Russia works to increase space surveillance capability

01:14, October 06, 2019

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  Branding taking on increasing significance

  File photo: ICAs Chinese companies extend their reach abroad after achieving success at home, effective branding is shifting from a "nice to have" to a "business necessity" advantage amid overseas expansion.To achieve genuine global influence, Chinese enterprises need to translate their tangible strengths — be they manufacturing scales or innovation capabilities — into soft power that is able to impress local consumers and make an impact on business operations, according to marketing experts.A growing appetite for branching out overseas was clearly seen in a recent survey by global marketing agency Ogilvy of chief marketing officers (or the equivalent) of 40 high-profile Chinese companies.The research identified the key drivers for Chinese enterprises outbound expansion as "seeking new markets for growth, easing domestic competition and acquiring advanced technologies". But relatively few were driven to look overseas for branding reasons.However, branding is increasingly becoming a game-changer in shaping consumer perceptions, especially as a growing protectionist sentiment looms over the global economy, said Chris Reitermann, Asia and China CEO of Ogilvy."I do think a lot of companies have underestimated the value of a clearly defined brand in getting people to understand who this company is, what this company does and what its values are," Reitermann said.The transformed macroeconomic environment is pushing companies to shift from traditional merger and acquisition-based growth to more organic, green-field investment, and that makes a "clearly-defined brand" a necessity, he added.Deng Delong, global president of Trout & Partners, which specializes in brand positioning, said he believes global distribution of assets will be conducive to the world economy at large. Deng also supports Chinese companies goals of seeking new growth opportunities abroad.But instead of recklessly expanding overseas, brands s...

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  Number of centenarians in Shanghai increasing

  The number of centenarians in Shanghai reached 2,657 by the end of September-a record high in the city with the nations oldest population-and the uptrend may continue, the municipal civil affairs bureau said.Elderly residents take part in an art class at the day-care center in a citizen service station in Jiaxing sub-district, Shanghais Hongkou district, on Aug 30. (Photo: China Daily)Roughly 83 percent of Shanghai centenarians were between 100 and 102 years old, and 2.5 percent were aged 106 and above, with a 112-year-old woman being the oldest, the bureau said on Monday during the Double Ninth Festival, a traditional Chinese festival for showing respect to elders.The bureaus figure also revealed that by the end of last year there were 25,600 permanent residents aged 95 or older, an increase of 2,700 from the previous year.Official census figures showed that there was only one centenarian in Shanghai back in 1953. In 2004, the number of centenarians exceeded 500 and grew beyond 1,000 in 2011. That number surpassed 2,500 for the first time by the end of last year.The increasing figures reflect continuously elevating living standards and medical and health services as the city strives to build itself into a world-class healthy city by 2030.The municipality unveiled 100 new measures in late August to further improve public health levels. More medical resources will be poured into prevention, early detection and treatment of chronic diseases that affect residents health, said Zong Ming, vice-mayor of Shanghai."We hope to reach the point where at least 40 percent of all cancer diagnoses are detected early," she said.Shanghai Health Commission said that the average life expectancy of permanent residents in the city reached 83.6 years in 2018, compared with the national average of 77. The figure in Shanghai almost equaled Japans 83.7, the worlds highest.A string of measures have been introduced in Shanghai to provide better elderly ...

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  China unveils new H-6N bomber with extended range, extra capabilities

  Chinas latest H-6N bombers fly in formation across the sky above Tiananmen Square in Beijing during the National Day parade on October 1, 2019. （Photo: CCTV）China’s latest bomber, the H-6N with refueling capability, made its debut at the National Day parade in Beijing on Tuesday, and Chinese military analysts said that the new bomber’s ability to take aerial refueling can give it a much longer operational range compared to its predecessor H-6K.Three H-6N bombers flew above Tiananmen Square during the parade.The new H-6N with refueling capability is believed to be the latest entry to the H-6 bomber family, with many improvements made to its predecessor H-6K, including an in-flight fuel-receiving probe on the nose of the aircraft, military observers said.This probe will allow the H-6N with refueling capability to conduct aerial refueling, significantly extending its operational range and expanding weapons load, Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military analyst, told the Global Times.The H-6N with refueling capability is capable of launching more powerful missiles, Yang Chengjun, a Chinese missile expert and quantum defense scientist, told the Global Times.