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Talent is crucial in taking the sector forward

Young visitors interact with a robot at the 2017 World Robot Conference in Beijing themed “Win-Win Collaborative Innovation Toward the Building of an Intelligent Society”.

China is beefing up efforts to attract highly-skilled professionals to work in AI as companies across the world scramble to get an edge in this cutting-edge field.

A report released by Hays showed that Chinese mainland enterprises have stepped up plans to hire staff involved in the artificial intelligence industry from the United States and Europe.

Many firms were offering the right candidates lucrative packages, including a 50 percent salary rise to relocate to China, the global recruitment agency stated.

“We are seeing significant government and private investment in AI across natural language processing, computer vision, speech recognition and data science,” said Simon Lance, managing director for Hays Greater China.

Earlier this year, the government launched plans to invest heavily in research programs.

The aim is to turn the country’s AI sector into an industry worth more than 150 billion yuan ($22.15 billion) by 2020, 400 billion yuan by 2025, and 1 trillion yuan by 2030.

“As a result, employers in the artificial intelligence space are becoming particularly competitive in their efforts to attract top people,” Lance added.

But China faces key challenges and a skill gap compared with the US.

A major problem is that the country lags behind the world’s biggest economy when it comes to employment numbers.

“China’s AI talent (pool) is only half that of the United States, which may (hinder) future development of (the) AI industry (here),” a report from the Tencent Research Institute stated.

The survey, conducted by a division of internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd, showed China had 592 artificial intelligence companies with nearly 40,000 employees by June, 2017.

In comparison, the US had 1,078 AI businesses with more than 78,000 employees.

The US is also ahead in four key employment areas, including processor and chips, and machine learning applications, as well as natural language processing and smart drones.

More than 20,000 people work in the natural language sector in the US compared to China’s 6,600, the Tencent report highlighted.

Studies also found that Chinese AI staff are concentrated in sectors such as automated vehicles and smart medical treatment.

In the US, the focus is on wider sectors, including the chip industry, big data and storage, as well as technical areas such as image identification and robotics.

Research in automated vehicles was also pioneered there.

“One of the reasons that China lags behind the US in AI is because it started much later”, the Tencent report stated.

Among the world’s top 20 universities for artificial intelligence research, 16 are in the US, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Carnegie Mellon University, according to the American National Science and Technology Council.

Not one Chinese university made the list.

“Up until now, China has not established a system to cultivate talent in AI,” said Yu Youcheng, deputy secretary-general of Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence.

“For example, artificial intelligence science and technology have not been set up as a first-level discipline,” Yu added. “This may lead to the loss of core AI talent.”

But the problem can be fixed by putting the right pieces of the jigsaw together.

“We should work to develop an ecological chain in the AI field,” Yu said. “This would combine AI talent cultivation, technology standards and products and applications.

“But (doing this we can) transform and upgrade the whole industry,” Yu added.

China National Nuclear Power plans to establish Hebei company

A China National Nuclear Corp stand at an industrial expo in Beijing.

China National Nuclear Power Co Ltd (CNNP), a unit of one of the country’s three largest State-owned nuclear operators, has announced plans to establish a Hebei-based company to promote the development of traveling-wave reactor, or TWR, technology.

The move will be carried out in partnership with Huadian Fuxin Energy Limited Company, Zhejiang Zheneng Electric Power Co Ltd, Shenhua Group and Jointo Energy Investment Co Ltd Hebei, the CNNP said in a statement with the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

The new company, located in Cangzhou city, Hebei province, has a registered capital of 1 billion yuan ($153.23 million). CNNP will own 35 percent of the company; Shenhua Group, 30 percent; Huadian Fuxin Energy, 15 percent; Zhejiang Zheneng Electric Power, 10 percent, and Jointo Energy Investment, 10 percent.

CNNP said, in the statement, the establishment of the new company will be in accordance with the strategy for the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (Jing-Jin-Ji) region, and added it would also help support the development of the advanced TWR technology.

In addition, CNNP Technology Investment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNNP, also plans to establish CNNP TWR Technology Investment (Tianjin) Co Ltd together with the four investors, sporting the same investment proportion. The new company, located in Tianjin, has a registered capital of 750 million yuan.

