Engadget reports that the company behind this innovative solution, Shenzen Hashi Future Car-Parking Equipment Co. Ltd., will commence building its first 186 km of track in Beijing’s Mentougou District. Below is a demo video presented by Hashi’s Chairman Song Youzhou.

Translation is below the video, provided courtesy of China Hush.

Translation:

What you can see from the video is traffic jams, what you can hear is noise, and there is also invisible air pollution. At present, there are mainly 4 types of public transits in China: subway, light-rail train, BRT, and normal bus. They have advantages and disadvantages, for example, subway costs a lot and takes long time to build; BRT takes up road spaces and produces noises as well as pollution to the air. How to develop environmental-friendly public transportation? Straddling bus provides a solution. Let’s watch a demonstration.

The straddling bus combines the advantages of BRT, it is also a substitution for BRT and subway in the future. As you all know, the majority vehicle on the road is car, the shortest vehicle is also car. Normally our overpass is 4.5-5.5 m high. The highlight innovation of straddling bus is that it runs above car and under overpass. Its biggest strength is saving road spaces, efficient and high in capacity. It can reduce up to 25-30% traffic jams on main routes. Running at an average 40 km/h, it can take 1200 people at a time, which means 300 passengers per cart.

Another strength of straddling bus is its short construction life cycle: only 1 year to build 40 km. Whereas building 40-km subway will take 3 years at best. Also the straddling bus will not need the large parking lot that normal buses demand. It can park at its own stop without affecting the passage of cars. This is what the interior looks like: it has huge skylight that will eliminate passengers’ sense of depression when enter.

There are two parts in building the straddling bus. One is remodeling the road, the other is building station platforms. Two ways to remodel the road: we can go with laying rails on both sides of car lane, which save 30% energy; or we can paint two white lines on both sides and use auto-pilot technology in the bus, which will follow the lines and run stable.

There are also two ways in dealing with station platform. One is to load/unload through the sides; the other is using the built-in ladder so that passengers can go up and to the overpass through the ceiling door.

Straddling bus is completely powered by municipal electricity and solar energy system. In terms of electricity, the setting is called relay direct current electrification. The bus itself is electrical conductor, two rails built on top to allow the charging post to run along with the bus, the next charging post will be on the rails before the earlier one leaves, that is why we call it relay charging. It is new invention, not available yet in other places.

The set here is super capacitor, a device that can charge, discharge and store electricity quickly. The power it stores during the stop can support the bus till the next stop where another round of charging takes place, achieving zero toxic gas throughout the process.

About the ultrasonic waves put forth from the end of the bus, that is to keep those high cars or trucks away from entering the tunnel. Using laser ray to scan, cars get too close to the passage will activate the alarm on the bus end. Inside the bus, there are turning lights that indicate a the bus is intending to make a turn to warn the cars inside. Also radar scanning system is embedded on the walls to warn cars from getting too close to the bus wheels.

Nowadays many big cities have remodeled their traffic signaling system, to prioritize public buses, that is to say when a bus reaches a crossing, red light on the other side of the fork will turn on automatically to give buses the right of way. Our straddling bus can learn from this BRT method. The car can make the turn with the bus if that is the direction it wants to go too; if not, the red light will be on to stop the cars beneath while the bus take the turn.

The bus is 6 m in width and 4-4.5 m high. How will people get off the bus if an accident happens to such a huge bus? Here I introduce the most advanced escaping system in the world. In the case of fire or other emergencies, the escaping door will open automatically. I believe many of you have been on a plane. Planes are equipped with inflated ladder so people can slide down on it in emergency. I put the escaping concept into the straddling bus. It is the fastest way to escape.

The bus can save up to 860 ton of fuel per year, reducing 2,640 ton of carbon emission. Presently we have passed the first stage demonstration and will get through all of the technical invalidation by the end of August. Beijing’s Mentougou District is carrying out a eco-community project, it has already planned out 186 km for our straddling bus. Construction will begin at year end.

Thank you.

I believe that the concerns faced by companies from any country are very common when it comes to seeking business opportunities in China, or anywhere else where the business, language, and cultural differences are significant.

While the following advice is not an in-depth report of how to do business internationally, I hope that it may highlight some common sense approaches to frequent general questions.

As many experts would advise, it is a good first step for any company (that wants to do business in China for the first time) to think of China as Europe, with vast cultural and language differences between one end of the Country and the other.

