Of the 10 highest grossing movies on the Chinese mainland last year, eight were coproductions with other regions.For China, joint productions are widely seen as a way to draw upon talent, technology, and help in telling the China story. For the West, those same joint productions are a means of tapping a market of 1.3 billion people — the film industry’s second-largest market by box office receipts. But as collaboration grows between Hollywood and China, what are the opportunities and what are the challenges? Coproduced movies are paving the future of the film industry, said Zhou Li, publisher and editor-in-chief at China Daily Asia Pacific and editorial board member of China Daily Group. He was speaking on March 16 at the Sino-Foreign Coproduced Films Summit, a China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable which brought together filmmakers, producers and industry investors and was held during the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (Filmart) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Last year, joint Chinese mainland and Hong Kong comedy The Mermaid “became the highest grossing Chinese film of all time”, Zhou said. Yet the Sino-Hollywood action-fantasy movie The Great Wall found itself unable to claw back either profits or plaudits. “China has already entered coproduction with 14 countries and regions,” said Zhou. “It seems to me (that) when these cultures join forces, it is going to be a happy day for cinema.” With Filmart hosting over 800 exhibitors from more than 30 regions, it is evident how important the market for movies has become in China, said Raymond Yip, deputy executive director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. “Among those 800 exhibitors, we have 200 from the Chinese mainland,” he said. Chen Yiqi, chairman of Hong Kong film production and distribution corporation Sil-Metropole Organisation, said Chinese films must play catch-up, simply because the United States has been making films for so long and its technology is more advanced. One way is for Hong Kong to act as the bridge for China and the West to collaborate. For Teddy Chen, a Hong Kong film director known for the likes of 2009’s award-winning Bodyguards and Assassins, such coproduction is nothing new. His first joint work was in the early 2000s, and he believes that ties since then between the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan have reached a point of total integration. “(At first) I had to think about how I should divide characters between Hong Kong and mainland actors,” the director said. “Eventually I realized it didn’t matter, so long as audiences like it.” Entertainment research service, marketing and investment firm EntGroup is one example of the new wave of multi-area companies investing heavily in the entertainment industry. For Amy Liu, a partner at the company, “the opportunities are great, the investments large, but the returns are rarely what are expected”. Compared to last year, for example, more coproductions have been proposed, and more developed, yet fewer have actually made it onto screens, she said. Some of this is down to censorship. In other cases it is due to financial problems or cultural issues. For film producer and distributor Ann An, chairman of Desen International Media, these are the sorts of headaches that can mean the collapse of deals. An has worked successfully with many Hong Kong and Taiwan companies, but attempts to team up with European and US companies have been far less successful. Joint financing is one issue. American coproducers want to work with the Hollywood model and costs are simply too high for the Chinese side. An cited one coproduction she backed out of for that reason. “There are few successes in coproductions. Many incur losses because we do not understand Hollywood. We think we’re investing a lot (of money) but to Hollywood it’s just peanuts,” she said. Ya Ning, senior vice-president of iQIYI, an online video platform that also produces its own television shows and movies, made the point that while Chinese audiences are “very accustomed to watching American movies”, American audiences do not like watching Chinese movies with subtitles. And they refuse to watch them dubbed. “I think we might do better with cartoons,” Ya said. Indeed, animated hits have figured among the few highly successful coproductions. One case study is Kung Fu Panda 3, made by a team of American and Chinese designers, scriptwriters and actors. Dagan Potter is production lead for Oriental Dreamworks, the Shanghai-based department of the wider Dreamworks company, which made Kung Fu Panda 3. For him, the film’s success (its China box office was more than US$149 million) was in the investment of time and effort to make sure things rang true. “If we’re a bit off in architecture or a garment, it won’t be noticed in Europe,” he said. “But it will be noticed in China.” In collaborative work, cultural similarities, not differences, must be looked for, Potter explained. Panelist William Pfeiffer concurred. By relying on underlying themes and emotions rather than specifics, as well as “a good story and the right elements in it, (a film) can go around the world”, he said. Pfeiffer’s company Globalgate Entertainment takes intellectual property, scripts and ideas from partner movie companies and helps remake or sell them in other markets. He helped produce the Oscar winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which he said “was more successful in the US than China, because (China) hadn’t evolved to where it is today”. One reason was that the script, though written by Chinese, had its structure worked on by American screenwriters. Another famous Hong Kong movie, Infernal Affairs, was also tightened by foreign screenwriters. It was sold and remade in America as The Departed, which won four Oscars, including for best adapted screenplay. “These things are not unusual anymore,” said Pfeiffer. “Globalization is an inevitable factor, and a positive factor, in the entertainment industry.” CT Yip, executive director of Media Asia Group Holdings, agreed. “If you look at other markets, like mobile phones, mainland Chinese buyers don’t care about whether it’s made in the US,” he said. William Feng, head of Greater China and vice-president of Asia Pacific for the Motion Picture Association, said that in the past eight years, film takings in China have almost doubled, but in the US they have fallen some 3 percent. When it comes to coproductions, success in China does not enamor American audiences. The Great Wall had an all-star Chinese and American cast and made about US$170 million in China. It took less than US$20 million in the US. “The Great Wall is a lesson for everybody,” said Feng. “But the market desperately needs more like this.” Source: http://www.chinadailyasia.com/2017-03/20/content_15588479.html
2017-03-21Cliched as it may sound, the aphorism “Content is king” emerged as one of the major takeaways from the China Daily-hosted Asia Leadership Roundtable on the theme of Sino-foreign co-productions held at the Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART) on Thursday. The panelists reiterated that while sharing of technology and skills are the two major thrust areas when it comes to co-productions, at the end of the day the key to their success lies in being able to tell a story that resonates across a wide swathe of audiences transcending national, and cultural, boundaries. The mood was upbeat at the panel discussion featuring eminent industry stalwarts — an illustrious film director, leaders of big-time film production companies, heavyweight producers of radio and television programs, among others. Indeed it was a moment worth celebrating the spectacular box-office takings of Chinese-foreign co-productions of the past year, as indeed it was of charting out a roadmap for the future. Editorial board member of China Daily Group and publisher and editor-in-chief at China Daily Asia Pacific Zhou Li remarked in his opening speech, 2016 has been a tremendous year for co-produced Chinese films, with Stephen Chow’s The Mermaid taking US$553.8 million at the box office, which makes it the highest-grossing Chinese film of all time. The film, a co-production between studios in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong’s own Alibaba Pictures, has beaten the much-touted Hollywood mega project, the Zhang Yimou-directed The Great Wall, which despite having a star like Matt Damon in the lead, raked in only US$320 million. Telling tales Evidently, there was no sure-shot magic formula to tackle the unpredictable nature of box-office success — no fool-proof approach to arriving at cinema that might resonate across cultures, even when such experiments use actors, locations and stories that audiences from diverse backgrounds might identify with, as the Chinese audience’s lukewarm response to The Great Wall proves. However, the panelists almost unequivocally agreed that there was nothing to beat a good story, although sometimes it might take a bit of tweaking to appeal to an audience unfamiliar with the ethno-cultural references in the original. For instance, William Pfeiffer, executive chairman and co-founder of Globalgate Entertainment, drew attention to the very-successful run the Hong Kong-made film, Internal Affairs (2002) had enjoyed in its Hollywood avatar. “The story was so good that it was sold (to Warner Brothers) and remade as The Departed (2006) by Martin Scorsese and won the best picture Oscar.” Responding to producers such as Ann An, chairperson, Desen International Media, and Ya Ning, CEO, iQIYI Motion Pictures — who shared their experiences of dealing with the challenges of collaborating with overseas partners who did not speak the same language — Pfeiffer said, in 20 to 30 years, such constraints would likely be overcome with the aid of advanced technology. That’s when “actors speaking in Chinese might have the words come out in English, in their own voice”, he said. Kung Fu Panda 3, a Chinese-American co-production animation flick which raked in US$521.2 million last year, and finished among the top 10 highest-grossing films in China, is a fine example of working round the obvious limits of ethnicity and language. Here was a film with Hollywood luminary Guillermo del Toro as executive producer, featuring heavyweight stars such as Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman and Angelina Jolie, based on a Chinese story with Chinese sensibilities. Dagan Potter, the production lead at Oriental Dreamworks, revealed how the film’s massive American and Chinese crew, based in their offices in Los Angeles and Shanghai, would “discuss the merits of the film over two to three years”, sharing ideas and visions regarding the project. “If we were going to reinforce reality in fiction, who better than a crew having intimate knowledge of Chinese culture?” he added. He went on to describe how the film, originally made in English, “was re-animated to match the physical movements more natural to dialogues spoken in Mandarin”, for “making a film relatable to the local audience is an idea that we really want to push”. Ma Runsheng, former president of China Radio, Film and Television Program Exchange Center, lamented the diminishing presence of the big Chinese themes in the recent co-production endeavors involving Chinese investment. Emphasizing the cultural particularities that lend cinema its distinctive touch, Ma said, “The elements specific to Chinese culture are where our strengths lie and we should make use of advanced technology (harnessed from the partner country) to tell these great stories.” Source: http://www.chinadailyasia.com/2017-03/17/content_15587271.html
