Guides in China

If you are on a group or private guided tour you see China at its best.   Professional

 Guides add so much to a tour and often point out things that you wouldn't see just passing by.  An English speaking guide although they may speak excellent English must still deal with the many accents of English as well as tourists that English is a second language.  Be patient and speak slowly using common words and NO SLANG which is most common to us in the U.S.  It is impolite to ask a tourist to repeat a question that is difficult to understand.  The coastal major cities it is not much of a problem but once you go into the interior parts of China it can be a bit more difficult.  English is being taught in all the schools these days so it is becoming less of a problem.   Culture dictates that it is impolite to ask for something that is not possible.  A guide normally either tries to avoid answering it or gives you an indefinite answer.  That usually means NO.  A Guide needs to give a positive response to questions so if what you ask is not possible, you will often get a vague answer.  One couple wanted to visit Beijing University since it was on the way to the Summer Palace.  It requires a permit to visit which must be obtained in advance.  The guide not wanting to give a negative answer, said she would see if it is possible on the way back to the city.  The guide knows that the time is too short so that she wouldn't have had to say No to them that it couldn't be done.  This is Chinese Cultures differences from ours as one example.  I have a book available called  "Encountering the Chinese"   A Modern Country; An Ancient Culture.   It is required reading for college students who will be visiting China and need to know more about interacting with the Chinese.  It is difficult to find so I have copies available at $24.95 post paid.  If you would like a copy, please send a check made out to Interlake China Tours  and send it to  Interlake China Tours, P.O. Box 33652  Seattle, WA. 98133 along with your request.

Wechat is so popular in China but not in the world

Have you ever heard the term “Chinese WhatsApp”? If you have never heard it, then you need to know that the term is a term for WeChat, a famous chat application from China. WhatsApp spread more widely but WeChat began to follow, and for the moment, the majority of WeChat users are coming from China. The uniqueness of this application lies in the fact that WeChat is not just a normal chat application, but also a social network and a social media. WeChat has facilities capable of being used to search for new acquaintances; something that has not been provided by WhatsApp. Check : http://wechat.com/

scan this to discover a Wechat Brand for Treelabs about music

 Wechat in China!

In this article, I will pay attention to why WeChat has not yet to achieve what has been achieved by WhatsApp. In China, its origin country, the application is very dominating for chatting purposes but somehow not very successful abroad. To find out why, we must know the background of chat application development in the world, especially in China. I live in China and of course I know chat application development here. The development is certainly fueled by the growth of smartphone users growing to almost 80%.I also lived in the United States and I have tried various chat applications such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn, while I have been a customer of Renren, Weibo, Momo, and so forth. I did these experiences before I know WeChat. One thing I realized is that WeChat is designed specifically for Chinese consumers. This application determines that its biggest target is Chinese people so that it provides various facilities tailored to the characteristics of Chinese citizens.

Many Chinese tourists have stayed away from luxury hot spot Hong Kong

Last week, Burberry said it would realign prices to match its rivals after brands such as Chanel and Patek Philippe reduce prices in Asia more than 20 percent to close the gap with Europe .
Kering will take stock of its pricing policy, particularly its flagship brand Gucci, with the publication of first quarter results on Tuesday.
Global Blue said overall global tourism spending worldwide has reached its highest level in March since May 2011, despite spending Russia falling 39 percent, against a decline of 51 percent in January .

Watches and jewelry +67%

Watches and jewelry made better, with sales up 67 percent in March against 32 percent the previous month, he said. Leather goods sales increased by 50 percent, against 24 percent
Many Chinese tourists have stayed away from Hong Kong
Chinese tourists spent a record amount on luxury goods last month, helped by shopping sprees in Europe as the weak euro made products cheaper than at home.
- Chinese tourists spent a record amount on luxury goods last month, helped by shopping sprees in Europe as the weak euro was cheaper than items at home, the VAT refund business Global Blue said.
Spending by Chinese tourists, the biggest luxury goods buyers, jumped 122 percent in March, after rising 52 percent in February, bringing the increase for the first quarter to 67 percent, Chinese tourists expert said in a report released Monday.

