Brand’s perception in China: from coolness to substantiality

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If customer – target for luxury segments in China is much bigger than its counterpart in US , it means that society is still growing up towards new era for consumptions that makes two different middle classes facing with the market : approximately 110 millions of chinese are going to represent the new upper middle class with specific “commercial identity” that’s clear representation of new awareness about products and quality in particular in terms of substantiality.

It’s like how we are passing from the commercial equation for middle class that was used to say “foreign brand = cool = prestigious = not for all = I must have it” toward much more consciousness for foreign products and in particular for their ” substantiality” as crucial point to define characteristics like quality, tradition and luxury.

That’s why two specific ways of doing advertising and promotional campaigns are characterizing the commercial scenario in China for those segments that concern fashion, luxury and design for example.

  1. Regular promotion for middle class that is mainly focus about spreading logo’s attractiveness through digital marketing with discount and special campaigns and some offline events in department stores with parallel events to promote special offers doing brand and product placements in strategic location
  2. Innovative promotion for upper middle class, which make on focus the “characterization” of brand going beyond the “logo-strategy”. It represents a competitive solution for those corporate that got something to educate about. That’s what upper middle class is looking for: values, imagination and charm

If we are choosing as potential target the new upper middle class (that according with McKinsey’s analysis  is growing for 12% on annual base and it  registers as household income more than 35.000 dollars x year) we should consider that we are dealing with mature customers with international vision and high-competence in purchasing. This segment will go probably over 160 millions in the next five years and it will improve household income reaching peaks of 40.000 dollars.

middle class aumenta

They are people aware of their status,  and their style is basically going toward  something of “well characterized”. Maybe they discovered european brands in some multi brands stores during their leisure travels in Asia (Hong Kong, Singapore, Macao, Japan, Korea) and now they are much more interested to buy products that have something to say beyond the logo. It represents a good opportunity for those operators that maybe even they got good placement on international commercial scene with specific distribution they for sure didn’t have the funds to be a well-known world-wide label.

chinese consumers bis

Of course foreign nature of brands could be a plus (however it’s not always the best selling point for this target  ‘cause they also like chinese style,  in particular when the product is result of research and commingling with exotic influences from external scenarios) but this target wants to understand them now not only enjoy the equation “foreign brand is cool and it’s definitely for nice people like us”

History, own identity  but also care about renovation of distinctive features in step with time’s changes are elements which strategical plan for marketing  toward upper middle class must be focused about.

Certainly the “regular” middle class is still majority and it’s embracing, in particular in second tier’s cities ,  the boom for brands in department stores and  before that they are used to follow with  big interest the “foreign sounding”  of some advertisements and online commercial campaigns (sometimes it doesn’t matter if the brand was originally born in Italy or not but it’s the communication’s strategy used to make the brand featured with international elements as distinctives to make it a cool brand)

I don’t want to say that the importance that chinese people gives to “name” and “logo” is going to disappear but we have for sure to consider as new and mature commercial perception is becoming part of their behavior. How can this influence on functional way the marketing strategy of high level’s brands to improve sales? As follows some tips that should be added on marketing agenda of things to do

  • The history of brand means something to tell to your customer. In China it’s used to say “business got eyes”, it means that besides the quality of the product, first of all the value of the goods is emanation of human skills, vision about particular style or way of living, adaptability with social needs. Make your advertising like an educational tour in your group’s history, show your competence and why not the challenges you joined, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been the loser for some particular choices, what you’ve done is part of your commercial charisma
  • Make your target sure that you are really into to talk with people who are conscious of their status and are abel to understand your message. Try to communicate with them before making them your clients. They are looking for brand that can create such cultural and emotional liaison
  • Events. The scenario where upper middle class is proud to show and communicate own goals is the world. If you are not part of this world you cannot be part of their life. Don’t waste time of improving distribution’s channel if you are not ready to support him being present beyond the campaign to launch new products. We’ve already seen a lot of “cathedrals in deserts” in China, some investments for launch of specific brand or nee jv with chinese potential distributors never followed by specific and intense mission aimed to be in the market with consciousness of communicate own features.
  • Be yourself but take care of chinese taste. We don’t have to configure all our style elements in function of chinese mass target. The Upper middle class wants something different by us. And if we served them in periods when they still was “regular” middle class we should show that now we are aware of their new status and needs (some players are going to diversify their brands keeping on mind that they are talking with mature segment that maybe will not continue of being client if not satisfied on way that respect such awareness)

Our Made in Italy is for sure good horse to ride but now more than ever we need to show that’s not only a “logo” if we want to be one of favorite purchases by chinese middle class.

