Quotable

Selecting Chongqing as a free trade zone would result in upgraded development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, where growing shipping activities offer a diversified business platform for 11 provinces and municipalities."

Dong Liwan, a shipping industry professor at Shanghai Maritime University, said Chongqing and the coastal city of Zhoushan in Zhejiang province are being pushed by shipping experts as favorites for new free trade zones.

"Companies make mistakes when they set a foreign investment strategy to go do something. At that point in time, they don't address the risks in that strategy. It's hard to move off their initial statement when they have already started making investments and announced it in the media."

Alex Wittenberg, executive director of the Global Risk Center at Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc, noted that while Chinese corporations are heavily involved in mergers and acquisitions, they would be well served to be more selective and diligent.

"I think emerging markets have the biggest potential in business growth for Chinese TV and cellphone makers as the consuming power in these countries increases."

Li Dongsheng, chairman and CEO of TCL Corp. The home appliances and consumer electronics maker reported year-on-year growth of 3.51 percent in revenue last year, far below its target of 18 percent, amid growth pressure on both China's foreign trade and domestic demand.

(China Daily European Weekly 04/01/2016 page24)