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Events in 2003
Please visit our Calendar section for upcoming events
China Books on the International Market
Featured speaker: Toby Eady, UK literary agent
Second Event of the Shanghai FCC Publishing Series
18 December 2003, 8pm, Arch Cafe
About the event:
As China-based correspondents, we are all avid consumers of "books about China". We enviously gush about the good ones, crack jokes about the bad ones, and are sometimes downright puzzled by some of the things that come out on China in the West. Why is it that the most popular books about China focus on sex and/or politics? What do publishers look for in China books? What are the marketing challenges and strategies specific to China books? How has the market for China books evolved over the years: are Western readers at all open to hearing about how China is changing, or do they still just want to hear about Mao suits and McDonalds? To answer those questions, UK-based literary agent Toby Eady will share with us his insights about publishing Chinese writing in the West and his experiences promoting some of the genre's more successful titles. He will focus on the different situations f! or fiction and memoir, and the problems of translation. This event is the second in the SFCC's ongoing series on publishing.
About the speaker:
Toby Eady heads the UK literary agency Toby Eady Associates, which handles fiction and non-fiction and specializes in Chinese and Middle Eastern authors. The agency was established in 1968. Notable China-related clients include: Jung Chang, author of Wild Swans and a forthcoming biography of Mao; Hong Ying, author of The Summer of Betrayal and Daughter of the River; Xinran Xue, author of The Good Woman of China; Shanghai Baby author Wei Hui; Red Dust author Ma Jian; Startling Moon author Liu Hong; and Lili: A Novel of Tiananmen author Annie Wang.
Event details:
Date: Thursday, 18 December 2003, 8pm
Venue: Arch Cafe, 439 Wukang Lu, near Huaihai Lu (in the Flatiron Building), Tel 6466-0807
RSVP: to events@fccsh.org by 17 December, attendance is limited to 20 people
Price: Free for members, 30 RMB for non-members. Includes snacks and two-for-one on select drinks.
Shanghai Nightlives: Past and Present
Speaker: Andrew Field, School of History, University of New South Wales
11 December 8pm, Lanteen Japanese Dining Bar, Fuxing Park
As we imbibe our monthly happy hour two-for-one specials, we will enjoy an informal talk from Andrew Field, who is visiting Shanghai from Australia. He will speak about Shanghai's after-dark personality, comparing pre- and post-Communist nightlife culture and delving into the substantive transformations and power struggles in the decades following Shanghai's decadent 1920's. The topic of Chinese, Japanese and the international community's influences on nightlife in Shanghai should be a fitting accompaniment to our cocktails in Fuxing Park at a Japanese bar and restaurant!
If you wish to attend, RSVP to Crystyl Mo by Tuesday December 9. This meeting is free of charge for FCC members, RMB 20 for non-members. Lanteen offers a variety of unusual cocktails, as usual there will be a 2 for 1 offer on all drinks and free snacks.
Background of Andrew Field
"I graduated with a PhD from the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, Columbia University in 2001. I wrote my doctoral dissertation on the nightlife industry of Shanghai c. 1920s-50s, looking at how a Westernized and in particular Americanized model of mass entertainment culture, cabarets, nightclubs, taxi dancehalls--was strategically adopted and adapted by the Chinese population of the city, and how successive Chinese regimes (Japanese occupation, Nationalist, Communist) attempted to control and/or abolish this culture and the industry it spawned. Since 2001 I have taught at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma Washington and now have a permanent position in the School of History at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, where I teach Modern Chinese History."
Location Details:
LANTEEN Japanese Dining Bar, Fuxing Plaza inside Fuxing Park next to Party World, 109 Yandang Rd, Tel: 021.5383.5077
If you enter Fuxing Park on Gaolan Rd, walk directly across the park, you will find Lanteen among the strip of restaurants.
www.lanteen.com: "Newly open Tokyo-style 'dining bar' in Fuxing Park serving a variety of modern Japanese fusion dishes from the kitchen, and a unique combination of Western and Japanese cocktails and liquors at the bar."