Chinese tourists are the biggest spenders in the world! http://t.co/WxGFIK7eG1

— chinese tourist (@TouristChinese) 19 Juin 2015

+32% of Luxury consumption

This compares with an increase of 32 percent in the fourth quarter and 18 percent in 2014.
Many Chinese tourists have shunned luxury hot spot Hong Kong - where the big brands have invested in new stores in recent years - following pro-democracy protests last year.
"This continues to reflect the shift in Hong Kong Chinese spending to Europe in particular, given the widening price differentials, which is a much discussed topic during the current earnings season," said Barclays a broker in a note on the Global Blue figures.
exchange rate movements led to significant regional differences in prices, with the same luxury product sometimes costing more than 50 percent less than in European capitals in major Chinese cities.

Digital Influences Chinese tourists

The trend has encouraged Asian buyers to snap up goods in Europe and sell them at home, a practice often referred to negotiation in parallel or gray market and which concern marks could raise questions about their products' perceived authenticity.
Experts estimated 20 to 40 percent of luxury sales in mainland China are now parallel, based on what leaders and luxury goods consultants said.

Internship Marketing Digital (Shanghai)

Internship Marketing Digital (Shanghai)

Your tasks:

- Working referencing of our sites on Google
- Marketing watch
- To be the spokesperson and ambassador of a company in the travel industry.
- In writing and posting messages on various platforms (twitter, facebook, blog, etc.), you must ensure the promotion of the site. You have to make a research work to post high-value information.
- Ensure harmony and well-being of our various communities, playing a particularly active role of mediator.
- Follow the key figures (dashboard) to evaluate the vitality of hearings and key members, subscribers.
- Ensuring customer care

Profile:

Dynamic
Upper or self-taught, you have experience, a taste for Internet and specifically for the use of different social networks.
Curiosity and general culture, to play the role of a skilled mediator
You combine writing skills, analytical mind and initiative.
Finally, you master (or want to master) online communication tools (blog, forum, facebook, etc ...).
more information here https://www.bonjourchine.com/threads/stage-digital-marketing-shanghai.116939/
send resume at irecruitchina@gmail.com

Micron’s decision to discourage a buyout offer from China’s Unigroup

A week after the screening in the titles, a potential offer by Tsinghua Unigroup China to Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) is in doubt, with the word that the main US memory chip maker is worried that such an agreement Washington could get a veto over national security reasons. The development comes as a slight surprise to me, as I have already predicted that such an agreement would ignite some controversy, but would eventually be approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) which conducts examinations for national security risks.
http://www.youngchinabiz.com/en/multinationals-micron-spurns-china-bid-in-bargaining-tactic/


It is quite possible that Micron does not really proceed to negotiations because it believes that there is a fairly high chance that such an agreement could be vetoed by Washington. But that said, it is also quite possible that Micron could quickly resume talks if Unigroup offers a higher price than the previous $ 21 per share under discussion, and that all this is just a negotiating tactic.

This particular saga began a week ago, when the media reported that Unigroup, a company with close ties to Beijing, was preparing to make his offer $ 21 per share for Micron, in a deal that would value the chip maker to 23 billion. (Previous Post) Some argued the deal would get vetoed because of the status of Micron as the first memory chip maker United States and its broad portfolio of know-how high-tech. But others said the Micron technology is widely available around the world, making a less likely veto.
The latest reports now say that Micron said quietly Unigroup he will not pursue a case, due to the probability of a veto by CFIUS. (Article in English) Micron delivered its views after UniGroup officials expressed their formal interest in pursuing an acquisition late last week, say reports. They added that Micron consulted but not hired an investment bank because it does not want to pursue a case.
As a former journalist, I can say with almost 100 percent confidence that this news comes from particular sources at Micron, which means that the leak was almost certainly a strategic decision with additional incentives. This could mean that simply said Micron Unigroup its $ 21 offering price is too low, and he will need to significantly increase the number of Micron to go to the trouble to pursue a case that has a significant risk of being rejected.
Unconvinced investors

