Wow, I know this is starting to sound repetitive, but I trotted back out to China Radio International yesterday, this time to talk about the development of China’s 2nd-tier cities.  Those who have been following my writings on The Nine Nations of China, and why they matter, will likely find the discussion quite interesting.  You can listen to it here (click on the first hour).

Some of the main points I raised on the show include:

• What really distinguishes 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-tier cities is the ability to attract international business and investment.  China has many cities with over 1 million inhabitants, and even some provincial capitals, that would not qualify as 2nd-tier cities.
• It’s important to keep in mind the distinction between hard infrastructure — highways, airports, railroads — which many 2nd-tier cities have built, and the “soft” infrastructure — like foreign schools and hospitals — necessary to attract global executives and their families.
• There’s a danger that officials in many 2nd-tier cities are simply trying to replicate the development path of 1st-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen.  What they need to be thinking about is how their city or region can carve out a unique niche in China’s national economy.  Some cities that have started to think successfully along these lines include Dalian, Chongqing, and Hangzhou (as well as Nanning in SW China).
• 2nd-tier cities are attractive to foreign business because that is where the bulk of China’s consumer market is.  Retailers like Wal-mart and Carrefour have been among the most aggressive in reaching into these markets.  The most successful fast food chains in China, like KFC and Pizza Hut, have had to adapt their menus to appeal to local tastes.
• There is a real danger of overbuilding, both in terms of infrastructure and residential.  The government should avoid the temptation to see the real estate sector a “driver” of economic growth.
• Investors and business managers need to give serious thought to the competitive advantages — and disadvantages — of different regions of China.  The “Nine Nations” framework offers one way to do this.

Tianjin, ma ville natale, est la plus grande ville côtière ouverte dans le nord de la Chine. C’est aussi une célèbre ville historique et culturelle. Et il y a beaucoup de patrimoine culturel matériel et immatériel. Parmi celui-ci, les figurines en argile Zhang de Tianjin sont très admirables et très estimables. En même temps, elles sont les premières dans le patrimoine culturel immatériel national. Elles ont remporté le vote du public en tant qu’œuvres d’art folklorique.

Les figurines en argile Zhang ont été créées sous la dynastie des Qing,  puis elles se sont diffusées et développées. Jusqu’à aujourd’hui, elles ont déjà 180 ans d’histoire. Elles sont réalisées par malaxage d’argile, une technique traditionnelle en arts plastiques, et elles sont aussi décorées avec des couleurs, des accessoires, formant un style unique. Il s’agit d’un sommet de l’art chinois de la sculpture d’argile après la Dynastie des Yuan. L’histoire de l’art populaire occupe une place importante en Chine ! Les figurine en argile Zhang (sculptures peintes) créent des sujets qui reflètent les coutumes folkloriques, en s’appuyant sur les contes populaires, des spectacles de théâtre, ou la littérature classique etc. Ces oeuvres leur ressemblent non seulement sur la forme mais aussi dans l’esprit. Elles utilisent des couleurs simples et propres ; les matériaux sont de bonne qualité. Elles ne s’estompent pas facilement, ne se dissolvent pas dans l’eau, donc vous pouvez les laver. Elles ne se fissurent pas et on peut les garder plus longtemps.

Les figurines en argile Zhang sont des sculptures d’argile à l’intérieur, généralement de petite taille, hautes d’environ 40 centimètres. Elles peuvent être placées sur un bureau ou une étagère. Les figurine en argile Zhang de Tianjin ne dépeignent pas seulement la personnalité du personnage et elles montrent aussi le souffle de vie dans les temps modernes. Et elles sont proches du quotidien par l’émotion qui s’en dégage.

Les figurines en argile Zhang sont inter-générationnelles. Aujourd’hui, elles sont devenues les représentantes de l’art de la sculpture d’argile du nord de la Chine et l’une des caractéristiques de Tianjin.

