China to Push E-invoicing in 2021
The trend towards e-invoicing is slowly gathering momentum as China’s tax authorities move ahead on their much-anticipated plan to allow digitised invoicing for businesses. Soon, electronic special value-added tax (VAT) […]
Ringfencing China: Can The Digital Cord Be Cut?
China’s unique cybersecurity regulations, its separate digital ecosystem, and its digitally savvy consumers set it apart from the rest of the world. As a consequence, MNCs are looking to ringfence […]
Covid’s Impact Motivates China’s M&A Buyers and Sellers
MNCs partnering in China took only the briefest pause during the worst of Covid-19 and then bounced back in the second quarter. While organic growth is a top priority for […]
The Future of Hong Kong as a Regional Headquarters
International companies have long regarded Hong Kong highly for its skilled workforce, business-friendly legal system, robust regulatory regime, high corporate governance standards and generally free flow of capital, people and […]
Covid Accelerates China’s Digital B2B Transformation
B2B e-commerce and virtual selling were gaining traction well before the lockdown but the experience during the pandemic has accelerated the trend towards digital sales. At a recent IMA China […]
Business Travel’s Future is Uncertain
The dearth of business travel during 2020 has had an immediate and long-term impact on the travel industry ecosystem, businesses at large, and the entire global economy. An executive at […]
China’s Recovery: The CFO View
The pandemic in China has given CFOs a wild ride on a ‘V’ shaped recovery rollercoaster. After a steep drop in revenues and expenses in the first quarter, there has […]
Bringing Big Data to China’s Big Machines
Not long after news of Covid’s spread in China hit papers around the world, so did photos of a remarkable feat: the building of a 1,000-bed hospital in a mere […]
Shifting from Recovery to Retooling in China
Companies in China are moving to the second phase of the Covid-19 crisis. During the first phase they focused on protecting their employees and their assets. The second recovery phase […]
Managing Covid-19 & the Return to Work
As any crisis fades, it’s important to capture what was learned before it’s forgotten. We need to recall surprises, reflect on how they were successfully dealt with, and think about managing […]
The Rise of Bangladesh: Asia’s Next Frontier Market
Despite a promising economic outlook, foreign investors in Bangladesh must remain attentive to political and social developments in the country. With the COVID pandemic ongoing and 70% of the country’s […]
How Prepared is Your China Cybersecurity?
The ubiquity of data brings new risks. At a recent IMA Asia forum, members discussed those risks and how best to cope with the evolving cybersecurity environment in China. Governments […]
B2B Digital Marketing Growth Strategies in China
‘Everything will be digital.’ This is the mantra when marketing to Chinese consumers and buyers. The same forces of technological change that have transformed global B2C firms in China are […]
US-China Geopolitics: Uncharted Territory Ahead
How does one operate in a world where policies can be overturned overnight with a tweet? A recent IMA Asia meeting of Asia and China CEOs delved into the uncharted […]
Promising Outlook for Southeast Asia Manufacturing
2019 has been a bad year for global manufacturing and no less so in Southeast Asia. The pain for ASEAN’s factory sector is apparent in the region’s contracting Purchasing Manager’s […]
Coping With China’s Shifting Distributor Network
Distributing goods in China can be complicated and confusing. Although the China market is large, it is also highly fragmented. Achieving economies of scale can be elusive when distributors are […]
Stepping Up Innovation in China
The pursuit of innovation is changing business models in China. MNCs are addressing competitive challenges by localising innovation efforts. At a recent IMA CEO Forum meeting China CEOs cited numerous […]
Infrastructure Spending Propping up ASEAN Construction
The IMA Asia ASEAN Demand Watch reports look at the latest trends in specific industrial sectors across ASEAN. Our reports combine insights from three sources: Interviews with IMA Asia Forum […]
Beyond the Hype: Getting Ready for China’s Social Credit System
China’s Social Credit System (SCS) will fundamentally change the way business operations are regulated in China. It’s time to move past the dire warnings of a dystopian future and manage […]
Consumers Are Not of One Mind in Southeast Asia
This article is based on the findings of IMA’s Asia Demand Watch – ASEAN Consumers. Consumer demand remains a key driver of growth in Southeast Asia, but demand trends are diverging. The divergence […]