China plans to further boost its world economic status through
branding.
"Branding is a decisive factor in the world's economic
development, and in some cases, an established world brand's
overall value is even bigger than that of a middle-sized country,"
said Sun Bo, director of the quality management department of the
General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and
Quarantine, yesterday.
China now has seven products with six brands that are famous
worldwide - Haier refrigerators and washing machines, Huawei
programmed control switchboards, Zhongxing programmed control
switchboards, Zhenhua container cranes, Gree air-conditioners and
Sunshine worsted woollens.
The sales volume of the products ranks among the top five in
their world markets.
"We will still have to make them even more recognized
worldwide," Sun said. He said the bureau would help enterprises
upgrade quality insurance, measuring and testing systems, and
encourage them to apply international rules and standards.
For good branding products, the bureau will also offer
inspection-free and simplified customs services.
Domestically, branding has made a remarkable contribution to
spurring economic development in the past five years, according to
the China Branding Strategy Development Report released
yesterday.
Statistics show that brand products of or above provincial level
contributed 4.34 percent to the national industry last year.
In the same year, 30 percent, or 406 of 1,338 Chinese popular
brands were new high-tech products.
Brand products have also promoted exports, agriculture, and
contributed to regional economic development.
However, compared with many established foreign brands, the
overall competitiveness of Chinese brands is still weak.
In this year's list of the world's top 100 valuable brands
published by BusinessWeek, none were from the Chinese mainland.
Even among the world's top 500 enterprises, the 22 listed,
including those from Hong Kong and Taiwan, were mainly from the
monopoly or energy sectors.
The Chinese mainland had only three: BaoSteel Group, First
Automotive Works and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation.
Rong Jianying, deputy secretary-general of China Branding
Strategy Committee, said Chinese enterprises have not had the same
number of years as their international rivals who have shaped their
current brands status through decades or even over a century.
"But we have very good potential," Rong said.
To date more than 200 kinds of Chinese products rank first in
the world in sales volume.
"The core strength needed is to improve private intellectual
property rights and patent rights," Rong said.
(China Daily December 21, 2006)