JIANG Shan, étudiante chinoise, 3° année design

After photos landed on the internet of cats locked in cages at the back of a store in Tianjin (northern China), local police, neighbourhood residents and animal welfare activists descended on the premises, eventually rescuing all of the 800 plus feline inmates, which would otherwise have ended up on eatery dinner tables.

The shop’s owner, who, according to the China Daily, is only licensed to sell birds, fish, worms and flowers (not that it matters, as there are no laws prohibiting the trade in felis catus) is believed to have been trafficking cats for the past six months. As he was unable to provide any receipts to prove where he purchased any of them from, it’s assumed they were a mixture of strays and pets stolen from their owners. Such thefts, believes He Yong, a representative of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, are merely the “tip of the iceberg”. I agree with He.

NB: Photo courtesy of http://catmacros.wordpress.com – a cat-themed blog belonging to my chum Gunnhild Engebretsen (she’s Norwegian).

Nach einer entspannenden Nacht in Beijing schlug die Filmcrew einen Ausflug ins Grüne vor. Mit einem chinesischen Freund und seinem Auto ging es dann in Richtung Norden, wo Berge und Wälder auf uns warten sollten. Nach einer Stunde Fahrt kamen wir im „Forest Park“ an. „Wie der Schwarzwald in hässlich“ meinte Nico (Kameramann).

So lässt sich der Park, der einen Berg hinaufführt, auch zusammenfassen. Auch die Aussicht von der Bergspitze über Beijing war mehr als bescheiden. Da konnte der Park allerdings nix für, da das Wetter einfach nicht mitspielen wollte. Es war einfach viel zu diesig.Naja, es kann ja nicht alles perfekt klappen. Auf dem Rückweg stoppten wir für eine Filmszene noch bei einer Apfelfarm. Hier versuchten wir Äpfel zu kaufen und ein wenig mit den Einheimischen zu kommunizieren. So war der Trip nicht komplett umsonst.