Certainly investors do not see things this way, with the shares of Micron tumbling 6 percent in the last trading session at $ 18.89, or 10 percent below the expected offering price. The shares had risen as high as $ 20.12 after the news was reported last week. But it is also interesting to note that shares of Micron lost about half its value in the last 7 months due to the stiff competition in the memory market from the computer that is used to power most Electronic devices today.
This rebuff Micron means that the ball is now in the Unigroup camp, and Chinese society will have to decide to come back with a substantially higher offer, perhaps around $ 30 per share. This would mean Unigroup would have to pay much more for Micron, well over $ 30 billion for a deal that could not even get approved.
If this were a rational position, market-oriented, I would say Unigroup would abandon the offer and that would be the end of history. But in this case, I truly believe that the political forces are involved and Unigroup is being strongly supported by the central government. China is already the largest purchaser of memory chips and Beijing is desperate to become a global player in the market of the chip. Therefore, I predict that Unigroup will return with an offer much higher soon, perhaps in 1-2 weeks, and that the two sides will resume talks in this regard. It's quite possible, Micron That Does not really want to proceed with talks Because It Believes there's a big enough opportunity That Could Get Such a deal vetoed in Washington. Purpose That Said, it's quite possible to aussi That Could Quickly Micron summary offers the talks if Unigroup A Higher price than the previous $ 21 per share Discussed being white, and That all of this is just a bargaining tactic. This Particular saga Began a week ago, When media reported about That Unigroup, a company with close ties to Beijing, Was prepaid icts to make $ 21-per-share bid for Micron, in a deal That Would the chipmaker value at $ 23 billion. (Previous post) Some argued the deal Would get vetoed due to Micron's status as the leading US Memory chip maker and Its broad portfolio of high-tech know-how. Others aim Said Micron's technology is available Widely Throughout the world, making a veto less Likely. The latest reports now Say That Micron HAS quietly Told Unigroup It Does not want to Pursue a deal, due to the probability of a veto by CFIUS. (English article) Micron Delivered icts view After Unigroup Officials Expressed Their formal interest in Pursuing an acquisition late last week, the reports say. They add Micron That HAS Consulted but not hired an investment bank Because It Does not want to Pursue a deal. As to form reporter, I can say with 100 percent confidence Almost Particular That this news is coming from sources at Micron, qui means clustering the leak Was Almost Certainly a strategic decision with additional incentives. That Could mean Micron That is simply telling Unigroup That icts $ 21 offer price is too low, and it will need to raise considerably the face for Micron to go to the trouble of Pursuing a deal That: has a significant risk of getting rejected.

Chiese Investors unconvinced

Certainly Investors About did not see things That Way, with Micron's shares tumbling 6 percent in the latest trading session to $ 18.89, or 10 percent below the planned offer price. The shares have risen HAD high as $ 20.12 partner after the news first reported about last weekend Was. Aim it's worth Noting That aussi Micron's stock lost about half HAS icts of value over the last 7 months due to stiff competition in the market for computer memory That Is used to power MOST of today's electronic devices.

This rebuff from Micron means clustering the ball is now in Unigroup's court, and the Chinese company will-have to decide WHETHER to come back with a Significantly Higher offer, Perhaps around $ 30 per share. That Would mean Unigroup Would Have to pay a lot more for Micron, well over $ 30 billion, a deal for Not Even That might get approved.

If this Were a rational, market-driven position I would Say That Would Unigroup give up on the offer and this Would Be The End of the story. Purpose in this instance, I really believe That political force and are Involved Unigroup is being white Strongly supported by the central government. China is already the biggest buyer of memory chips and Beijing desperately Would like to Become a global player in the microchip market. Accordingly, I predict That Unigroup will come back with a Sharply Higher bid soon, Perhaps in 1-2 weeks, and 2 sides que la Their talks will summary At That Point.

Travel Sickness and What To Do!

