Friday, January 31, 2020

China Bank Internationalisation Project Essay Example for Free

China Bank Internationalisation Project Essay This approach to a project is very similar to what happens regularly in the financial services industry. A project has to be completed, a team is set up (usually with individuals of different skills with different backgrounds and from different countries) who then have to work together to complete the task. Managers then evaluate each team member in such a process on the basis of the quality of the final joint work produced. Background China’s banks are trying to internationalise and your task is to help advise a Chinese bank on how to do this. Bank of China, for example, has on its website its ‘Strategic Goal† and other banks have similar goals: Strategic Goal Aiming at excellence, sustaining growth and building a first-class international bank. Strategic Positioning A large transnational banking group focusing on commercial banking business and providing diversified services integrated both at home and abroad. Commercial banking focused diversification With commercial banking business as the core and foundation of the groups development, Bank of China will keep improving its brand popularity and core competitiveness by expanding business network and customer base and nhancing product innovation. By taking advantage of the comparative competitiveness of diversified services for unified customers via unified channels under unified strategy and brand, it will strive to develop various business lines such as investment banking, fund, insurance, investment and leasing so as to create a synergistic effect on the div ersified platform in the interest of comprehensive and excellent financial services for customers. To provide a structure to this advice, you are required to write answers to each of the five topics below (though you need not follow exactly the items in each). Each of the five sections should be not more than 500 words i. e. 2,500 words maximum for the whole project. This will also make it much easier to present each project in class i. e. to read out the paper in class. Also, it will help you understand the need to be concise. Most business papers have an ‘Executive Summary’ at the front of a paper and in the case of this project, the ‘executive summary’ is the actual paper. You will, of course, be likely to write more on your section in the first instance but you will then have to reduce it in size to make this summary the correct length. Although you may choose to allocate one section to each person in the group, it is VITAL that the quality of English (grammar, spelling), is high throughout. Thus one person who is good at English should check through the whole paper. Also, each section should use the same font and typesize. You should also ensure that each of you understands each of the 5 topics and is able to speak in class about any of them. I may choose any one of you to present and to explain your proposals. Project China’s banks are trying to internationalise. You have been employed as consultants to a well-known large Chinese bank. They have asked you to write a report for them as below: â€Å"Until now, we have been principally a domestic financial institution operating in mainland China. We expect that the profitability of our existing domestic business may decline and that our balance sheet size will not increase as fast as before. We are therefore considering trying to internationalise. We need to learn from Western experience of internationalisation and try to apply that experience (though modified for specific Chinese characteristics) to our own internationalisation project. Please prepare a report that will help us achieve our objectives. † Having chosen your bank (one of the big four) set out a strategy that it might follow. You should start by looking at the bank’s latest annual report and accounts and any press references to internationalization of Chinese banks. Some topics that you might cover are suggested below but the actual topics that you think are relevant may be wider than this. You should also look at the experience of Western banks which have tried to become full-service i. e. international financial supermarkets. I. Examine balance sheet strength, current and future expected loan losses on existing domestic loans, current and future required Basel ratios and current price to book ratios of the bank or banks you have chosen and any other relevant information. You have to provide a summary of your chosen bank’s financial strengths and weakness relative to competitors. Consider any competitive advantages that Chinese banks might have in trying to internationalise in relation to any weaknesses of European or US banks at the present time in terms of funding availability, currency related issues, term of loans, regulatory ratios, ownership structure etc. II. Consider reasons why Chinese domestic banking is likely to be less profitable from 2012 onwards compared with previous years (consider interest margins and loan write-offs and any other factors). Consider in which countries a bank might best open overseas operations, what commercial banking products and services might be offered and why. Consider products and services to be offered to Chinese companies doing business abroad and also local companies in the foreign market which may or may not do business with China. Give reasons why you think a Chinese bank could gain competitive advantage in these markets with the different types of customer they might attract. Also consider where you might put the international head office of such a bank and whether the senior management in a country should be natives of that country or expatriate managers from China. III. Chinese banks are currently principally commercial banks involved in lending, trade financing, foreign exchange services and leasing. Consider the other types of products and services, in particular investment banking and asset management services, that they might want to offer outside China and the advantages and possible drawbacks of trying to compete with US investment banks in such products. Finish with a recommendation on the scope of products the bank should offer. IV. If you recommend that your bank should go ahead with an internationalisation programme, advise it on the relative merits of a new start-up bank versus a policy of acquisition of local banks in the chosen markets. You might, for example, suggest that the bank acquire RBS from the UK government. V. Japanese commercial and investment banks have not been very successful in their internationalising efforts (see Chapter 27 of your textbook). Consider the economic, cultural and foreign branch/ subsidiary management, employee and governance (and any other) issues that might have hindered their development. Consider how a Chinese banks may, or may not, be able to overcome these same difficulties. Citigroup has also proven not to be very successful. You should examine what its strategy was and why it collapsed (rescued by the US government) and why it is now downsizing and simplifying. RBS has also cut back its investment banking activities dramatically. You should consider why it has done this. Some articles from the FT that might be useful in this endeavour are included on Blackboard under â€Å"Course Documents†. However, it is important that you access other sources of information which may include private information that you have access to. You should give references where appropriate. Brian Scott-Quinn [ 1 ]. Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Why did the French loose the war in Vietnam? Essay -- essays research