Am nächsten Morgen machten wir uns dann relativ früh auf um die letzten beiden Ziele von unserer Beijing-Reise abzuklappern: Tiananmen Square und die Verbotene Stadt. Auf der mal wieder überfüllten U-Bahn-Fahrt (Egal wo man hin will in Beijing, jedes Ziel kostet einen 20 Cent) habe ich mir dann auch zum 100. Mal die Vorschau von dem Kinofilm „Radish Warrior“ angeschaut. Ich glaube nach dem Trailer muss ich mir den echt angucken. Über die Rundgänge durch die Forbidden City und über den Tiananmen Square kann ich sagen, dass es zwar interessant ist und man es gesehen haben muss, aber wirklich umgehauen hat es mich nicht. „Irgendwie sieht das hier alles aus wie die chinesischen Restaurants in Deutschland“ war Hannahs Kommentar. Obwohl die Geschichte der Verbotenen Stadt fasziniert, wiederholen sich jedoch die Architekturen und man verläuft sich schnell, da alles irgendwie gleich aussieht.
Am späten Nachmittag mussten wir uns dann von Beijing fürs erste verabschieden, da unsere Urlaubswoche zu Ende ging. Next Destination: Tianjin.
In Tianjin, genauer gesagt Nankai, würde unser Austausch mit den Studenten der Nankai University stattfinden. Nach einer 30-Minütigen und 350kmh schnellen Zugfahrt waren wir dann auch schon da. Der erste Eindruck der 10Mio.-Einwohner-Stadt war kein guter. Es war so diesig/staubig, dass man die ganze Zeit einen unschönen Geschmack auf der Zunge hatte. Mein erster Gedanke war Smog, aber so krass war es dann doch nicht. Im Hotel angekommen wurde der erste Eindruck nicht verbessert. Eine Woche in Hostels hatten meine Erwartungen für ein Hotel schon ein wenig hochgeschraubt. Das hätte ich nicht machen dürfen. Immerhin kann ich jetzt während ich auf der Toilette sitze duschen.
Am Montagmorgen stand dann das große Kennenlernen auf dem Programm. Alle Hanze-Studenten des Projektes bekamen einen chinesischen „Buddy“ der Nankai Uni zugeordnet. Mein Buddy ist Miao Miao. Kein Scherz. Sie ist 22 und studiert Human Ressource Management. Das Gute ist, sie spricht relativ gutes Englisch und kann uns bei unseren Projekten helfen. Mein erstes Projekt in dem ich die Hilfe meines Buddies brauchte war Wäsche waschen. So eine chinesische Waschmaschine ist schon was anderes.
Nach dem offiziellen Empfang gab es einige kleine Kennenlernspiele bevor es zum großen Dinner ging. Hier wurden sämtliche Mägen mit unidentifizierbaren aber leckeren chinesischen Spezialitäten gefüllt. Ich bin von der Aufgeschlossenheit und Freundlichkeit unserer Buddies wirklich beeindruckt. In der Uni wurde immer wieder auf die kulturellen Differenzen hingewiesen und dass man aufpassen muss was man sagt, jedoch habe ich mit unseren Buddies das Gefühl, dass wir mehr Gemeinsamkeiten als Unterschiede haben – außer das sie alle voll gerne singen. Das Singen wurde dann auch eindrucksvoll beim Entertainmentteil des Abends präsentiert. Hier war die Kameracrew natürlich auch voll dabei.
Danach ging es für einige von uns noch in den Club Scarlet um auf neue Freundschaft und unseren Buddies anzustoßen.
Heute stand bei mir das Company Project auf dem Plan. Wir haben uns mit der Marketingleiterin und dem CEO von VogueJazz getroffen und die letzten Details des Trips abgesprochen. Sehr interessante Menschen, die allerdings kein Wort Englisch sprechen. Die Buddies mussten helfen. Morgen geht’s weiter auf einen Besichtigungstrip in eine Eco-City, eine moderne, umweltfreundlichen Stadt. Bin gespannt.

Bis später!

TNT Theater’s Tour Will Visit Tianjin, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing, Ningbo, Hangzhou And Xi’an

TNT's past staging of "Oliver Twist" was a big hit in Beijing

It seems that cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world are becoming increasingly commonplace, with large-scale events like Carnegie Hall’s “Ancient Paths, Modern Voices” festivals in New York and Orange County, the ”Experience China in Israel” event in Tel Aviv giving foreign audiences a chance to see a cultural cross-section. Over the past few years in China, foreign cultural organizations and groups have made regular trips to the country to give Chinese audiences a chance to do the same. The most recent of these cultural exchanges, a staging of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” performed by Britain’s TNT Theater, began its seven-city tour of China this week, and is set to perform the play throughout the country until November 29. From Xinhua:

Cui Yang, general manager of the Beijing-based Milky Way Arts and Communications Co., Ltd, the play’s importer, said the new version featured a cappella (singing without instrumental accompaniment) and live score which was specially commissioned for the play. 

 According to Cui, all the sound effects in the drama were created by human voices instead of being pre-recorded.

The TNT Theater, founded in 1980, has been distinguished for its simple stage decoration, strong British style and cross-gender performances. It has previously won the acclaim of Chinese audience with dramas such as Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist” and Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”.

In the run-up to next year’s Shanghai’s World Expo, and certainly in its aftermath, we should see a great deal more cultural exchange going on both inside and outside China, as more foreign audiences look to learn about China’s ancient and modern cultures, and Chinese audiences look to learn more about important global and historical trends.

Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia X has launched flights between its Kuala Lumpur hub and the Chinese city of Chengdu. The inaugural flight, D7 2622, arrived in Chengdu International Airport at 1340 hrs with 378 passengers onboard the Airbus A330-300.

