Society

Note: This is the first chapter from ‘Innovated in China’ (2017). “Was that building always there?”  – Liu Zhilin, Beijing Local I LIKE TO SIT IN CAFES AND WORK. In fact, I’m doing just that right now. I’ve been frequenting this particular place for the past two years—a comfy, trendy space that serves a mean cappuccino. Located in Zhongguancun, Beijing’s very own dubbed “Silicon Valley”, the café menu has remained virtually untouched throughout my many visits here, while the dining experience has become nearly unrecognizable. Gone are the days of waiting for a server to take my order. Now, I browse a magazine-like menu on my phone after using WeChat to scan a QR code on the table. I also no longer need to open or even bring a wallet along to pay for my food. After selecting the items I want, I proceed straight to the payment method selection and…

Interview China Innovation Entrepreneurship I recently had the fortune to sit down with Mr. Dickie Liang-Hong Ke, a highly accomplished business strategist, investor, and educator, to probe his mind on innovation and entrepreneurship in China. Mr. Liang-Hong Ke studied to become a software engineer, but his real passions lied in business. He built his first startups while still in college and later switched into sales, marketing, and telecommunications. Since then, he has led projects for industry leaders such as Ericsson, Microsoft, and Nokia, before becoming a Sloan Fellow at London Business School. During the interview, we discussed misconceptions about Chinese innovation, hot tech topics like blockchain, and market strategy for Chinese and non-Chinese companies. The following is the transcript of our fire-side chat and Mr. Liang-Hong Ke’s fascinating insights. CH: You dabble in a lot of areas. From your LinkedIn page, it appears you’ve been a manager, entrepreneur, writer, and…

China Fine-Dining Market: Note from Myung Jee Jang, Mio Sato & Maya Cypris– In 2016, we received a year-long research grant to investigate where China’s fine-dining stands in the world market. While the topic may sound somewhat novel, we truly believe that this research has great value in divulging information about Chinese culture, perception of innovation, and global expansion plans. The following, though only part of our final report, highlights our research process and covers some of our many findings. China has been living out a Cinderella story of sorts, with an ever-growing collection of rags to riches stories. With a new consumption culture in place and money to spend, many urban Chinese civilians have experienced notable improvement in their quality of life. While the country’s rapid success and development has yielded a plethora of high-scale amenities, goods, and service— including elaborate new shopping malls, spas, luxury hotels, theaters, international university…

China Population Aging: As China nears 1.4 billion inhabitants and becomes one of the most powerful economies in the world, the country has had to prepare and adjust to vast changes accordingly. The highly dynamic setting has brought on many unprecedented scenarios, yielding a plethora of new opportunities as well as looming hurdles. Of these ongoing developments, one of the most crucial unfolding issues is the matter of China’s ageing population, and how to handle it. The given of China’s ageing population is no surprising prospect, and has long troubled members of Chinese society ranging from scholars to government officials, economists and age groups of the young and old. A consequence of China’s one child policy, which significantly disproportioned the size of generations, paired with China’s still steadily growing population, China is today heading towards a future where the older generation will significantly outnumber the younger one. To many, having…

Effect of Technology on Traditional Chinese Culture: In an age where children as young as grade school carry mobile phones and shopping can be done from bed, it is undeniable that technology has transformed modern living. Ranging from having unprecedented access to all scopes of information at the tips of our fingers, to altering the essence of interpersonal relationships, modern technology has created a new era, dubbed by many as the “digital age”. Of these technological advancements, social media is among the most noteworthy. As in the West, the introduction of social media in China has had substantial impact on many aspects of Chinese life. China is a country whose rich culture and history has long been a source of its pride and joy. But as it has adapted to the changing technological times, so to have certain core cultural elements evolved accordingly. Ranging from Chinese philosophies, to mentality and national…

Traits of Chinese Entrepreneurs: Many a man has been born with a creative mind that has birthed innovative ideas. But without the right thick-skinned traits, the majority will find it difficult to spin their ideas into a successful business. Still, that hasn’t stopped people from trying. With the world’s many shaky economies and uncertain futures ahead, the 21st century has thus far birthed a plethora of hopeful entrepreneurs eager to take control of their own destinies. This trend can also be observed in China as the country continues its rapid progress towards becoming a global leader in modernization and innovation. However, when compared to entrepreneurs from other countries, there are some interesting differences that come to light when the average Chinese entrepreneur is put under the microscope. Ranging from background, to gender, age, skills and behavior, Chinese entrepreneurs have a clear and distinct profile of their own. The concept of a “Chinese…