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Q. Why did the French loose the war in Vietnam?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In April of 1956 the last remaining French troops would leave Vietnam. After over 200 years of influence and rule, the French at last realized that the occupation and control of Vietnam was an unreachable goal. In consideration of the many blunders (both militarily and political) , and the outright ignorance of the French high command, any efforts to stabilize Vietnamese nationalism and to maintain french rule over Vietnam were thwarted. Thus the French were defeated by an inferior force, and the question of how such an anomaly could occur lies within the 200 years of rule, and the many mistakes made through out way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To completely understand how France could be defeated by a simple army of Vietnamese peasants, one must first acknowledge a brief history of the Franco-Vietnamese relationship. French Jesuits first arrived in Vietnam in 1634, in hopes of bringing over â€Å"souls† to the catholic church. The majority of Vietnamese are Buddhist, and many locals opposed the presence of the French. By the mid 1700's France would sign a treaty with the Vietnamese gaining protection for the Jesuits in return for French assistance in helping the Vietnamese fight their Chinese invaders. With the rest of Europe carving up the world in the mid 1800's, France now looked to Vietnam as an extension of its Empire. A successful invasion of Vietnam in 1859 gave the french control over Saigon. The invasion was in response to the murder of French Catholics, and looked to be for a time a just cause. However it was just a cover story for the French to settle in and eventually rape Vietnam of it’s raw materials and its culture. Thus from 1861 to the birth of Ho Chi Minh in 1890, French troops would conquer most of what is modern day Vietnam to their own discretion. The discretion of the French must be noted as racially bias. The term â€Å"white man’s burden,† best describes the presence of the French in Vietnam from the period of 1890-1939. Essentially the french believed everything about them was superior to the Vietnamese. Culture, language, religion, and race. This would not settle to well with many Vietnamese, however things would turn worse for the French with the outbreak of WWII.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I would like to argue that the tr... ... the Viet Minh. However by April it was clear that the French forces were losing the battle, and it was now it was clear that the French were putting their last remaining efforts in to Dien Ben Phu. It was an all or nothing situation. The French high command had hoped that Giap would throw his army in to the will of the occupying French forces and in the end be forced to retreat and regroup with a battered down weak force. However this was not the case and by May 7th the remaining French forces at Dien ben Phu will surrender. Peace talks between the French and Viet Minh open up in May of 1954. The agreement at Geneva would once again split Vietnam in to two. The North would be a pro Communist government at Hanoi led by Ho Chi Minh, and the South a pro democratic government backed by the United States out of Saigon. By 1956 the last remaining French forces would leave Vietnam, and a new struggle would begin in the South. The beginning of the American War in Vietnam was just around the corner. The Viet Minh had defeated a major European power, however it would be another 20 years before the reunification was complete.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Why did the French loose the war in Vietnam? Essay -- essays research   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Q. Why did the French loose the war in Vietnam?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In April of 1956 the last remaining French troops would leave Vietnam. After over 200 years of influence and rule, the French at last realized that the occupation and control of Vietnam was an unreachable goal. In consideration of the many blunders (both militarily and political) , and the outright ignorance of the French high command, any efforts to stabilize Vietnamese nationalism and to maintain french rule over Vietnam were thwarted. Thus the French were defeated by an inferior force, and the question of how such an anomaly could occur lies within the 200 years of rule, and the many mistakes made through out way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To completely understand how France could be defeated by a simple army of Vietnamese peasants, one must first acknowledge a brief history of the Franco-Vietnamese relationship. French Jesuits first arrived in Vietnam in 1634, in hopes of bringing over â€Å"souls† to the catholic church. The majority of Vietnamese are Buddhist, and many locals opposed the presence of the French. By the mid 1700's France would sign a treaty with the Vietnamese gaining protection for the Jesuits in return for French assistance in helping the Vietnamese fight their Chinese invaders. With the rest of Europe carving up the world in the mid 1800's, France now looked to Vietnam as an extension of its Empire. A successful invasion of Vietnam in 1859 gave the french control over Saigon. The invasion was in response to the murder of French Catholics, and looked to be for a time a just cause. However it was just a cover story for the French to settle in and eventually rape Vietnam of it’s raw materials and its culture. Thus from 1861 to the birth of Ho Chi Minh in 1890, French troops would conquer most of what is modern day Vietnam to their own discretion. The discretion of the French must be noted as racially bias. The term â€Å"white man’s burden,† best describes the presence of the French in Vietnam from the period of 1890-1939. Essentially the french believed everything about them was superior to the Vietnamese. Culture, language, religion, and race. This would not settle to well with many Vietnamese, however things would turn worse for the French with the outbreak of WWII.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I would like to argue that the tr... ... the Viet Minh. However by April it was clear that the French forces were losing the battle, and it was now it was clear that the French were putting their last remaining efforts in to Dien Ben Phu. It was an all or nothing situation. The French high command had hoped that Giap would throw his army in to the will of the occupying French forces and in the end be forced to retreat and regroup with a battered down weak force. However this was not the case and by May 7th the remaining French forces at Dien ben Phu will surrender. Peace talks between the French and Viet Minh open up in May of 1954. The agreement at Geneva would once again split Vietnam in to two. The North would be a pro Communist government at Hanoi led by Ho Chi Minh, and the South a pro democratic government backed by the United States out of Saigon. By 1956 the last remaining French forces would leave Vietnam, and a new struggle would begin in the South. The beginning of the American War in Vietnam was just around the corner. The Viet Minh had defeated a major European power, however it would be another 20 years before the reunification was complete.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