AirAsia X will fly the route 4 times weekly with different flight timings depending on the day of operation. Every Tuesday and Saturday, flight D7 2622 departs Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 0900 hrs, arriving in Chengdu at 1340 hrs. On Thursdays, flight D7 2626 will take off at 1800 hrs from Kuala Lumpur and arrive in Chengdu International Airport at 2240 hrs, while flight D7 2624 departs Malaysia at 1330 hrs every Sunday to arrive in the capital city of Sichuan province at 1810 hrs.

On the return leg, flight D7 2623 departs Chengdu at 1455 hrs, landing back in Malaysia at 1935 hrs on Tuesdays and Saturdays.  The Thursday evening service, D7 2627, will take off from Chengdu International Airport at 2355 hrs, arriving back in Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 0435 hrs the next morning. Every Sunday, flight D7 2625 will depart at 1925 hrs to land back in Kuala Lumpur at 0005 hrs the next day.

Chengdu is the 3rd destination in China for AirAsia X, after Hangzhou and Tianjin. The airline is promoting the city as a gateway to China’s western regions such as UNESCO World Heritage Site Jiuzhaigou and Tibet. AirAsia X’s short-haul affiliate, AirAsia, also connects Kuala Lumpur with Guilin, Haikou and Shenzhen.

For more information, visit www.airasia.com.

Skytrax World’s Best Low Cost airline, AirAsia welcomes 2010 with a BIG Regional Sale! The leading airline makes flying more affordable by offering airfares from as low as *RM19 for its domestic and international routes (excluding Thailand domestic routes and London).

The sale will run from 19 – 25 October 2009 for the travel period from 11 January 2010 – 30 April 2010. The incredible low fares offered by AirAsia are available to all of its Asia destinations including the Middle East departing from its hub from Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Bangkok, Bandung, Jakarta, Surabaya and Bali including Penang and Johor.

To make the deal sweeter, Go Holiday, AirAsia’s own online travel portal is also offering attractive holiday packages in conjunction with the 2010 Sale Campaign. Guests can book their packages via http://goholiday.airasia.com, from as low as RM112 per person for domestic packages (with flight, 3 days 2 nights hotel stay inclusive of breakfast) and from as low as RM199 per person for international packages (with flight, 3 days 2 nights hotel stay).

Exciting holiday packages on offer under the heritage sights include destinations to Seam Reap, Hanoi, Guilin, Yogyakarta, and Hangzhou. Those opting for a domestic vacation may book holiday packages to Langkawi, Penang, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and Johor Bahru. For our shopaholic enthusiast, guests may opt for a shopping spree holiday package deals in Bandung, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taipei and those who are all for city sights, Dhaka, Tianjin, Perth, Melbourne and Abu Dhabi package deals are on offer.

For the Sun-Sand-Sea lovers, dream no more as holiday packages to Bali, Phuket, Krabi and Colombo are also available. Check out our online travel portal as there are more exciting holiday packages to many exciting destinations available.

Promotional seats are limited and available on first-come, first-served basis and made exclusively available online via www.airasia.com and mobile.airasia.com.

Source  :  www.etravelblackboardasia.com

“La révolution informatique fait gagner un temps fou aux hommes, mais ils le passent avec leur ordinateur !” Khalil Assala

Tianjin / China

Photographie Ashraf Kessaissia

Taipei-based EVA Air and its affiliate UNI Air have launched scheduled services from Taiwan to China, marking the next phase in cross-straits air travel. Both airlines will serve 12 destinations and fly 19 routes from Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung to major Chinese cities including Beijing, Chengdu, Dalian, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Kunming, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin and Xiamen.

From Taipei Taoyuan International Airport

EVA Air will fly 5 times a week between Taoyuan and Beijing. Flight BR 716 departs at 0915 hrs (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays) and at 1620 hrs (Mondays and Fridays), arriving in the Chinese capital at 1230 hrs and 1930 hrs respectively. The return flight, BR 715, departs Beijing Capital International Airport at 1345 hrs (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays) and at 2030 hrs (Mondays and Fridays), landing back in Taoyuan International Airport at 1655 hrs and 2340 hrs respectively.

