement, the Umbrella Revolution – the events on the ground have left leaders scrambling to contain the protesters and prevent a further escalation of events. Falling smack in the middle … Continue reading »
Will smog in China spur climate solutions?
I have read a number of news stories about air pollution in the major Chinese cities recently. A soupy smog of particulates, ozone, sulfur and nitrogen oxides hangs over Beijing, Tianjin and other northern cities. The concentration of particulate matter (PM2.5) in Beijing recently registered at 501 μg/m3, more than 15 times the highest recordedvalue in Los … Continue reading »
On life economics and the environment in China
Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of participating in the second Chinese Environmental Economics workshop in Shanghai. Professor Jinhua Zhao of Michigan State and Shanghai University, one of the best PhD students I have ever advised, organized the workshop in Shanghai. The conference facilities were modern and impressive and most of our Berkeley facilities … Continue reading »
The path from executive education to corporate innovation
I’m on my way back from Shanghai after being invited to work with a group of Chinese executives on their product innovation and intrapreneurship strategies, using aspects of my newly developed model for professional/executive education. It’s really an exciting model, that I used with Coca-Cola on their beverage strategy in China, with Tencent, a leading … Continue reading »
China startups — the Gold Rush and fire extinguishers
I just spent a few weeks in Japan and China on a book tour for the Japanese and Chinese versions of the Startup Owners Manual. In these series of 5 posts, I thought I’d share what I learned in China. All the usual caveats apply. I was only in China for a week so this a cursory view. Thanks … Continue reading »
Zhongguancun in Beijing – China’s Silicon Valley
I just spent a few weeks in Japan and China on a book tour for the Japanese andChinese versions of the Startup Owners Manual. In these series of 5 posts, I thought I’d share what I learned in China. All the usual caveats apply. I was only in China for a week so this a cursory view. Thanks … Continue reading »
The rise of Chinese venture capital (part 3 of 5)
I just spent a few weeks in Japan and China on a book tour for the Japanese andChinese versions of the Startup Owners Manual. In this series of 5 posts, I thought I’d share what I learned in China. All the usual caveats apply. I was only in China for a week so this a cursory view. Thanks … Continue reading »
China’s Torch Program: The glow that can light the world (part 2 of 5)
I just spent a few weeks in Japan and China on a book tour for the Japanese andChinese versions of the Startup Owners Manual. In these series of 5 posts, I thought I’d share what I learned in China. All the usual caveats apply. I was only in China for a week so this a cursory view.Thanks to Kai-Fu Lee of … Continue reading »
China: The sleeper awakens (part 1 of 5)
I just spent a few weeks in Japan and China on a book tour for the Japanese and Chinese versions of the Startup Owners Manual. In this series of 5 posts, I thought I’d share what I learned in China. My post about Japan will follow. All the usual caveats apply. I was only in China for … Continue reading »
Is China ready to abandon North Korea?
The most surprising fact about the increased sanctions against North Korea voted in the U.N. Security Council on March 7, following North Korean nuclear tests in February this year is China’s strong support for tightened sanctions. Even though China opposes North Korea’s nuclear program, it has traditionally acted as its ally, providing economic support together … Continue reading »
Air pollution levels in China
The Economist commissioned a study of particulate pollution in China, using estimates based on satellite data. The results are predictably grim: World Health Organisation guidelines suggest that PM2.5 levels above ten micrograms per cubic metre are unsafe. The boffins have found (as the map shows) that almost every Chinese province has levels above that. Indeed, … Continue reading »
What motivates the formation of stereotypes?
Listening to a news show called “The World” on NPR yesterday, I happened on a story called “Iceland Real Estate” (click here to listen to the 5 minute segment). The story is about how a remote region in Iceland– boasting some of the coldest weather on the planet and snow for 9 out of 12 … Continue reading »
Climate change impacts in China
The received wisdom used to be that climate change would have relatively little impact on China. But that views seems outdated. Like the United States, China is large and geographically diverse; as such, the impacts of climate change vary across the country. For example, the Chinese government reports that the “frequency of heat waves in … Continue reading »
As manufacturing economy matures, China must turn to services sector for growth
China is getting its exchange rate adjustment whether it likes it or not. While Chinese officials continue to mull the right time to let the renminbi rise, manufacturing workers are voting with their feet — and their picket lines. Honda has offered its transmission factory workers in China a 24% wage increase to head off … Continue reading »