In doing business abroad, it is important to approach the new opportunity with good attitude. Of course, certain precautions are expected to be taken by any business when entering a new market. However, do ensure that you approach the new relationship with your Chinese counterparts with an attitude of trust, openness, patience, and mutual cooperation. I have seen/heard of companies that approached a new relationship with an attitude of “I’ll assume my potential partner is a crook unless they can prove otherwise” and became the business case for a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Remember that your potential foreign business partners are as apprehensive of doing business with you as you are with them. So keep an open mind and the chances of your success will automatically improve significantly.

With that in mind, the common challenges, in my experience, would be the following:

1. Language

This includes both interpretation and translation. You will need a decent interpreter to accompany you to meetings and trade shows. Also note that translations of legal contracts from English to Chinese by professionals can be costly, but necessary. Ensure that there is an agreement with the Chinese counterpart about which version (English or Chinese) prevails if a change in the meaning of a clause or document occurs during translation.

2. Communications

Perhaps a related aspect to the language factor is the ‘culture of communication’ that exists in the new market(s). Questions such as “What is a common response time to emails and messages” in China are important to understand beforehand in order to manage expectations. This will help you to avoid a communications gap that might lead you (or them) to misinterpret long response times as an indication of non-interest in the business opportunity instead of it being a simple cultural norm in that particular country.

Here is one hint: Be aware of local holidays in the other country. Chinese New Year is usually accompanied with a month-long hiatus in business activities. Labour day equates to a week of slow-down. Major events like elections can also contribute to a general slowing down of business activities.

3. Legitimacy and Non-Performance

This is the big and common concern with doing business in foreign countries. It is even a bigger concern in countries where regulatory frameworks don’t offer much protection or viable recourse for non-delivery/performance.

I would suggest you follow some of the following methods in vetting your opportunities/partners so as to reduce the risk of seeking legal recourse later:

• Seek help and recommendations from your country’s trade offices in China (e.g. Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, World Trade Centers, Commercial/Cultural Attache office of your Embassy in China, etc.). Often times they can vouch for the reputation of a local company or business person.

• Check your potential partner’s standing/reputation in local professional associations of your industry, accreditation bodies, or 3rd-party assessors (e.g. credit bureaus)

• Seek referrals from business people you can trust, whether in China or in your Country.

For a new market entrant, almost all the above can be easily achieved by working with a local partner/consultant. They can help with your legal, business, financial, and cultural integration. They can also assist with interpretation, HR, and sourcing what you need.

So go forth and frollick in this exciting world of international business and global opportunity. The rewards are certainly worth it, and a little courage can take you and your company a long way!

“The vast majority of those products that were recalled were the result of a design flaw in Mattel’s design, not through a manufacturing flaw in China’s manufacturers,” Thomas Debrowski, Mattel’s executive vice-president for worldwide operations, said at a meeting in the office of Li Changjiang, chief of China’s product quality assurance agency.

“We understand and appreciate deeply the issues that this has caused for the reputation of Chinese manufacturers.”

I am sure anti-outsourcing propagandists are not happy with the news. The Mattel recalls brought all critics of China out of the wood-work under the guise of ‘protecting public safety’.

In other news, while the kids’ Toys giant is dealing with outstanding financial repercussions due to their massive toy recalls, Mattel is also suing porn star Terri Gibson, known to her fans as ‘China Barbie’ of ChinaBarbie.com. Mattel is suing Terri for infringing on their trademark ‘Barbie’. The Asia Times has the juice on the lawsuit, as well as the NY Post.

The animated cartoon police officers will begin their patrols on China’s top portals before moving to all sites registered with Beijing servers. Yahoo news reported that “The male and female cartoon officers, designed for the ministry by Sohu, will offer a text warning to surfers to abide by the law and tips on Internet security as they move across the screen in a virtual car, motorcycle or on foot”.

Imagine a colleague asking to use your cell phone, and you pulling this out of your pocket!

Via Trend Hunter and Yanko Design.

The Italian fashion icon ‘Fendi’ announced that their next fashion show will be held on… the Great Wall of China! More details are available from Reuters.

I am not sure how many strings they had to pull for this one, but they are getting a lot of viral exposure simply from the choice of location. A Fendi fashion show in Milan or Paris wouldn’t draw any more chatter than is normal, but managing to get permission from Beijing for a show on the Great Wall? That’s worthy of mention in a few more newspapers. Great strategy for free exposure!

I am not sure if Fendi spent some time considering the brand association with the Wall of China. While the Great Wall is the largest human-made structure ever built, the ability to see it from the moon is more urban legend than truth. Does the Fendi brand want to evoke mental/emotional associations with the history and magnificence of the wall?