The airline will also fly to the port city of Tianjin twice a week. Flight BR 730 takes off at 0915 hrs (Wednesdays) and 0945 hrs (Sundays), arriving in Tianjin at 1220 hrs and 1250 hrs respectively. The aircraft returns to Taipei as flight BR 729 at 1355 hrs (Wednesdays) and 1425 hrs (Fridays), landing back in Taoyuan International Airport at 1655 hrs and 1725 hrs.

Shanghai will be served 9 times a week. Flight BR 702 departs Taoyuan International Airport at 1010 hrs every Thursday and Sunday, arriving in Pudong International Airport at 1205 hrs. The return flight, BR 701, departs Shanghai in the evening at 2005 hrs, arriving back in Taipei at 2200 hrs. On all other days of the week, flight BR 712 takes off from Taipei at 1010 hrs, arriving in Shanghai at 1205 hrs, before returning as flight BR 711 at 1310 hrs for a 1500 hrs arrival. An additional flight, BR 722, operates on Monday and Friday afternoons at 1630 hrs, landing in Pudong International Airport at 1820 hrs. The return flight, BR 721, departs Shanghai at 2005 hrs and arrives back in Taipei at 2200 hrs.

EVA Air will operate a daily flight between Taoyuan and Hangzhou. Flight BR 758 takes off at 1625 hrs (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays) and 1815 hrs (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays), arriving in Hangzhou at 1815 hrs and 2005 hrs respectively. The return flight, BR 757, departs Hangzhou International Airport at 1930 hrs (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays) and 2120 hrs (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays), landing back in Taoyuan International Airport at 2125 hrs/2315 hrs.

The southern city of Guangzhou will be linked to Taipei 3 times a week, with flight BR 707 departing Taoyuan International Airport at 0955 hrs every Monday, Friday and Sunday, arriving in Baiyun International Airport at 1155 hrs. The return flight, BR 708, takes off from Guangzhou at 1310 hrs in the afternoon and lands back in Taipei at 1520 hrs.

UNI Air will operate a twice weekly flight to Dalian. Flight B7 106 takes off from Taoyuan International Airport at 0755 hrs on Tuesdays and Fridays, arriving in Dalian at 1040 hrs, before returning as flight B7 105 at 1200 hrs for a 1440 hrs arrival back in Taipei.

Qingdao, located on the east coast of the mainland, will also receive 2 flights each week. Flight B7 102 departs at 0730 hrs (Mondays) and 1645 hrs (Fridays), arriving at 1000 hrs and 1915 hrs respectively. The retrun flight, B7 101, takes off at 1115 hrs (Mondays) and 2025 hrs (Fridays), landing back at Taoyuan International Airport at 1345 hrs and 2225 hrs.

Flights to Kunming will be flown 2 times weekly on Mondays and Thursdays. Flight B7 191 departs Taipei at 1130 hrs and arrives in Kunming at 1500 hrs. The aircraft returns as flight B7 190 at 1630 hrs, landing back in Taoyuan International Airport at 1940 hrs.

Ningbo will be served 3 times weekly, with a morning flight on Mondays and evening services on Wednesdays and Sundays. Flight B7 128 departs Taoyuan at 0900 hrs (Mondays) and 1645 hrs (Wednesdays and Sundays), arriving in the Chinese city at 1040 hrs and 1825 hrs respectively. The return flight, B7 127, takes off at 1210 hrs (Mondays) and 1925 hrs (Wednesdays and Sundays) to land back in Taipei at 1400 hrs/2115 hrs.

UNI Air will also fly 3 times a week to Shenzhen, with flight B7 187 departing Taoyuan International Airport at 1610 hrs on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, landing in Shenzhen at1755 hrs. The return flight, B7 188, takes off at 1905 hrs and arrives back in Taipei at 2055 hrs.