2017-03-21Hong Kong, March 16, 2017 - China Daily co-organized a special panel on “Sino-Foreign Co-produced Films Summit” with the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (Filmart). Sino-foreign co-productions had bolstered China’s box office more than three-fold between 2010 and 2016. Last year alone, eight out of 10 top-grossing films on the Chinese mainland were co-productions, including “The Mermaid”, which netted more than 3.3 billion yuan (US$480 million). Recent notable co-productions included “The Great Wall” and “Kung Fu Yoga”. China has co-production agreements with more than 13 countries and regions so far, and the number is rising. As the nation’s movie industry continues to grow rapidly on the back of collaboration in capital, content, talent and distribution, the role of Sino-foreign co-productions in the global film market calls for a deep analysis. China Daily is delighted to have had 10 distinguished speakers: Mr. Teddy CHEN, a prominent Hong Kong film director; Mr. William FENG, Head of Greater China and Vice-President of Asia Pacific, The Motion Picture Association (MPA); Ms. Amy LIU, Partner, EntGroup; Mr. CT YIP, Executive Director, Media Asia Group Holdings Limited & CEO, Lai Sun Group; Mr. YA Ning, Senior Vice-President, iQIYI and CEO, iQIYI Motion Pictures; Mr. CHEN Yiqi, Chairman, Sil-Metropole Organisation Ltd; Ms. Ann AN, Chairman, Desen International Media; Mr. Dagan POTTER, Production Lead, Oriental Dreamworks; Mr. William PFEIFFER, Executive Chairman & Co-Founder, Globalgate Entertainment; and Dr. MA Runsheng, Former President, China Radio, Film and Television Program Exchange Center & Vice-President, China Television Drama Production Industry Association. They analyzed the opportunities and challenges for China’s movie business in the coming years and how industry players can make the most out of such co-operation in the “co-production 3.0 era”. Here is the video highlights of the event: https://youtu.be/kHWNCVPtIG8
2017-03-212017年3月21日(香港)— 拉丁美洲电影的悸动激情令人着迷,破格题材和手法常令人耳目一新。第四十一届香港国际电影节特别选映多部拉美电影,不乏国际得奖佳作。 巴西电影人才辈出,小克莱伯.门多萨的《不迁不拆水瓶座》(内地译名《水瓶座》)以音乐和节奏谱写保育女神对抗暴发地产商,入围戛纳电影节竞逐金棕榈奖,更连夺多地电影节最佳电影奖,而以《蜘蛛女之吻》成名的索尼娅.布拉加亦数度获封影后。马赛罗.戈麦斯的《淘金英雄》(内地译名《若阿金》)重塑巴西民族英雄席尔瓦·沙维尔的传奇,暴露殖民地时代的压迫剥削,入围柏林电影节角逐金熊奖。马西路卡坦努(Marcelo CAETANO)的《肌电工情》则藉肉体放电的男男情欲爱恋,以敏感目光捕捉阳光大男孩寻索人生方向。 阿根廷电影新力量亦备受瞩目。加斯顿.杜帕拉特与马里亚诺.寇恩的《玩谢大作家》(内地译名《杰出公民》)写诺贝尔奖作家衣锦还乡的荒诞奇遇,以《无定向丧心病狂》(内地译名《荒蛮故事》)扬名的奥斯卡.马丁内兹更摘下威尼斯影帝殊荣。智利导演帕布罗.拉雷恩以《第一夫人:积琪莲肯尼迪》(内地译名《第一夫人》)进军好莱坞前,亦早以该国诺奖诗人借题发挥,在《流亡诗人聂鲁达》(内地译名《追捕聂鲁达》)创造斗智斗力大追捕,获提名金球奖最佳外语片。卢卡斯连拿(Lukas V. RINNER)则借鉴若松孝二,结合性与革命的主题,在《隔墙有个天体营》(内地译名《得体的女人》)以双面女佣卸下衣裳加入天体俱乐部,讽刺阶级矛盾。 墨西哥影片的威力同样不容忽视。阿玛特.伊斯卡拉特凭《欲望号妖兽》(内地译名《野蛮地区》)一家男女与妖兽交欢满足性欲,以魔幻现实风格大胆袒露社会压抑与人性脆弱,勇夺威尼斯电影节最佳导演奖。露茜亚卡雷拉斯(Lucía CARRERAS)的《天降小娃娃》则是温情小品,透过两个社会边缘的女人照顾女婴重拾人性美善。更有参赛纪录片《假面的自白》、大师新作《无尽诗篇》(内地译名《诗无尽头》)及修复经典《低度发展的回忆》(内地译名《低度开发的回忆》)。节目详情可浏览官方网站www.hkiff.org.hk。 资料及图片下载: FTP: ftp://hkiff.mtel.ws 登入身份: Press 密码: HK1FFPress 资料夹: HKIFF41/Press Releases/20170321 - The Passion of Latin American Cinema – 完 – 香港国际电影节 (HKIFF) 简介 香港国际电影节 (HKIFF) 是亚洲最享负盛名的电影交流平台之一。世界各地的电影业界人士及影迷云集于此,展示新片之余亦欣赏佳作。 电影节是香港最大型的文化活动,每年搜罗来自 50 多个国家,约 250 部作品,在香港 10 多个主要文化场地上映。于过去七年,香港国际电影节曾制作及首映不少著名亚洲得奖导演制作的短片结集,包括许鞍华、黑泽清、贾樟柯、布里兰特·曼多萨、中田秀夫、蔡明亮、阿彼察邦·韦拉斯哈古等。2017 年起,香港国际电影节将与合一影业合作,每年选拔两位华人新秀拍摄剧情长片,并于电影节期间世界首映。 电影节既展示华语电影的多姿多采,亦发掘亚洲影坛新血。影迷不但可观看世界级的电影,更可与顶尖电影人直接对话、参观展览、出席庆祝派对和其他精彩活动。 电影节每年吸引超过 300 个中外媒体报导,持续成为亚洲举足轻重的电影发布及交流平台。 第四十一届香港国际电影节 (HKIFF41) 将于2017年4月11日至25日举行。 香港国际电影节协会简介 香港国际电影节协会 (HKIFFS) 是一个非牟利及非官方的慈善团体,致力发扬电影文化,推广光影艺术。 为发展香港及亚洲的电影文化,协会于每年三、四月期间均举办两项旗舰活动,包括“香港国际电影节 (HKIFF)”及“香港亚洲电影投资会 (HAF)”;八月份举办以年轻观众口味为主的“Cine Fan 夏日国际电影节 (SummerIFF)”。另外协会于2013年4月创办“电影节发烧友 (Cine Fan)”,节目旨于推广丰富多元的电影文化,每月为香港观众带来主流电影以外的精选佳作。 透过全年活动,协会期望加强世界各地对亚洲、香港及中国电影文化的欣赏,并把各地具启发性的电影带到香港,丰富本地精神文化生活。 香港国际电影节协会致力呈献高质的电影节目、发掘亚洲及中国电影的新领域、为香港电影举办各种讲座并出版有口皆碑的书刊,皆为协会带来独特崇高的国际声望,有助于本地及国际上推广香港电影。 传媒查询: 香港国际电影节协会 (HKIFFS) 麦慧欣 (Polly MAK) 张冰力 (Lizzie ZHANG) 电话:+852-2102-7380 | 6771-5476 电话:+852-2102-7381 | 5545-3639 电邮:polly_mak@hkiff.org.hk 电邮:lizzie_zhang@hkiff.org.hk 慕亚有限公司 (Isentia) 陈婷婷 (Giselle CHAN) 文馨桦 (Eva Man) 电话:+852-3987-8132 | 6222-3036 电话:+852-3987-8131 | 9060-3070 电邮:giselle.chan@isentia.com 电邮:eva.man@isentia.com
2017-03-21「亞洲電影業的挑戰、機遇和伙伴關係」 香港會議展覽中心一號展覽廳(舞臺) 10.00 - 12.00, 3/20, 2013 2013年3月20日 – 香港, 中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇有幸與香港貿易發展局在第十七屆香港國際影視展期間合作,於三月二十日早上十時至十二時在香港會展中心一號展覽廳舞臺舉辦名為「亞洲電影業的挑戰、機遇和夥伴關係」的專題研討會。 2012年中國電影市場票房總額創歷史新高,突破170億人民幣,較前年(2011)增長了30.18%,繼成為世界第二大經濟體後,中國又成功躍升為世界第二大電影市場。而作為亞洲娛樂中心的香港,能夠利用區內乃至全球豐富的電影資源,幫助中國與其他亞洲國家發展更緊密合作關係。本次主題研討會為嘉賓們提供了一個平臺,探討亞洲電影業如何通過合作達到雙贏,如何聯手為觀眾帶來更多高票房的亞洲電影,並探討政策、資金、人才、科技、製作及發行等環節在發展電影產業中的角色;此外,嘉賓們還將展望亞洲電影業未來五年的發展。 中國日報亞太分社社長周立先生將與香港貿易發展局服務業拓展總監古靜敏女士分別致歡迎詞,並歡迎來自電影業界的傑出演講嘉賓,包括香港國際電影節協會主席王英偉先生、Dragongate娛樂公司首席執行官William Pfeiffer先生、狄龍國際電影有限公司總經理洪祖星先生、中國著名電影導演張元先生、沙龍電影集團公司董事長汪長禹先生、香港銀都機構有限公司董事長兼總經理宋岱先生以及愛奇藝創始人及首席執行官龔宇先生。 關於「中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇」 「中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇」 (www.cdroundtable.com)旨在搭建一個由亞洲國家和地區的政、商、學界領袖和社會精英參與的高端對話和交流平台,圍繞亞洲地區經濟、商業、產業和社會發展等具有戰略影響的重要議題展開討論和分享見解,以增進中國與亞洲和西方國家的交流和理解。中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇在亞太地區多個主要城市舉辦。
2017-03-20For Immediate Release PRESS RELEASE Film industry elite gather for China Daily Film Summit To Define Sino-Foreign Film “Co-Production 3.0 Era” MARCH 16, 2017, HONG KONG: More than 250 delegates from the movie industry around the world attended the China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable Panel on “Sino-Foreign Co-Production Films Summit” from 10:30am to 12:30pm at FILMART. We are delighted to work with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council again as Media Partner for FILMART 2017 for the fifth consecutive year. Sino-Foreign co-productions had bolstered China’s box office more than three-fold between 2010 and 2016. Last year alone, 8 out of 10 top-grossing films on the Chinese mainland were co-productions, including “The Mermaid”, which netted more than 3.3 billion yuan (US$480 million). Recent notable co-productions included “The Great Wall” and “Kung Fu Yoga”. China has co-production agreements with more than 13 countries and regions so far, and the number is rising. As the nation’s movie industry continues to grow rapidly on the back of collaboration in capital, content, talent and distribution, the role of Sino-Foreign co-productions in the global film market calls for a deep analysis. Mr. Raymond YIP, Deputy Executive Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, who welcomed the distinguished speakers from across Asia, pointed out that the passing of the “Film Industry Promotion Law” by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress last November indicates China’s intense focus on the development of a vibrant and structured local film industry. The steady growth of the mainland’s film business will undoubtedly benefit more Sino-Foreign co-productions in the long run. China Daily is delighted to have had 10 distinguished speakers: Mr. Teddy CHEN, a prominent Hong Kong film director; Mr. William FENG, Head of Greater China and Vice-President of Asia Pacific, The Motion Picture Association (MPA); Ms. Amy LIU, Partner, EntGroup; Mr. CT YIP, Executive Director, Media Asia Group Holdings Limited & CEO, Lai Sun Group; Mr. YA Ning, Senior Vice-President, iQIYI and CEO, iQIYI Motion Pictures; Mr. CHEN Yiqi, Chairman, Sil-Metropole Organisation Ltd; Ms. Ann AN, Chairman, Desen International Media; Mr. Dagan POTTER, Production Lead, Oriental Dreamworks; Mr. William PFEIFFER, Executive Chairman & Co Founder, Globalgate Entertainment; and Dr. MA Runsheng, Former President, China Radio, Film and Television Program Exchange Center & Vice-President, China Television Drama Production Industry Association. They analyzed the opportunities and challenges for China’s movie business in the coming years and how industry players can make the most out of such co-operation in the “co-production 3.0 era”. Mr. Teddy CHEN shared his views on the topic -- “Today, there's no such thing as a pure mainland film, Hong Kong film or Taiwan film. They have integrated with one another already.” Mr. William FENG said China's cooperation with the West in film production will be stepped up, not only through co-production but also general cooperation based on local productions. He stressed that for Chinese films to go out, their story lines need to be improved to enable the world to better understand Chinese stories. Ms. Amy LIU said the development potential of China's co-production film market is huge as the average time Chinese people spend on watching movies remains low at present despite the rapid box office growth on the Chinese mainland. Mr. CT YIP pointed out the mainland’s film industry has been developing fast, fueled by the advent of internet ticketing and distribution platforms. He said films represent the “crystalisation” of humans’ thoughts and creations, so people in the industry need to keep learning, observing and changing to meet the challenges. Mr. YA Ning stressed that it would take time for us to figure out how to promote Chinese films to the US and overseas markets and to adapt our productions to suit the viewing habits of audiences overseas. Mr. CHEN Yiqi said diversity of co-production should be explored and encouraged. China can invest in US films and the other way around, while US filmmakers can also remake Chinese films and vice-versa. Ms. Ann AN highlighted that mastering Hollywood’s production skills and camera language is one of the pre conditions for exporting Chinese culture successfully. Mr. Dagan POTTER said we have the distinct advantage of having China-based, as well as Los Angeles-based crew. The collaboration between these two groups could bring unique ideas and vision to the process. Mr. William PFEIFFER expressed concern that there will be more blurry lines when it comes to co production. Globalization is inevitable and technology is the key to solving problems in co-production. Hopefully, the actors will be able to speak their language along with the translations. Dr. MA Runsheng said Sino-foreign co-produced films offer a great opportunity for Chinese culture to go out, as well as for advanced international culture to enter China, but great co-productions have yet to emerge. -- Ends – Co-organized with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council for the fifth consecutive year, China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable held a panel discussion on “Sino-Foreign Co-produced Films Summit” on March 16. Delegates at the summit listening to speakers’ comments on Sino- Foreign Co-produced Films. Distinguished speakers analyzing the opportunities and challenges for China’s movie business in the coming years, and how industry players can make the most out of such co-operation in the “co-production 3.0 era”. About China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable is a by-invitation network of movers and shakers in Asia providing platforms for focused dialogue, issue investigation, and possible collective action on strategic issues relating to economic, business and social development in Asia. Our aim is to enhance communication and increase mutual understanding between China, Asian and Western countries. Roundtable events are held in major cities across Asia. Media Contact: Ms. Cindy Chan Tel: (852) 3465 5431 Email: cindy@chinadailyhk.com Follow us: @cdroundtable
