China
is a rapidly rising global economic power. Overall growth
has averaged a robust 7% to 8% for more than a decade, with
some markets expanding much more rapidly:
1. China's auto market exploded in 2003, passenger car
sales jumping 82% year-over-year. Yet China's auto industry
is still in early stages with strong growth projected for
years ahead.
2. China is the world's largest telecommunications market
with some 280 million mobile subscribers and 270 million
wireline subscribers. New wireline subscribers are being
connected at close to two million per month while mobile
subscribers are growing at four million per month, overall
at 14% growth rate.
3. Chinese household appliance manufacturers are experiencing
growth in excess of 35% per year. The demand for China's
household electric appliances, both domestic and for export,
pushed production levels overall for many small and major
appliance product categories up 40 to 50 percent or more
in 2003.
4. At approximately 1.29 billion people, China is the world's
most populous nation, yet Internet penetration and ecommerce
are still in the developmental growth stages. According
to statistics released by the China Internet Network Information
Center, China, with nearly 80 million Internet users, currently
trails only the USA and Japan. With the number of Internet
users growing at around 5% a month, a household penetration
rate of 25% percent is conceivably only three or four years
off.
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