Effective 28 September 2009, the airline will fly twice weekly to Wuhan. Flight B7 195 departs Taipei at 0745 hrs on Mondays and Thursdays, arriving at Wuhan at 1030 hrs. The return flight, B7 194, takes off at 1150 hrs and lands back in Taipei at 1430 hrs.

Services to Chongqing will also be introduced on 29 September 2009. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, flight B7 193 takes off from Taipei at 0730 hrs and arrives in Chongqing at 1050 hrs. On the return leg, flight B7 192 departs at 1200 hrs, landing back in Taoyuan at 1515 hrs.

From Taipei Sungshan International Airport

UNI Air will also fly twice weekly to Xiamen from Sungshan Airport. Flight B7 2511 will depart at 0800 hrs (Mondays) and 1700 hrs (Fridays), arriving in Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport at 1000 hrs and 1900 hrs respectively. The return flight, B7 2512, takes off at 1100 hrs (Mondays) and 2000 hrs (Fridays), landing back in Sungshan International Airport at 1300 hrs and 2200 hrs.

From Kaohsiung International Airport

EVA Air will connect Kaohsiung with Chengdu on Mondays. Flight BR 791 departs Kaohsiung at 0830 hrs, arriving in Chengdu at 1155 hrs. The aircraft returns as flight BR 792 at 1300 hrs, landing back in Kaohsiung at 1620 hrs.

Ningbo will also be served once a week, with a morning flight on Fridays. Flight BR 796 departs Kaohsiung at 0730 hrs, arriving in Ningbo at 0940 hrs. The return flight, BR 795, takes off from Ningbo at 1040 hrs and lands in Kaohsiung at 1250 hrs.

The airline will also operate twice weekly services to Shanghai. Flight BR 706 departs Kaohsiung at 1640 hrs, arriving in Pudong International Airport at 1850 hrs in the evening on Thursdays and Sundays. On the inbound leg, flight BR 705 takes off from Shanghai at 1310 hrs and lands in Kaohsiung at 1520 hrs.

UNI Air will fly twice weekly to Hangzhou, with flight B7 268 departing Kaohsiung at 1800 hrs and arriving in the chinese city at 2010 hrs on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The return flight takes off from Hangzhou at 2110 hrs, arriving back in Kaohsiung at 2325 hrs.

Flights to Shenzhen will be flown once a week on Fridays. Flight B7 287 will depart Kaohsiung at 1730 hrs, arriving in Shenzhen at 1900 hrs, before returning as flight B7 288 at 2005 hrs and landing in Kaohsiung International Airport at 2140 hrs. 

From Taichung International Airport

UNI Air will also operate a weekly flight to Shenzhen from Taichung on Wednesdays. Flight B7 2581 departs Taichung at 1700 hrs, touching down at Shenzhen at 1840 hrs. The return flight, B7 2582, takes off from Shenzhen at 1940 hrs and arrives back in Taichung at 2130 hrs.

Hangzhou will also be served once a week. Flight B7 2562 departs Taichung at 1630 hrs every Tuesday, landing in Hangzhou at 1830 hrs. On the return leg, flight B7 2561 takes off at 1930 hrs and arrives back in Taichung at 2130 hrs.

On Fridays, the airline will fly to Xiamen in the evening. Flight B7 2517 takes off from Taichung at 1600 hrs, landing in Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport at 1735 hrs. The return flight, B7 2518, departs at 1840 hrs for a 2025 hrs arrival back in Taichung.

The new scheduled flights are expected to boost air travel between China and Taiwan, where travellers had to previously transit via Hong Kong or Macau, offering increased convenience and flexibility. Travellers can plan itineraries with multiple cities within the same region (northern China, eastern China, central China and southern China), arriving into 1 city and departing from another. Both airlines will operate a variety of aircraft on the routes. EVA Air will deploy its Boeing 777-300ERs, Boeing 747-400s and Airbus A330-200s while UNI Air will operate the smaller McDonnell Douglas MD-90 aircraft.

