Geithner, making his first trip to China as U.S. Treasury Secretary

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is beginning his first trip to China as the U.S. Treasury Secretary. He is scheduled to address students at Peking University on Monday, then meet with Vice Premier Wang Qishan and will have dinner with Finance Minister Xie Xuren Monday night.

Geithner's mission is clear: To persuade China that its U.S. investments were safe, and that the Obama administration was committed to bringing down deficits once the economy had recovered.

For background see: http://english.sina.com/business/p/2009/0531/244951.html

Thousands of cases of Red Bull seized

This headline in the Taipei Times caught my eye...

"TRACES OF COCAINE: Officials called on convenience stores across the country to pull the popular energy drink from their shelves as they continue their investigation.

"Taipei prosecutors yesterday confiscated nearly 18,000 cases of Red Bull Energy Drink imported from Austria after it was found that the popular drink contained small traces of cocaine."

See full article from Taipei Times:

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2009/05/31/2003444988/print

China's Tea Plight

This article, "China's Tea Plight" gives a good overview of China's tea industry and explains why China's tea exports face a great challenge due to fierce competition and outdated management methods.

See full article:
http://www.bjreview.com.cn/exclusive/txt/2009-05/25/content_197360.htm

China celebrates dragon boat festival

Today, across China people are celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival. This traditional Chinese holiday pays tribute to Qu Yuan, a poet from China's Warring States Period.

During the Dragon Boat Festival it is traditional to eat "yongzi"( a glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in reed).

"But the most important traditional practice is dragon boat racing. Its origins can be traced to when the poet threw himself into the Miluo river and people in boats tried to save him, though he still drowned."

See full video on the Dragon Boat Festival:

http://vod.cctv.com/html/media/NewsHour/2009/05/NewsHour_300_20090528_1.shtml

Soft-drinks firms sip mixed flavors

This Mom and Pop street stand in Shenyang, Liaoning province should catch the eye of any beverage enthusiast.

Having done thousands of trade audits in various channels- convenience stores, supermarkets, clubs, liquor stores, etc. in the U.S, China and Mexico this picture brings a smile to my face. It makes you realize how far China's beverage industry has progressed. Categories, flavors and pak sizes are perfectly aligned with labels facing the consumer. Looking at this picture makes me want to grab my clip board, audit forms and hit the streets of China!

For full article see:

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-05/27/content_7946226.htm

Starbucks Takes Dragon Boat-ride to Zongzi

This tagline from the China Daily caught my eye...

"Business model has changed. Now, Western companies are trying to sell even the most Chinese of products to Chinese to make money."

The article goes on to say that, "When Western companies first came to China they thought they would get rich if they could sell just one of their supposedly exotic items or dishes to every Chinese. They may not have been wrong, but that business model has changed.
Now, those companies are trying to sell even the most Chinese of products to Chinese to make money. Blame it all on the global economic crisis and the shrinking markets of the US and Europe if you like. "

To me, it makes sense for companies to try and cater their products to local tastes. When Starbucks sells zongzi ( a glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in reed), during the Dragon Boat Festival, or KFC offers Youtiao (a fried twisted dough) for breakfast it is a good business decision.

Whether consumers are willing to pay premium prices is another issue.

For entire article see:

http://english.cri.cn/6826/2009/05/26/1601s487677.htm

China and the DPRK's Nuclear Test

The geopolitical relationship between China and Korea is intriguing. China is caught between two competing goals:

1. Keep North Korea preserved as a source of stability on its border.
2. Prevent North Korea from destabilizing the region with its military programs.

This morning's (May 25) underground nuclear test by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will highlight challenges and opportunities for China and its relationship with the DPRK, South Korea and the U.S.

See video from SINA English and articles from China Military Online

http://english.sina.com/video/2009/0525/243757.html (SINA English)

http://english.chinamil.com.cn/ (China Military Online)

Peng Denghuai, master of face-changing

This CCTV video about Peng Denghuai and his mastery of face changing, or "bian lian" is pretty amazing.

To see see CCTV video go to: http://www.cctv.com/program/aroundchina/20090522/105781.shtml

If you ever get a chance to see the Sichuan Opera I recommend you check it out. If you are not going to be able to see it live I suggest you check out the movie "The King Masks"

see Wikipedia's synopsis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King_of_Masks

Zhangjiajie

During my daily search through Chinese newspapers, I came across this cool CCTV video on Zhangjiajie. Zhangjiajie is a tourist city famous for its unique natural scenery. It is located in the northwestern part of Hunan province in China. I recommend this video to anyone who is a China, travel, or national geographic enthusiast.

http://www.cctv.com/program/travelogue/20090520/100627.shtml

McDonald's puts 6 more cities in 24-hour loop

McDonald's recent decision to expand its 24-hour delivery service to six other cities- Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Nanjing and Tianjing is a smart strategic decision. Convienence, ease of doing business and making it as easy as possible for consumers to purchase your products should always be a key focus for businesses, especially in an economic downturn. Last July, KFC, which owns the largest fast food network in China, launched a round-the-clock delivery service covering five cities, including Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
KFC and McDonald's expect their 24-hour delivery services to help improve business performance and enhance their brand awareness in the country.(China Daily May 19, 2009)For more information read full article:

http://www.china.org.cn/business/2009-05/19/content_17797099.htm