TWR, a new nuclear design using fourth-generation technology, could reduce the need for the enrichment and reprocessing of uranium. CNNP stated the establishment of the TWR demonstration project will be in accordance with, and respond to, the national energy plan arrangement.

Bellevue, Washington-based Terra Power, co-founded by Bill Gates in 2006, is working closely with China National Nuclear Corp to conduct research into the use of the new technology.

Li: Make way for new growth drivers

Technical workers assemble engines at a plant in Yiwu, Zhejiang province.

Companies should consider outside investment, mergers, premier says

Premier Li Keqiang promised more incentives to boost high-end manufacturing in China during a visit to Huaxiang Group, a private steel-casting company in Linfen, Shanxi province?part of a two-day visit to the area on Monday and Tuesday.

The company’s moves to retain top-level professional engineers have brought success, turning it into a major supplier for a number of overseas automobile companies. Huaxiang provides an annual salary of 3 million yuan ($456,000) to some of its top craftsmen, four times that of the company’s CEO.

Li spoke warmly about the approach as he talked with some of the craftsmen from whom young workers have learned, noting that providing better incentives to lure talent in high-end manufacturing is also a key strategy for the country as it seeks to shift from old economic drivers to new ones.

“We should pass on the spirit of craftsmanship from one generation to another, so that the idea of Made in China will be competitive not only in terms of prices but also in quality,” Li said.

Also on Tuesday, Li visited Linfen Iron and Steel Co to learn about the region’s efforts in cutting outdated capacity. The company, which is affiliated with Taiyuan Iron and Steel (Group) Corp, stopped most of its outdated operations in 2016, and 10,000 workers have been relocated with new jobs. Among them, more than 2,500 have started their own businesses.

“These workers may be seen as a burden for a company with outdated capacity, but their talent may be in demand when they find new and more suitable jobs,” Li said, calling on companies to focus on developing high-end products.

Companies that rely on traditional models should be open to private investment, mergers and reorganization, Li said, adding that China is determined to phase out outdated and excess industrial capacity as a key part of its structural reform, especially as coal prices have been rising again in recent months. The idea is to truly make room for new economic growth drivers, he said.

Li also visited the Shigejie Coal Mine, which ceased production of low-quality coal in 2016, and poverty-stricken Chengzhuang village in the Taihang Mountains to learn about local poverty alleviation and medical services.

Ctrip reports strong financial results in Q2

China’s biggest online travel agency, Ctrip.com International Ltd (Ctrip), announced that its net revenue surged 45 percent year-on-year to 6.4 billion yuan ($946 million) in the second quarter (Q2) ended June 30.

The company gained a gross margin of 82 percent in Q2, compared to 72 percent for the same period last year and 80 percent for the previous quarter, according to its unaudited financial results.

Net income attributable to Ctrip’s shareholders for Q2 was 327 million yuan, compared to net loss of 521 million yuan for the same period last year and net income of 82 million yuan for Q1, the company reported.

“Ctrip maintained healthy revenue growth and achieved continual improvement in operating efficiency,” Ctrip CEO Sun Jie said. “We are confident that Ctrip will generate long-term value for shareholders in the years to come.”

The company expected its net revenue for the next quarter to grow by approximately 35-40 percent year-on-year.

Strengthening its position in lower-tier cities has been Ctrip’s focus of action. The company said both its new customer acquisitions and user engagement in lower-tier cities improved significantly in Q2.

Ctrip and Qunar, a domestic rival acquired by Ctrip last year, had opened over 400 offline retail stores by the end of the quarter, with approximately 200 more in the pipeline, the company reported.

Liang Jianzhang, chairman of Ctrip, said the company will continue to expand into lower-tier cities and invest in international markets.

The company said both its accommodation reservation business and transportation ticketing business delivered healthy growth in Q2.

China Guodian merges with Shenhua Group to create new energy giant

China’s State Council has approved a merger between China’s major power generator China Guodian Corporation and coal producer Shenhua Group, an official statement said Monday.

The two companies will be restructured to form a new energy investment company, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) said on its website.

The move came with little surprise, as the listed arms of the firms had suspended trading of their stocks on the Shanghai Stock Exchange since early June, a move widely considered to signal a merger.

Following the announcement Monday, the listed arm of Shenhua Group on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange surged more than 4 percent before falling back slightly.