Publishing Your Book in China, Inside Perspectives
First Event of the Shanghai FCC Publishing Series
Speakers: Paul Harris, photographer; and Shaun Rein, principal at Inter-Asia Venture Management
4 December 2003, 7:30 pm, Room with a View Gallery and Bar
Navigating the waters of the publishing world in China can be tricky. We've invited two people to talk about the challenges and rewards of working with a Chinese publishing house. It should be a fascinating look into the nitty-gritty of the editorial process and the inordinate power wielded by book agents in the PRC. This is part of a series which will include talks by book agents, foreign publishing houses in China and more!
Some Info from our Speakers
Paul Harris:
"I have two books of my photographs of Shanghai coming out, TRANSITION: IMAGES OF SHANGHAI IN THE 21st CENTURY (Haiwen Audio-Video Publishers) and ABOUT FACE: PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE STREETS OF SHANGHAI (Frontline, Edinburgh). Really, there was only going to be one book. But I came up against so-called Chinese 'rights of portraiture'... There is, in fact, as I found, a raft of problems associated with publishing a book in China."
More on Paul's photos at his webpage
Shaun Rein:
"I left the finance world for a bit to make a first foray into the publishing world. Zuojia Chu Ban She (Writer's Publishing House) just published a book my wife and I wrote on how to get into Harvard for Chinese audiences. It just came out two months ago and is starting to sell well. The editor and publisher are the same as those for the book Harvard Girl by Liu Yiting."
You can see the book at ChinaWriter.org.
Details:
Time: Thursday, 4 December 2003, 7:30pm
Venue: Room with a View Gallery and Bar (Dingceng Hualang Jiuba), 12/F Xianshi Building 479 Nanjing Dong Lu (near Jiujiang Lu), 6352-0256, right next to the Sofitel on Nanjing Dong Lu Buxing Jie. The entrance is a little hard to find: go down the alley on the side of the building and in the small lobby with two elevators.
If you wish to attend, RSVP to Crystyl Mo by Monday December 1. This meeting is free of charge for FCC members, RMB 20 for non-members. There will be a 2 for 1 offer on all drinks.
Mixer with Chinese Journalists
14 November 2003, 7-10 pm
We cover the same events and attend the same press conferences, but how often do we as foreign journalists have a chance to mingle with our Chinese colleagues? The FCC is legally prohibited from allowing Chinese journalists as members, but nothing stops us from hanging out with them. In the interests of promoting friendship between Shanghai's foreign and local journalist communities, we are holding the first FCC Mixer with Chinese Journalists on Friday, 14 November from 7-10pm at ArtSea Gallery by Suzhou Creek. Free alcohol, other beverages, and snacks will be served.
For the Chinese journalist component, we need our members (yes, you!) to invite their friends and contacts in the Chinese press. You can use the invite below if desired. The event is free of charge and open to members and their Chinese journalist guests only. RSVP specifying your guests' names and affiliation to Lisa Movius (lmovius@hotmail.com) by 7 November.
The Future of the RMB:
To revalue or not to revalue, that is the question
6 November, 7 pm
Speakers: Andy Rothman (CLSA), Hugh Peyman (ResearchWorks), Arthur Kroeber (China Economic Quarterly) & Chris Torrens (Access Asia)
Venue: Jojo's, 146 Tong Ren Lu, by Nanjing Xi Lu, Shanghai
Access Asia and the China Economic Quarterly will be holding another of their regular Forums in November. Jointly hosted by the Shanghai Foreign Correspondents Club, this meeting will be a roundtable discussion on the issue of the Renminbi. The roundtable will include comment from all the speakers and the opportunity for a wide-ranging discussion on the future of the RMB.