Marketing online: If China reinvents Milan EXPO…

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Chinese people are really interested about Milan EXPO 2015 for some specific reasons: first of all their holistic and circular vision on proceeding of situations in terms of cause and effects inevitably links Milan EXPO as important consecution of successful edition of Shanghai EXPO in 2010, then recently Milan is going be configured as one of most preeminent places for style, design and luxury among european cities.

expo_cina_21_gennaio_2013

We should consider that one good selling point about “Italian Dolce Vita” for common chinese visitor would be more  fashion, design and luxury as part of prestigious life than italian tradition about food and gourmet, that’s because China also got important and long tradition for that concerns food and cooking experience. For sure the main topic of this italian edition of EXPO will be a great opportunity to educate chinese visitors about our well framed production of excellences that we can offer as special selection from wide italian gourmet’s scenario.

As international event with some hundreds of  thousands of participations from China (maybe more than 1 million of visitors from China) the occasion is great to boost communication and promotion concerning business ventures in particular for those chinese companies or investors who are improving their operative presence in Europe starting from Italy.  And cause China presents specific own system for those online applications regarding social networks, video sharing platforms, search engines, instant messaging and blogging and all those tools that are necessary to reinforce online marketing, it means that from chinese side it’s going to be created a new image of Milan EXPO on communicating contents and specifications that are useful to introduce chinese vision of EXPO.

In particular if we check some comments in chinese using sina weibo among thousands of “tweets” about Universal Exposition of Milan 2015 we can understand how sceptic they are about completion of pavilions, general organization and logistic issues in Milan comparing with Shanghai 2010.  But chinese operators who are involved in business issues from Europe to China and viceversa are introducing the semester of EXPO as special prosecution of glorious start for  boosting of chinese economy from 2010 and they are focusing on strategical campaign managed on chinese social networks keeping on feature those elements that are more connected with their business purposes than with those analysis could promote Milano EXPO itself.

So we can understand, following a concrete aptitude that is intrinsic of chinese behavior, how is important for italian companies and investors too to plan marketing strategy that should emphasize our presence or brand or business focusing on elements and discussions that have been already set up by chinese people in their structure of communication.

If China doesn’t allow any campaign on Facebook let’s start on practicing contents on Sina Weibo; if it’s not convenient to invest on optimization of keywords, tags and corporate’s web address on Google as search engine, let’s consider to analyze Baidu; if our corporate videos, produced to communicate something to potential chinese partners, cannot be uploaded on Youtube or Vimeo  let’s check the efficiency of YouKu: if we wanna communicate on wide range directly to chinese visitors we should consider to buy campaign on “we chat” or informing them through this instant massaging system about calendar of events will take in Milan during Milan EXPO.

chinasocialmedialandscape

There are already more than 20.000 events collected in EXPO IN CITTA’ official website promoted by Milan City and it’s not easy for sure to put one of them on feature to attract specific target of international users but I think that if China is re-inventing parameters to understand EXPO with online social networks, that could represent a specific solution to underline those events or marketing campaigns we want to manage in behalf of chinese visitors (for specific strategic market’s purposes).

My consulting company with other partnered organizations is already involved on providing marketing services during Milano EXPO for operators from Food & Beverage industry and we’re planning specific onhere's expo tooline and offline promotional contents managed for chinese target. It means we are guiding clients on duplex way: first of all as  offline segment we are providing services to organize small exhibitions and promotional product – placements (promotional corners, gadgets, events, products tasting, educational contents) in some hotels in the center of Milan, on the other hand we are following the chinese way to approach Milan EXPO online, and on doing so we are exactly reinventing campaigns as chinese users are used to do through chinese social media: discussions, word of mouth’s methods, advertising for cultural events with specific sponsors from food and beverage industry, surveys etc everything is perfectly adapted for chinese destination in their online crossing media system.

China represents always challenge and opportunity at the same time. It’s up to you to choose the way to get the best.

E-commerce in China: when platforms support to master the market

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E-commerce in China is for sure becoming literally a boom-phenomenon.  It’s like the first fast crazy running we got towards East at the end of 90’s  when everybody was looking at China as new economic power in the world.

And it must be so when we are facing with the biggest market in the world in terms of demand and wideness for online sales.

