Is It a Trade War or Compliance Blitz? Chinese Regulators Become More Rigorous
Foreign firms in China are navigating a new, uncertain landscape thanks to tariffs, increased red tape, and the possibility of consumers turning against the US. For global executives, responding to […]
Asia’s Forecast Remains Rosy Despite Looming Risks
In this episode of the IMA Insights podcast, IMA Editor Rick Payne speaks with Richard Martin, Managing Director of IMA about IMA’s latest economic forecast for the remainder of 2018 […]
Asia Export Growth Stays On Track … for Now
Listen to our podcast in which Richard Martin, Managing Director of IMA Asia, discusses the key factors impacting IMA Asia’s latest forecast. Summer is ending, and we return to work […]
Managing China’s Receivables Risk as Market Stress Rises
It is no secret that China has avoided a looming credit crisis for years. While the government is taking great strides to clean up the shadow banking and off-balance sheet […]
Building the Belt and Road Initiative Into Your Strategy
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will shape the way companies perform and will be an important part of corporate strategy in the years to come. China already has committed […]
Repositioning China with Headquarters
International firms should look past the noise of headlines about the assault on global trade to prepare for the day when the Chinese economy overtakes the US in size and […]
The Future of China’s Belt and Road Initiative
China is now the second largest source of outbound foreign direct investment and its overseas investments are projected to grow to US$2.5 trillion over the next decade. Much of that […]
The US-China Trade War Reaches Deep into Supply Chains
The US-China trade dispute has consequences far beyond those products and companies hit directly by higher US and China tariffs. The ‘America First’ approach to trade is likely to lead […]
Is Digital Automation Transforming China’s Manufacturing?
Digital automation has been a solution to counterbalance high labour costs across most of the developed world. But why is it so important in China, where labour costs remain relatively […]
Asia’s Digital Journey is Just Beginning
Not long ago, digital technologies impacted just a few sectors focused on computing and advanced technologies. Now, business transformation stemming from new digital technologies is becoming ubiquitous across industry sectors. […]
Building CEO and Digital Teams in China
Building a successful leadership team in China is no small feat, but this is the challenge that often determines the success of a China CEO. Making the challenge even more […]
Putting Innovation in the Forefront of Asia Business Strategy
Faced with the increasing pace of innovation, companies are rethinking vital aspects of their business strategy, ranging from structures and staffing to the value propositions driving competitive positioning. The changes […]
Strategies for Effective China Partnerships and M&A
Now, more than ever, is the time for foreign firms to grab market share and boost revenues through acquisitions and partnering in China. At a recent IMA China Management Forum […]
Catching the Next Wave of China’s Consumer Growth
China’s consumer market is poised for levels of growth that will outstrip even the past three decades. China already leads the world in e-commerce, digital payments, high-speed rail, and the […]
How One Firm Went Local to Tap China’s Growth Potential
Going local – by buying Chinese firms or inversely, bringing on Chinese owners – can boost the pace of organic growth in China for foreign firms. Often, firms that have […]
Corporate Survival in Asia Depends on Your Digital Strategy
There is no doubt that corporate survival in Asia depends upon how well organisations deal with digital transformation. As one Asia/Pacific CEO at a recent IMA Forum put it, ‘We […]
Getting HQ On Board the ‘China Train’
The primary job of the China CEO is to ensure that opportunities in China are maximised for the company as a whole. Getting HQ on board the ‘China train’ means […]
Artificial Intelligence Takes a Leap Forward in China
‘To compete in China, AI needs to be part of your thought process. While you may not be using it, your Chinese competitors most definitely are, and these include more […]
China CFOs’ Role Growing Beyond Managing the Numbers
In an ideal world, CFOs could set a sticker price, plug it into a financial model and have accurate profit predictions come out at the end. In China, however, where […]
The Ageing of China: The Conventional Wisdom is Wrong
China’s middle-aged and senior citizens present the most exciting growth opportunities in coming decades for consumer firms, and they are likely to be a valuable presence in future workforces. At […]
Why Are So Few Chinese in Global Roles … & Does it Matter?
