Amazon’s unprecedented crackdown on fake reviews has shuttered thousands of Chinese merchant stores since May 2021, throwing the “made in China, sold on Amazon” model into limbo. In this article, we discuss the impetus behind Amazon’s crackdown and how Chinese merchants will handle the shift.
From clamping down on anti-competitive marketing practices to stifling illicit uses of personal data, Beijing’s regulatory crackdown is driven by a desire to curb the “disorderly expansion of capital.” However, these efforts risk going too far and threaten to deal an outsized blow to China’s rapid innovation and growth.
China’s e-commerce livestreaming industry reached a value of over US$165 million in 2020. As more firms turn to livestreamers, the market has become overcrowded and ROI has been slipping. To remain competitive, brands must be alert of the latest developments. This article points out the top five trends that market players should know if they want to maximize their investment in China’s e-commerce livestreaming in 2021 and beyond.
China’s biopharmaceuticals is an often overlooked yet quickly growing industry. In recent years, various regulatory reforms have transformed the industry, nurturing it into a global competitor. Many foreign investors are interested in taking advantage of the local industry’s streamlined product registration process and robust development incentives. However, there are still risks that investors should remain cognizant of when planning their entrance strategy into the Chinese biopharmaceutical market.
With over 682 million mobile gamers, the Chinese mobile gaming market is one of the world’s largest. Together with Todd Kuhns at AppInChina, we explore the tips and tricks by which game developers can break into the lucrative Chinese mobile gaming industry.
From the introduction of a sweeping national security law to a major overhaul of the city’s electoral system, Beijing’s hardline approach against Hong Kong’s democratic underbelly has largely been driven by national economic interests. Foreign companies will find that they are still welcome in the city as long as they comply with the new laws of the land.
Both Starbucks and Luckin’s market strategies have taken China by storm. It can perhaps be most aptly said that Starbucks preferred to focus on cultural values while Luckin capitalized on societal trends. Regardless, both chains have defined their niche within the Chinese consumer lifestyle and are evidence that, so long as Chinese market strategies are culturally aware and data-driven, there is more than one road to success in the Chinese market.
In the halcyon days before the pandemic, when headlines were dominated by the mundane trials and tribulations of the US-China trade war, China enacted a sweeping new Foreign Investment Law as the worst of the hostilities began to die down. The regulations enshrined in this high-level law provide many of the concessions that the US and other G7 nations with investments in China had long been clamoring for, but also contain provisions to review foreign investments for national security concerns.
As he undertakes a thorough review of Trump’s China policies, President Biden is expected to formulate a China strategy that puts American interests first and strengthens US competitiveness in the global market. While he maintains that his administration will take a different path than his predecessor, there is no doubt that heated competition is on the horizon – and TikTok may find itself at the forefront of the battle.
Chinese companies are increasingly looking towards foreign markets to unlock new growth opportunities abroad while diversifying away political risk at home. Haidilao and Tencent are two prominent examples of companies that have successfully entered foreign markets. While the two giants have vastly different approaches to expansion, together they have formed the golden standard by which other emerging companies seek to grow their global footprint.
Amendments to China’s Patent Law are set to take effect later this year. The changes promise to strengthen patent enforcement in China in a variety of areas and should allow foreign companies operating in China to better protect their intellectual property portfolios. However, changes to the Patent Law alone will not be enough to put an end to the predatory practices of forced technology transfer, and it remains to be seen how Chinese courts and regulators will interpret and enforce the amendments.
As the early epicenter of the pandemic, 2020 brought Wuhan countless challenges. One year later, the city is cautiously optimistic about its recovery. Despite COVID’s lingering impression on local consumer habits—particularly in the service industry—Wuhan’s slow but steady re-emergence as the tremendous industrial hub it once was serves as an excellent model for cities across the globe.
After only a dozen years since promulgating its initial Anti-Monopoly Law, currently proposed revisions promise to strengthen anti-monopoly enforcement in China and reshape the regulatory landscape in the world’s second largest economy. Actions by regulators over recent years have shown a commitment to more vigorous monopoly busting, and supplementary draft regulations indicate that China intends for its enforcement to be as robust as that found in the West.
A recent string of high-profile SOE defaults have revived hopes for market reform of China’s inefficient state sector. However, despite appearances to the contrary, Beijing continues to push for greater state control over the sector and an augmented role for SOEs in strategic industries and initiatives. As a result, the performance of China’s SOEs has stagnated and the state sector remains a burden to near-term economic growth.
Michael Jordan and Bruce Lee have been making news in China’s trademark scene over recent years with cases aimed at protecting the legitimate IP rights of foreign persons and entities in China. Amendments to China’s trademark laws should provide broader protections to companies across the board; however, questions concerning whether owners of less well-known brands can find as effective enforcement as celebrities sporting household names remain.
