TRUMP Can't Let GO of Perceived Slights
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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2016 ANALYSIS THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF ESTABLISHED 1961 Founder and Publisher YOUSUF S. AL-ALYAN Editor-in-Chief ABD AL-RAHMAN AL-ALYAN EDITORIAL : 24833199-24833358-24833432 ADVERTISING : 24835616/7 FAX : 24835620/1 CIRCULATION : 24833199 Extn. 163 ACCOUNTS : 24835619 COMMERCIAL : 24835618 P.O.Box 1301 Safat,13014 Kuwait. E MAIL :[email protected] Website: www.kuwaittimes.net Washington Watch Didi’s dominance over Uber offers roadmap for rivals By Brad Brooks hina ride-hailing service Didi Chuxing’s domi- nance of Uber Technologies in the China market Cmay provide a playbook for regional rivals to fend off the biggest US ride-hailing company, especially in Southeast Asia and India. The two companies on Monday confirmed the sale of Uber China to its bigger rival, ending a two-year, money-losing effort to break into one of the world’s toughest markets. Uber leaves with around a one-fifth stake in Didi, but will give up control of its China operations. Didi had a head start and maintained the lead on Uber with a strategy that other rivals may emulate, analysts and investors said. Didi counts two of the most powerful, best capital- ized Chinese Internet companies as backers; has tight connections with local government; made an ally of Trump can’t let go of perceived slights local taxi drivers and expanded into services such as buses that Uber ignored; and exploited its knowledge By Julie Pace awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart after his death in attacked” by Khizr Khan. Trump’s unwillingness to let the of local culture and consumers. Uber and Didi declined 2004. Khan said that if Trump were president and enacted matter subside sparked outrage Monday from a chorus of to comment. Among those closely watching Didi’s or Donald Trump, it’s become a familiar pattern. The his proposed temporary ban on foreign Muslims coming to Republicans. Arizona Sen John McCain, a former prisoner acquisition is Grab, the dominant Southeast Asia ride- Republican nominee can’t let go of a perceived slight, the US, a position Trump has backed away from in recent of war, said Trump did not have “unfettered license to hailing start-up that competes with Uber in countries Fno matter the potential damage to his presidential weeks, his son would have defame those who are the best among us”. including Singapore and Vietnam. Grab says it has 95 campaign or political reputation. Trump spent the days never been allowed Rep Mike Coffman, a vulnerable Republican in a com- percent market share in third-party taxi-hailing services, after winning the Republican nomination criticizing a US into the coun- petitive Colorado district, said he was “deeply offended while its private-car business has about half of the district court judge’s Mexican heritage. The morning after try. He also when Donald Trump fails to honor the sacrifices of all of Southeast Asian market. accepting the Republican nomination at the party’s con- ques- our brave soldiers who were lost in that war”. Missouri “Our investor and global partner Didi has effectively vention, Trump re-litigated months-old grievances with tioned Sen Roy Blunt said the Khans “deserve to be heard and won the battle for market share dominance in China,” primary rival Ted Cruz. Now, he’s sparring with an American respected”. “My advice to Donald Trump has been Grab CEO Anthony Tan wrote in an Aug. 1 memo to Muslim family whose son was killed in Iraq. and will continue to be to focus on jobs and nation- staff seen by Reuters. “We have seen that when the Republican leaders have urged Trump to drop his al security and stop responding to every criticism local champion stays true to their beliefs and strengths attacks on Khizr and Ghazala Khan, who appeared at last whether it’s from a grieving family or Hillary they can prevail,” he wrote. Grab and Didi formed an week’s Democratic convention and harshly criticized the Clinton,” Blunt said in a statement. alliance with India ride-service start-up Ola and US GOP nominee. It’s not just the optics of picking a fight with However, none of the Republican lawmakers pulled operator Lyft last year, and the Asian companies oper- a military family that has GOP officials eager for Trump to back their support of Trump’s White House campaign. In ate in what could be the next battlegrounds for Uber, move on, but the timing of his attacks: Election Day is just his first rally after a weekend of controversy, Trump spoke said Jeremy Carlson, principal analyst in autonomous three months away. at length and took several questions at an event Monday in driving and mobility at IHS Markit. Those who have worked