Coca-Cola: Pudong should focus on ITHigh-tech such as information technology and e-commerce should be the focus of development in Pudong, says a top executive for Coca-Cola's China operations, according to China Daily."The high-tech sector is where Pudong's future strength lies and Pudong needs to draw more players like Lucent, IBM and Microsoft," said John Cheung, vice-president of the Atlanta-based international soft-drink giant. Chinese officials may want Pudong to become a global business center. But it will face stiff competition from Hong Kong, Singapore and other cities, Cheung said. He said Pudong needs to further upgrade its infrastructure and further develop the Lujiazui area, which is envisioned as China's financial hub. "The point is how to make Pudong more attractive to talented technical and management professionals, the key force for Pudong's future growth," he said. "The thinking in which one would rather have a tiny bed in Puxi than a comfortable big room in Pudong must be shaken off," Cheung said. He added that the area between the Lujiazui Financial Zone and Pudong International Airport should be developed. "The area is now like a sleeping backwater. Few properties have been developed there," he said. Cheung said Pudong has a bright future and the area will be prime property once China's economy takes off. He said when he visited Shanghai a decade ago, Pudong was just a muddy field for crops. But now the area is being transformed into one of the country's economic center, making it an attractive site for foreign firms to open offices. "It is a complete shock. In just 10 years, Pudong has changed into a modern world of skyscrapers and shopping malls," he said. Pudong now has quality infrastructure, transportation, top-notch professionals and financial sources. "Pudong's effort to upgrade its facilities is considered a success by global businesses and more foreign investment should be expected," he said. |
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