2017-03-17Comprehensive relationship between Asia’s two major economic powers will help create a win-win situation for all parties, roundtable forum heard. China and India are inching closer to building a more wide-ranging and comprehensive bilateral relationship, as stronger links between Asia’s two major economic powerhouses offer a foundation for resolving disputes and create a win-win situation for all, panelists told a roundtable forum themed the “China-India Economic and Business Partnership” in Hong Kong on Tuesday. “As the two most populous countries in the world, as well as the two largest emerging markets in the global economic sphere, China and India do compete for market share and resources. They do compete in industries such as manufacturing and IT services. “But, we also think there’s much room for cooperation between the two nations,” said Jing Ulrich, managing director and vice-chairman, Asia Pacific, at JPMorgan Chase & Co. She made the remarks at the China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable, which was part and parcel of the 10th Asia Financial Forum, held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Vivek Pathak, director of East Asia & the Pacific at International Finance Corporation, said the tighter the economic links between China and India, the more likely the two countries could set aside disputes and “join forces to move on”. Pathak agreed with Ashwani Goel, head and general manager of TATA South-East Asia, who believed that the keyword is “always collaboration rather than competition”. Growing economic ties between China and India also play a vital role in one of the world’s most important bilateral relationships. In the past decade, bilateral trade had surged from US$19 billion in 2005 to US$72 billion in 2015. Ulrich said the sheer size and growth rates of the two economies have boosted trade between them. This year, the gross domestic product (GDP) of the world’s second-largest economy is projected to grow by 6.5 percent to US$11.4 trillion, while India’s GDP is on track to grow faster than any other economy in the Asia Pacific region — at 7.2 percent to US$2.3 trillion. As China’s foreign direct investment in India soared from US$11 million in 2005 to US$700 million in 2015 and broke the US$1-billion barrier last year, India, with a great appetite for funds, has proved to be a gold mine for cash-rich and investment-hungry Chinese mainland investors. The fastest-growing economy’s insatiable demand for highway, railway and housing projects fits in well with China’s Belt and Road ambitions, through which China could contribute in terms of financing equipment, raw materials, technology and project management, Ulrich noted. Technology stands as another bright spot for Chinese mainland companies with deep pockets and seeking investment opportunities. Policymakers and IT experts in India, which is home to more than 12,000 high-tech startups, have been making a strong pitch in the past few years for bigger collaboration with China’s burgeoning IT sector. Chinese internet behemoths Alibaba and Tencent, for instance, have invested heavily in some of top Indian startups from e-commerce platform Snapdeal to mobile wallet giant Paytm. Puneet Agrawal, India’s consul-general for Hong Kong and Macao, believed that economic connections should not be the only theme that defines the wide-ranging bilateral relationship between China and India. He said that, as neighbors and two of the world’s oldest civilizations, China and India have also shared a long history of cultural linkages. India’s abundant tourism resources, yet to be explored by China’s swelling middle class, could make the country another popular tourist destination. Lin Wenjie contributed to the story. Source: http://www.chinadailyasia.com/2017-01/18/content_15560052.html
2017-01-18Jing Ulrich, managing director and vice-chairman, Asia Pacific, at JP Morgan Chase & Co If China and India — the world’s two largest emerging markets — strengthen their overall relationship, it’ll rejuvenate the entire Asian region, yielding multilateral benefits, according to Jing Ulrich, managing director and vice-chairman, Asia Pacific, at JPMorgan Chase & Co. In an interview with China Daily on the sidelines of the Asia Leadership Roundtable on Tuesday, she explained that both countries have been stepping up their ties in recent years, adding that bilateral trade has gone up dramatically in the past decade. In 2005, bilateral trade was US$19 billion but soared to US$72 billion a decade later. Investments from the Chinese mainland to India had also surged significantly — from US$11 million in 2005 to US$705 million in 2015. Ulrich pointed out there’re three aspects in which China and India can further their cooperation — in infrastructure, technology and services, including tourism, entertainment and education — adding that the China-led Belt and Road Initiative will help India upgrade its infrastructure as India’s investments in infrastructure have been lacking due to a shortage of funds and the slow approval process. However, she warned that given a lot of uncertainties arising from the incoming Donald Trump presidency, as well as geopolitical factors worldwide, relations between China and India will become much more complex and challenging. She added that, for China, there are potential threats to its exports but, for India, trade would not be affected to a great extent, while numerous Indian IT professionals currently working in the United States, as well as American and Indian software companies, might be impacted if the US changes its visa policy. Ulrich said China and India also share similarities and differences in their economies. “The size, economic growth rate and model of the Chinese and Indian economies are different.” According to Ulrich, China’s GDP, which amounts to US$11.4 trillion, is five times more than India’s GDP of US$2.3 trillion. China’s GDP growth rate in 2017 is expected to be 6.5 percent, versus India’s 7.2 percent. India’s growth is the highest among the world’s major economies and is expected to continue its strong momentum this year as the Indian central bank is likely to ease its monetary policies to loosen liquidity in the market, thus driving up consumption. In addition, India’s manufacturing is not as developed as China’s, but India’s internet technology services are among the world’s most competitive, and India’s personal consumption is strong. Ulrich noted that China’s economic growth has been driven by investments and infrastructure development in the past few years. But, the services sector is playing an increasingly important role in driving future growth, and she expects the Chinese mainland’s GDP growth in 2017 to be relatively stable at around 6.5 percent. China’s growth, however, will be slightly weaker compared to last year due to overcapacity reduction in some traditional industries, adjustments in the property sector, and a host of global geopolitical uncertainties. Source: http://www.chinadailyasia.com/2017-01/18/content_15560053.html
2017-01-18India should position itself as a second global manufacturing base to attract investment from international enterprises, including those from the Chinese mainland, said Vivek Pathak, director of East Asia and the Pacific at International Finance Corporation. The reasons for doing so are quite clear — India has a huge growing population with vast market potential, together with skilled professionals, and the country is high up on the technology value chain — he told China Daily on the sidelines of the China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable on Tuesday. On the other hand, India should develop its infrastructure to better attract investors in the manufacturing sector. “Sustainable infrastructure is key to achieving unparalleled regional and global connectivity, building a competitive manufacturing base, and developing a global logistics hub and conduit for trade,” said Pathak. For Chinese mainland enterprises scouting investment opportunities in India, he suggests they could focus on particular sectors. Top priority should be infrastructure, he believes, as India is suffering from an acute shortage of infrastructure facilities, while Chinese companies are well positioned to invest in the field as they have both the capital and technical expertise. The second choice should be the consumer sector as India has a huge emerging middle class, with great potential for all kinds of consumer goods, including pharmaceutical products. “The third area is affordable housing. Large-scale affordable housing in cities is one of the greatest necessities of urban India today. China has demonstrated that it can invest in roads, railways, and apartment buildings which are also affordable”. In the high-tech sector, Pathak called for closer co-operation between Chinese and Indian companies. One example is the mobile-phone market, which is growing rapidly in India. The internet penetration rate is also growing and people would like to upgrade their phones and attend to more finance-related things on their phones. “ The global smartphone market continues to grow at a steady pace due to more widespread adoption in emerging markets, including India. This will continue to present huge opportunities for Chinese phone manufacturers,” said Pathak. He stressed that the general market sentiment in India is very upbeat although some experts are saying that the country’s economy may slow down slightly due to the demonetization process. But, he believes, the impact will be brief and, in the long term, it will be good for the country. Pathak advised Chinese mainland enterprises intending to invest in India that doing business in China is different from that in India. They’ll have to adapt to the environment and be able to navigate the bureaucracy and around various government departments and learn how to make things work there. Source: http://www.chinadailyasia.com/2017-01/18/content_15560054.html