As the world’s largest coal supplier, Shenhua Group had total assets of over a trillion yuan (150.7 billion U.S. dollars) by the end of April this year. It ranked 276th among the global Fortune 500 in 2017.

In the first half of 2017, China Shenhua Energy Company, the listed arm of the group, reported revenue of 120.5 billion yuan, an increase of 53.1 percent year on year.

With total assets of more than 800 billion yuan, China Guodian Corporation is one of the country’s largest power generators with installed capacity of over 143 GW. It ranked 397th among the global Fortune 500 in 2017.

The merger between the two power giants was in line with the country’s aim to cut overcapacity in the coal and power sectors through restructuring state-owned enterprises (SOEs), analysts said.

SASAC has been actively restructuring SOEs this year in a bid to improve their efficiency, with the number of central SOEs falling to 98 after Monday’s announced merger, down sharply from 196 in 2003.

Xiamen sees surge in fitness equipment exports to Russia

Eastern China’s port city Xiamen, the country’s largest exporter of fitness equipment, witnessed surge in trade to Russia in the first seven months.

Data from Xiamen Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau showed the city exported $5.35 million worth of fitness equipment to Russia in the first seven months of the year, up 45.7 percent year-on-year.

The city’s fitness equipment exports to Brazil rose 32.1 percent year-on-year. Exports to South Africa increased 4.6 percent while exports to India picked up 3.4 percent.

In total, Xiamen’s fitness equipment exports to these countries reached $17.5 million, up 15.9 percent from the same period last year.

The trade and economic relations among the BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – are getting increasingly closer as the leaders are expected to meet in Xiamen on Sept 3-5 for the group’s 9th summit.

Xiamen is the country’s largest fitness equipment and message apparatus producer and exporter. Globally it accounts for 60 percent of the treadmill output. Its exports of message devices represent more than 70 percent of the country’s total.

There are more than 90 enterprises engaged in fitness equipment and related industries, with more than 10,000 employees.

Of these companies, 60 are exporting companies and 10 boast output value of more than 100 million yuan.

Big retail should be enhanced by social media opportunities

Social media is set to become a major gateway to shopping rather than a mere communication portal, as the younger generation of buyers are inclined to make purchases while watching livestreaming shows, according to a latest survey.

Around 70 percent of those aged between 19 and 22 in China said they would place an order online via social networking sites, global consultancy Accenture revealed in research based on 10,000 consumers in 13 countries including China.

Calling them “Generation Z”, Accenture found that 31 percent cited social media as a popular source for product inspiration, while 58 percent have increased their use of social media for purchase decision-making in the past year.

One-third of the respondents in China claimed they prefer video and livestreaming sites as avenues for bargain hunting. This contrasts with just 12 percent among those between 23 to 28 years old and 8 percent among those in their 30s.

“Social media has emerged as a real disrupter in targeting true digital natives,” said Koh Yew Hong, managing director and retail lead for Accenture Asia Pacific. “Internet celebrities are gaining traction because they grasp what customers want.”

This is reflective in the daily operations of e-tailor sites such as Taobao and Mogujie, both of which introduce online hosts or influencers for product endorsement that are broadcast live in a bid to improve traffic and boost sales.

Social media magnet Tencent Holdings Ltd is also empowering e-commerce players through a Mini Program function that incentivizes users to share their beloved goodies with online contacts.

Meanwhile, Generation Z are seeking a sophisticated shopping experience. Over 40 percent said they would search information directly from the brands’ indigenous websites rather than third-party platforms, a percentage significantly higher than the millennials who are mostly 30 and older.

It also came as a surprise that young consumers are equally embracing in-store shopping. Compared with virtual shopping, 31 percent reported they prefer brick-and-mortar stores but heavily rely on digital means, such as chat tools and social media reviews, to facilitate the purchase.

Koh said physical stores are projected to enjoy remarkable renaissance as long as they are digital-ready. “It’s because Generation Z values the shopping experience over the utilities of merchandise per se. Omni-channel sales are therefore critical to harness that trend.”

China’s internet giants including Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and JD.com Inc have ramped up efforts to deploy offline channels as pure-play e-commerce growth starts to stagnate. Alibaba has completed a series of buyouts including retail chain Intime Retail Group Co, while JD backed Yonghui Superstores and announced plans to open 1 million namesake convenience stores in five years.