The often tense debate around the manipulation of the RMB has continued for some time now culminating with George Bush raising the issue with Hu Jintao directly. Clearly a large swathe of US opinion believes China is unfairly undervaluing its currency against the US$. The debate now ranges between those who believe the RMB is destroying jobs abroad while getting an unfair trade advantage & those who see the ability for China to control its currency as an essential part of the PRC's continuing economic liberalisations. The panel will examine the issue of the RMB, & the debates raging around its value.
Further Details on Panel Members
Andy Rothman: China Strategist for CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets, the Asian investment banking unit of Credit Lyonnais. Based in Shanghai, Andy provides institutional investors in the US, Europe and Asia with analysis of economic and political trends in China. Prior to joining CLSA in 2000, Andy worked for the US Department of State for 17 years, with his last assignment as director of the macroeconomics and domestic policy office at the American Embassy in Beijing.
Hugh Peyman: Director of ResearchWorks, a leading China-based Asian investment strategy firm. With 25 Years In Asia Hugh headed Merrill Lynch's Southeast Asian Research Department and was then Managing Director of Dresdner Kleinwort Benson.
Arthur Kroeber: Managing Editor of the China Economic Quarterly and its? principal author. From 1992 to 2001 Arthur was an analyst with the EIU in China, Taiwan and South Asia, prior to which he spent five years as an economic journalist in several Asian countries. His articles have also appeared in the Economist, the Far Eastern Economic Review, Wired, and numerous newspapers.
Chris Torrens: Currently Access Asia's Editorial Director. Previously worked as a Research Analyst for Control Risks Information Services concentrating on strategies in East Asia as well as working as the Head of Research for Batey Burn in Hong Kong. Following this Chris was a Strategic Planner with Ogilvy & Mather in Shanghai. Chris has worked as a freelance writer for various clients including the EIU, Deloitte & Touche, the FT and the UK DTI as well as being a regular contributor to the CEQ.
Paul French: Publishing and Marketing Director, Access Asia Shanghai.
Elections and monthly Happy Hour
4 November 2003
It's that time of year again: 2004 is rapidly approaching, which means discussing the FCC's mission,
activities, organization and leadership for the new year.
Up for election is the post of club president, open to all current journalist members. We are also looking for at least three new people to join the board, which is open to Corporate and Media as well as Journalist members. If you'd like to get involved, we can discuss your interests and select or create a suitable position for you. Being a board member entails one monthly lunch meeting, helping organize events, and various administrative functions--a commitment of about 4-10 hours a month depending on the position. If you don't have time to be a board member, we would also love for anyone to volunteer to organize an event. Whether or not you want to be involved in governing or organizing the club, it's very important that everyone come to this meeting to give feedback on the direction of the FCC and how it can better meet your needs and interests. We would like to hear member input on how the club has evolved this year, and what you'd like to see more (or less) of in 2004. We will decide membership rates for next year, and discuss and if necessarily vote on any other issues members bring forth.
The event is also your first chance to renew your membership for 2004, so please download and fill out the form at www.fccsh.org/membership/2004-SFCCmembershipform.doc and bring it, your money and a recent passport photo. Members renewing at the meeting will get a stylish Hong Kong FCC notebook for FREE!
The agenda for the meeting is below. If there is an item you would like added, or if you are interested in running for president or joining the board, please send a note to Lisa (lmovius@hotmail.com) or Crystyl (y@crystyl.com).
I. Overview: the FCC in 2003
A. Membership, organization, and the board - Lisa Movius, VP of Information/Olivia Edward, Membership Coordinator
B. Events - Crystyl Mo, VP of Events
C. Finances - Paul French, Treasurer
II. Discussion: whither the FCC in 2004
A. events
B. membership and size
C. structure
D. anything else
III. Voting
A. President
B. Dues
C. Any other items of contention
Wine Mixer II: The Domestic Wine Industry
30 October
Autumn is upon us and the air is getting brisk, its time for some warming wine--as well as some words about the domestic wine market. Our last talk, from Alberto Fernandez with Torres wine and King Chiang, a French wine importer, gave the club a brief overview of the imported wine market in Ch ina. Fernandez and Chiang gave the club a tasting of fine wines from Spain and France. Among other things, we learned about how some so-called "imported" wines are actually a mixture of imported bulk wine, shipped to China in bags, with local wines and then bottled in China. If you want to avoid buying this dubious mixture, make sure to check your bottles for the fine print on where it was bottled.