The show is scheduled for October 2007.

The video below is from Fendi’s Fall/Winter 2007-2008 Fashion Show in Milan a few months ago. In case you’re wondering about the soundtrack, the first song is called ”From Disco to Disco” by the German group Ladomat 2000.

Update: The video has been removed from YouTube. Instead, here is the actual footage of Fendi on the Great Wall of China. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TphCD9a3o04

Personally, I prefer Versace’s 2006 F/W collection over Fendi’s upcoming one. Check it in the video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkOJA5f_L-o

(As spotted on Trend Hunter)

According to a Business Week article, Heathrow has been testing the measures over the last 4 months with Cathay Pacific and Emirates Airlines. 81% of the passengers who volunteered to participate in the trial approved of the measure.

“The basic miSense security screening required passengers to scan their passport and right index finger at a self-service check-in kiosk before getting a boarding card. The manual check before security is then replaced by an automatic barrier activated by the passenger’s fingerprint and a biometric reader verifies the passenger again at the boarding gate.

A more advanced miSense screening collected 10 fingerprint, two iris and a facial image scan during a manual enrolment. This data was then uploaded onto an RFID smartcard, used in conjunction with a fingerprint reader at an automatic immigration barrier on arrival at Dubai, Heathrow or Hong Kong airports.”

Personally, I have been routing all my east-bound flights through Frankfurt lately.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNhSpV25PE4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACFUdXBSu9A

Found on Trendhunter.com.

Online marketers should pay special attention to what sites are on this black list if they plan on reaching consumers in the MENA (Middle East & North Africa) market through viral or non-viral online marketing initiatives.

The folks at code.ae are having fun with the impact of internet censorship in the United Arab Emirates.

Despite the inconvenience of censorship, an OpenInitiative study cites an interesting statistic from a 2002 UAE government survey of subscribers to the government-controlled internet service provider ‘Etisalat‘. Etisalat (Arabic for ‘communications’) blocks anything “inconsistent with the political, moral, and religious value of the United Arab Emirates.”

60% of survey participants indicated that “its (Etisalat) role in protecting users from offensive material is considered to be an acceptable form of censorship.” Government intervention is seen much like Parental Control options offered by Canadian ISPs.

Many North American ISPs have fallen into controversy when providing services in countries with ‘unique’ cultural requirements. Anyone remember last year’s controversy over Microsoft deleting all the intellectual content of the Chinese blogger Zhao Jing? Or in 2005 when Yahoo! released personal email information to the Chinese government of Chinese journalist Shi Tao, who was then charged with “leaking secret government information” and sentenced to 10 years in jail?

Are you or someone you know affected by internet censorship? Do you have a story to share?

A January 2007 article on Maclean’s Magazine discussed the folly of Canadian businesses trying to work with China. I found the article extremely amusing, as I (through my company: Midman International) have recently sourced some products from manufacturers in China.

In the article, Gervais Lavoie, “a long-time China hand and a director for the Beijing chapter of the Canada China Business Council”, gives a striking statement to Canadian Businesses: “I tell them China is going to eat you raw, because you are so green they won’t have time to cook you.”

I find statements like the above extremely counter-productive to Canadian Businesses. Canadian commerce is averse to international trade opportunities with unfamiliar markets as it is, preferring to instead put all (or most) their eggs in the American basket. This behavior is perpetuated when people with Mr. Lavoie’s experience discourage Canadian businesses from considering opportunities in a booming market such as China, simply based on experiences with Canadian companies that were ill-prepared for an international venture. If China was so wrong, then why is the rest of the world pumping billions of dollars into their markets?

The answer is not to avoid opportunities, but to adequately prepare for them.

Much of the apprehension Canadian companies have in dealing with unfamiliar markets can be attributed to differences in culture and business practice. Examples of poor communication leading to a fallout of international business collaborations can range from a simple order-processing delay to false assumptions toppling multi-million dollar projects.

In my own experience, I was once ready to pull the plug and ask for a refund on my product orders from China when I thought that the manufacturer was deliberately avoiding my emails for over a week. Thankfully, I picked up a Chinese calendar (just to check), and it turned out that my payment arrived a few days before China’s Labor Day holiday. In China, plant workers are given a 7-day vacation for Labor Day. According to local custom, my order was not going to be a priority as everyone prepared to travel back to their home towns for the long holiday. I was eventually processed a few days after people got back to work and had a chance to dust off their files.

Do you have any interesting stories to share involving an international trade/business mishap?