I have been to China 55 times over 26 years and only got sick one time.  I ate with some Farmers in the countryside but they were so nice and the husband had just retired that day from teaching.  I keep antibiotics with me at all times and was fine in 3 days.  Two things are common in most countries with the change of diet.  One is diarrhea and the other is constipation.  Chinese use MSG in most sauces and this can cause constipation so beware of eating too many foods with sauces in them.  The rule for not getting diarrhea is DO NOT DRINK TAP WATER...even in 5 star hotels.  Drink bottled water and it is available everywhere.  Do not buy bottled water at major sites from sellers.  Do Not eat at booths on the streets.  9 out of 10 times you will be o.k. but it is the 10th one that could land you in the hospital.  Travel adjustments are not only Time Change but also Diet Change which can take a few days too.   Take remedies with you but also ask your guide in an emergency to visit a local pharmacy.  Local remedies are often very good and natural.  For more information on illness and what to do about it contact me at  interlak@eskimo.com    My name is Dave and I am always glad to be able to help you whether you are a customer or not.  Below is my good friend Dr. Ho of Chinese Traditional Medicine Fame.  He is now retired in a small village and almost 90 years old.  He has researched natural medicine for many years with his father and now his son and daughter in law are taking over.  There is a wonderful museum that they built to visit in the village near the city of LiJiang.

Blog on my Web site Also Now

I  have been writing my blog now for 8 years and have now integrated it into my web site at
www.interlakechinatours.com   On the pull down menus you can see my blog there and has all my blogs from the past 8 years.  I go back and update the information on a regular basis as China changes from year to year.  For more specific information please feel free to contact me directly at my email address:   email:   interlak@eskimo.com   My name is Dave or better known as ChinaDave.  I will not press you to book a tour with me or put you on any spam list.  As I am now in my twilight years of life I enjoy sharing my 26 years experience in China during my month long 55 trips.  I do not take people on group tours to China but work with reliable partners in China.  I rather spend my time researching hotels, new sights and keeping informed on all the changes going on in China.  I try to do everything at least once so I have first hand reliable information.  My over 2,500 past customers have also given me their insights so the information I have is not just my own personal thoughts.  I look forward to hearing from you here in Seattle. 

Digital Marketing, what are the real challenges of companies in China ?

Digital Marketing Barometer 2015 ". This study, conducted among 300 managers and marketing managers, focused on the following topics: How to optimize your digital campaigns? How to improve your mobile marketing initiatives? How to measure the effectiveness of your cross-channel actions? How to make your digital transformation? Invited to share their experiences, advertisers 3 sectors of very different activities spoke for more than an hour ...

what are the futur trends ? 

Board Director at Atwim, drew a picture of future trends: Part increasingly significant budget allocated to digital marketing; Mobile applications very popular with more than one third of respondents claiming to devote the budget; Atwim The Email Marketing and short message is dead in China.
Wechat is the top levers privileges acquisition; Improved customer insight through data. According to the study, two thirds of respondents are considering the data as a tool to improve customer knowledge.
The study also found that the "customer journey" becomes essential to optimize every stage and interaction provided of course to put the customer at the center of its marketing strategy. Another change, the digital no longer appears only as a vector of acquisition, it also strengthens the image of the brand explain this SEO Agency in Shanghai 

The data, centerpiece with Sohu

Faced with the proliferation of digital channels and the explosion of data sources, companies sometimes have trouble measuring the effectiveness of their digital strategy. Indeed, it remains difficult to analyze, it is the interdependencies between the different channels. According to the barometer Digital Marketing, only one third of respondents have already aggregated the internal company data with external data.

Get more exposure and more Fans on Social media is the Challenge in China !

For if this pool of data is exponential, it represents a tremendous opportunity for marketers on both a business plan and in terms of customer knowledge. For a pure player like atwim, the organization is simplified. Ombline Coriolis, Global Head of Media at alibaba, said that "data is a masterpiece" and that "the external data is now integrated." As for traditional structures, it is still complicated. CRM and Internet Director of Club Med World group, is hoping a quick rapprochement between IT and marketing and personalization of off and online marketing operations. It also wants to offer more human through a mobile application and a bracelet connected with a logic customization, the bracelet is already a known object by customers of Club Med in China . Ditto for the main target which itself the goal of becoming ever more powerful and more agile and in step with the times. Today, Vincent , Marketing and Client Management in China in the company L'Oreal wants better use of the data to obtain a more accurate sequential work but also bring more attention to the human.