This time we will hear from two domestic wineries on the challenges and developments of growing first-class grapes and aging fine wine in China. We will hear from speakers from Dragon Seal, one of the oldest Chinese brands; and Grace Vineyard, a new vinter located in Shanxi with vines and equipment imported from France. Not all domestic wine is of poor quality, according to our speakers, and quality is rising along with the age of the vineyards and the experience of the local wine makers.
This event is open to members plus one friend and is free of charge.
Event: Wine Tasting and Lecture II
Time: Thursday, October 30 at 7:30 pm
Venue: Audi Media Center, 1st Floor, Silver Tower, 218 South Xizang Rd (near Huaihai Rd)
RSVP to Crystyl Mo
Bio's from our Speakers
From Karl Leung with Dragon Seal:
Mr. Karl Leung is the officer-in-charge of the Shanghai sales branch of Beijing Dragon Seal Winery. Originally from Hong Kong, Mr. Leung has been helping with and witnessing the rapid evolution of the wine market in mainland China since a decade ago from the south to the north and throughout the entire country. He picked up his wine knowledge when working for the China projects of Sopexa, the semi-governmental export marketing board for French agricultural produce. He was exposed to the wine trading environment with different types of wine products from different companies.
From Cesar Yang with Grace Vineyards:
I began working in the wine business in 1997. At that time I was working with FELIX SOLIS, a very big Spanish winery, I was the first Chinese employee. We bulit a winery in Shanghai to import bulk wine and bottle it here. After the winery was finished, I begin dealing with marketing and sales of the winery.
In 2000, I changed jobs to work for a wine company belonging to the LVMH group. I worked as sales manager, selling famous brands like Veuve Cliquot champagne, Chateau Mouton Roschild. After that, I worked for another wine distribution company more focused on new world wine, selling famous Australia wines like Penfolds, the first Chilean wine COCHA Y TORO, etc.
Now I work with a Chinese winery called Grace Vinyard, which has spent a lot of effort to make a high quality Chinese wine. I am the sales and marketing director. The winery only uses grapes from the vinyards around the winery under their control. We make a truly Chinese good wine-- some experts have said that it is the best Chinese wine they have tried.
Second Annual Daniel Pearl Memorial Concert
Tuesday, 14 October 2003, 8pm, Jazz Bar at the Portman Ritz-Carlton
World-renowned artists and leaders have joined with the Daniel Pearl Foundation in a call to musicians of the world to dedicate concerts to tolerance and humanity on the Second Annual Daniel Pearl Music Day. The day will be celebrated on October 10, 2003, what would have been Daniel Pearl's 40th birthday.
Salman Ahmad, Yefim Bronfman, Ida Haendel, Herbie Hancock, Sir Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Zubin Mehta, Mark O’Connor, Itzhak Perlman, Prof. A.J. Racy, Simon Shaheen, Ravi Shankar, Barbra Streisand, and John Williams comprise the Honorary Committee of this global event to embrace dozens of countries and hundreds of musicians in a united stand for harmony and friendship.
Better Than A Casino: Some Good News From The Frontline Of China's Capital Market Reforms
Speaker: Dr Stephen Green, Head, Asia Programme, Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, London
Venue: Jojo's, 146 Tong Ren Lu, by Nanjing Xi Lu, Shanghai
Time: Tuesday, September 23, 2003, 7:00pm
The Shanghai FCC, Access Asia and the China Economic Quarterly are jointly hosting a talk by Stephen Green, head of the Asia Programme at the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House in London. Founded in 1920, the Institute works to stimulate debate and research on political, business, security and other key issues in the international arena.