The-Last-Rajah-Ratan-Tata

Modesty The chairman ot theTata Group † India's biggest conglomerate, with businesses ranging from software, cars, andsteel to phone service, tea bags, and wristwatches † usually drives himself to the office in his$12,500 Tata Indigo Marina wagon. He prefers to spend weekends in solitude with his two dogsat a beachfront home he designed himself. And disdainful of pretense, he travels alone even onlong business trips, eschewing the retinues of oldes who typically coddle corporate chieftdlns.But the 69-year-old Tata also has a daredevil streak, An avid aviator, he often flies a orporateFalcon 2000 jet around Indla_ And In February he caused a sensation at the Aero India 2007 airshow by co-piloting Lockheed (LMT) F-16 and Boeing (BA) F-18 fighter jets. Tata's business dealings reflect the bolder side of his personality. In the past four years he hasembarked on an investment binge that is building his group from a once-stodgy regional playerinto a global heavy-vveight.Since 2 003, Tata has bought the truck unit of South Korea's DaewooMotors, a stake in one of Indonesia's biggest coal mines, and steel mills In Singapore, Thailand,and Vietnam. It has taken ver d slew of tony hotels Including New York's Pierre, the Ritz-Carlton In Boston, and San Francisco's Camden Place, The 2004 purchase of Tyco International's(TYC) undersea telecom cables for $130 million, a price that In hindsight looks Ilke a steal,turned Tata into the world's biggest carrier ot international phone calls.With its $91 millionbuyoutof British engineering firm Incat International, Tata Technologies now is a major supplierof outsourced industrial design for American auto and aerospace companies, with 3,300engineers in India, the U. S. , and Europe. The rowning deal to date has been Tata Steel's $13 billion takeover in April of Dutch Britishsteel giant Corus Group, a target that would have been unthinkable Just d few years ago. In oneswoop, the move greatly expends Teta Steel's range of fin ished products, secures access toautomakers across the u. , and Europe, and boosts Its capacity fivefold, with mills added Inpennsylvanla and OhloNow, a new gambit may catapult Tata into the big leagues ot global auto manufacturing: Thecompany is said to be weighing a bid for Jaguar Cars and Land Rover, which Ford Motor Co. (F)wants to el

Monday, January 6, 2020

Redemption is a capacity that both Amir from the...

Redemption is a capacity that both Amir from the remarkable novel Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseni along with Walt Kalwoski the main character of the unforgettable movie Gran Tornio, directed by Clint Eastwood, withhold. Both Walt and Amir were collided with life changing events that later shaped the individuals they are today. Nevertheless, throughout both stories, the protagonists are faced with opportunities to redeem themselves, often at the risk of hurting their loved ones more than they already have. â€Å"There is a reason for everything† and in Walt and Amirs case that saying is quite evident. Walt and Amir are two completely divergent characters with opposite personalities. However, this doesn’t interfere with the fact that both†¦show more content†¦Soon, he meets a nice Hmong family that later had conflicts of its own. Walt Kowalski had served in the Korean War and had killed a Korean boy.. Walt Kowalski has nothing not regret and bitter memorie s of this horrific event. Both the narrators are seeking a form of salvation, Amir’s journey to redemption has its few differences from Walt’s path. In the beginning of Kite Runner, the tension between Amir and Baba is quite visible. Amir believes that Baba hates him because of the fact that Amir’s mother passed away giving birth to him. Therefore, Amir does as much as he can to get Baba to â€Å"stop hating him.† Amir is determined to redeem himself to Baba’s. Amir goes out of his way and makes winning the Kite tournament is ultimate goal to gain Baba’s love, attention along with redemption. â€Å"But all I heard-all I willed myself to hear- was the blue kite. All I smelled was victory, Salvation. Redemption. If Baba was wrong and there was a God like they said in school, then he’d let me win. I didn’t know what the other guy was playing for, maybe just bragging rights. But this was my one chance to become someone who was looked at, not seen, listene d to, not heard.(Hosseini page 69) In other words, Amir attempts to use the victory of the Kite tournament as a way to fix his relationship with Baba. This is awfully similar to Walt’s situation. At the Lor BBQ in Gran Tornio, Youa gets curious as