According with recent analysis we are going to overpass 600 millions of internet users until 2015 and around 150 millions of users in 2010 have been confirmed as already frequent buyers online; but more interesting to know,  the number of buyers should grow till approximately 520 millions of users before the end of 2015: effectively an incredible result if we consider that in Europe according with Statista© we will be able to reach approximately 190 millions of buyers at least in the same period.

infografika-1024x463

Usually when we think about e-commerce in China we could be stunk referring to complicated and un-protected system to develop online selling platforms. I think that problems concerning property rights and copycat’s risks should be pointed out as first element of the matters, but I would like to remind you that “the democracy of buying whatever you want” is one of most important perspectives followed strongly from 2010 by central Government and in general the legal system and also the awareness of consumers on buying original brands are bringing investors and developers to enjoy more safe and equilibrate environment.

Let’s check what kind of de-regulamentation nowadays represents a concrete step ahead for the development of the e-commerce environment in China

1500px-Flag_of_the_Peoples_Republic_of_China.svg_– 2010 with the  shangzizi 2010 n 272 the online sales are accepted as regular and natural prosecution of usual commercial activity for foreign companies so also  foreign investors are now allowed to make their products on sale online without any particular requirement as involvement of chinese co-investor and without any particular approval or distinctive business license issued by MOFCOM

– Then if you are not service provider for other operators but if you want to sell throughout your online platform your goods you don’t have to apply for specific ICP (internet content protocol) as it’s compulsory for providers that create online stores in name of  third operators

The second point is very interesting and represent a boost for online businesses: if you are a foreign company with base in China you can immediately open your e-commerce service without any other specific approval or license.

I’m used to suggest to follow this way to my clients ‘cause it represents a great system to educate customers to approach specific brand or production enjoying in particular sharing opinion’s tools and crossing information through social networks. I really think that even if volume of sales are one of most important goals for an online-store, we have to remember that in China the access to information through browsers represent the first step to get well detailed info and in particular comments from other users.

Chinois-shopper

Even if it seems more easy and quick try to being represented by third platforms like some services that T-Mall (owned by giant Alibaba) in particular when the company doesn’t present any legal entity registered on chinese market, we should remember that in this cases it’s more difficult to guarantee legal safety against fraudulent dynamics and payment is required oat of the times in foreign currency by exporters (due of absence of corporate- presence on chinese market) and it’s not always easy to pay for common users.

As researcher on marketing strategy for China I well recommend to place own brand or group of brands through e-commerce platform after registering own WOFE into chinese market , not only because it would be for real a concrete internationalization’s goal but also due to head for more well framed condition to boost own identity and at the same time to speed the realization of direct online store in safe and well guarantee condition without any specific additional business license.

as i’m used to say, chinese market follows specific P’s to ensure successful results on sales then

– Products: quality and distinctive features must be mediated with concrete perception of what chinese consumer is looking forward; and sometimes such elements cannot be put on focused so much through general e-commerce portal not directly managed by own management and partially created with third operators.

– Popularity: being online doesn’t mean only be sold on the web. The strategy of “word of mouth” needs to be boosted through social networks and specific promotion about brand and production that sometimes needs more intensive effort than general information  summed up in general categories of multi brand online sales.

– Price : information without price it’s not so attractive for chinese customers. They need to feel they are enjoying special bargain (it doesn’t matter if we are talking about middle level products or luxury). In particular if we have something to sell that fits with medium target, the announce of special sales are really attractive among young customers, otherwise the placement of products with high price for luxury field should be successful among specific senior targets

– Passion: chinese people loves to join shengyi (business) on both sides, as sellers as long as clients; being present in the market make us more aware about chinese culture and market’s needs. I think that e-commerce can express for real such passion on doing business into chinese market as more as you can be aware about what does China represent not only as producer but also as commercial operator who choose to invest in China.

I think that chinese law’s system will proceed on more concrete and responsible way to protect property rights against copycat’s actions and government will do all the best to boost  development for one of crucial factors for contemporary chinese economy like online businesses.

 

If Alibaba starts to be strategic partnered service platform for italian brands are we sure to get ready soon for that?

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Last month we got first Matteo Renzi’s institutional mission as italian prime minister during official visit in Beijing. And after France and UK it was our turn to sign specific agreements for mutual development on key sectors, and talking about chinese market, as I’m already teaching for executive master programs in NIBI for Internationalization of Businesses on Eastern Asia Markets (New Institute for International Business in Milan), we need first of all to keep on mind how nowadays is very important the role of online sales for import-brands in China.