Stephen will be sharing his insights on China? capital market reforms & the state of the country? stock markets. These subjects are also covered in Stephen? most recent book China Stock Markets - The Players, the Institutions &the Future (Economist Books). The book was published after 3 years of research, interviews with market players & regulators, & reviews of Chinese language research.
If you wish to attend, RSVP to Crystyl Mo by Friday, September 19th at y@crystyl.com. This event is free of charge for FCC members and RMB50 for non-members. Free snacks will be provided and 2-for-1 offers on all drinks.
Days of Wine and more Wine
Wine distribution in China panel and tasting
When: Thursday, August 28, 7:00pm
Where: Audi Media Center, 1st floor, Silver Tower, 218 Xizang Lu (behind Times Square on Huaihai lu), in room adjacent to the auto showroom
After some serious events it's time to do a little drinking! But as journalists and journo-junkies we like to have a little news to go along with our wine, so join Alberto Fernandez, general manager Shanghai Torres Wine Trading Co. and King Chiang, founder and president of Taicheng Shanghai & Paris wine distributor to learn the nuts and bolts of the wine distribution business in China and sample some fine wines.
Alberto distributes Spanish, Australian, French and other wines to five-star hotels and restaurants in Shanghai, while King targets local pubs and restaurants, so they will have decidely different takes on how to get into a location, what customers like, and how important guanxi is to winning an establishment over.
After a panel discussion we'll sample a few of their wares, possibly in a blind taste test so you wine aficionados can test your skill. Munchies will be provided.
Who pays what for what news?
The changing landscape of the financial news
Reuters is considering consolidating its Singapore and London headquarters in India. Xinhua expands into a global financial service. Interfax triples its activities in China. The financial newswires are hit by a continued economic crisis among its customers, new competitors, new technologies and – in general - a fast changing landscape.
On Thursday 21 August Graham Earnshaw, managing director of Xinhua Financial Newswire is going to give his perspective on those changes. Mr. Earnshaw belongs to a group of veteran employees of Reuters that was retired in the 1990s in a first effort to cut its costs. With the purchase of AFX and alliances with financial news services in the US and Japan XFN, a subsidiary of Xinhua, is getting a network in place that will compete with those traditional financial newswires on costs. Mr. Earnshaw has a long experience and belonged to the press corp. in both Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Proceedings start at 6:30 PM at Jojo’s at Tongren Road, opposite the Kerry Center with a social hour. At 7:30 Mr. Earnshaw will start his speech and we will have time for questions and answers up to 9:00. Snacks will be available, drinks for own costs, 2 for 1.
C*ns*r*d: SARS, Murder, and Politics on Chinese BBSes
The Shanghai Foreign Correspondents Club will host on August 7 a meeting on Censorship on the Internet in China. How does it work and is it effective? What strategies do users have to get around the censorship and how is their behavior being influenced?
We will be taken through the evening by Kate Hartford who had to skip a conference about this subject in LA in April because of SARS, but is happy to share her insights with us. Some of her provocative findings on how people deal with information (Chinese and American are more alike than we might think) will make this into a remarkable evening.
Kate Hartford is professor of Political Science at UMass/Boston, and spent the past two years teaching at the Hopkins Nanjing Center in Nanjing. She is at work on a book about informationization in the Yangzi Delta area.
Date: August 7, 2003
Time: From 6:30 PM, drinks and snacks, formal start of the event at 7:30 PM sharp; end at 9:00 PM
Place: Jojo’s at Tongren Road 146 (across the road from the Shanghai Kerry Center)
SARS Panel
Time: Wednesday, July 9, 7:00pm
Place: Face, Bldg no. 4 Ruijin Bingguan, room to the right as you come in the door
Now that the WHO has removed Hong Kong and Beijing from the travel advisory lists (indeed, Hong Kong is now declared SARS-free!), join a panel of experts to consider the implications of the SARS "epidemic" from a business, political and health standpoint.
