Geely opts to sell interests in micro carmaker

ZD’s fully-electric two-seaters roll off the production line in the Lanzhou plant in Gansu province, Jan 11, 2015.

Geely Automobile Holding has opted to sell its interests in micro-sized electric carmaker Zhidou, to enable the company to operate as an independent entity as a prerequisite to get listed in the nation’s new energy vehicle catalog.

The Hongkong-listed Geely Automobile said in the news release on Friday that getting its products listed under the brand ZD is imperative for Zhidou’s future, and will allow it to compete independently in the market. Under current regulations and conditions, the product can only be referred to as Geely ZD.

Geely Automobile announced a framework agreement on June 22 to sell part or all of its 45 percent interests held by two subsidiaries, Zhejiang Jirun Automobile Co and Shanghai Maple Guorun Automobile Co, in Ninghai Zhidou Electric Vehicles Co to a China-listed company. Detailed terms of the agreement have yet to be determined.

Jia Xinguang, senior analyst with the China Automobile Dealers Association, said: “The move could be a strategic adjustment made when Geely found the mini-sized electric car project might not be in line with its long-term plan. Another possibility is that Zhidou is growing stronger and seeking independence.”

Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co planned for new-energy vehicles to make up 90 percent of its sales by 2020, and about two-thirds of Geely’s new-energy vehicle sales will come from plug-in hybrids and gasoline-electric hybrids by the end of the decade, with the rest coming from battery-electric vehicles.

Geely Automobile joined with Taizhou Xindayang Group Co to establish Xindayang Electric Vehicle Technology Co in January 2015 to manufacture ZD-branded electric cars in Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province in northwestern China.

Local media reports cited industrial data which indicated that the ZD brand failed to close a single deal in the first four months of this year, after registering 25,300-unit sales in 2015.

The ZD brand was expected to achieve an annual sales volume of at least 500,000 by 2020, 20 times that of ZD’s 2015 sales, according to Hu Hesong, a partner in the venture capital fund GSR Ventures, one of the investors in Xindayang EV.

There are now two mini-sized two-seater models being offered by the ZD brand, the D1 and D2, with prices ranging from around 30,000 to 50,000 yuan ($4,600 -$7,700) taking national and local subsidies into consideration. The ZD car models are eligible for an NEV plate in cities where gasoline car sales and usage are restricted.

ZD brand’s annual production capacity totaled 300,000 units, a figure that also accounts for the integration of Xindayang Electric Vehicle Technology Co and the earlier establishing of Shandong Xindayang, according to the company.

Xindayang EV took over Geely Automobile’s Lanzhou plant after a 300 million yuan-plus upgrade in 2014, with the aim of obtaining a permit to manufacture passenger vehicles.

Huawei ‘plans to create proprietary OS’ to lower reliance on Android

Telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co is undertaking a confidential project to develop its own operating system (OS), domestic news portal sina.com reported on Thursday, a move expert said aims to reduce its reliance on Google’s Android OS and capture overseas markets.

Technology news sites have reported rumors circulating in the industry that Google might strengthen its control of the Android system over third-party devices or restrict original equipment manufacturers’ (OEMs’) use of functions and supporting services within the Android system.

Android OS has been a free, open-source software for years, and Google allows OEMs to customize and adjust its functions as they wish.

If Google is changing its policy on Android, then Huawei should come up with an alternative to avoid being plunged into an embarrassing situation, the sina.com report noted.

That’s a major reason for Huawei’s reported pursuit of its own OS, and it also explains why South Korea-based Samsung has released a mobile OS called Tizen.

Also, Huawei is pursuing expansion in overseas markets, especially in the US and Europe, where it faces strong competitors like Apple and Samsung in the mobile industry, expert said.

“Huawei’s increasing revenues give it the capital to develop a unique OS that is resembles neither Android nor [Apple’s] iOS, while meeting the demand of Western consumers,” Wang Yanhui, secretary-general of the Mobile China Alliance, told the Global Times on Thursday.

In line with the company’s development goals, former Apple creative director, Abigail Brody was hired by Huawei in 2015 as the chief user experience designer.

Huawei didn’t respond to an interview request from the Global Times as of press time.