Digital Marketing, global communication online

What is really Digital marketing ... according to Wikipedia is an umbrella term for the targeted, measurable, and interactive marketing of products or services using digital technologies to reach and convert client . The key target is to promote brands, build preference and increase sales through various forms of digital media and tools. It is embodied by an extensive selection of service, product and brand marketing strategy , which mainly use the Internet as a core promotional medium, in addition to mobile and traditional TV and radio, and internet(in CHina)



Digital marketing concepts and practice are evolving tremendously among several industries, especially by the leading companies among each industry utilizing the mass reach of digital tools and social media platforms, benefiting from the possibility to create individually tailored approach that can achieved at a very productive cost
Digital marketing includes Internet marketing techniques, such as search engine optimization (SEO), on baidu in China search engine marketing (SEM) , content marketing, influencer marketing, content automation, campaign marketing and e-commerce marketing. It also extends to non-Internet channels that provide digital media, such as mobile phones (both SMS and MMS), callback and on-hold mobile ring tones, social media marketing,e-mail direct marketing, display advertising, e–books, optical disks and games, and any other form of digital media

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_marketing

Go mobile in China 

The mobile audience poised to outperform the web Besides the data, cross-channel has a real added value for the business, it helps to understand how your customers interact with your brand and maximizes the impact of your marketing actions. At Tencent, cross-channel is present and many levers are operated. The push banner within the customer safe spaces is what works best. Obviously, email marketing, SMS and targeting are also widely used. In addition, mail remains a vital lever for powerful and outgoing calls. Wechat, whose average Chinese customer age is 20 to 35 years, promotes as mobile communication, customers are essentially of mobile users.


Moreover, according to ibrands invested 72% in the mobile App In 30% of the mobile web and web in 2015.

Although awareness is done widely felt, the mobile channel is still underexploited by traditional companies. Yet the study of chinese insurance published in January 2015 revealed that 4 times more smartphones were sold than PCs in 2014 and the mobile audience is about to exceed that of the web. Of course, Jack Ma ensures they work there and that 30% of marketing expenditures are already devoted to mobile.

Conclusion :  Marketers in china know that today's technology offers a tremendous opportunity to measure his actions. Nevertheless, the digital transformation may seem even harder to implement. Indeed, a lot of data to be analyzed and businesses do not always have the internal expertise to carry only this type of project. In addition, the mobile forces us to think of new services and experiences, in fact, offer a mobile quality of experience for its users has become essential. Finally, the customer has become volatile, it is necessary to follow the user lifecycle and understand how to strengthen the synergy between the various existing levers.


For, to bring value, usefulness, the company must know the needs and expectations of its consumers to respond, or do better

Please tell us what’s on your mind, such as article ideas, advertising queries, joining our team, criticisms and more

A very good Digital Marketing Strategy is the key to success in China

The Adopt e-Commerce Data Management , the best Digital Strategy 

"The mantra of the Summit BtoB event, organized by the communication agency Oracle

So is managing data, Today, June lighthouses concerns marketing function

4 Lessons for your digital market BtoB:

1 / positionning over competition

Although Know Your Strategy pour give meaning to data: tel is the first challenge one digital marketing approach. senior partner and strategic director of Ogyvly china a list Some good practices in order to positioner son supply over competition in China: Trouver Means to differentiate In the competitive son of, identifying its strengths and weaknesses, It is a lot of Risks and Opportunities That undefined to brand either consistent with His promises;