We'll not only look back at the SARS outbreak, but forward to consider what kind of changes it may prompt in China's political, health care, and other systems. Will it mean more openness? Not if the apparent reluctance to release information about the encephalitis outbreak in southern China is any indicator.
Our panelists:
Benjamin Weber, politcal consul at the US Consulate
Jessica Pfeifer, human resources consultant with Hewitt
Dr. Andrew Ngai, with Concord Medical Center
Crosstalk: Urban Planning vs. Historic Preservation
Thursday, 26 June, 7pm, Face
The average Western visitor to Shanghai is typically struck by two things about the city: its amazing array of historic architecture and the pace at which that architecture vanishes under the bulldozer, or more likely, bamboo scaffolding. And the average Western resident of Shanghai is further amazed by the seeming absence of any concerted preservation movement or effort.
Yet there is another side to things. Behind the beautiful stone facades often lies overcrowding and a lack of plumbing or sanitation. The city's development plan relies heavily on an ever-expanding property market, which dictates the replacement of atmospheric low-rise lanes with generic high-rise towers. Meanwhile, roads and ambitious "Green Space" plans also take a toll.
Is there a middle ground? Can preservation be economically viable? Can Shanghai develop economically only by sacrificing its aesthetic soul? What are the comparative prices -- economically, culturally, humanly -- of urban development vs. historic preservation?
Joining the Shanghai FCC to examine these and other questions are Wm Patrick Cranley, Shanghai Hand, architecture buff, and head of the Shanghai Historic House Association (SHHA), and Chris Choa, Partner and Managing Director of HLW (Shanghai), which designed the North Bund Project.
When: Thursday, 26 June, 7pm
Where: Face, in the Ruijin Guesthouse
Cost: free for SFCC members, 50 RMB for non-members
Please RSVP and direct any questions to Lisa Movius
Since many of our members have strong feelings and a lot of thoughts on this topic, everyone is encouraged to head to our SFCC forum to post and discuss articles, resources, and thoughts on this topic, in hopes of a livelier event.
Shanghai's Jewish History
Lecture: Thursday, 19 June, 7pm, Face Members free, non-members 50 RMB
Tour: Saturday, 21 June, 2pm, Yangpu District
Members only The Thursday lecture will be given by Pan Guang of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and the SFCC's own Dvir Bar-Gal, who is working on a documentary about Jewish Shanghai. Professor Pan will present an overview from the China's indigenous Kaifeng Jewish community up to today, focusing on the refugees who settled in Shanghai before and during World War Two. Dvir will tell of the state of Shanghai's Jewish heritage sites today, and what's being done (or not done) to preserve them. The following Saturday, Dvir will conduct a tour of Shanghai's old Jewish Ghetto in Yangpu district. The tour will include the Ohel Moshe Synagogue, sites around the neighborhood, and visits to two former Jewish homes to talk with the elderly Chinese residents there about their reminisces. The tour starts at 2pm, and the price is to be announced. If participants are interested, we can go for dinner in the area afterwards. Space is limited, so this tour is open to MEMBERS only, and you must RSVP.
RSVP to Lisa Movius.
Intro to 3-on-the-Bund Luncheon
Tuesday, June 17, 1:15pm,
Please come to a luncheon lecture about that long-awaited cultural/artistic/fine dining center known as Three-on-the-Bund, which is being developed by American Chinese lawyer Handel Lee and co.
We'll hear from two people working on the project: Rachel Morarjee, former AFP Shanghai bureau chief, who is writing a book on the history of the Three-on-the-Bund building; and Diane Ho, communications director for the project.