2017-01-18新聞稿 即時發布 中印政、商界專家齊聚中國日報論壇 解讀中印合作發展新機遇 2017年1月17日香港–中國日報將於1月17日(星期二)上午09:45至10:45假香港會議展覽中心展覽廳 5E-G舉行題為「中印經濟商務的發展丶融合與機遇」的專題研討會。屆時,四位中印政、商界領軍人物將探討兩國經貿現狀及合作機遇,並與現場300名嘉賓互動。 中國和印度兩國人口達24億,近年來雙邊貿易及投資額大幅增長,勢將成為21世紀全球經濟的「主導」經濟體。中國國家主席習近平與印度總理莫迪總理近年經常會晤,共議如何促進雙邊貿易和投資。中印兩國已是「新開發銀行」、「亞洲基礎設施發展銀行」等諸多重要國際組織的發起者及參與者,但兩國之間仍然存在許多市場准入及經濟發展問題。隨著中印合作日益緊密、深入,兩國如何進行優勢互補、通過區域經濟一體化提升兩國的國際競爭力,如何從雙邊經貿合作中受益,皆成為備受關注的議題。 中國日報誠意邀請到印度駐香港特別行政區和澳門特別行政區總領事普尼特‧阿格拉沃爾(Puneet Agrawal)先生、塔塔國際東南亞總經理愛史萬尼‧戈埃(Ashwani Goel)先生、國際金融公司亞太局局長潘偉凱(Vivek Pathak)先生及摩根大通董事總經理、亞太地區副主席李晶(Jing Ulrich)女士等四位中印各界專家,探討以上問題。 中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇自2012年起,連續六年攜手亞洲金融論壇舉辦專題研討會,近40名專家及行業領袖剖析了中國內地、香港、東盟、亞洲及全球發展,亦解讀了「新絲綢之路」、女性領袖等熱門議題。 中國日報社擁有報紙、網站、移動用戶端、臉譜、推特、微博、微信、電子報等十餘種媒介平臺,全媒體用戶總數累計約5000萬;發行量90萬份,其中海外60萬份;網站日均訪問量(PV)5200萬,全球移動用戶端用戶達600萬;在海外,通過每月發行400余萬份海外供版的《中國觀察報》(China Watch),直達《華爾街日報》、《華盛頓郵報》、《每日電訊報》、《費加羅報》、加拿大《環球郵報》、泰國《民族報》等美、歐、亞主流讀者群。 中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇是一個由亞洲國家和地區的政、商、學界領袖和社會精英參與的高端對話和交流平臺,至今在港、澳和亞太多國已經舉辦了近50屆,逾萬名決策精英參與。 媒體垂詢: 姜婉君小姐 電話:(852) 3465 5432 電郵:olive@chinadailyhk.com 陳若馨小姐 電話:(852) 3465 5431 電郵:cindy@chinadailyhk.com
2017-01-13For Immediate Release PRESS RELEASE Elite speakers to share insights on China-India Economic and Business Partnership at China Daily session Asian Financial Forum JAN 17, 2017, HONG KONG: China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable will hold a panel discussion themed “China-India Economic and Business Partnership” from 9:45AM to 10:45AM on January 17, Tuesday at Hall 5E-G, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. Four expert panelists, hailing from China and India, will share their insights on the topic with 300 delegates. With a combined population of 2.4 billion and huge increases in bilateral trade and investments, China and India are poised to become the leading economies of the 21st century. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met frequently in the past few years to discuss initiatives aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investments. Both countries are already strategic partners in many important international initiatives, such as the New Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. However, many mutual market access issues remain. China Daily is delighted to have Mr. Puneet Agrawal, Consul-General, Consulate General of India to Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR; Mr. Ashwani Goel, Head and General Manager, TATA South-East Asia; Mr. Vivek Pathak, Director, East Asia & the Pacific, International Finance Corporation and Ms. Jing Ulrich, Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Asia Pacific, JPMorgan Chase & Co. to share their views on a range of hot topics, including the challenges and opportunities for Chinese and Indian businesses, the sectors that will benefit most from such a close economic partnership, as well as closer integration between the two major powers. Since 2012, China Daily has been co-organizing special panels with Asia Financial Forum for six consecutive years. Nearly 40 officials, professionals and academics had gathered to analyze the financial development of the Chinese Mainland, the Hong Kong SAR, ASEAN, Asia and the world, and unveil the potential of “New Silk Road” and “women leadership” as well. -- The end -- About China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable is a by-invitation network of movers and shakers in Asia providing platforms for focused dialogue, issue investigation, and possible collective action on strategic issues relating to economic, business and social development in Asia. Our aim is to enhance communication and increase mutual understanding between China, Asian and Western countries. Roundtable events are held in major cities across Asia. Media Contact: Ms. Olive Jiang Tel: (852) 3465 5432 Email: olive@chinadailyhk.com Ms. Cindy Chan Tel: (852) 3465 5431 Email: cindy@chinadailyhk.com
2017-01-13Hong Kong is ideally positioned to reap the benefits of the three-year-old Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative to expand its presence in markets around the region and the world, says Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. This means Hong Kong is pushing forward with efforts to boost its role as a super-connector for the 60-plus economies that make up the B&R, focusing in areas that it excels in, according to Leung. “Working together — the government, business and community — we Hong Kong will be the key link, the super-connector, for the Belt and Road, and for Belt and Road economies and the Chinese mainland,” he said. “We have been doing a lot of messaging on the mainland about Hong Kong’s (role).” But there remains a caveat, he warned. “Hong Kong is too small to pretend we can be all things to all men,” Leung said, adding that a greater focus on professional services — larger contributors to the city’s gross domestic product (GDP) than tourism — could serve Hong Kong well.” Leung made the comments during the China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable Luncheon at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday. The event focused on “Hong Kong Super-Connecting the Belt and Road” and was attended by about 270 executives and opinion makers. “It is a hugely ambitious project and we, members of the public and the media, are keen to see tangible results,” said Zhou Li, an editorial board member at the China Daily Group and publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily Asia Pacific. Leung said the government has continued to work toward improving financial connectivity, using the example of the Legislative Council approving tax concessions for corporate treasury centers. Another push is the allocation of HK$200 million to help support professional services, with applications now open for non-profit projects to enhance competitiveness. The Hong Kong stock market now boasts connect programs with markets in Shanghai, with the Shenzhen link going live on Monday. Connectivity possible The roundtable also heard that the “super-connector” role of the Hong Kong SAR is also visible in other areas, most notably logistics. A world-class airport and port, both of which are among the busiest in the world, make this connectivity possible. Hong Kong’s links to the mainland through the “One Country, Two Systems” approach facilitates access to both the mainland and markets around the world. Despite these advantages, Leung said much work remains to be done and information will be the key. “We need to step up our information-gathering efforts,” he said. Hong Kong is also working to set up more trade offices abroad, adding to the five on the mainland and 12 elsewhere in the world, with Jakarta and South Korea likely to follow suit. “We are, at present, underrepresented outside Hong Kong,” Leung said. The sheer scope of the B&R Initiative continues to impress and open new opportunities, other roundtable panelists said. “B&R is an ambitious initiative and promises to present a new frontier for growth at a time when growth is sadly lacking,” said Stephen Ng Tin-hoi, chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. “Without markets open there would be no Hong Kong as we know it today … that is why we need to defend Hong Kong as the world’s freest economy.” For Hong Kong enterprises, the opportunities stemming from the B&R are likely to fall under two main categories. One is in infrastructure investment, which is likely for large companies like banks. The other is consumer goods, likely to apply to more small- and medium-sized enterprises. “Hong Kong can facilitate enterprises to engage in investment and financing of infrastructure projects along the Belt and Road economies,” said Jonathan Choi Koon-shum, chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce. “Companies in both Hong Kong and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) can joint hands and explore together the opportunities.” ‘Lifeline’ for Hong Kong Under the initiative, Hong Kong should consider what and who it is connecting, said Edward Chen Kwan-yiu, president of the Qianhai Institute for Innovative Research. He suggested that while geographic connections between the land and historic Silk Roads are important, the SAR should also improve the connectivity of trade in goods and services. “The third question is ‘how to connect’,” Chen said. “Simply, you have to establish the connections before you can super-connect.” Considerations of declining trade numbers could also come into play, he said. “‘One Belt, One Road’ is possibly a lifeline to revive Hong Kong’s entrepot position,” Chen said. “Hong Kong is the last bastion of free trade.” Mark Tucker, group chief executive and president of AIA Group, said some of the pieces to accomplish these goals are already in place. “Infrastructure as an asset class is a natural base for insurance companies … We are wonderfully placed as a city, and with infrastructure.” He said while Hong Kong has some catching up to do, he remains confident it can be achieved. “Hong Kong is perfectly placed today as the major center for renminbi … the basis of opportunity to expand the renminbi market, there is no limit,” Tucker said. And Hong Kong’s long-standing logistical strengths are also important considerations. “Hong Kong has been the biggest cargo hub in the world,” said Ivan Chu Kwok-leung, chief executive of Cathay Pacific Airways, adding it was also the third-largest passenger airport in the world. “For a long, long time, Hong Kong has been playing this connectivity and super connectivity role,” Chu said. “The transport sector … is ready too and has been doing a fantastic job.” He said more communication and publicity could help more people embrace the B&R and Hong Kong’s business model, understanding that the city has always been about more connectivity. The B&R could also be an antidote to the anti-globalization trend now visible around the world. “Helping people — young people — understand the huge opportunities unleashed by the B&R is key,” Chu said.
2016-12-11Of the 10 highest grossing movies on the Chinese mainland last year, eight were coproductions with other regions.For China, joint productions are widely seen as a way to draw upon talent, technology, and help in telling the China story. For the West, those same joint productions are a means of tapping a market of 1.3 billion people — the film industry’s second-largest market by box office receipts. But as collaboration grows between Hollywood and China, what are the opportunities and what are the challenges? Coproduced movies are paving the future of the film industry, said Zhou Li, publisher and editor-in-chief at China Daily Asia Pacific and editorial board member of China Daily Group. He was speaking on March 16 at the Sino-Foreign Coproduced Films Summit, a China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable which brought together filmmakers, producers and industry investors and was held during the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (Filmart) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Last year, joint Chinese mainland and Hong Kong comedy The Mermaid “became the highest grossing Chinese film of all time”, Zhou said. Yet the Sino-Hollywood action-fantasy movie The Great Wall found itself unable to claw back either profits or plaudits. “China has already entered coproduction with 14 countries and regions,” said Zhou. “It seems to me (that) when these cultures join forces, it is going to be a happy day for cinema.” With Filmart hosting over 800 exhibitors from more than 30 regions, it is evident how important the market for movies has become in China, said Raymond Yip, deputy executive director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. “Among those 800 exhibitors, we have 200 from the Chinese mainland,” he said. Chen Yiqi, chairman of Hong Kong film production and distribution corporation Sil-Metropole Organisation, said Chinese films must play catch-up, simply because the United States has been making films for so long and its technology is more advanced. One way is for Hong Kong to act as the bridge for China and the West to collaborate. For Teddy Chen, a Hong Kong film director known for the likes of 2009’s award-winning Bodyguards and Assassins, such coproduction is nothing new. His first joint work was in the early 2000s, and he believes that ties since then between the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan have reached a point of total integration. “(At first) I had to think about how I should divide characters between Hong Kong and mainland actors,” the director said. “Eventually I realized it didn’t matter, so long as audiences like it.” Entertainment research service, marketing and investment firm EntGroup is one example of the new wave of multi-area companies investing heavily in the entertainment industry. For Amy Liu, a partner at the company, “the opportunities are great, the investments large, but the returns are rarely what are expected”. Compared to last year, for example, more coproductions have been proposed, and more developed, yet fewer have actually made it onto screens, she said. Some of this is down to censorship. In other cases it is due to financial problems or cultural issues. For film producer and distributor Ann An, chairman of Desen International Media, these are the sorts of headaches that can mean the collapse of deals. An has worked successfully with many Hong Kong and Taiwan companies, but attempts to team up with European and US companies have been far less successful. Joint financing is one issue. American coproducers want to work with the Hollywood model and costs are simply too high for the Chinese side. An cited one coproduction she backed out of for that reason. “There are few successes in coproductions. Many incur losses because we do not understand Hollywood. We think we’re investing a lot (of money) but to Hollywood it’s just peanuts,” she said. Ya Ning, senior vice-president of iQIYI, an online video platform that also produces its own television shows and movies, made the point that while Chinese audiences are “very accustomed to watching American movies”, American audiences do not like watching Chinese movies with subtitles. And they refuse to watch them dubbed. “I think we might do better with cartoons,” Ya said. Indeed, animated hits have figured among the few highly successful coproductions. One case study is Kung Fu Panda 3, made by a team of American and Chinese designers, scriptwriters and actors. Dagan Potter is production lead for Oriental Dreamworks, the Shanghai-based department of the wider Dreamworks company, which made Kung Fu Panda 3. For him, the film’s success (its China box office was more than US$149 million) was in the investment of time and effort to make sure things rang true. “If we’re a bit off in architecture or a garment, it won’t be noticed in Europe,” he said. “But it will be noticed in China.” In collaborative work, cultural similarities, not differences, must be looked for, Potter explained. Panelist William Pfeiffer concurred. By relying on underlying themes and emotions rather than specifics, as well as “a good story and the right elements in it, (a film) can go around the world”, he said. Pfeiffer’s company Globalgate Entertainment takes intellectual property, scripts and ideas from partner movie companies and helps remake or sell them in other markets. He helped produce the Oscar winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which he said “was more successful in the US than China, because (China) hadn’t evolved to where it is today”. One reason was that the script, though written by Chinese, had its structure worked on by American screenwriters. Another famous Hong Kong movie, Infernal Affairs, was also tightened by foreign screenwriters. It was sold and remade in America as The Departed, which won four Oscars, including for best adapted screenplay. “These things are not unusual anymore,” said Pfeiffer. “Globalization is an inevitable factor, and a positive factor, in the entertainment industry.” CT Yip, executive director of Media Asia Group Holdings, agreed. “If you look at other markets, like mobile phones, mainland Chinese buyers don’t care about whether it’s made in the US,” he said. William Feng, head of Greater China and vice-president of Asia Pacific for the Motion Picture Association, said that in the past eight years, film takings in China have almost doubled, but in the US they have fallen some 3 percent. When it comes to coproductions, success in China does not enamor American audiences. The Great Wall had an all-star Chinese and American cast and made about US$170 million in China. It took less than US$20 million in the US. “The Great Wall is a lesson for everybody,” said Feng. “But the market desperately needs more like this.” Source: http://www.chinadailyasia.com/2017-03/20/content_15588479.html
2017-03-21Cliched as it may sound, the aphorism “Content is king” emerged as one of the major takeaways from the China Daily-hosted Asia Leadership Roundtable on the theme of Sino-foreign co-productions held at the Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART) on Thursday. The panelists reiterated that while sharing of technology and skills are the two major thrust areas when it comes to co-productions, at the end of the day the key to their success lies in being able to tell a story that resonates across a wide swathe of audiences transcending national, and cultural, boundaries. The mood was upbeat at the panel discussion featuring eminent industry stalwarts — an illustrious film director, leaders of big-time film production companies, heavyweight producers of radio and television programs, among others. Indeed it was a moment worth celebrating the spectacular box-office takings of Chinese-foreign co-productions of the past year, as indeed it was of charting out a roadmap for the future. Editorial board member of China Daily Group and publisher and editor-in-chief at China Daily Asia Pacific Zhou Li remarked in his opening speech, 2016 has been a tremendous year for co-produced Chinese films, with Stephen Chow’s The Mermaid taking US$553.8 million at the box office, which makes it the highest-grossing Chinese film of all time. The film, a co-production between studios in the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong’s own Alibaba Pictures, has beaten the much-touted Hollywood mega project, the Zhang Yimou-directed The Great Wall, which despite having a star like Matt Damon in the lead, raked in only US$320 million. Telling tales Evidently, there was no sure-shot magic formula to tackle the unpredictable nature of box-office success — no fool-proof approach to arriving at cinema that might resonate across cultures, even when such experiments use actors, locations and stories that audiences from diverse backgrounds might identify with, as the Chinese audience’s lukewarm response to The Great Wall proves. However, the panelists almost unequivocally agreed that there was nothing to beat a good story, although sometimes it might take a bit of tweaking to appeal to an audience unfamiliar with the ethno-cultural references in the original. For instance, William Pfeiffer, executive chairman and co-founder of Globalgate Entertainment, drew attention to the very-successful run the Hong Kong-made film, Internal Affairs (2002) had enjoyed in its Hollywood avatar. “The story was so good that it was sold (to Warner Brothers) and remade as The Departed (2006) by Martin Scorsese and won the best picture Oscar.” Responding to producers such as Ann An, chairperson, Desen International Media, and Ya Ning, CEO, iQIYI Motion Pictures — who shared their experiences of dealing with the challenges of collaborating with overseas partners who did not speak the same language — Pfeiffer said, in 20 to 30 years, such constraints would likely be overcome with the aid of advanced technology. That’s when “actors speaking in Chinese might have the words come out in English, in their own voice”, he said. Kung Fu Panda 3, a Chinese-American co-production animation flick which raked in US$521.2 million last year, and finished among the top 10 highest-grossing films in China, is a fine example of working round the obvious limits of ethnicity and language. Here was a film with Hollywood luminary Guillermo del Toro as executive producer, featuring heavyweight stars such as Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman and Angelina Jolie, based on a Chinese story with Chinese sensibilities. Dagan Potter, the production lead at Oriental Dreamworks, revealed how the film’s massive American and Chinese crew, based in their offices in Los Angeles and Shanghai, would “discuss the merits of the film over two to three years”, sharing ideas and visions regarding the project. “If we were going to reinforce reality in fiction, who better than a crew having intimate knowledge of Chinese culture?” he added. He went on to describe how the film, originally made in English, “was re-animated to match the physical movements more natural to dialogues spoken in Mandarin”, for “making a film relatable to the local audience is an idea that we really want to push”. Ma Runsheng, former president of China Radio, Film and Television Program Exchange Center, lamented the diminishing presence of the big Chinese themes in the recent co-production endeavors involving Chinese investment. Emphasizing the cultural particularities that lend cinema its distinctive touch, Ma said, “The elements specific to Chinese culture are where our strengths lie and we should make use of advanced technology (harnessed from the partner country) to tell these great stories.” Source: http://www.chinadailyasia.com/2017-03/17/content_15587271.html