For more information, visit www.evaair.com and www.uniair.com.tw.

Family shopping at a Wal-Mart in China

Chinese mothers now have the same purchasing power and safety concerns as mothers in the West.

Quoting from Shaun Rein’s article in Forbes of August, 2009:

Many women born under the one-child policy implemented in the late 1970s are now becoming mothers. They’re also becoming the major breadwinners for their retired parents, who look to them for help with soaring housing and medical costs.

These young women are greatly concerned about the safety of the products they buy for their children. If Americans worry about the “Made in China” label, Chinese women worry even more, for they have to deal with it every day. Many choose where they shop based on whether they think they can find genuine and non-toxic products. One 32-year-old woman in Tianjin told us, “I shop at Wal-Mart ( WMT – news – people ) because I trust that the products its sells are real and safe. To ensure safety, I am willing to spend more.”

We’ve found many affluent women flying to Hong Kong or Korea to buy baby formula, even before last year’s melamine scandals.

Chinese Baby formula Scandal

In general they trust foreign brands more than domestic ones. As a 34-year-old woman in Zhengzhou told us, “Foreign firms are less likely to cut corners in the production and quality control process.” The vast majority of females in 15 cities told us that they would spend 20% or more for products for their babies if they felt they could fully trust that they were safe. This covers everything from clothing to food products to soaps. The fear Chinese consumers have of being hurt by tainted merchandise affects every kind of purchase decision.

Chinese women are emerging as one of the most confident bodies of consumers in the world. And they have the money to keep on spending. To be successful selling to them, you have to cater to their emotions and concerns more than ever before, even when selling products that men traditionally buy. As Chinese women work harder, raise children at the same time, and pay for their parents, they want to spoil themselves and relax a little. They are willing to pay a premium for safe and healthy quality products that let them do so.

Shaun Rein

Shaun Rein is the founder and managing director of the China Market Research Group, a strategic market intelligence firm. He writes for Forbes on leadership, marketing and China. For more from Shaun Rein, click here.

–Paloma

my respects to the jordanian cagers who beat powerade pilipinas in a do-or-die quarterfinals 81-70.

our team, however, showed a lot of courage within 4 grueling quarters. based on stats, we were able to match them head-to-head with the number of steals, free throws, 3-point shots and even in the number of fouls and turnovers. so where did we miss? – POINTS in the PAINT.

the jordanians outscored team pilipinas in 2pt-field goals matching their huge offensive rebounds. why? height difference may be. plus the fact that they really want the ball so much and they give their hearts out in rebounding to be able to make a put back or a tip in. and they have mr.wright. i don’t know but he ain’t jordanian-looking for me.

tsk..tsk..coach yeng, yeah you…you should learn to look at how your players are doing inside the court. if gabe norwood did a good job guarding wright then he should be guarding that guy all through out the game. secondly, willie and jayjay were unable to convert most of their 3-point attempts, you should be able to see that. perhaps you would allow them to make others do the shooting – put huge screens on lucky shooters like mick, gabe, and james. jared and cyrus did a good job in attacking the basket but weren’t able to convert most of their 2pt-fgs. that’s alright. they had to keep the ball rolling it’s the best that they can do.

let’s take a hard look at our roster – we have mick, sonny and asi as centers and power forwards. japeth, jared, kerby and arwind as forwards. willie and jayjay as point guards. then we have james and cyrus as shooting guards.

i have no problems with mick, he shoots well and guards well too. sonny does a lot of job in the post while asi, he’s a huge rebounder. japeth needs a lot of homework. he lacks assertiveness at some point but he has shown a lot of strength slicing the paint and creating those dunks. kerby, i’m confused…are you kidding me? you’re shooting threes when you should be attacking their 2-3 defense. what the hell is wrong with you? arwind – man you got issues. i think you’re a little too scared to be in tianjin. willie – hands down you’re one of the greatest point guards, you did a good job man. jayjay – man? from the first time i watched you played in Fiba i know you’re gonna be a mess. james and cyrus – you did a pretty good job.