Why are there so few Chinese executives in senior positions in Western multinational companies? Although India’s market size is smaller than China’s, Indians claim a far larger proportion of executives […]
Guiding Your Firm Through a China Crisis
The weight of being the legal representative in China is a heavy one. Crises are the toughest test of leadership skills and values that many CEOs face. And, that added […]
Are You Managing Your Data as a Strategic Asset?
Are companies only as valuable as their data? For many firms in China the answer is ‘yes’. For one global retailer in China, its customer loyalty program data is viewed […]
China Leads the Way with Digital Engagement
China is setting global best practice in social media and online shopping, with local digital strategies – once necessary for attracting Chinese consumers – now setting the standard for global […]
The Global Upturn Consolidates
Our growth forecasts for the 14 main markets in Asia Pacific continue to edge up, reflecting two broad forces. First, the global recovery is gradually picking […]
ASEAN’s Frontier Markets
The markets remain small, poor, and risky, but a dynamism is apparent in all three of ASEAN’s so-called “Frontier Markets” of Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. Asia CEO Forum and […]
Building a Compliance Culture
MNCs need to pay closer attention to China’s anti-bribery laws, despite the fact that these laws are rarely enforced and are unhelpfully vague. At a recent China Management Forum […]
The Big Changes Boosting Global Growth in 1H 2017
Three big changes in 1H’17 are collectively paving a path for world growth to lift to a 6-year high, and prompting regional firms to rethink their business forecasts. The […]
The Transformation of China
Too often the discussion about China focuses on its growth figures when the real story lies in the massive transformation underway across key segments of the economy. Beijing continues to […]
Learning to Embrace WeChat & Weibo
Chinese consumers love ecommerce and mobile commerce in particular. By 2019, one in every three dollars will be spent online in China, the highest in the world. However, at […]
Philippines: the Five-Year Outlook
A solid market for many firms over the last five years, the Philippines presents plenty of risks and a poor operating environment, but also an undeniable, and sustainable, economic vitality. […]
China Embraces Robots in its Race for Productivity
China is embracing robotics with the same intensity that made it a force in high speed rail and renewable energy. China’s vast manufacturing sector is under pressure to automate, and […]
Market Transformation: Strategies for Tapping Asia’s Newest Growth Driver
Asia CEO Forum members recently discussed how innovation and new business models are recasting entire industries and helping companies reach new segments of consumers. Entrepreneurs across Asia have capitalised on […]
China’s Digital Transformation: New Solutions Are on the Horizon
The internet ecosystem that has flourished behind China’s firewall is populated by a mini-universe of consumer applications suited to the cultural and language preferences of Chinese users. At a recent […]
The Rise of Xi Jinping & his OBOR Initiative
How Asia will work from 2018 onwards was partly on show in May at the One Belt, One Road or “OBOR” meeting in Beijing. Chinese media set a new benchmark […]
Moving into China’s New Sweet Spot: The Mid-Market
With China’s mid-range segment growing faster than the upper or lower ends of the markets, a focus on the ‘sweet spot’ of the mid-tier segment – where quality, elevated pricing, […]
Is Digital Marketing in China Replacing the Sales Team?
China’s unique digital environment, combined with its considerable market size and large base of early adopters, present a strong case for giving more autonomy to local marketing teams. The Great […]
Charting Strategy in the New, New China
For years, economic growth has consistently surpassed Chinese government predictions but this time is likely to be different. At a recent China CEO Forum meeting we were joined by […]
The Yuan: A Leaky Balloon
The question on the minds of China CFOs is how much further the yuan will depreciate against the US dollar? After a decade of gains the picture is starkly different […]
Consumers Underpin Asia’s Growth; Policy & Capex Set the Speed Limit
Over recent decades, Asia’s growth has increasingly been defined by domestic demand, particularly from consumers. Consumers now dominate in Asia’s growth outlook, but the story varies enormously by country. Japan […]