2017-03-21Hong Kong, March 16, 2017 - China Daily co-organized a special panel on “Sino-Foreign Co-produced Films Summit” with the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (Filmart). Sino-foreign co-productions had bolstered China’s box office more than three-fold between 2010 and 2016. Last year alone, eight out of 10 top-grossing films on the Chinese mainland were co-productions, including “The Mermaid”, which netted more than 3.3 billion yuan (US$480 million). Recent notable co-productions included “The Great Wall” and “Kung Fu Yoga”. China has co-production agreements with more than 13 countries and regions so far, and the number is rising. As the nation’s movie industry continues to grow rapidly on the back of collaboration in capital, content, talent and distribution, the role of Sino-foreign co-productions in the global film market calls for a deep analysis. China Daily is delighted to have had 10 distinguished speakers: Mr. Teddy CHEN, a prominent Hong Kong film director; Mr. William FENG, Head of Greater China and Vice-President of Asia Pacific, The Motion Picture Association (MPA); Ms. Amy LIU, Partner, EntGroup; Mr. CT YIP, Executive Director, Media Asia Group Holdings Limited & CEO, Lai Sun Group; Mr. YA Ning, Senior Vice-President, iQIYI and CEO, iQIYI Motion Pictures; Mr. CHEN Yiqi, Chairman, Sil-Metropole Organisation Ltd; Ms. Ann AN, Chairman, Desen International Media; Mr. Dagan POTTER, Production Lead, Oriental Dreamworks; Mr. William PFEIFFER, Executive Chairman & Co-Founder, Globalgate Entertainment; and Dr. MA Runsheng, Former President, China Radio, Film and Television Program Exchange Center & Vice-President, China Television Drama Production Industry Association. They analyzed the opportunities and challenges for China’s movie business in the coming years and how industry players can make the most out of such co-operation in the “co-production 3.0 era”. Here is the video highlights of the event: https://youtu.be/kHWNCVPtIG8
2017-03-212017年3月21日(香港)— 拉丁美洲电影的悸动激情令人着迷,破格题材和手法常令人耳目一新。第四十一届香港国际电影节特别选映多部拉美电影,不乏国际得奖佳作。 巴西电影人才辈出,小克莱伯.门多萨的《不迁不拆水瓶座》(内地译名《水瓶座》)以音乐和节奏谱写保育女神对抗暴发地产商,入围戛纳电影节竞逐金棕榈奖,更连夺多地电影节最佳电影奖,而以《蜘蛛女之吻》成名的索尼娅.布拉加亦数度获封影后。马赛罗.戈麦斯的《淘金英雄》(内地译名《若阿金》)重塑巴西民族英雄席尔瓦·沙维尔的传奇,暴露殖民地时代的压迫剥削,入围柏林电影节角逐金熊奖。马西路卡坦努(Marcelo CAETANO)的《肌电工情》则藉肉体放电的男男情欲爱恋,以敏感目光捕捉阳光大男孩寻索人生方向。 阿根廷电影新力量亦备受瞩目。加斯顿.杜帕拉特与马里亚诺.寇恩的《玩谢大作家》(内地译名《杰出公民》)写诺贝尔奖作家衣锦还乡的荒诞奇遇,以《无定向丧心病狂》(内地译名《荒蛮故事》)扬名的奥斯卡.马丁内兹更摘下威尼斯影帝殊荣。智利导演帕布罗.拉雷恩以《第一夫人:积琪莲肯尼迪》(内地译名《第一夫人》)进军好莱坞前,亦早以该国诺奖诗人借题发挥,在《流亡诗人聂鲁达》(内地译名《追捕聂鲁达》)创造斗智斗力大追捕,获提名金球奖最佳外语片。卢卡斯连拿(Lukas V. RINNER)则借鉴若松孝二,结合性与革命的主题,在《隔墙有个天体营》(内地译名《得体的女人》)以双面女佣卸下衣裳加入天体俱乐部,讽刺阶级矛盾。 墨西哥影片的威力同样不容忽视。阿玛特.伊斯卡拉特凭《欲望号妖兽》(内地译名《野蛮地区》)一家男女与妖兽交欢满足性欲,以魔幻现实风格大胆袒露社会压抑与人性脆弱,勇夺威尼斯电影节最佳导演奖。露茜亚卡雷拉斯(Lucía CARRERAS)的《天降小娃娃》则是温情小品,透过两个社会边缘的女人照顾女婴重拾人性美善。更有参赛纪录片《假面的自白》、大师新作《无尽诗篇》(内地译名《诗无尽头》)及修复经典《低度发展的回忆》(内地译名《低度开发的回忆》)。节目详情可浏览官方网站www.hkiff.org.hk。 资料及图片下载: FTP: ftp://hkiff.mtel.ws 登入身份: Press 密码: HK1FFPress 资料夹: HKIFF41/Press Releases/20170321 - The Passion of Latin American Cinema – 完 – 香港国际电影节 (HKIFF) 简介 香港国际电影节 (HKIFF) 是亚洲最享负盛名的电影交流平台之一。世界各地的电影业界人士及影迷云集于此,展示新片之余亦欣赏佳作。 电影节是香港最大型的文化活动,每年搜罗来自 50 多个国家,约 250 部作品,在香港 10 多个主要文化场地上映。于过去七年,香港国际电影节曾制作及首映不少著名亚洲得奖导演制作的短片结集,包括许鞍华、黑泽清、贾樟柯、布里兰特·曼多萨、中田秀夫、蔡明亮、阿彼察邦·韦拉斯哈古等。2017 年起,香港国际电影节将与合一影业合作,每年选拔两位华人新秀拍摄剧情长片,并于电影节期间世界首映。 电影节既展示华语电影的多姿多采,亦发掘亚洲影坛新血。影迷不但可观看世界级的电影,更可与顶尖电影人直接对话、参观展览、出席庆祝派对和其他精彩活动。 电影节每年吸引超过 300 个中外媒体报导,持续成为亚洲举足轻重的电影发布及交流平台。 第四十一届香港国际电影节 (HKIFF41) 将于2017年4月11日至25日举行。 香港国际电影节协会简介 香港国际电影节协会 (HKIFFS) 是一个非牟利及非官方的慈善团体,致力发扬电影文化,推广光影艺术。 为发展香港及亚洲的电影文化,协会于每年三、四月期间均举办两项旗舰活动,包括“香港国际电影节 (HKIFF)”及“香港亚洲电影投资会 (HAF)”;八月份举办以年轻观众口味为主的“Cine Fan 夏日国际电影节 (SummerIFF)”。另外协会于2013年4月创办“电影节发烧友 (Cine Fan)”,节目旨于推广丰富多元的电影文化,每月为香港观众带来主流电影以外的精选佳作。 透过全年活动,协会期望加强世界各地对亚洲、香港及中国电影文化的欣赏,并把各地具启发性的电影带到香港,丰富本地精神文化生活。 香港国际电影节协会致力呈献高质的电影节目、发掘亚洲及中国电影的新领域、为香港电影举办各种讲座并出版有口皆碑的书刊,皆为协会带来独特崇高的国际声望,有助于本地及国际上推广香港电影。 传媒查询: 香港国际电影节协会 (HKIFFS) 麦慧欣 (Polly MAK) 张冰力 (Lizzie ZHANG) 电话:+852-2102-7380 | 6771-5476 电话:+852-2102-7381 | 5545-3639 电邮:polly_mak@hkiff.org.hk 电邮:lizzie_zhang@hkiff.org.hk 慕亚有限公司 (Isentia) 陈婷婷 (Giselle CHAN) 文馨桦 (Eva Man) 电话:+852-3987-8132 | 6222-3036 电话:+852-3987-8131 | 9060-3070 电邮:giselle.chan@isentia.com 电邮:eva.man@isentia.com
2017-03-21「亞洲電影業的挑戰、機遇和伙伴關係」 香港會議展覽中心一號展覽廳(舞臺) 10.00 - 12.00, 3/20, 2013 2013年3月20日 – 香港, 中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇有幸與香港貿易發展局在第十七屆香港國際影視展期間合作,於三月二十日早上十時至十二時在香港會展中心一號展覽廳舞臺舉辦名為「亞洲電影業的挑戰、機遇和夥伴關係」的專題研討會。 2012年中國電影市場票房總額創歷史新高,突破170億人民幣,較前年(2011)增長了30.18%,繼成為世界第二大經濟體後,中國又成功躍升為世界第二大電影市場。而作為亞洲娛樂中心的香港,能夠利用區內乃至全球豐富的電影資源,幫助中國與其他亞洲國家發展更緊密合作關係。本次主題研討會為嘉賓們提供了一個平臺,探討亞洲電影業如何通過合作達到雙贏,如何聯手為觀眾帶來更多高票房的亞洲電影,並探討政策、資金、人才、科技、製作及發行等環節在發展電影產業中的角色;此外,嘉賓們還將展望亞洲電影業未來五年的發展。 中國日報亞太分社社長周立先生將與香港貿易發展局服務業拓展總監古靜敏女士分別致歡迎詞,並歡迎來自電影業界的傑出演講嘉賓,包括香港國際電影節協會主席王英偉先生、Dragongate娛樂公司首席執行官William Pfeiffer先生、狄龍國際電影有限公司總經理洪祖星先生、中國著名電影導演張元先生、沙龍電影集團公司董事長汪長禹先生、香港銀都機構有限公司董事長兼總經理宋岱先生以及愛奇藝創始人及首席執行官龔宇先生。 關於「中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇」 「中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇」 (www.cdroundtable.com)旨在搭建一個由亞洲國家和地區的政、商、學界領袖和社會精英參與的高端對話和交流平台,圍繞亞洲地區經濟、商業、產業和社會發展等具有戰略影響的重要議題展開討論和分享見解,以增進中國與亞洲和西方國家的交流和理解。中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇在亞太地區多個主要城市舉辦。
2017-03-20For Immediate Release PRESS RELEASE Film industry elite gather for China Daily Film Summit To Define Sino-Foreign Film “Co-Production 3.0 Era” MARCH 16, 2017, HONG KONG: More than 250 delegates from the movie industry around the world attended the China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable Panel on “Sino-Foreign Co-Production Films Summit” from 10:30am to 12:30pm at FILMART. We are delighted to work with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council again as Media Partner for FILMART 2017 for the fifth consecutive year. Sino-Foreign co-productions had bolstered China’s box office more than three-fold between 2010 and 2016. Last year alone, 8 out of 10 top-grossing films on the Chinese mainland were co-productions, including “The Mermaid”, which netted more than 3.3 billion yuan (US$480 million). Recent notable co-productions included “The Great Wall” and “Kung Fu Yoga”. China has co-production agreements with more than 13 countries and regions so far, and the number is rising. As the nation’s movie industry continues to grow rapidly on the back of collaboration in capital, content, talent and distribution, the role of Sino-Foreign co-productions in the global film market calls for a deep analysis. Mr. Raymond YIP, Deputy Executive Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, who welcomed the distinguished speakers from across Asia, pointed out that the passing of the “Film Industry Promotion Law” by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress last November indicates China’s intense focus on the development of a vibrant and structured local film industry. The steady growth of the mainland’s film business will undoubtedly benefit more Sino-Foreign co-productions in the long run. China Daily is delighted to have had 10 distinguished speakers: Mr. Teddy CHEN, a prominent Hong Kong film director; Mr. William FENG, Head of Greater China and Vice-President of Asia Pacific, The Motion Picture Association (MPA); Ms. Amy LIU, Partner, EntGroup; Mr. CT YIP, Executive Director, Media Asia Group Holdings Limited & CEO, Lai Sun Group; Mr. YA Ning, Senior Vice-President, iQIYI and CEO, iQIYI Motion Pictures; Mr. CHEN Yiqi, Chairman, Sil-Metropole Organisation Ltd; Ms. Ann AN, Chairman, Desen International Media; Mr. Dagan POTTER, Production Lead, Oriental Dreamworks; Mr. William PFEIFFER, Executive Chairman & Co Founder, Globalgate Entertainment; and Dr. MA Runsheng, Former President, China Radio, Film and Television Program Exchange Center & Vice-President, China Television Drama Production Industry Association. They analyzed the opportunities and challenges for China’s movie business in the coming years and how industry players can make the most out of such co-operation in the “co-production 3.0 era”. Mr. Teddy CHEN shared his views on the topic -- “Today, there's no such thing as a pure mainland film, Hong Kong film or Taiwan film. They have integrated with one another already.” Mr. William FENG said China's cooperation with the West in film production will be stepped up, not only through co-production but also general cooperation based on local productions. He stressed that for Chinese films to go out, their story lines need to be improved to enable the world to better understand Chinese stories. Ms. Amy LIU said the development potential of China's co-production film market is huge as the average time Chinese people spend on watching movies remains low at present despite the rapid box office growth on the Chinese mainland. Mr. CT YIP pointed out the mainland’s film industry has been developing fast, fueled by the advent of internet ticketing and distribution platforms. He said films represent the “crystalisation” of humans’ thoughts and creations, so people in the industry need to keep learning, observing and changing to meet the challenges. Mr. YA Ning stressed that it would take time for us to figure out how to promote Chinese films to the US and overseas markets and to adapt our productions to suit the viewing habits of audiences overseas. Mr. CHEN Yiqi said diversity of co-production should be explored and encouraged. China can invest in US films and the other way around, while US filmmakers can also remake Chinese films and vice-versa. Ms. Ann AN highlighted that mastering Hollywood’s production skills and camera language is one of the pre conditions for exporting Chinese culture successfully. Mr. Dagan POTTER said we have the distinct advantage of having China-based, as well as Los Angeles-based crew. The collaboration between these two groups could bring unique ideas and vision to the process. Mr. William PFEIFFER expressed concern that there will be more blurry lines when it comes to co production. Globalization is inevitable and technology is the key to solving problems in co-production. Hopefully, the actors will be able to speak their language along with the translations. Dr. MA Runsheng said Sino-foreign co-produced films offer a great opportunity for Chinese culture to go out, as well as for advanced international culture to enter China, but great co-productions have yet to emerge. -- Ends – Co-organized with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council for the fifth consecutive year, China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable held a panel discussion on “Sino-Foreign Co-produced Films Summit” on March 16. Delegates at the summit listening to speakers’ comments on Sino- Foreign Co-produced Films. Distinguished speakers analyzing the opportunities and challenges for China’s movie business in the coming years, and how industry players can make the most out of such co-operation in the “co-production 3.0 era”. About China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable is a by-invitation network of movers and shakers in Asia providing platforms for focused dialogue, issue investigation, and possible collective action on strategic issues relating to economic, business and social development in Asia. Our aim is to enhance communication and increase mutual understanding between China, Asian and Western countries. Roundtable events are held in major cities across Asia. Media Contact: Ms. Cindy Chan Tel: (852) 3465 5431 Email: cindy@chinadailyhk.com Follow us: @cdroundtable
