Comments on: Lenovo moves into China’s hinterland and invests in the country’s sixth-tier http://www.china-briefing.com/news/2007/06/05/lenovo-moves-into-chinas-hinterland-and-invests-in-the-countrys-sixth-tier.html Fri, 05 Dec 2008 14:48:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Chris.Devonshire http://www.china-briefing.com/news/2007/06/05/lenovo-moves-into-chinas-hinterland-and-invests-in-the-countrys-sixth-tier.html#comment-44 Chris.Devonshire Tue, 05 Jun 2007 08:39:38 +0000 http://www.china-briefing.com/news/2007/06/05/lenovo-moves-into-chinas-hinterland-and-invests-in-the-countrys-sixth-tier.html#comment-44 Interestingly, upon speaking to Lenovos Chairman Liu Chuanzhi at an event in the States recently, he mentioned to me that he did not see Lenovo as a "Chinese" company, and requested that linkage be dropped. "We are a global business" were his comments, "not a Chinese business". I find that fascinating when recently, many Chinese businessmen are taken up in the rhetoric of Chinese arrogance in their dealings. In reality, most of them fail when looking to invest overseas and in markets where free trade and competition exist. Lenovo are an example of a very well managed business that has broken out of China via acquisition and has turned itself into a multinational. That is a very different type of business model than the majority of China's businessmen currently believe themselves to be. For sure, this is not going to be the "Chinese century". An Asian century maybe, but Chinese - I doubt. It's an era of globalisation where countries matter less, (including the USA) and is not an era of specific superpower building. Lenovo are one of the few out-of-China companies to have recognised this. Interestingly, upon speaking to Lenovos Chairman Liu Chuanzhi at an event in the States recently, he mentioned to me that he did not see Lenovo as a “Chinese” company, and requested that linkage be dropped. “We are a global business” were his comments, “not a Chinese business”.

I find that fascinating when recently, many Chinese businessmen are taken up in the rhetoric of Chinese arrogance in their dealings. In reality, most of them fail when looking to invest overseas and in markets where free trade and competition exist. Lenovo are an example of a very well managed business that has broken out of China via acquisition and has turned itself into a multinational. That is a very different type of business model than the majority of China’s businessmen currently believe themselves to be. For sure, this is not going to be the “Chinese century”. An Asian century maybe, but Chinese - I doubt. It’s an era of globalisation where countries matter less, (including the USA) and is not an era of specific superpower building. Lenovo are one of the few out-of-China companies to have recognised this.

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