Media reports indicate that the OS project is still in its infancy, with a team in Scandinavia that includes former Nokia engineers.

Although innovative strides made by Huawei make the project’s future a bright one, Wang also warned that it will take time to develop an entirely new OS.

“Any mobile OS relies heavily on its ecosystem. Currently, almost all the mobile applications have two versions – Android and iOS. But are they willing to develop a new and unique version for Huawei?” Wang said.

“So Huawei will opt to apply the OS first on its smartwatches and bands, and then gradually to other consumer electronic products like set-top boxes and finally to its mobile,” Wang noted.

In 2015, Huawei’s research and development spending increased 46.1 percent year-on-year to 59.6 billion yuan ($9.2 billion), accounting for 15 percent of its sales revenue, its financial statements show.

The company also leads in terms of international corporate patent filings with a record of 3,898 filings in 2015, topping the global list for the second consecutive year, according to the Xinhua News Agency, which cited the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com,Wal-Mart partner to expand business

China’s second largest e-commerce platform JD.com partnered with global retail giant Wal-Mart with the latter trading its China online unit for JD.com’s stakes, a strategic step expected to expand Wal-Mart’s reach to more Chinese customers.

Under the deal, JD will take ownership from Wal-Mart Stores of the Yihaodian brand, website and app while giving about a 5 percent equity stake to Wal-Mart, worth about 1.5 billion U.S.dollars at JD’s current valuation, the company announced Monday night.

The deal is expected to give Wal-Mart access to JD’s online traffic and bolster its presence in the extraordinarily lucrative, but increasingly competitive, online marketplace.

Wal-Mart Sam Club China will open a flagship section on JD.com, and both companies will leverage their supply chains and broaden the range of imported goods to meet the growing demands from increasingly affluent and quality-oriented Chinese consumers.

In a statement issued Monday, Wal-Mart CEO Doug McMillon said JD had “complementary business and was an ideal partner.”

Yihaodian has a strong presence in eastern and southern China, selling food and beverages, home goods and electronics.

JD chief executive Richard Liu expects the alliance to help improve the customer experience and boost business for Yihaodian thanks to JD’s logistics capabilities and wide range of products.

JD has nearly 6,000 delivery and pickup stations in about 2,500 counties and districts across China, with a huge customer base and an outstanding same-day delivery network.

The company launched a 20-day long online shopping promotion campaign starting from June 1 to June 20, which received orders worth over 100 million yuan, about 85 percent of transactions were on mobile devices.

The NASDAQ-listed Chinese online retailer saw its shares surge nearly 8 percent before trading was halted Monday.

Volkswagen to produce more electric cars in China

Volkswagen China said on Monday that it expects electric vehicles to account for up to 25 percent of its total auto production by 2025.

Vehicles driven purely by electricity will sell two to three million units by 2025 as Volkswagen expands its electric vehicle line to over 30 models in the next 10 years.

Batteries for electric vehicles could emerge as a new source of income, the automaker said, adding it is evaluating the research needed and potential income.

The automaker will continue to expand its business in China, such as customized auto services either through in-house research or acquisition.

Large shareholders selling spree spooks retail investors

A number of companies listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen have been reducing their holdings since the beginning of May, according to disclosures to the bourses concerned.

Market observers said this paring of holdings may dent small investors’ confidence and hurt prices of the stocks concerned.

In the first seven trading days this month, large shareholders sold 543 million shares worth 14.02 billion yuan ($2.13 billion) in various companies, according to the China Securities Journal.

This almost matched similar selling through all of May, which saw big shareholders’ sales of 435 million shares worth 14.43 billion yuan.

Each large shareholder holds more than five percent in a company’s stock.

According to the Journal, 45 companies, through 52 filings, disclosed large shareholders’ plans to sell 1.216 billion shares worth 29.14 billion yuan or $4.43 billion.

They will sell these shares gradually in three months to a year as per regulations. A big shareholder is required to disclose any substantial paring of its holding and complete such sales within a given timeframe.

Since the beginning of May, big shareholders in nine companies listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen disclosed that they are going to sell all their holdings. Among them, three firms will see big shareholders selling shares worth more than 1 billion yuan within 12 months.