2017-03-17Comprehensive relationship between Asia’s two major economic powers will help create a win-win situation for all parties, roundtable forum heard. China and India are inching closer to building a more wide-ranging and comprehensive bilateral relationship, as stronger links between Asia’s two major economic powerhouses offer a foundation for resolving disputes and create a win-win situation for all, panelists told a roundtable forum themed the “China-India Economic and Business Partnership” in Hong Kong on Tuesday. “As the two most populous countries in the world, as well as the two largest emerging markets in the global economic sphere, China and India do compete for market share and resources. They do compete in industries such as manufacturing and IT services. “But, we also think there’s much room for cooperation between the two nations,” said Jing Ulrich, managing director and vice-chairman, Asia Pacific, at JPMorgan Chase & Co. She made the remarks at the China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable, which was part and parcel of the 10th Asia Financial Forum, held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Vivek Pathak, director of East Asia & the Pacific at International Finance Corporation, said the tighter the economic links between China and India, the more likely the two countries could set aside disputes and “join forces to move on”. Pathak agreed with Ashwani Goel, head and general manager of TATA South-East Asia, who believed that the keyword is “always collaboration rather than competition”. Growing economic ties between China and India also play a vital role in one of the world’s most important bilateral relationships. In the past decade, bilateral trade had surged from US$19 billion in 2005 to US$72 billion in 2015. Ulrich said the sheer size and growth rates of the two economies have boosted trade between them. This year, the gross domestic product (GDP) of the world’s second-largest economy is projected to grow by 6.5 percent to US$11.4 trillion, while India’s GDP is on track to grow faster than any other economy in the Asia Pacific region — at 7.2 percent to US$2.3 trillion. As China’s foreign direct investment in India soared from US$11 million in 2005 to US$700 million in 2015 and broke the US$1-billion barrier last year, India, with a great appetite for funds, has proved to be a gold mine for cash-rich and investment-hungry Chinese mainland investors. The fastest-growing economy’s insatiable demand for highway, railway and housing projects fits in well with China’s Belt and Road ambitions, through which China could contribute in terms of financing equipment, raw materials, technology and project management, Ulrich noted. Technology stands as another bright spot for Chinese mainland companies with deep pockets and seeking investment opportunities. Policymakers and IT experts in India, which is home to more than 12,000 high-tech startups, have been making a strong pitch in the past few years for bigger collaboration with China’s burgeoning IT sector. Chinese internet behemoths Alibaba and Tencent, for instance, have invested heavily in some of top Indian startups from e-commerce platform Snapdeal to mobile wallet giant Paytm. Puneet Agrawal, India’s consul-general for Hong Kong and Macao, believed that economic connections should not be the only theme that defines the wide-ranging bilateral relationship between China and India. He said that, as neighbors and two of the world’s oldest civilizations, China and India have also shared a long history of cultural linkages. India’s abundant tourism resources, yet to be explored by China’s swelling middle class, could make the country another popular tourist destination. Lin Wenjie contributed to the story. Source: http://www.chinadailyasia.com/2017-01/18/content_15560052.html
2017-01-18Jing Ulrich, managing director and vice-chairman, Asia Pacific, at JP Morgan Chase & Co If China and India — the world’s two largest emerging markets — strengthen their overall relationship, it’ll rejuvenate the entire Asian region, yielding multilateral benefits, according to Jing Ulrich, managing director and vice-chairman, Asia Pacific, at JPMorgan Chase & Co. In an interview with China Daily on the sidelines of the Asia Leadership Roundtable on Tuesday, she explained that both countries have been stepping up their ties in recent years, adding that bilateral trade has gone up dramatically in the past decade. In 2005, bilateral trade was US$19 billion but soared to US$72 billion a decade later. Investments from the Chinese mainland to India had also surged significantly — from US$11 million in 2005 to US$705 million in 2015. Ulrich pointed out there’re three aspects in which China and India can further their cooperation — in infrastructure, technology and services, including tourism, entertainment and education — adding that the China-led Belt and Road Initiative will help India upgrade its infrastructure as India’s investments in infrastructure have been lacking due to a shortage of funds and the slow approval process. However, she warned that given a lot of uncertainties arising from the incoming Donald Trump presidency, as well as geopolitical factors worldwide, relations between China and India will become much more complex and challenging. She added that, for China, there are potential threats to its exports but, for India, trade would not be affected to a great extent, while numerous Indian IT professionals currently working in the United States, as well as American and Indian software companies, might be impacted if the US changes its visa policy. Ulrich said China and India also share similarities and differences in their economies. “The size, economic growth rate and model of the Chinese and Indian economies are different.” According to Ulrich, China’s GDP, which amounts to US$11.4 trillion, is five times more than India’s GDP of US$2.3 trillion. China’s GDP growth rate in 2017 is expected to be 6.5 percent, versus India’s 7.2 percent. India’s growth is the highest among the world’s major economies and is expected to continue its strong momentum this year as the Indian central bank is likely to ease its monetary policies to loosen liquidity in the market, thus driving up consumption. In addition, India’s manufacturing is not as developed as China’s, but India’s internet technology services are among the world’s most competitive, and India’s personal consumption is strong. Ulrich noted that China’s economic growth has been driven by investments and infrastructure development in the past few years. But, the services sector is playing an increasingly important role in driving future growth, and she expects the Chinese mainland’s GDP growth in 2017 to be relatively stable at around 6.5 percent. China’s growth, however, will be slightly weaker compared to last year due to overcapacity reduction in some traditional industries, adjustments in the property sector, and a host of global geopolitical uncertainties. Source: http://www.chinadailyasia.com/2017-01/18/content_15560053.html
2017-01-18India should position itself as a second global manufacturing base to attract investment from international enterprises, including those from the Chinese mainland, said Vivek Pathak, director of East Asia and the Pacific at International Finance Corporation. The reasons for doing so are quite clear — India has a huge growing population with vast market potential, together with skilled professionals, and the country is high up on the technology value chain — he told China Daily on the sidelines of the China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable on Tuesday. On the other hand, India should develop its infrastructure to better attract investors in the manufacturing sector. “Sustainable infrastructure is key to achieving unparalleled regional and global connectivity, building a competitive manufacturing base, and developing a global logistics hub and conduit for trade,” said Pathak. For Chinese mainland enterprises scouting investment opportunities in India, he suggests they could focus on particular sectors. Top priority should be infrastructure, he believes, as India is suffering from an acute shortage of infrastructure facilities, while Chinese companies are well positioned to invest in the field as they have both the capital and technical expertise. The second choice should be the consumer sector as India has a huge emerging middle class, with great potential for all kinds of consumer goods, including pharmaceutical products. “The third area is affordable housing. Large-scale affordable housing in cities is one of the greatest necessities of urban India today. China has demonstrated that it can invest in roads, railways, and apartment buildings which are also affordable”. In the high-tech sector, Pathak called for closer co-operation between Chinese and Indian companies. One example is the mobile-phone market, which is growing rapidly in India. The internet penetration rate is also growing and people would like to upgrade their phones and attend to more finance-related things on their phones. “ The global smartphone market continues to grow at a steady pace due to more widespread adoption in emerging markets, including India. This will continue to present huge opportunities for Chinese phone manufacturers,” said Pathak. He stressed that the general market sentiment in India is very upbeat although some experts are saying that the country’s economy may slow down slightly due to the demonetization process. But, he believes, the impact will be brief and, in the long term, it will be good for the country. Pathak advised Chinese mainland enterprises intending to invest in India that doing business in China is different from that in India. They’ll have to adapt to the environment and be able to navigate the bureaucracy and around various government departments and learn how to make things work there. Source: http://www.chinadailyasia.com/2017-01/18/content_15560054.html
