14 | Wednesday, December 16, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY BUSINESS Delisting Microsoft to create 2,000 new jobs reforms to Tech behemoth Microsoft to increase customer base streamline during the pandemic. Crozier said sees huge growth Microsoft has booked more Chinese opportunities in customers, which are chiefly from capital the gaming and entertainment China’s digital industry, to embrace its technolo- gies to go global, as social distancing markets transformation made more people embrace digital entertainment. By ZHOU MO By MA SI Meanwhile, multinational corpo- in Shenzhen, Guangdong [email protected] rations are also placing greater [email protected] emphasis on the China market Technology heavyweight Micro- where economic activities rebound- The revised delisting rules for soft Corp plans to create nearly ed significantly and Microsoft’s listed companies will improve 2,000 new jobs in China in the next technologies can help them better the ecosystem of China’s capital 18 months as it sees strong opportu- innovate in China, and scale their markets and pave the way for the nities in accelerated digital transfor- solutions to global markets, he said. country’s high-quality economic mation in the world’s second-largest Despite geopolitical uncertain- transformation, analysts said. economy. ties, Crozier said many companies The Shanghai Stock Exchange The move is part of Microsoft’s now look at China as a growth plat- and the Shenzhen Stock long-term commitment to the China form for not just this year but next Exchange published draft docu- market, a strategy that has never year and beyond. China is also an ments for consultation late on been disrupted by the COVID-19 pan- important innovation platform Monday, with proposed reforms demic, said Alain Crozier, chairman where the products and technolo- of delisting criteria, channels and CEO of Microsoft Greater China. gies can be developed and taken to and processes. In an exclusive interview with the rest of the world. The move is another push by China Daily, Crozier said Micro- Visitors gather at Microsoft’s booth during the third China International Import Expo in Shanghai in Crozier’s remarks find an echo in a the country to carry out capital soft now has about 8,000 employ- November. YU JIE / FOR CHINA DAILY study by the US-China Business Coun- market reforms, following the ees in China, and the number will cil, an organization of over 200 US implementation of the registra- be close to 10,000 by end-June companies that do business with Chi- tion-based initial public offering 2022. relationship management and facil- Web Services, see solid opportuni- solutions on top of Microsoft’s na. The study, published in August, mechanism. “About 90 percent of the new posi- itate supply chains, grew more than ties in mounting enthusiasm for underlying solutions to re-provide showed that 83 percent of the US com- According to the new rules, tions will be engineers and research 130 percent in China. digitalization, and have devoted products and services,” Crozier said. panies surveyed said China remains companies will be automatically and development staff members. We For instance, Chinese technology more resources to China’s prolifer- Microsoft’s emphasis on helping among their top five markets if not the delisted from stock markets if keep investing in China for a lot of company Lenovo Group Ltd has ating cloud computing market. small- and medium-sized business- most important one for them. closing prices of their shares reasons, including the quality of the used Microsoft’s products and servi- Crozier said Microsoft enjoys a es also differentiates it from com- Matthew Margulies, vice-presi- remain below 1 yuan (15 cents) people and the necessity for us to sup- ces to manage its supply chain amid string of unique advantages that petitors, he said. “SMEs account for dent of China operations at the for 20 consecutive trading days port our customers and partners on the outbreak, which is a challenging have enabled the company to have 90 percent of companies in China US-China Business Council, said or if their closing market value innovation,” Crozier said. task given that Lenovo has business- “a very good year” in China, and can and they were hit hard by the epi- earlier that regardless of the hype falls below 300 million yuan for Microsoft continued hiring in es in more than 160 countries and help it to stand out amid intensified demic. We have launched a lot of over technological decoupling, US 20 consecutive trading days. China even amid the COVID-19 regions, and boasts more than 100 competition. free offers to help them resume busi- companies’ commitment to work- Those reporting net losses and pandemic so as to meet surging supply chain partners. “We’ve comprehensive product ness activities.” ing with Chinese partners remains operating revenues of less than demand for its technologies, he According to a joint study by mar- portfolios and solutions, and we’ve a Charlie Dai, a principal analyst at as steadfast as ever. 100 million yuan for two consec- said. ket research company International strong