Shares end up on pension fund investment in market

Shanghai shares closed higher yesterday as market sentiment rose on news that pension funds have started to flow into the stock market and also on progress in the on-going mixed-ownership reform in state-owned enterprises.

The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.56 percent to 3,286.91 points.

Investor sentiment soared on news that eight provinces and cities have invested the first tranche of 172.15 billion yuan ($25.8 billion) of pension funds in the stock market, Securities Daily said yesterday.

Joyoung, China’s biggest maker of soybean-milk machines, and Yantai Zhenghai Magnetic Material both soared 10 percent. The two companies’ interim results showed China’s pension fund was their major shareholders in the second quarter.

“The pension funds which flow into the A-share market are going to stabilize the market,”said Li Chao, chief analyst at Huatai Securities.

Investors were also buoyed by progress in mixed-ownership reform in state-owned enterprises.

China Unicom, the country’s second-biggest telecom firm, surged by the daily limit of 10 percent to 8.22 yuan ($1.23) after saying yesterday it planned to draw investors such as Alibaba Group, Tencent Holdings and Baidu under its reform.

Regulator OKs China Unicom’s non-public offering of shares

China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) said on Sunday night it approved the non-public offering of shares in China Unicom’s mixed-ownership reform plan and would handle it as a special case, according to a report by China Securities Journal.

China Unicom can formulate its own non-public offering of shares plan in accordance with the old rules of the refinancing system that were not revised until Feb 17 this year, CSRC said.

On the same day earlier, China Unicom disclosed its mixed-ownership reform plan, announcing it will transfer old stocks, grant employee incentive shares as well as sell shares to strategic investors.

The company will issue 9 billion private shares to strategic investors to raise no more than 62 billion yuan ($9.29 billion), transfer 1.9 billion old shares priced at 13 billion yuan to the structural reform fund and grant no more than 848 million restricted stocks to core employees to raise 3 billion yuan.

The total consideration of the above transaction will not exceed 78 billion yuan, according to the report.

Shares of China Unicom rose by 10 percent, the daily trading limit, to 8.22 yuan per share right after trading resumed Monday morning after months of suspension.

On August 16, China Unicom once published two filings of mixed-ownership reform on the website of the Shanghai Stock Exchange and withdrew them that night.

Analysts said it was because the company’s non-public offering of shares plan, the pricing of the new shares and investors’ shareholdings might have contradicted February’s newly-revised regulations, according to reports by China Securities Journal and caixin.com.

The revised rules require the number of shares issued shall not exceed 20 percent of the total equity base before the issue. However, in China Unicom’s plan, the proportion reaches 42.63 percent, China Securities Journal reported.

CSRC said on its announcement Sunday it has recognized that China Unicom’s mixed-ownership reform is significant for laying a foundation for and deepening the reform of State-owned enterprises.

The company’s strategic investors include domestic tech titan Tencent Holdings Ltd, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, Baidu Inc and JD.com Inc and Suning Commerce Group Co Ltd.

Madcap monikers! Odd company names to be banned in China

“Beijing Afraid of Wife Technology” and “What You Looking at Technology” are just two examples of the kind of company name that will soon be a thing of the past.

After launching a campaign to eliminate public signs with poor English translations, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) is targeting firms attempting to register names that are excessively long or strange.

The Legal Daily paper cited names of existing firms that would not be allowed under the new rules, including “Shanghai Wife Biggest Electronic Commerce” and “Hangzhou No Trouble Looking for Trouble Internet Technology”.

The newspaper also gave the example of a condom company called “There is a Group of Young People with Dreams, Who Believe They Can Create Wonders of Life Under Uncle Niu’s Leadership Internet Technology”.

The restrictions were introduced by the SAIC this month, while also banning company names deemed offensive or racist or having religious or political connotations.

Outside China, other countries have also made moves to regulate “inappropriate” company names.

According to China National Radio (CNR), companies in Russia can use only Russian words when registering businesses. Untranslated foreign words are banned by the administration.

Although the UK has few rules governing what name a company may trade under, firms are forbidden from using any words related to royalty, such as king, queen or prince.

Government-related words like Government, British and Britain are also taboo for local companies to use in their names, said CNR.