Month: January 2020

The increased imports from the United States will not affect China’s import volume from other countries, after the signing of the first phase of economic and trade agreement between China and the US, said a senior customs official on Tuesday.

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China has a large and diversified market and Sino-US trade will make new progress on the basis of mutual benefit after the signing of the agreement, which will help the two countries and the whole world, Zou Zhiwu, deputy head of the General Administration of Customs, said at a press conference.

‘Happy Chinese New Year’ program, which celebrates the Spring Festival with cultural activities all around the world, has spread the joy to Thailand.

On Jan 14 at the Office of the Prime Minister of Thailand, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha sent forward New Year greetings to Chinese people. Pop idols from the recent hit TV drama The Untamed, appointed as ambassadors of the event, attended the opening ceremony and staged a performance.

The year of 2020 marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Thailand. To attract online Thai youngsters, the celebration invited popular Chinese actors from recent online hit shows.

Over 150 artists from troupes around China will present Chinese art forms such as dance, music and martial arts in major Thai cities including Bangkok, Chiengmai, and Puket. Exhibitions on Chinese zodiac animals and Lantern Festival will also be held.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha expressed his best wishes to Chinese people in their mother tongue. He said the friendship between the two nations will be long-standing and prosperous.

Deputy Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul; Tourism and Sports Minister ‎Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn; Minister of Culture Ittipol Khunpluem; Charge d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand Yang Xin; Cultural Counselor of Chinese Embassy in Thailand Chang Yumeng and Director of the China Cultural Center in Bangkok Gu Hongxing attended the event.

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As crossover branding is now a hot term for many sectors across the world, Qiaodan Sports Co, the Chinese sportswear and footwear manufacturer, will integrate innovative designs and Chinese cultural elements into its products and partner with more international events to raise its popularity among consumers.

Eager to reach more consumers in other parts of the world, the Fujian-based firm debuted its latest designs in Beijing in November, where it presented a fashion show that broke through the boundaries of cultural domains and integrated the latest trends in sports and youth fashion in the name of “Beyond Yourself”.

Apart from making appearances in international fashion events, the brand to date has also become involved in a number of areas. These include sponsoring domestic and global sports events such as marathons, the Sina Basketball Golden League and the International University Sports Federation, as well as supporting co-branded theme films and animation.

It has also provided sports gear to Chinese and Russian national teams during the International Universities’ Games between 2009 and 2019.

Lin Youxun, Qiaodan’s senior branding director, said Chinese consumers have become more rational, and they are not blindly following the crowd to imitate others. They want products that have a commercial culture and understand consumers. The company will continue to interpret modern sports culture in a fashionable way to attract young consumers.

The sports industry has the potential to grow at an even faster pace and therefore bolster China’s overall growth, according to a survey report released by McKinsey’s annual Chinese consumer survey in December. The report said the sports industry generated about 1 trillion yuan ($144.1 billion) and 1.3 trillion yuan in added value in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

“Amid the ongoing consumption upgrade, Chinese consumers consider domestic brands as better at meeting their demands and establishing emotional connections,” said Lin, adding the new phenomenon shows the cultural consciousness of young Chinese consumers and their recognition of local cultural elements. It also indicates their diversified and individualized spending preferences.

“In the process of globalization, the boundary between foreign and Chinese brands has become vague,” said Lin. “What really matters is whether the products can meet the specific demands of consumers.”

With China’s success in e-commerce and mobile payments, Chinese consumers are trying out new things, while the marketing and selling channels on the supply side enjoy lower costs and higher efficiency, which has created more space for domestic brands to enlarge their sales, said Guo Xin, a marketing professor at Beijing Technology and Business University.

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International workers gain skills and experience through unique initiative

With its diverse culture and delicious food, China has long captured the imagination of Zahra Roji Baitie, a British Ghanaian whose father traveled frequently to the country for business during her childhood.

But what propelled the 28-year-old to spend several years here was the myths and miracles China has created in the digital realm, which represents a fertile ground for some of the world’s most innovative businesses and inspirational stories.

A development studies graduate from Yale University, Baitie has always trained her sights on inclusive growth models, working on several field projects in Africa for a London-based consultancy. A master’s program at Tsinghua University took her on a weeklong dive into Alibaba, the internet emporium that has pioneered a multitude of things in China from mobile payments to rural e-commerce. From there she sensed immense opportunities.

“Learning the role of digitalization and the idea of smart governance presented by Alibaba executives, I was blown away by the various opportunities for Alibaba’s globalization journey and the impact Alibaba has in China,” said Baitie, who works at AliExpress, a business-to-customer site serving overseas markets of Alibaba.

“There were a lot of opportunities for people who were interested in bridging China with the rest of the world and supporting this expansion of Chinese companies like Alibaba to engage with the rest of the world in a sustainable and impactful way.”

Alibaba sees its go-global strategy as one of its three growth pillars, and has vowed to serve 2 billion customers globally by 2036. International talents are crucial to realizing that goal.