2017-01-18新聞稿 即時發布 中印政、商界專家齊聚中國日報論壇 解讀中印合作發展新機遇 2017年1月17日香港–中國日報將於1月17日(星期二)上午09:45至10:45假香港會議展覽中心展覽廳 5E-G舉行題為「中印經濟商務的發展丶融合與機遇」的專題研討會。屆時,四位中印政、商界領軍人物將探討兩國經貿現狀及合作機遇,並與現場300名嘉賓互動。 中國和印度兩國人口達24億,近年來雙邊貿易及投資額大幅增長,勢將成為21世紀全球經濟的「主導」經濟體。中國國家主席習近平與印度總理莫迪總理近年經常會晤,共議如何促進雙邊貿易和投資。中印兩國已是「新開發銀行」、「亞洲基礎設施發展銀行」等諸多重要國際組織的發起者及參與者,但兩國之間仍然存在許多市場准入及經濟發展問題。隨著中印合作日益緊密、深入,兩國如何進行優勢互補、通過區域經濟一體化提升兩國的國際競爭力,如何從雙邊經貿合作中受益,皆成為備受關注的議題。 中國日報誠意邀請到印度駐香港特別行政區和澳門特別行政區總領事普尼特‧阿格拉沃爾(Puneet Agrawal)先生、塔塔國際東南亞總經理愛史萬尼‧戈埃(Ashwani Goel)先生、國際金融公司亞太局局長潘偉凱(Vivek Pathak)先生及摩根大通董事總經理、亞太地區副主席李晶(Jing Ulrich)女士等四位中印各界專家,探討以上問題。 中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇自2012年起,連續六年攜手亞洲金融論壇舉辦專題研討會,近40名專家及行業領袖剖析了中國內地、香港、東盟、亞洲及全球發展,亦解讀了「新絲綢之路」、女性領袖等熱門議題。 中國日報社擁有報紙、網站、移動用戶端、臉譜、推特、微博、微信、電子報等十餘種媒介平臺,全媒體用戶總數累計約5000萬;發行量90萬份,其中海外60萬份;網站日均訪問量(PV)5200萬,全球移動用戶端用戶達600萬;在海外,通過每月發行400余萬份海外供版的《中國觀察報》(China Watch),直達《華爾街日報》、《華盛頓郵報》、《每日電訊報》、《費加羅報》、加拿大《環球郵報》、泰國《民族報》等美、歐、亞主流讀者群。 中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇是一個由亞洲國家和地區的政、商、學界領袖和社會精英參與的高端對話和交流平臺,至今在港、澳和亞太多國已經舉辦了近50屆,逾萬名決策精英參與。 媒體垂詢: 姜婉君小姐 電話:(852) 3465 5432 電郵:olive@chinadailyhk.com 陳若馨小姐 電話:(852) 3465 5431 電郵:cindy@chinadailyhk.com
2017-01-13For Immediate Release PRESS RELEASE Elite speakers to share insights on China-India Economic and Business Partnership at China Daily session Asian Financial Forum JAN 17, 2017, HONG KONG: China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable will hold a panel discussion themed “China-India Economic and Business Partnership” from 9:45AM to 10:45AM on January 17, Tuesday at Hall 5E-G, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. Four expert panelists, hailing from China and India, will share their insights on the topic with 300 delegates. With a combined population of 2.4 billion and huge increases in bilateral trade and investments, China and India are poised to become the leading economies of the 21st century. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met frequently in the past few years to discuss initiatives aimed at boosting bilateral trade and investments. Both countries are already strategic partners in many important international initiatives, such as the New Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. However, many mutual market access issues remain. China Daily is delighted to have Mr. Puneet Agrawal, Consul-General, Consulate General of India to Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR; Mr. Ashwani Goel, Head and General Manager, TATA South-East Asia; Mr. Vivek Pathak, Director, East Asia & the Pacific, International Finance Corporation and Ms. Jing Ulrich, Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Asia Pacific, JPMorgan Chase & Co. to share their views on a range of hot topics, including the challenges and opportunities for Chinese and Indian businesses, the sectors that will benefit most from such a close economic partnership, as well as closer integration between the two major powers. Since 2012, China Daily has been co-organizing special panels with Asia Financial Forum for six consecutive years. Nearly 40 officials, professionals and academics had gathered to analyze the financial development of the Chinese Mainland, the Hong Kong SAR, ASEAN, Asia and the world, and unveil the potential of “New Silk Road” and “women leadership” as well. -- The end -- About China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable is a by-invitation network of movers and shakers in Asia providing platforms for focused dialogue, issue investigation, and possible collective action on strategic issues relating to economic, business and social development in Asia. Our aim is to enhance communication and increase mutual understanding between China, Asian and Western countries. Roundtable events are held in major cities across Asia. Media Contact: Ms. Olive Jiang Tel: (852) 3465 5432 Email: olive@chinadailyhk.com Ms. Cindy Chan Tel: (852) 3465 5431 Email: cindy@chinadailyhk.com
2017-01-13Hong Kong is ideally positioned to reap the benefits of the three-year-old Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative to expand its presence in markets around the region and the world, says Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. This means Hong Kong is pushing forward with efforts to boost its role as a super-connector for the 60-plus economies that make up the B&R, focusing in areas that it excels in, according to Leung. “Working together — the government, business and community — we Hong Kong will be the key link, the super-connector, for the Belt and Road, and for Belt and Road economies and the Chinese mainland,” he said. “We have been doing a lot of messaging on the mainland about Hong Kong’s (role).” But there remains a caveat, he warned. “Hong Kong is too small to pretend we can be all things to all men,” Leung said, adding that a greater focus on professional services — larger contributors to the city’s gross domestic product (GDP) than tourism — could serve Hong Kong well.” Leung made the comments during the China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable Luncheon at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday. The event focused on “Hong Kong Super-Connecting the Belt and Road” and was attended by about 270 executives and opinion makers. “It is a hugely ambitious project and we, members of the public and the media, are keen to see tangible results,” said Zhou Li, an editorial board member at the China Daily Group and publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily Asia Pacific. Leung said the government has continued to work toward improving financial connectivity, using the example of the Legislative Council approving tax concessions for corporate treasury centers. Another push is the allocation of HK$200 million to help support professional services, with applications now open for non-profit projects to enhance competitiveness. The Hong Kong stock market now boasts connect programs with markets in Shanghai, with the Shenzhen link going live on Monday. Connectivity possible The roundtable also heard that the “super-connector” role of the Hong Kong SAR is also visible in other areas, most notably logistics. A world-class airport and port, both of which are among the busiest in the world, make this connectivity possible. Hong Kong’s links to the mainland through the “One Country, Two Systems” approach facilitates access to both the mainland and markets around the world. Despite these advantages, Leung said much work remains to be done and information will be the key. “We need to step up our information-gathering efforts,” he said. Hong Kong is also working to set up more trade offices abroad, adding to the five on the mainland and 12 elsewhere in the world, with Jakarta and South Korea likely to follow suit. “We are, at present, underrepresented outside Hong Kong,” Leung said. The sheer scope of the B&R Initiative continues to impress and open new opportunities, other roundtable panelists said. “B&R is an ambitious initiative and promises to present a new frontier for growth at a time when growth is sadly lacking,” said Stephen Ng Tin-hoi, chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. “Without markets open there would be no Hong Kong as we know it today … that is why we need to defend Hong Kong as the world’s freest economy.” For Hong Kong enterprises, the opportunities stemming from the B&R are likely to fall under two main categories. One is in infrastructure investment, which is likely for large companies like banks. The other is consumer goods, likely to apply to more small- and medium-sized enterprises. “Hong Kong can facilitate enterprises to engage in investment and financing of infrastructure projects along the Belt and Road economies,” said Jonathan Choi Koon-shum, chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce. “Companies in both Hong Kong and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) can joint hands and explore together the opportunities.” ‘Lifeline’ for Hong Kong Under the initiative, Hong Kong should consider what and who it is connecting, said Edward Chen Kwan-yiu, president of the Qianhai Institute for Innovative Research. He suggested that while geographic connections between the land and historic Silk Roads are important, the SAR should also improve the connectivity of trade in goods and services. “The third question is ‘how to connect’,” Chen said. “Simply, you have to establish the connections before you can super-connect.” Considerations of declining trade numbers could also come into play, he said. “‘One Belt, One Road’ is possibly a lifeline to revive Hong Kong’s entrepot position,” Chen said. “Hong Kong is the last bastion of free trade.” Mark Tucker, group chief executive and president of AIA Group, said some of the pieces to accomplish these goals are already in place. “Infrastructure as an asset class is a natural base for insurance companies … We are wonderfully placed as a city, and with infrastructure.” He said while Hong Kong has some catching up to do, he remains confident it can be achieved. “Hong Kong is perfectly placed today as the major center for renminbi … the basis of opportunity to expand the renminbi market, there is no limit,” Tucker said. And Hong Kong’s long-standing logistical strengths are also important considerations. “Hong Kong has been the biggest cargo hub in the world,” said Ivan Chu Kwok-leung, chief executive of Cathay Pacific Airways, adding it was also the third-largest passenger airport in the world. “For a long, long time, Hong Kong has been playing this connectivity and super connectivity role,” Chu said. “The transport sector … is ready too and has been doing a fantastic job.” He said more communication and publicity could help more people embrace the B&R and Hong Kong’s business model, understanding that the city has always been about more connectivity. The B&R could also be an antidote to the anti-globalization trend now visible around the world. “Helping people — young people — understand the huge opportunities unleashed by the B&R is key,” Chu said.
2016-12-11