with Trump say that in private Columbus, Ohio - never once mentioning the Khans. But “Grab knows very well what Didi is doing in China meetings, he can often appear amenable to putting a con- when asked about Khizr Khan on Fox News Channel’s and is replicating that,” such as offering transit options troversy aside. But the businessman can quickly be drawn “Hannity”, Trump responded, “I guess it’s part of my life.” beyond personal car services, said Hans Tung, manag- back in by an interview, especially if he believes he’s “His son died 12 years ago,” Trump added. “If I were presi- ing partner at GGV Capital, which has invested in both already answered the question, or if he grows irritated by dent, his son wouldn’t have died, because I wouldn’t have Grab and Didi. Grab also has powerful regional backers commentary on cable television. “It’s just who he is,” said been in the war, if I was president back then.” that include Japan’s SoftBank Corp, sovereign wealth Stuart Jolly, a former campaign staffer and current political whether Trump backers attending the Ohio rally dismissed the fund China Investment Corp and an arm of Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings. director for the pro-Trump Great America PAC. Trump had issue, underscoring how the businessman was able to sur- Others who have worked with Trump say the only way ever read the vive numerous such firestorms in the GOP primaries. “I Didi’s Road Map to ensure he moves on is to wait for him to tire of an issue constitution. think the Democrats laid a trap for him,” said Tom Because China is a unique market - in population, or get drawn into another matter. Newt Gingrich, the for- Trump responded by McClanahan, a 54-year-old from Johnston, Ohio. “I think regulatory complexity and concerns about foreign mer House speaker who has advised Trump, said the candi- implying Ghazala Khan’s they knew what they were doing when they asked that ownership of big companies - some lessons learned date’s inability to back away from a political land mine religion preventing her family to speak at the convention. They knew he’d there may not transfer to other regions. Still, Didi made “makes him vulnerable”. “His whole experience up until from speaking at the con- respond.” Dale Brown, a maintenance supervisor from moves that may serve as a guide for other Uber com- running for office was in a very combative New York media vention, though she Grove City, Ohio, whose son is in the Navy, said Democrats petitors on its way to building a juggernaut that gives market,” Gingrich said. “He’s been doing it now for over 30 later said talking were blowing Trump’s comments out of proportion and customers more than 14 million rides each day. “It’s an years. It’s a very deeply held habit.” publicly about her had “politicized this by asking that family to speak.” But the encouraging sign for local competitors that they can, in Khizr Kahn delivered an emotional address at last late son was still too dif- real test for Trump isn’t the opinion of the loyal supporters fact, compete and that local strategies are required for week’s Democratic convention, with his wife standing by ficult. On Monday, who attend his rallies. It’s the broader general election local markets,” said Dane Anderson, a vice president at his side. The Pakistan-born Khan told the story of his son, Trump tweeted that audience, a far more diverse group still weighing Trump’s research firm Forrester. “For Southeast Asia, the key US Army Capt Humayun Khan, who was posthumously he was being “viciously readiness for the White House. — AP message they can take away is that they can compete with Uber and that Uber will have to prioritise as well.” Didi consolidated local competition, forming from a merger of China’s top two ride-hailing firms, and it had Nepali workers leave vulnerable families behind the backing of Internet companies Alibaba and Tencent. Those connections enabled Didi customers to hail a ride and pay for it through Alipay, Alibaba’s pay- By Rina Chandran she said. “Migration is increasing the economic and social bans, unscrupulous recruiters just use unregulated chan- ment system, and social media platform WeChat, vulnerability of the country: people left behind are nels,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, head of Human Rights owned by Tencent. “Didi had a much bigger presence or Nabin Lama, leaving Nepal after his annual home exposed to the harsh economic realities, and it makes Watch for South Asia. Instead, Nepal should monitor on China social media,” said David Chao, general part- leave to return to his construction job in Saudi Arabia them take greater risks, like trusting a trafficker or a kidney recruitment agencies, engage with host countries to ner at DCM Ventures, which invests in China.