That’s why the first interlocutor for our Ministry of Economic Development  Mrs. Federica Guidi was Alibaba, main player for online sales that is boosting two specific platforms like Tmall and Taobao for B2c dynamics also for imported products.

elibaba e iitalia

As clarified in presence of chinese prime minister Li Keqiang, some brands as made in italy’s production, have been already introduced some years ago on Alibaba but comparing with other products and brands they are still few and needs more promotion.

In particular it’s really necessary to develop some specific strategies to make on focus features of italian productive’s excellences cause most of the times even if chinese market is pretty interested to buy foreign high quality’s products online, they are not well aware about brands, own distinctive features as much as they’ve never been in Italy before or well familiar with specific products.

In addition if also we should consider how communications strategy and publicity are on continuous development in China, where recently there’s going on get structured well framed scenario for promotion, marketing and PR than before, but comparing with western professional tools of doing business communication they cannot be used as entry-keys for the market,  to facilitate sales of specific brands with high level’s distinctive features, first of all it’s important for foreign brands to be represented as “available” products. So Alibaba is really good choice to start on doing that.

The hardest point on dealing with big group as Alibaba for small medium company  consist of some barriers on company’s registration and access to its services for manufacturers, cause usually in the past Alibaba allowed chinese distributors or whole sellers only as contractors for own specific online sales platforms for b2C  (like Tmall and Taobao).

We needed political and institutional introduction to sit down at negotiation’s table with Mr. Jack Ma, patron of Alibaba, and the strategy of our government seemed having sense in this step: made in italy means excellent quality, small production comparing with potential of chinese market and companies with familiar or low managerial trust’s asset (cfr Francis Fukuyama’s definition about italian corporate system) so the first way to consider internationalization should be get preliminary access on online sales platform as facilitate dimension of entry as follows

– even if the company is still present in Italy without any particular official JV with chinese whole seller / distributor

– simple contracts to get access to services offered by Alibaba

– dedicated team taking care of italian brands

– cooperation for defense of intellectual property for italian products

Even if the agreement represents a new important step ahead it still remains to understand in which way our SME will be able to join such preferential assistance for promoting on Alibaba, the costs of the service and in particular who will manage selection of brands and in which terms (the agreement specifies particular interest for luxury and  high level’s products).

Personally speaking I think that ITA (Italian Trade Agency) directly linked with Ministry for Economic Development, will have important role about such dynamics  and the key person of this joint-program was first of all Fu Yixiang vice-president of Italian – Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Rome, whom introduced Jack Ma on considering this cooperation’s perspective with our Government.  So the match starts as political / institutional agenda.

I think that “the red card” ( or rather political involvement on boosting business issues with chinese counterpart) is totally good strategy (as whoever works with China well knows the importance of political action on market’s issues) but the matter now is represented by orientation’s scheme for brands and companies that would be introduced on online sales maker in China.

china sales

Indeed doing online business in China is totally different than in Europe, USA or Japan and it needs specific training cause probably most of italian SME still don’t have “fully equipped” departments to realize as this step is really internationalization’s matter.

Some successful companies like YOOX for example, if we think about fashion’s brands, put on feature the lack of skills for our brands on approaching online sales in China from 2008 and prepared the best way to get internationalization’s tools for products before promoting them online. It’s great news to know that by now we’ll be able probably to facilitate the access of more brands in sustainable way on chinese online sales market but it’s urgent to prepare SME making them operatives on right way to develop elements about management, production, communication, research and strategic planning that could match with new perspective of meeting chinese clients online.

Management: International vision is a must, cross cultural skills needed, awareness about chinese social networks and online scenario cause they represent parallel market.

Production: Tmall and Taobao are global markets inside national market with high performance of success for sales towards well framed targets (different regions, different cultures, different styles)

Communications: managing team that operates into online businesses are sometimes really different than usual ex so enterprises or usual main trading companies which we were familiar to do business with, timing of doing business online needs specific attention, tools used to communicate with chinese counterpart (stop email – ok instant massaging) must be well selected

Research and Strategic Planning: publicity, online communities, competitors and  investments for online presence,  (around 10% of annual investments for maintenance and develop of business from companies in China is for online publicity) needs dedicated team to sustain planned objectives.

If will be able to assist italian companies not only on getting sustainable entry for online platforms but also on providing for them specific skills and preparation to manage diversified tools that such scenario constantly involves, in addition with cross cultural  vision that I think will always represent “distinctive  plus” for people whom wanna doing business in China

 

Shanghai nomination approved: soon new free trade zone – building up new china

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I think that is part of modern chinese DNA  to get everyday more addicted to new 改革 (gaige means reform). That’s because is important to show to chinese population and to investors from all the world that China can always go ahead into something of new without changing that we could define as social harmony (one of most important fundamentals of confucianism as for communism party and keeping business environment as one of most interesting to develop new ventures.