engineer and R&D workforce Forrester, a business strategy and Crozier, who has been in charge utive years will also be delisted. “Microsoft Teams, a communica- Data Corp and Microsoft, as Chinese in China that has grown tremen- economic consultancy, said Micro- of Microsoft’s China business for After the delisting processes tion platform, saw an almost 500 companies continue working to dously during the pandemic, and soft was the first global vendor to more than four years, said that begin, suspensions and resump- percent growth amid the pandemic deal with the economic fallout of the keep launching new solutions,” Cro- commercialize its public cloud oper- MNCs, in order to succeed in the tions of listings will be halted. (affecting China). Our cloud com- outbreak, 63 percent of local organi- zier said. ations in China, and it has sustained China market, need to be in China Delisting periods will be short- puting services also recorded high zations said they will further speed “Meanwhile, we also have the its local expansion by continuing its for the long term and participate in ened to 15 trading days from the double-digit growth,” Crozier said. up digitalization to ensure business largest and strongest ecosystem of ecosystem synergy between enter- society. current 30 days and there will When the pandemic hindered resilience. more than 17,000 partners in China. prise collaboration tools, digital “Continuous innovation is also be no trading limits on the first supply chains, Dynamics 365, Both Chinese and foreign tech- Such partners are not just pure dis- operations platforms, and the Azure needed, because the society is evolv- day of the period. another online platform developed nology companies, including Aliba- tributors, but also include cloud cloud solution. ing at a very fast pace in China,” Cro- by Microsoft to maintain customer ba Group Holding Ltd and Amazon providers, which are developing Such advantages have helped zier said. 300 million yuan limit for market value falling Qingdao makes major below which for 20 consecu- E-commerce a big boost to Guangxi tive trading days listed com- moves in cross-border trade panies will get delisted By YUAN SHENGGAO A spokesperson for the Shang- hai Stock Exchange said on Mon- Zhongshan county in Hezhou, By XIE CHUANJIAO ence Center opened on Aug 30, day that by further perfecting South China’s Guangxi Zhuang in Qingdao, Shandong bringing together trendy prod- delisting indicators and shorten- autonomous region, has been [email protected] ucts from Japan and South Korea ing delisting processes, the new rewarded for ramping up its efforts as well as other countries. Cos- rules will enhance the efficiency to develop rural e-commerce. The Qingdao West Coast New metics, daily necessities, kitchen- of delisting and help create a The county has encouraged people Area Bonded Logistics Center was ware and healthcare items were market ecosystem in which “the to make short videos and broadcast busy after the “Double 11” online among the products. fittest survive”. livestreams promoting local special- shopping spree, which lasted from Adjacent to the fully automated A total of 19 companies have ty agricultural products in concert around the beginning of Novem- Qingdao Port and the multimodal been delisted from Chinese with e-commerce platforms to drum ber until Nov 11, where workers transport logistics center, the mainland bourses so far this up sales to a broader range of cus- from e-commerce platforms fever- 42-hectare bonded logistics cen- year, according to financial infor- tomers across the country. ishly sorted parcels coming from ter is expected to become a “super mation service provider iFinD. Zhongshan has even set up its around the world and heading all warehouse with all transporta- “While the registration-based own e-commerce company and over the country. tion modes available, and seam- IPO mechanism deals with the training center, as well as an The center received more than less access to the port”, Liu said. problem of ‘coming in’, the delist- e-commerce industrial park, to 300,000 international parcels dur- Although traditional interna- ing rules tackle the problem of lure prominent e-commerce com- ing this year’s online shopping tional trade has faced challen- ‘going out’,” said Xie Yaxuan, panies to establish branch opera- extravaganza, increasing three- ges amid the COVID-19 chief analyst at China Merchants tions there. Chen Xinxi, Party secretary of Hetang village in Zhongshan county, fold year-on-year. outbreak since the beginning of Securities. The county has hosted three helps villages promote agricultural products. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Qingdao, in East China’s Shan- the year, authorities of the new “Only when the process of ‘com- e-commerce training sessions so far, dong province, is a relative new- area have integrated resources ing in’ and ‘going out’ becomes involving 282 residents, and has comer to cross-border e- of many departments, including smooth can we ensure that listed founded five livestreaming training goods, e-commerce operators in local agricultural industries.