Identify your Priority TARGET,

the "characters" A convenient and intimate portrait of what they say, think ou Their appearances Their attitudes in public or, again, their expectations;
Understanding comment Competing brands are positioned on similar segments; Ask the strategic framework of the campaign and ensure Everybody in the company shares HIS Strategic Objectives; "In summary, there are four dimensions of the Strategy to remember, concludes Stéphane Munier The brand -. And his positioning -., Competition, the characters and the strategic framework" 2 / Generating Content Put in place the strategy of "honeypot": tel Is The board of Laurent Ollivier, CEO of Aressy, "by opening the lid of TO Attract prospects Whether they pay within Fall", a metaphor-t it. In practice, IT meant the creation of the United Nations website and, in parallel, a blog of the UN, spond to different logics. "The creation of UN comes Website In An SEO Strategy Continues Laurent Ollivier, AND SERVES choice to Products Offers Presentation And services. The blog transformer Meets Needs of contacts Players and Powers sera content . The issues on the market, trades of e Functional Needs "Rule of Three levels prevailing pay select content: 1/3 rewriting existing content, exclusive of 1/3 (forums, experts ..... 1/3 curation.

The board? Abusing the call-to-action to capture contacts, like the subscription to the newsletter June On infographics, white papers ... Chinese buyers really like.

A Sí no simple process, as evidenced by head of channel marketing service and communication at Sony Europe: "We wanted to Create quality content and Sufficient Quantity, It scared We Who We Are We turned, internally to the Content Already products communication through,
 We have trusted our agency to Who We outsource the curation of content. " explain the founder of Zhongguo Wine

3 / monitoring .....

92% of Buyers Are Passed on the UN site before taking the purchase decision, "recalls Bruno Barandas, CEO of Win more. Pour Detecting Weak Signals, place Done monitoring, expert ADVISES the." Monitoring offers the possibility to detect Enterprises Who ConnecTent on my website and the analyzer trail pour locate the Need "He continues remains to Choose the tool of marketing automation., Nurtering of the score . " Allows monitoring of IP identifier The Business Who come to our site and define rating based on their behavior, "explain Chief Marketing services e-commerce.
A Time gait automation Launched marketing, good practice is to "associate retargeting With email marketing, pour inject contextualizing data In Emails" adds Roland Koltchakian, business development SAP Marketing Cloud.

4 / Leverage social media

Finally, in June Digital Marketing Strategy Could not be complete without social networks, wechat weibo etc  Diffuser and son amplifier content, or further increase the brand awareness with banners on the UN social network, few are VSS features of Permitted by the networks.
Social media influences purchase decisions more than Chinese SHOPPERS retail Web sites, according to a new report released by the global marketing firm Intel Data Management LLC.
The report, "Digital Business Impact Analysis Tool 2015" notes that the social messages and retailers media pages have a greater influence on the stores and consumers buy brands from other channels, including search engines and retail sites. And social media messages and brands of the pages are not far behind in their influence. Epsilon quantifies influence by using what he calls a score impact the average percent of users say that a channel has influenced 10 factors, including whether the channel led consumers to buy products or brands they have not previously purchased.
The five basic digital tools in terms of impact score with their respective score:
Social network messages and pages of retailers, 35%
Price comparison sites, 35%
Filter applications, 34%
Social network messages and brand pages, 33%
Product Reviews 33%
Printable coupons, 32%

When exclusive Chinese brands examined prompting consumers to try new brands and products, retailers using social media also opened the way to 29%, exceeding social media brands use (28%) , printable coupons (23%) of daily deal sites (22%) and the social media messages from friends (21%)

see also http://www.practicalecommerce.com/

Tipping in China

How much to tip, when to tip and who to tip are questions I receive all the time.  Tipping up until about 10 years ago was expressly forbidden. Signs were up at hotels  "No Tipping Allowed".  It was considered western bribery then.  Today that has changed as western customs have invaded China.
Tipping in hotels other than perhaps the bell boy for taking your luggage to your room but then only a small amount is necessary.  (can be done in Dollars if you do not have yuan on arrival)  There is a service charge of usually 15% already in your hotel cost.  It is the same in restaurants.  Most times if you leave a tip in a restaurant the server must give it to the manager or owner.  Tips of course are given to guides and drivers when you are on a tour.  Your tour operator can give you a suggestion on the amount.  Tips are given at the end of the tour in each city usually in an envelope from the hotel.  The guides and drivers will quickly put it away with a short thank you.  It may take a few generations to learn to accept tips for good service.  I think it is because the culture has for so long had bribes as a way of life and it is often still done with officials that you may have read about.  Culture changes take time. interlak@eskimo.com   My name is Dave and I will not  put you on any spam list or push you to do a tour with me. 