so looking at that, i say the mighty mouse – jimmy alapag should be there instead of jayjay helterbrand. then let’s remove arwind santos from the lineup and put in dondon hontiveros instead to have 3 excellent shooting guards.

at the moment i can’t find any one to replace japeth or kerby.

so there, coach yeng…hey! you…knock your head…get a pen and write these options down okay???

During the match between Tianjin and Bejing, tempers flared after the ref showed a Tianjin player a red card for stomping on an opponent. The ejected player and his teammates did not take kindly to the decision, even though it was the correct one.

Source:
http://www.totalprosports.com/blog/index.php/2009/07/chinese-soccer-ref-runs-for-his-life-as-angry-players-chase-him-down/

A Chinese soccer player who chased a referee for half the field before pushing him to the ground has been banned from the game for life.

The Chinese Football Association said in statement late Thursday that Tianjin player Zhao Shitong had been banned for life, and that five other players were suspended for two to three years.

The players attacked referee He Zhibiao after losing 3-1 to Beijing in a July 26 provincial playoff for the National Games. He gave three Tianjin players red cards during the second half of the game.

At the end of the game, Zhao and the other players started yelling and pushing through security guards to get to the referee. Zhao then was seen in footage broadcast on state television chasing He and pushing him to the ground.

The pushing and arguing lasted 20 minutes before security officials got control of the situation.

“We hope clubs enhance the management and education of coaches and players and improve match discipline in order to prevent such thing from happening again,” Wang Xiaoping, the association’s director of discipline, said in a statement.

The association also kicked Tianjin out of the National Games to be held in October.

Soccer is very popular in China, but there are serious problems in the game. The domestic professional league is tainted by bribery and brawling. China’s top league returned to national TV in March, ending a four-month ban imposed because of on-field violence.

bron: www.thecanadianpress.com [31-7-2009]

[previous related post:] July 30, 2009: Chinese football players chase referree out of stadium

http://wocview.wordpress.com/2009/07/30/chinese-football-players-chase-referree-out-of-stadium

Chinese football players chase referree out of stadium.

Referree He Zhi-Bao gave three red cards to football team Tianjin Teda (天津泰达). Supporters of the opponents, Beijing Guoan (北京国安) where really happy about that. But because Tianjin Teda lost the match with 3-1, they became angry and blamed the referree. After a wild chase, the referree was escorted out of the stadium under police protection.

[this video is English unfriendly, French unfriendly but Mandarin friendly]

bron: www.youtube.com

Day 02 of my trip to China:  Tianjin

I realize that during my post yesterday I forgot to write some stuff I found interesting.  I mean I am jet lagged and all plus being  disoriented from sleeping all day haha.

The cities here has so many cars.  They are all real nice cars like Audi, Toyota, VW and etc.  I didn’t realize how much China has developed.  One thing I wasn’t too use to at first was that honking.  Normally it’s quite rude to honk at someone in Canada, but over here honking is considered normal.  It’s a way of letting others know you are there.  It is kinda neat in my opinion but just a bit noisy on the road.  On my way to Tianjin from Beijing yesterday we were driving on a new highway.  It looked just like the highways we have in Canada with the exception of Chinese signs.  There are more interesting things in my pictures I’ll be sharing but lets get to today’s tip first.

Tip #2 in China:  Always leave the Do No Disturb sign on your hotel room if you don’t want random people knocking on your door.  A guy knocked on my door yesterday asking me if I wanted to buy 20 oz of Whiskey.  I was sleeping when he woke me up.  After being disoriented and told him that I didn’t want it I fell back on to my bed only to realize he was actually speaking English to me haha.

Picture time: