China And Lifestyle — Three Articles

#1 - China Ranks As Low As 91st in the World in Internet Speed

Edward Wong | June 4, 2016

Anyone who spends any time online in China knows surfing the internet is like wading through quicksand. That is especially true when browsing websites not hosted on a Chinese server.
This week, an online report published in China Daily, a state-run, English-language newspaper, said that China, the world's second-largest economy, ranked an abysmal 91st in the world in internet speed, with the average broadband connection scored at a mere 9.46 megabits per second, or Mbps. There are nearly 200 countries in the world.

"China Telecom and China Unicom, two national broadband operators, account for 90% of the market share on aggregate, but their peak Internet speed is respectively 725.6KB/s and 723.9KB/s, lagging behind regional operators led by Greatwall Broadband Network (1,296.1 KB/s)." Source: http://technode.com/2014/01/28/average-peak-internet-speed-in-china-climbs-14-in-2013-xunlei-report/

<more at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/China-ranks-as-low-as-91st-in-the-world-in-internet-speed/articleshow/52589732.cms?>

#2 - Most Chinese People Will Never Own Cars—They’ll Take Ubers or Didis Instead

Josh Horwitz | June 3, 2016

Executives from Uber often say the company wants to end car ownership. So it’s no surprise that Uber is investing heavily in China—where universal car ownership never existed, and probably never will.

China’s huge population means that high car ownership rates would be an impossible burden for China’s cities, Li Zijian, head of international strategy at Didi Chuxing, Uber’s main rival in China, explained at the Converge conference in Hong Kong on Friday (June 3).

"Uber eyes smaller Chinese cities to take on home-grown Didi." Source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/motoring/2016-04/18/content_24629059.htm

<more at http://qz.com/698582/china-will-leapfrog-car-ownership-and-just-hail-uber-and-didi-vehicles/>

#3 - Ikea Fuels Demand for Western Lifestyle in China, Say Hay Founders

de zeen magazine | Apirl 8, 2016

Chinese consumers are developing a taste for western furniture and lifestyles thanks to Ikea, according to the founders of Danish design brand Hay.
Mette and Rolf Hay, co-founders of the eponymous brand, said that the Swedish flat-pack giant was helping consumers acquire a taste for contemporary design at events at their stores in China.
"I just heard that Ikea is doing these evenings where people can come and get educated in how to decorate or design your home," Mette Hay told Dezeen.

"IKEA to Use Rooftop Solar Power Plants in China." Source: http://cleantechnica.com/2012/06/22/ikea-use-rooftop-solar-power-plants-china/

<more at http://www.dezeen.com/2016/04/08/rolf-mette-hay-design-ikea-fuels-demand-western-lifestyle/>