Many of the companies that are seeing selling by large shareholders are small- to medium-cap enterprises in emerging sectors such as biochemicals and high-tech.

For instance, Shanghai Hile Bio-Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, a drugmaker, has seen heavy selling in their counters.

On May 3, the first trading day of the month, shares in Hile Bio-Pharma closed at 42.97 yuan in Shanghai. But by June 1, they fell to 16.37 yuan. They closed at 15.22 yuan on Friday, marking a 65 percent decline since May 3.

Although the meltdown is attributable to the automatic price shrinkage due to the company’s 13-for-10 stock split on May 4, the large shareholders’ selling is also believed to be a major factor.

A research note from Ping An Securities said quite a number of companies in emerging sectors listed recently, suggesting that large shareholders may be exiting to secure their gains.

Citing filings, analysts attributed the selloff to big shareholders’ desire to stay liquid.

A research note from Chang Xin Asset Management said recent paring of holdings had a limited impact on the A-share market so far, given the small size of sales relative to the whole market. But small investors holding shares in these stocks may feel the pinch due to falls in prices.

Zhang Shaofen, 56, a Shanghai-based small investor, said it is understandable if big shareholders like institutional investors reduce their holdings to boost their liquidity. But, if individuals such as company founders or senior executives, or their family members, are behind such sales, it could mean they are cashing out or eager to get rid of the company’s shares for some reason.

“Usually, individual large shareholders have close knowledge of a company’s profitability, operations and financial situation. If such individuals sell shares in bulk deals, small investors may interpret the move as a sign of erosion of confidence in the company’s future.”

But brokerages said block deals do not necessarily mean big shareholders are giving up on the company or that they are cashing out or exiting for good.

A research note from Guangfa Securities said some block deals could well be in anticipation of possible mergers and acquisitions. M&A activity usually stands a better chance of success when the equity structure is clear and simple.

Didi Chuxing nets $4.5b to fight off rivals

China’s most popular ride-hailing application Didi Chuxing said yesterday that it netted $4.5 billion in fundraising in its latest financing round to help it fight both foreign and domestic rivals.

The investors included Internet giants, state-owned enterprises and private firms such as Apple, China Life and Ant Financial, together with existing investors Tencent, Alibaba, China Merchants Bank and SoftBank.

The proceeds will be used to upgrade technology, Big Data research and operations to improve rider and driver experience, as well as exploring new businesses and opportunities.

“Didi is prepared to continue this momentum of growth with advantages in technology and platform synergies,” founder and Chief Executive Officer Cheng Wei said in a statement.

This marked the second financing round after Didi and Kuaidi, the two former leaders in the ride-hailing sector in China, merged to form Didi Chuxing in early 2015.

Didi Chuxing raised over US$3 billion in a previous fundraising exercise in September.

Didi said it handles an average of 14 million rides through its platform daily, serving close to 300 million users in more than 400 Chinese cities.

Baidu alters crowdfunding pay-for-performance search services

May drive small players out but help sector’s development: experts

Search engine giant Baidu Inc is altering its pay-for-performance service for crowdfunding platforms to favor larger, better-financed participants with significant shareholders, a move that experts said Tuesday will benefit the industry in the long term.

“We’ve gotten a notice from Baidu that the company won’t open new accounts for crowdfunding platforms that offer pay-for-performance services,” an employee of Shanghai-based crowdfunding platform zhongchoujia.com, who preferred to be anonymous , confirmed to the Global Times on Tuesday.

Pay-for-performance services allow companies to be featured more prominently in Baidu’s search results.

The notice said that crowdfunding platforms will only be eligible to use pay-for-performance services in Baidu if they meet at least one of five criteria, which include membership of the Payment & Clearing Association of China, having shareholders from banks or having the support of State-owned enterprises, according to the employee.

Platforms that don’t qualify were supposed to be dropped from pay-for-performance services as of Tuesday, the employee said, although the account of zhongchoujia.com was still active because Baidu probably still needs time to deal with the issue.

Baidu didn’t respond to the Global Times’ request for comment as of press time.

The five conditions are basic requirements, and further metrics will be used to evaluate each platform’s financial condition, a person close to the matter told the Global Times on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Baidu’s requirements are unfair to small crowdfunding firms that are heavily dependent on the Internet, said the zhongchoujia.com employee.