Taking a taxi no tip is expected but you round off the amount on the meter to the next yuan.  Be aware that taking a toll way from or to the airport, the toll is added to the cost on the meter.  You will find most taxi drivers honest.  At the airports do not take a taxi if someone asks you if you would like a taxi as they are very high priced and not legal.  There is a taxi line that goes quickly and the starter speaks English.  You need only know the hotel where you would like to be taken.

4 news about Chinese automotive Market

1. China auto sales drop 2.3% in June 2015
China auto production and sales numbers are 1,850,800 and 1,803,100 in June 2015, dropped 5.8% and 5.3% respectively over last month, dropped 0.2% and 2.3% respectively over the same period in last year. It recorded the first year-over-year decline in more than two years.

2. GM China auto sales flat in June despite broad price cuts
GM's sales in China are roughly flat for June as broad price cuts introduced earlier in the year failed to boost demand. GM and its Chinese joint-venture partners sold 246,066 cars in June, virtually unchanged from the same month a year ago. It has largely failed to counteract sluggish auto sales so far despite slashing prices on 40 models in May by up to 20 percent, as China's economy grows at its slowest rate in 25 years. The automaker also faces rapidly shifting tastes among Chinese consumers, now showing a pronounced preference for small, affordable sport-utility vehicles.

3. Geely started building New Energy Commerical Vehicles plant in Nanchong, Sichuan province
On last Thursady, Geely started building a new plant in Nanchong city, Sichuan province. The new plant will have a capacity of 100,000 New Energy Commerical Vehicles per year and 50,000 gas engines per year. It's said 7 billion RMB will be invested for this project.

4. NEVS to build EV plant in Tianjin
China's National Electric Vehicle Sweden, which owns the assets of bankrupt Swedish automaker Saab, broke ground on a plant in the northeast China city of Tianjin to produce electric vehicles. NEVS said it would spend 1.2 billion RMB ($200 million) to build the plant, which will produce up to 200,000 vehicles annually.

Thank you ecommerce-China

Western Food in China

Most tourists can only handle Chinese food for so many days on a tour and want some good western food.  Breakfasts in most hotels and I say most, have a wide selection of both Asian and Western food.  Western tourists have declined a bit in the last three years and Asian tourists because they now have money have become the #1 tourist in China.   So food at hotels, cruises and buffets everywhere is now much more Asian.   So selecting a good tour operator who knows China well is important for private tours.  Group tours is a different story with mostly Asian foods and

limited western food available. So it may be best to have several dinners on your own so you can select what you like.  Private tours take that into consideration.  Group Tours is what you see is what you get unfortunately.
As last resort there is always fast food but don't expect it to be the same as in the U.S.  KFC mostly is spicy chicken but good if you like it spicy.  McDonalds is the closest I have found to western McDonalds as a comparison.  There are other western  fast food restaurants but expect to have the menu reflect Asian tastes.  It is the same in the U.S. when we have Chinese food made to western tastes.  My Chinese friends who have come to Seattle can not believe what we call Chinese food which is very unlike theirs.  I often have to take them down to the Chinese district for dinner where it is closer to their likes.  You will not get dog, cat or donkey meat in Chinese restaurants unless you go to those that serve it.  Few do.  Same as in some southern states we serve exotic meats like alligator, snake and others.   Food can be a wonderful experience or delicate one depending on how adventurous you can be.  My first alligator I thought would be terrible but I love it now when I go south.   Food is an important part of the culture and you should at least try everything once to make your China tour a culture enrichment....at least my wife says so.  For more information on foods in China feel free to ask me....  interlak@eskimo.com   My name is Dave and I enjoy sharing my  knowledge of China from my 26 years of travel throughout the country.