Author: ugarteg17

Cases of activism in China have increased more than ten-fold in the past decade.  Employment-related grievances accounted for the largest number of “mass incidents,” involving 1,000 to 10,000 or more individuals. Before, low-wage laborers tolerated poor working conditions in order to maintain wages. As wealth agglomerates and a middle class precipitates, Chinese increasingly demand  higher wages, employer attention to the… Continue reading Chinese Activism →

Two Qatari companies announced plans to finance a $5B expansion in LNG and retail gasoline for the Chinese Shandong Dongming Petrochemical Group. Plans include the construction of a new LNG receiving terminal and the storage facility to accommodate the 3 million metric tons/year increase in capacity. The injection will also finance 1,000 new gasoline filling stations in six provinces south… Continue reading More Foreign Investment In China’s LNG →

Railway companies in China posted all-time high profits for 2014 following aggressive overseas bidding and a “red-hot” domestic market. Investment in transportation infrastructure has been characteristically aggressive to meet the Chinese government’s efforts to connect the interior with the coast.  Six years after China’s first bullet-train line opened between Tianjin and Beijing, 28 of the 31 provinces now have… Continue reading Chinese Railways as Foreign Policy →

Hunan Xindaxin Co. is a state-backed private equity firm specializing in the agricultural sector. Last year the firm attempted a failed $60m bid to acquire the large seed developer Origin Agritech Ltd. and is rumored to try again this year. China currently bans the import of GMOs, however executive estimates see the state allowing the production of GMOs for human consumption by… Continue reading China Seeks Seed Developer →

China Mobile Ltd. saw its market value fall $9 billion amid subsidy cuts and restructuring costs. China Mobile is the largest of the three telecomm SOEs with over 800 million subscribers. Declining sales are attributed to a double bind of affordability: Subsidy cuts in tandem with new technology increase prices. The Chinese government mandated the company cut its sales and marketing budget by 20 percent.… Continue reading China Mobile Takes Hit →

Chinese shares saw a rally the past few days after Premier Li Keqiang reassurance that the government will intervene to ensure healthy growth and employment. Chinese gains lead Asia-Pacific and come at a time of global economic uncertainty. Strong appreciation of the US dollar in the face of the Fed’s plans to raise interest rates gives mix… Continue reading Chinese Stocks See Gains →

Premier Li Keqiang admitted to government’s inability/failure to combat rampant smog and pollution in major cities.  This public admittance comes in light of the banned “Under the Dome” viral documentary, which captured the mass sentiment against the “pervasive smog.” Mr. Li acknowledged promises of the past to increase regulations and heavy-handed fines against illegal dumping and emissions.… Continue reading Pollution Produces National Ire →

Tech companies are attempting to bridge the gap between farm and table in order to provide healthy (accountable, more so) foods amid a long history of food safety mishaps in China. Urbanization inherently widens the gap between rural communities and cities: As people concentrate around urban centers, they become geographically and personally less attune to the… Continue reading Old Food, New Trends →

In class we have explored the mass migration of China’s youth from the country towards the industrial centers of the coast. At least once a year this trend reverses: The Chinese New Year and Spring Festival see billions of Chinese return to their rural homes in order to celebrate the holidays with their family.  The migration,… Continue reading China’s Brief Reverse Migration →

In this article, Bain & Company addresses the budding role of the digital retail industry in China. Bain & Company analysts predict online retail will grow three times faster than overall retail in China. Analysts attribute future e-commerce growth to Chinese consumers’ preference for mobile retail and “heavy investment from logistics players.” China’s distribution infrastructure allows retailers to ship products anywhere… Continue reading Chinese Consumers Going Online in Droves →