Crowdfunding is the practice in which new companies or project managers privately raise funds from a large number of investors. In many cases, using the Internet is the best or only way of doing so.

“There’s some background to Baidu’s action. For instance, government authorities have been calling for controlling financial risks since 2015,” Chang Zongfeng, co-founder of baichouhui.com, a Shanghai-based crowdfunding platform, told the Global Times on Tuesday. “Also, Baidu needs to improve its public image by reducing risks.”

Baidu announced in May it would set aside 1 billion yuan to compensate users who were harmed by fraudulent marketing information on its website.

The government authorities requested Baidu to take several remedial measures in May after the death of a 21-year-old student Wei Zexi who used Baidu to search for the hospital to treat his cancer.

“During the short term, some crowdfunding firms that depend on the search engine to raise user flow will be affected a lot,” said Chang, noting that some other search engines may follow Baidu’s moves.

However, there are risks in the crowdfunding industry caused by “irregular practices,” noted Chang.

For example, some firms lower the requirements for investors and some dubious products are offered on some platforms looking for investors, said Chang.

As of the end of the first quarter this year, there were at least 399 online crowdfunding firms in China, with 132 firms having been closed or transiting to other businesses, according to a report by Beijing-based financial information provider -01caijing.com in May .

In the first quarter, online crowdfunding firms raised about 3 billion yuan in total.

“It’s good for Baidu to strengthen the regulations, which will benefit the industry in the long term,” noted Chang. “In particular, equity crowdfunding should have more stringent requirements for investors as it’s riskier than crowdfunding ordinary projects of lower value.”

Yu Wenhui, founder of vchello.com, an equity crowdfunding platform based in South China’s Guangdong Province, agreed with Chang.

“Strict regulation is good for the sound development of the industry,” Yu told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Baidu could work with government authorities to evaluate platforms’ qualifications, said Yu.

Tianjin boosts finance leasing to help small businesses

Technicians check a pilotless helicopter at a startup company in the Binhai New Area of Tianjin.

Finance leasing is becoming the second-largest source of capital, after bank loans, for small and medium-sized businesses in Tianjin, an industrial and logistics hub in northern China, according to the city’s financial watchdog.

“The finance-leasing segment is in expansion mode, as it offers much-needed funds to various companies, especially those small and medium-sized ones,” said Sun Jingyun, deputy director of the Tianjin Bureau of Financial Affairs.

Small and medium-sized enterprises often have difficulty getting bank loans, so finance leasing provides much needed liquidity because of its more flexible policies, added Sun.

Baolai Precision Machinery Industry Group in the city is a beneficiary of the booming finance-leasing business. In the past decade, the company bought manufacturing equipment through 27 finance-leasing deals worth 60 million yuan ($9.23 million).

Baolai has more than 800 high-end processing machines and 50 quality detection devices. According to company President Cui Yachen, more than 40 percent of its equipment was bought through finance leases, and the value of the company’s annual output increased by 20 percent on average over the past 10 years.

Cui said it is more difficult to obtain bank loans, and their repayment periods are comparatively short, placing a big strain on the company’s cash flow.

“Although the fee for finance lease is higher, repayment periods can stretch as long as three to five years, granting us more time for product sales and the repayment pressure is much lower,” Cui noted.

To cut the costs for firms in finance leasing, the Tianjin municipal government is offering a subsidy to lessees.

“From 2016 to 2017, Tianjin will provide 3 billion yuan in subsidies, to cover about 70 percent of leasing fees for qualified enterprises,” said Chen Yu, deputy chief of the Tianjin Bureau of Financial Affairs.

The annual interest rates for finance leasing range from 5 percent to 8 percent. The government subsidy will help cut the rate to less than 3 percent for Baolai, which is heading for a stock market listing in August.

In contrast, a local bank loan’s average annual interest rate is about 5.16 percent.

Cui said Baolai plans to spend 10 million yuan buying new equipment through finance leasing this year, and another 30 million yuan to 50 million yuan next year.

Statistics from the Tianjin government show there are 773 finance leasing institutions in the city, and the overall value of leasing on asset has hit 680 billion yuan.