China’s economy is booming, but one of the major challenges facing the country will be leadership – or the lack of it – in political or business spheres.

INSEAD Affiliate Professor of Asian Business and Comparative Management, Michael Witt, says that although the Communist Party still tightly rules China, the leadership in Beijing does "not have a lot of power," with the result that it’s difficult to get things implemented. Read more..  

In a keynote session at the INSEAD Leadership Summit in Asia, the founder of modern Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, revealed that during a meeting with Washington aides to presidential candidates, he was asked whether the US should regard China as a friend or foe.

His reply: “Neither at the moment.” He then added that in 20 years’ time, the US will be dealing with a different set of leaders. Read more..

While many multinational firms are choosing to outsource services and production to Asia, one company says it’s looking beyond lowering costs and is aiming to ‘globalise its corporate brand’ by developing a major R&D base in India.

Wim Elfrink of Cisco Systems, who holds the unique corporate title of Chief Globalisation Officer, says cost differentiation at the company is “a bonus, but the not the main driver anymore.” The networking firm is investing around 1.2 billion dollars in a globalisation centre in India to tap not only the region’s growth but also its innovative capabilities.

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Look closely at the top 100 Global Brands, according to Interbrand and BusinessWeek, and you’ll see many European and North American favorites that have given great products or services over many years. What you won’t see on that list are many Asian firms, apart from some notable companies in Japan and South Korea.

Why, in a burgeoning region that’s brand-crazy, have very few homegrown favorites earned world-class recognition? What will it take for Asian companies to rise to the level of global superstar?

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A mainland Chinese winery is establishing its name internationally for its wines, even though it’s targetting the domestic market at present. “We currently send the wine over to a lot of wine critics,” Grace Vineyard CEO and President Judy Leissner told INSEAD Knowledge.

A recent article in the Financial Times spoke of Grace’s Chairman’s Reserve as ‘the finest wine so far made in the country that is already the world’s sixth most important grower of grapevines.’

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