Baitie was recruited under the Alibaba Global Talent Development initiative, which is a two-year program putting high-caliber, international workers on its international facing business units. The program includes on-the-job training, workshops and a buddy and mentor program.

“AGTD members will gain in-depth business knowledge and cultural experience at Alibaba,” said Alfred Yao, senior talent development manager at Alibaba. “We expect graduates to take critical roles in key global businesses.”

AGTD was borne out of a previous initiative called the Alibaba Global Leadership Academy, which debuted in 2016 and recruited two batches of candidates who were put on rotation arrangement. Now it has evolved into an umbrella organization responsible for developing various training programs like AGTD.

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MOSCOW – Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army, has left Moscow without signing a ceasefire agreement drafted at talks in Russia on Monday, the TASS news agency cited the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying on Tuesday.

Haftar had asked for until Tuesday morning to make up his mind on the deal after indirect talks with his rival, Fayez al-Serraj, who heads Libya’s Tripoli-based UN-recognized government, Turkey’s foreign minister said.

His failure to sign the agreement at talks mediated by Turkey and Russia may complicate a diplomatic effort to stabilize the situation in Libya which has been mired in chaos since 2011.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday she planned to host a summit on Libya on Sunday with the leaders of Turkey, Russia and Italy.

Serraj signed the ceasefire agreement after talks that lasted about eight hours, Lavrov said on Monday.

Haftar declined to sign the ceasefire deal because it did not include a deadline for disbanding government forces, the Interfax news agency cited a Libyan military source as saying.

Xinhua/Reuters

Visitors to the White Box Art Center found themselves not only being offered a visual treat of some of the Beijing gallery’s collection but also a dance to present speed and passion and to resonance with the collision and co-existence of different cultures as being conveyed by artworks on show on Friday and Saturday nights.

Titled Collide, the performance given by several contemporary dancers in Beijing were staged to mark the 10th anniversary of the art venue inside the 798 art district.

The dance examined the complicated relationship between human bodies and space by inviting people to reflect the diversity and infinity of art.

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A change in the dugout has been made at Camp Nou, with a man who led the club to back-to-back La Liga titles bidding farewell to the Catalan giants

Ernesto Valverde has bid a classy farewell to Barcelona, with a man who delivered back-to-back La Liga titles at Camp Nou wishing his successor Quique Setien well in the most demanding of roles.

At the end of a drawn-out process, which saw his future speculated on for some time, a proven winner has been removed from his role in the dugout with the Catalan giants.

With the decision taken to part with Valverde, the Blaugrana have passed their managerial reins on to former Real Betis boss Setien.

He is considered to fit the mould when it comes to embracing the philosophies of Johan Cruyff’s school of coaching.

Valverde did his best to stick to those principles following his appointment in 2017 and guided Lionel Messi and Co to four major trophies during his time at the helm.

Barca remain in contention for more silverware this season, as they sit top of the Liga table and through to the last 16 of the Champions League, but a first sacking in 17 years has been overseen.

Valverde could be forgiven for feeling a little hard done by, but the 55-year-old is walking away with his head held high and with great pride taken in what he achieved.

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In an open letter to Barcelona supporters posted on the club’s official website, Valverde said: “My time as FC Barcelona coach has come to an end.

“It has been an intense two-and-a-half years right from the start. In that time I have enjoyed some joyful moments celebrating victories and trophies but also others that have been tough and difficult.

“However, above all I would like to highlight my experience with the fans and the affection showed towards me during my time as coach.

“I would like to thank the president Josep Maria Bartomeu and the board of directors for giving me the opportunity to coach the first team and their confidence during all this time.

“I would also like to thank all the people I have worked with at the club for their support and how they treated me during the two-and-a-half seasons, especially those who work in and around the first team and with whom I have shared so many moments at the Ciutat Esportiva and during away trips.

“Of course, I would like to thank the players for all their efforts that have allowed us to claim four trophies together.

“From this day, I wish them all the luck in the world and to the new coach Quique Setien also.

“All the best to everyone.

“Visca Barca and Visca Catalonia.”

Barcelona’s first outing under Setien will see them take in a home date with Granada on Sunday, while it remains to be seen what the future holds for Valverde now that he is back on the coaching market.

He has received plenty of messages of support, with Luis Suarez among the latest to pass on his well wishes.

The Uruguayan striker has thanked Valverde and his staff for all of their hard work and paid homage to the professionalism they displayed throughout an eventful tenure.

The Red Devils boss says his board will back him if the right targets become available, but is no closer to getting winter deals over the line

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Manchester United have “the resources” to spend in January, but has reported no movement on the transfer front amid ongoing talk of an imminent deal for Sporting midfielder Bruno Fernandes.

Speculation regarding a big-money swoop for the Portugal international has been building for some time.

No agreement has been pushed through as yet, though, with the Red Devils continuing to weigh up their options.

Solskjaer claims that he will be backed in the winter market if the right targets can be identified, with the United board prepared to match on-field ambition with financial support off it.

