Shanghai China Snippets Observations about living in Shanghai and China in general

August 30, 2005

Cigarette Vending Machine Banned in China

Filed under: China News Soft — Shanghai @ 7:25 am

I read it in China’s English mouthpiece, I read it on international news websites and even in Dutch Newspapers which quoted, probably verbatim, Xinhua, another great source of information.

What did I read. Something totally remarkable and irrelevant.

China, the world’s biggest market for cigarettes, ratified an international treaty aimed curbing tobacco-related deaths, announcing immediately afterwards a ban on tobacco vending machines

As long as I live in China I have never, really never encountered a cigarette vending machine. Not in Kunming, not in Beijing, not in Xian, not in Lijiang, not in.. any place I visited or lived and believe me, I used to smoke more than the average Chinese man.

So where do you buy your cigarettes then if there aren’t any vending machines around the corner, you may ask.

Small shops like the flowerist, the phonecard salesman, the 24-hrs shop, supermarkets big and small, “real” cigarette shops that are plastered on every corner, actually any shop that sells anything definitely also sells cigarettes.

It’s so easy to get cigarettes I actually quit.

sources:

China Daily
China ratifies WHO anti-tobacco treaty

Forbes
China ratifies anti-tobacco treaty, to ban tobacco vending machines

August 28, 2005

Do Not Marry Shanghainese Women

Filed under: Shanghai Life — Shanghai @ 3:21 am

Divorces in Shanghai are on the rise. 39% more than last year.

Analysts say that newlyweds ended their marriage due to erupting clashes and unstable relationships. Also, the new marriage regulation implemented last October in China makes marriage and devoice easier than before, as the couples require only household registration and identification cards for both marriage and divorce cases.

More freedom, more choices and less embarassment are factors in this. Especially the social pressure to keep up face and stay together is probably getting less. Aso the choice of a spouse may play a role.

The ….. marriage between a Shanghai man and a woman from outside the city remains stable, with 20 couples divorced in 2004. But marriage with a local Shanghai woman ended with a higher rate of divorce, statistics shows.

So beware…

source: Xinhua

August 18, 2005

Pirated Maps | Shanghai Gets Tough

Filed under: Chinese Multi Media — Shanghai @ 5:05 am

Shanghai is getting tough on the piracy of maps.

Mapping authorities in the city announced yesterday they will provide cash rewards of up to 100,000 yuan (US$12,346) to those who provide “valuable clues” to help ferret out the producers and vendors of pirated maps.
They also said they will begin selling genuine maps at major downtown locations using automatic vending machines.
“Pirated maps not only disturb legal business, but also mislead buyers,” Lu Weijun, a spokesperson for the Shanghai Institute of Surveying and Mapping, said yesterday.
He said the high rewards will help collect information about who is printing pirated maps and increase public awareness about the importance of intellectual property rights.
It’s not difficult to find pirated maps for sale at long-distance bus stations, ports, scenic spots and book stalls where people, particularly those from outlying places, often visit, officials said.
According to officials at the institute, at least 1 million pirated maps are sold in the city every year, accounting for one-third of all maps sold in Shanghai, which has greatly impacted the map publishing business.

I guess when IP infringements start to hurt locally, it may have a positive effect globally.
What product is next?

August 14, 2005

Gone With The Wind Arrived | Shanghai Bookstore Advertising

Filed under: Chinese Multi Media — Shanghai @ 12:29 am

The most interesting pages of the local daily are the Shanghai classifieds. Just yesterday I realized that Shanghai is getting hipper by the day.

“Gone with the Wind”, a recently published book (1939) has arrived here and you can get it at the “Imported Bookstore”.
Shanghai Bookstore
Don’t start running now to the shop, I know you are eager but I am sure there will be a copy available whenever you feel like it.

August 9, 2005

Expat Shanghai Advertising | Think Deep

Filed under: Shanghai Life — Shanghai @ 10:09 pm

For your convenience Cityweekend Shanghai (one of the many expat magazines here) apparently gives free ad space in their personals for the more entrepreneurial relations.
Cityweekend Advertisiments

Internet Bubble 2| Baidu China

Filed under: China Business,Chinese Multi Media — Shanghai @ 2:52 am

With amazement I read about the IPO of Baidu and the way the price of it’s stock has been going up. China is hot, sure. Internet was very hot one time, it is pretty much mainstream these days but it seems to be getting hotter again. Internet and China combined makes bloody hot although it is hard to find any reason why this combination justifies so much heat.

These two factors are likely the reason that the stock of Baidu has been trading at $ 154,- ?

That means that “..Baidu, which earned $1.4 million last year, is currently valued at $5 billion (based on the $ 154,- price), raising the question of whether we’ll ever learn not to let greed get the best of us and whether this company’s shares are likely to trade below $100 in due time.” source: Investors.com

I screendumped a chart from Yahoo Finance.
Baidu ipo China

I am no financial wizard but it seems like a lot of value given last year’s earnings. Hell, even this website maybe worth something:)

To read some quotes of more informed persons, read the nice list of quotes compiled by
The China Net Investor (China unwalled version), which all seem to point in the same direction… BUBBLE

Also talk starts to spread that Baidu’s market share might be smaller than published.

Additionally there are some copyright lawsuits in progress as well as some new ones are pending .

Originally I wanted to take this topic a bit deeper but lack of time leaves you with the above. Just a short conclusion. Next to the over valued price of Baiduand the small chance they will actually will be able to live up to all the financial expectations etc. there is something else investors may want to consider. Internet in China is perceived as media. The media are supervised by the goverment. Regulations are changed at least once every year. Then again, if you like to gamble, something which is not allowed on the mainland, I suggest “BUY”

China News | Search Google & Yahoo News

Filed under: Chinese Multi Media — Shanghai @ 2:35 am

I intended to write an article about the Baidu IPO bubble. I might conclude that one later. While searching for some sources I remembered a site where you can simultaneously search Google & Yahoo News. Considering that Google news & Yahoo news are not always readily available here due to some Chinese firewall tactics I think this site can serve as a nice alternative.

Search the news with Newsiness

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