And in particular each gaige could be more interesting if driven with the same perspective that was used by Deng Xiao Ping in ’78 when he started the glorious 改革开放 – So the news about Shanghai City’s will to introduce Free Trade Zone in  municipal area completely match with chinese ambition to drive new area where chinese system can realize his awarness of being real business model and place of opportunities for trading and investments  of the same importance like New York or Hong Kong –

Yes, because HK even if is part of Chinese Nation still today represents concretely the perspective of “1 country 2 systems” that has been considered as fundamental to manage the re-entry of HK under chinese political asset and it still maintains one of most profitable condition of Free Trade Environment for goods and direct investments.

China MarketsFrom 2008 when Beijing has been protagonist of Olimpic Games, Shanghai has been indicated as new center of the world for economic attraction in particular when SH was choosen as host – city for one of most important EXPO’s editions in the history in 2010. I well remember the perception about being the top of the world when i was working in SH in 2006 – 2007 and then in 2009 – It was like the beginning of new era. But at the same time i remember that even if companies were investing in SH registering their representative office first (then officially with new wofes in particular from 2010 when regulamentation changed in behalf of wofes) HK represented always the best place to invest capital gains and where drive good IDEs and high profit’s financial ventures. Why? Chinese money are chinese.. investors said.. money in HK are our money. They probably were refering about easy access to investiments using fully convertible RMB…

Well according with recent news Shanghai’s request about start of procedure to become FTZ for investments and goods has been approved by State of Council (in particular the issue has been boosted after visit of premier Li Keqiang in the previous days at Pudong district) and it’ll represent an hypothetic step of testing how other municipal zones could in the future get the same condition boosting their operative assets of investment also in behalf. of businesses built in other regions in mainland. SH will start to compete with HK on this issue and the big internal market and the well framed facilities system already improved for Expo will make for sure the difference and it’ll be really important comparing with HK. We should also to remind that SH got more productive and industrial zones (Ningbo area and others) comparing with Hong Kong but for sure the general tax conditions in HK still represent a very good appeal for investors.

I’m sure that this condition will start new era for chinese investments environment and again it’ll show to the “old continent” how we have to work hard on promote good network and common system also for attraction of IDE in particular towards that fields that we would be proud of holding primacy.

You have smart ideas for business? Make them reality! The opportunity comes from Hong Kong

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I’m not a dreamer you know. As business developer the first thing I’m used to take care is the feasibility of our entrepreneurship.  Sometimes I have to face with great concepts that cannot reach expected results as fixed on business plan, cause they’re lacking of co-investiments or connections to improve business appeal of the project.

It’s not just a problem with marketing strategy or general management (of course they must run well from the beginning of the venture), sometimes it’s because it’s not easy to approach the right network of experts, of operators and right developers that could play the difference for us.

For young people one of most difficult step is represented by introduction of own business – idea among personalities  who count for the field we’re going to invest.

Institutions seem also pretty far away than being present on supporting step by step our investiment (little or big whatever it’s gonna be) and usually we’ll finish to consider our “smart idea” like an illusion, and at the same time “doing business” will appear  really inconsistent or unreachable by common people.

So, that’s why i consider the project called “Start Me Up” introduced recently by Invest in Hong Kong as real opportunity for whom want to present smart projects still never actualized and get them on good selection (sometimes professional suggestions can help us on understanding the right way to direct our energies before being mistaken)

The proposal promoted by specialized office for foreign investments of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region consist of selection of 12 projects concerning innovative business solutions applied in HK or in other countries as introductory step of business (so they will also accept candidates with some ventures already ongoing but it’s important being at initial steps and not into high profits already).

The programme will check the details of each project considering the concept, the prototype (if necessary), then the early revenue and the breakeven and profit phases. It’s interesting cause the commission will not judge following common business criteria according with usual well detailed business plan, but they will also consider other important elements as basic fundamentals of planning a good venture as follows

Immagine

Finalists that are not based in Hong Kong will be provided with economy class travel (direct return flights to Hong Kong) and five nights’ accommodation. The also will pitch to potential business partners and investors in Hong Kong at the StartmeupHK Venture Forum on 5 December and a series of partnership matching sessions.