The latest Deloitte report into the richest clubs on the planet has suggested that the Red Devils are “at risk of losing the position as the Premier League’s highest revenue generating club for the first time”.

United continue to sit third on that particular list, behind Barcelona and Real Madrid, but could slip behind arch-rivals Manchester City – who are sixth at present – next year.

Solskjaer is reading little into those claims and considers those at Old Trafford to still be well placed when it comes to competing with the domestic and European elite.

He said: “For me, the most important thing is we get results sorted, get performances on the pitch, that has got to be my focus.

“But I know we’ve got the resources, we’ve got the backing if we need to go into the transfer market. We are still up there, so still in a good place.”

While seeking to appease an expectant fan base by reiterating that United are in a position to bolster their ranks, Solskjaer was quick to point out that no deals have been done yet.

He added when quizzed again on efforts to land Fernandes: “I’ve got no transfer updates, so no.

“If we get something that we can tell you about we will but I’ve got no news now.”

While United continue to pursue possible incomings, Solskjaer also confirmed that Ashley Young will play no part in an FA Cup third-round replay with Wolves on Wednesday as the versatile 34-year-old continues to be linked with a move to Serie A giants Inter .

The richest man in Africa has expressed a desire to take over at Emirates Stadium, but remains focused on building his company for the time being

Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote has hinted he could buy Arsenal in 2021, if a number of multi-billion dollar projects for his company are completed on time.

The 62-year-old founded the Dangote Group – the largest conglomerate in West Africa – in 1981, which deals with the manufacturing and production of a number of consumer goods including sugar, cement, rice, flour and fisheries.

Dangote has a net worth of more than £8.5 billion ($11 billion) and has been heavily linked with a takeover at Arsenal in the past, with the club currently owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment.

Stan Kroenke is the majority shareholder at Emirates Stadium, but Dangote could be in a position to buy him out by next year, with his company set to begin the production of the largest single-train refinery in the world later this year in Lekki, Lagos State.

Africa’s richest man is concentrating on that business venture at the moment, but says he plans to buy Arsenal when the Dangote refinery is finished.

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“It is a team that, yes, I would like to buy someday, but what I keep saying is we have $20 billion (£15 billion) worth of projects and that’s what I really want to concentrate on,” Dangote told the  David Rubenstein Show.

“I’m trying to finish building the company and then, after we finish, maybe sometime in 2021 we can.

“I’m not buying Arsenal right now, I’m buying Arsenal when I finish all these projects because I’m trying to take the company to the next level.”

The Gunners are very much in the middle of a transitional period at the moment, with the 2019-20 campaign disrupted by significant changes in the dugout.

Unai Emery was sacked in November after just over a year in charge of the first team, with his assistant Freddie Ljungberg then asked to step up to the role of head coach on an interim basis.

Arsenal took their time before appointing Emery’s permanent successor, and eventually identified Manchester City No.2 Mikel Arteta as the right man to take the club forward.

The former Gunners captain signed a three-and-a-half-year deal at the Emirates on December 20, with his appointment largely welcomed by supporters and experts.

Arsenal have won two of their last three matches under Arteta , with a crucial Premier League fixture at home to Sheffield United up next on Saturday.

The north London outfit are 10th in the standings at the moment, 11 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea in the race for the final Champions League spot.

The midfielder’s future with the German club has not yet been decided, says the sporting director

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc insisted no decision had been made on Mario Gotze’s future at the Bundesliga club.

Gotze, 27, is coming out of contract at the end of the season and has been linked with a move away, having made just five Bundesliga starts this campaign.

The 63-time Germany international is in his second stint at Dortmund, having won the Bundesliga twice and a DFB-Pokal during his first stint before moving to Bayern Munich.

Gotze’s return to the club hasn’t produced the heights reached during his first but Zorc said the parties would wait to make a decision on the attacker’s future.

“That has not yet been decided,” he told Ruhr Nachrichten.

“It is of course also the case with him that he would like to have more minutes. We are talking to Mario.

“I spoke to his father before Christmas. I spoke to him again in Marbella. We will surely get together in the spring and then make a final decision.”

Another player linked with a move from Dortmund is Achraf Hakimi, who has impressed on loan at the club from Real Madrid.

Zorc said he would like to keep the Morocco international for longer, with Hakimi having joined on a two-year loan deal in mid-2018.

“I always like to stick to facts. According to the contract, he will return to Real Madrid in the summer because his contract will take effect on July 1,” he said.

“Our contacts are himself and Real. Of course we would like to see him with us longer, that’s clear too.

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“But we cannot influence it alone. I think Achraf knows very well what development he has taken with us. He just took is from us, not anywhere else.

“According to his own statement, he also feels very comfortable. Everything else will clear up in the spring.”

Dortmund currently sit fourth in the Bundesliga, three points behind second-place Bayern Munich and seven points behind league-leaders RB Leipzig with Borussia Monchengladbach currently occupying the second position. 

Next up for Dortmund is a visit to Augsburg on Saturday, while the club will also return to the Champions League knockout stage in February for a marquee clash with Paris Saint-Germain.