Address: EEST restaurant, located in the Westin, 88 Henan Zhong Road
Date: Tuesday, June 17
Time: 1:15 pm (we are aiming to avoid the lunch crowd)
Cost: set lunches are 65-80 rmb plus a 15% service charge, EEST has Thai, Japanese and Chinese options
RSVP by 16 June to Crystyl Mo
Lunch with Peter Zhang, editor-in-chief of Shanghai Daily
Thursday, 20 April
Ever wonder why the Shanghai Daily never seems to get any advertising, especially compared to the China Daily? Why does the Shanghai Daily get away with running headlines that actually tell you when some statistic is bad news? Is the Shanghai Daily commercially driven? How much freedom does it have to chose its stories?
To (maybe) find out the answers to those questions and more, come meet the man behind the Shanghai Daily, Editor-in-Chief Peter Zhang Ciyun over lunch.
Date: Thursday, April 20
Automotive Industry Panel
Tuesday, 15 April, 7:30pm
Despite a rumor to the contrary, the Shanghai Auto Show is still a go on April 21-28. For those of you who will have to cover it and will need a good source to quote, those who are interested in the auto industry for other reasons, and those who just like to attend FCC events, it's the third in our evening panel series.
Join McKinsey's Paul Gao and Delphi China president Jinya Chen to talk about whether or not China's car market can sustain 56% growth; whatever happened to the plan to create three monster auto manufacturers; whether China will become the parts supplier to the world, and how China will absorb all the manufacturing capacity that will come on line in the next few years, among other scintillating topics.
Delphi is the world's most diversified automotive components supplier and has investments of more than US $400 million in China. In 2002, Delphi China's sales topped US $700 million.
Time: Tuesday, April 15, 7:30
Place: Face, Ruijin Bingguan Bldg 4, room to the right of the bar
Cost: free to members, RMB 50 others
Is Venture Capital Alive in China?
Panel discussion March 20
"Venture capital? Isn't that a dotcom-era concept?" you are probably asking. No, venture capital is alive and well in China. The central and local governments are even jumping on the seemingly capitalist bandwagon. From biotech to digital media, venture capital is happening. At least for now. But in a country which makes it near impossible for foreign-invested firms to list, how do venture capitalists expect to get their money back? And what is the regulatory environment where VC is concerned?What if you want to start a company in China but not rely on VC?
We've pulled together a panel that can address those questions and any other penetrating inquiries we may pose. They are:
--Feng Tao. Managing partner of New Margin Ventures, the venture capital arm of the Shanghai government, with investment from the China Foundation of Science and Technology, which is funded by the central government. To learn more about New Margin check out www.newmargin.com.
--Tom Tsao. Co-founder of Gobi Partners, a Shanghai-based VC firm focusing on the digital media industry. Gobi's strategic partners include China Films & Video, IBM and the Shanghai Film Group. A New Yorker, Tom was also co-founder of the Beijing Technology Development Fund, backed by red chip (or maybe H-share) Beijing Enterprises and Qinghua University.
--Philip Xiao. Co-founder of Profex, a Shanghai-based speciality healthcare co>mpany. Profex is just now talking to venture capitalists--it got start up capital through other channels. Zhejiang-native Philip previously was VP sales for Bristol Myers Squibb Sino-American Shanghai Squibb and had a brief stint as COO of Eachnet.com.
It's a panel not to be missed! Details:
When: Thursday March 20, 7:30 pm
Where: Face, Ruijin Bingguan Bldg 4, 118 Ruijin Er Lu, Room on the right across from main bar. Call 6466-4328 if you somehow manage to get lost.
Cost: Free for members of all kinds, RMB 50 for non-members. Free if you join that night.
SFCC Theater Night WWW.COM
Wednesday, January 22
WWW.COM has proved to be one of the most reliable crowd pleasers of the modern Shanghai theater, with its timely examinations of Internet dating in China and love and infidelity in the burgeoning white collar class. This time, the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center is performing it in English, the first time it has done an original English production.
Join the SFCC for a night at the theater followed by a Sichuan dinner with the playwright and members of the cast and crew.
Tickets: Members free, Nonmembers 100 RMB
Dinner: 40 RMB Members, 60 RMB nonmembers
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