Former BP boss Lord Browne to chair Huawei UK February 16, 2015 Huawei, the world’s second-largest telecom equipment maker, yesterday appointed a trio of directors to its UK subsidiary’s board, including former BP chief executive Lord Browne as chairman. Lord Browne will become the first independent chairman of the Chinese company’s UK arm. Dame Helen Alexander, chair of marketing firm UBM and former UKTI head Sir Andrew [...]
Pizza Hut serves cocktails in an effort to win back the hipster generation February 16, 2015 Pizza Hut, that bastion of teenage dining, has unveiled plans to win back the hipster generation – by serving cocktails. Yep, from now on you can sip a Southern Punch as you chow down on your Texas Meat Meltdown, after the chain announced plans to spend £1.67m on a major revamp. Pizza Hut on The [...]
Chinese fund to invest £1bn in new London financial district February 16, 2015 CHINA Minsheng Investment, the country’s largest private investment fund, said over the weekend that it would invest £1bn in a Chinese-led project to develop a new financial district in London. The project is one of the largest Chinese investments in the UK in recent years. The private equity firm said it would become the majority investor in the [...]
London and China’s relationship is flourishing but we must work to maintain it February 15, 2015 The widespread celebrations that will mark Chinese New Year in London this week go some way to highlight the importance of the UK’s relationship with China. Its growth may have slowed in recent months, but China’s economy remains one of the fastest growing in the world – and one to which British companies are increasingly [...]
The British Hammer Man tasked with auctioning Kevin Pietersen February 15, 2015 Richard Madley tells Ross McLean about selling cricketers to stars of Bollywood THE LIKES of Kevin Pietersen, Yuvraj Singh and Angelo Mathews may not be an auctioneer’s quintessential lot but for the eighth successive year a British gavel will come down on some of the most sought-after cricketers on the planet. The annual glitz and [...]
London property: Capital’s Royal Docks business park development gets billion pound investment from China’s Minsheng February 14, 2015 A Chinese investment firm will spend a billion pounds creating a new financial and business district to rival Canary Wharf and the City in London. China’s largest private investment fund, China Minsheng Investment, will plough £1bn into the project to develop a 35-acre site at the Royal Albert Docks in east London. Plans for the [...]
Alibaba will invest in Jackie Chan movies February 11, 2015 Alibaba founder Jack Ma and Chinese superstar Jackie Chan have become unlikely business partners. Not content with domination of China’s e-commerce market, Alibaba’s investments are now seeping into the multiplex. Alibaba’s digital entertainment crowdfunding platform Yule Bao is a minority investor in Chan’s forthcoming “Dragon Blade”, a $65m (£42.5m) epic that has [...]
China’s Dalian Wanda to buy Infront for €1bn February 10, 2015 CHINESE property and leisure conglomerate Dalian Wanda has made a push into the sports and entertainment sectors after snapping up Swiss marketing firm Infront Sports & Media for €1.05bn (£780m). Dalian Wanda, which is led by China’s wealthiest man Wang Jianlin, is one of the country’s largest property players with over 60 five star hotels [...]
Rolls-Royce wins $442m worth of contracts for cut-price technology February 9, 2015 Rolls-Royce plc yesterday revealed three new contracts worth a total of $442m (£290m) to provide lift fan propulsion systems for F-35B Lightning II aircraft. The company will produce and support its LiftSystem technology for the planes, in a series of deals agreed between Rolls-Royce and US aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, which provides the propulsion [...]
HSBC scandal takes the spark out of the FTSE – London Report February 9, 2015 THE UK’s top share index edged lower yesterday, hurt by a fall in HSBC after the bank admitted tax failings at its Swiss unit and by softer utility stocks. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index was down 0.2 per cent, or 16.29 points, at 6,837.15 points by the close, with United Utilities, National Grid and Severn Trent [...]