Sony China seeks local synergy

Led by Hiroshi Takahashi, it is rolling up its digital sleeves to vie with LeTV and Xiaomi

April 1 may be the day when even smart, wise people fall prey to practical jokes, but for Peking University's Japanese alumnus Hiroshi Takahashi, in his 60s, it marked the beginning of a really serious project this year: that of conquering the China tech market, potentially the world's largest, for Sony's local unit.

April 1 also signalled Takahashi's return to China, where he had worked for six years (1994 to 2000) with Sony. In fact, back then, he had helped found Sony Corp's China unit.