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council will provide a business matching service to Finalists who are looking for business partners e.g. product/service suppliers, manufacturers, agents/distributors, buyers, licensees/franchisees. For finalists in the ICT sector, Cyberport will provide a one-year basic service subscription to the Cyberport Collaboration Centre, which provides business support and facilitates partnerships and technology and talent transfer. The Hong Kong Productivity Council will offer technical consultancy advice.

Our Chamber of Commerce in Italy, following dispositions issude by regional institutions, often provide some funds or opportunity to oin some development’s programmes (even if usually we face only with vouchers for reimbursement for international exhibition), but as I’ve already said lot of times, i think that Ideas and Energies need specific knowledges to grow up on the right way and these contents and concrete orientation must be offered into projects that can place side by side experts and supporting staff with entrepreneurs and investors.

Start Me Up HK well represents congruent exemple of professional support for doing business and it reminds perfectly that who invest (time, money, dreams and energies) is precious resource for community…

So let’s stop thinking that being internationals means only to join to international exhibitions… such mentality will not guide into concrete environment that will be useful to make our ideas real business (really connected with professional network that counts)

For details please check the official link as follows

http://www.startmeup.hk/

Shanghai Jiaotong University was looking for new partners… Found good one in Australia! Milan Expo 2015 needs to boost relations on global frameworks

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Jiaotong Daxue is pretty famous in China among professionals working on education fields as for those are into business community in China.  A lot of white collars working for big companies in Shanghai got bachelor or master degree at Jiaotong Univ (university for technologies and communication studies)

I’ve been pretty sure that SJTU was looking for high level’s partners ‘cause universities in China (and also in most of eastern asia countries) are always really interested to strengthen own notoriety with agreements signed with foreign universities; the best for chinese university is represented by offering to their students opportuities of international exchanges, internship programmes and research activity boosted into specific twinning sessions with other centres or  countries.

The recent news talk about important agreement between Shanghai & Sydney for the joint programme that introduce technical partnership of SJTU and University of New South Wales. According with speakers in representation of the two universities, this partnership represents a real connection for the realization of that we could consider as Asian Century!

16_UNSW SJTU_Dinner

That’s how Australia seems feeling like more asian country recently… in occasion of development of that they have definied “Asian Century”.  (sure the history of immigration in Australia well identify the presence of chinese in the history of population boom of the country)

The partnership will include research and development’s activities for the implementation of adoption  of Easy Access IP,   that represents an innovative alternative adopted by UNSW comparing with usual US-centric model of patenting and research commercialisation. The twinning programme represented also the righ oportunity to create common fund to invest mutually in  materials engineering, computer science and biotechnology.

Now, I think that our academies in Italy have already a lot to share concerning technology transfers, researches and IT tools and in the last decades we reached lot of improvement on this field (in particular biotechnology also and material egineering), but as we ‘re getting great results, at the same time we’re keeping high skepticism about chinese conduct on respecting our “discoveries”.

I think that everybody is working with chinese well knows that if you leave your counterpart free to get preminence ‘cause you don’t show any interest on cultivating the relation (in particular taking on it with formal and institutional approach) probably you’ll lose not only your face and credibility but also you’ll allow them to manage situations and contents on autocratic way.

Now, Milan Expo 2015 represents the prosecution of Shanghai Expo 2010..  so I don’t feel really comfortable with reading several news about joint – programmes (not only about academies but also for that concerns industries, funds, banking etc) signed between Shanghai and some new entries in the “chinese network” when we can assume something like a reasonable priority to show our potentiality and appeal in such issues.  Sure it’s not a problem of City of Milan, but political systems and whole institutions should consider that their presence in direct confrontation with chinese partners is fundamental to get accepted according with well known rules of doing business in China…

Please I don’t want to introduce “guanxi” ‘s meanings anymore… right? I think that business relations between China and Italy are well structured and chinese community in our country is investing a lot also attending to our universities before going back to motherland and introduce such expertins on chinese market as well.. We should follow the australian way probably, where China is the biggest two-way trading partner due to its proximity as migrants from China jumped a fifth to nearly 30,000 out of Australia’s total annual intake of 168,685. They are skilled immigrants whom can deliver significant benefits as the Chinese immigrants contribute to economic growth and their relative youth offsets some of the impacts of an ageing labour force in Australia

Well done Sydney! We should imitate your vigorous approach on taking care such dynamics.

So.. Let’s start thinking widely and globally… or EXPO probably will lose the real function to aggregate skills and opportunities on making these skills concrete start for international relations