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It is only logical for a large company like POPULAR to expand our operations into China, where its economy has
become more developed and its business environment more conducive. But did you know that POPULAR has already done so since 2004? This head start has provided a solid foundation for our decade-long of strong growth in China.
Indeed, POPULAR has three companies in Beijing: (1) Popular Modern Books Company – established in 2004 and helmed by Ms Lim Lee Ngoh, CEO of POPULAR Holdings Limited – is a joint venture with
China National Publishing Industry Trading Corporation, with the focus on procuring Chinese books for Singapore and Malaysia; (2) Popularworld (Beijing) – established in 2005 and helmed by Mr Ponch Poon, CEO of POPULAR Greater China and Canada – is leading the development of books and teaching material for young children, promoting teacher training services and assisting the procurement of Chinese books for POPULAR Singapore and Malaysia;(3)Populare-Learning(Beijing)– established in 2002 and also helmed by Mr Ponch Poon – is working in tandem with Popularworld (Beijing).
4 popularnews 102
By Stanley Chew (POPULAR Malaysia) & Flora Feng (POPULAR Beijing)
文:周熙康(马来西亚大众)、冯伟(北京大众)
One Brick at a Time
POPULAR’s Decade in Beijing 胼手胝足,拔地而起
大众北京十年路
Let us look back at how it all started:
1. Popular Modern Books Company (“POPULAR Modern”)
Initiated by POPULAR’s Group CEO,Mr Chou Cheng Ngok, and Mr Wu Jiangjiang, General Manager of China National Publishing Industry Trading Corporation (CNPITC), POPULAR Modern was established in Hong Kong in March 2004. This joint venture in the distribution of Chinese books involving a foreign company is the first in China, aiming to enlarge the overseas markets for Chinese publications. POPULAR and CNPITC hold 51% and 49% of ownership, respectively. Hong Kong was chosen as its base because of its geographical advantage as the logistical centre between Southeast Asia and China, and the attractive tax incentives.
Building Relationships from the Ground
In May 2004, POPULAR Modern’s Beijing office started its operation in CNPITC’s office building. POPULAR Malaysia’s Stanley Chew, together with his counterparts from CNPITC, set about putting business processes and procedures in place, and began building relationships with the suppliers. It was a tedious journey but these pioneers took the challenges in their stride.
It was only then that the true magnitude of the groundwork required became visible. There were more than a thousand bookstores and publishers in China and establishing a network of partnerships would require immense effort and time. POPULAR Modern decided to start its book procurement through major distributors like Xinhua Bookstore and Tianshui Yuan first, then followed up with visits to trade shows to learn more about other publishers and their publications.
As a newcomer to China’s book industry, POPULAR Modern spent considerable amount of time promoting itself. Over the years, we have built up a stellar reputation that has strengthened the Chinese book industry’s confidence in us to the extent that many publishers have started approaching us instead. Since 2006, many Chinese publishers have even participated regularly in POPULAR’s BookFest, the annual book fairs in Singapore and Malaysia, and witnessing for themselves, POPULAR’s strong market presence in the Chinese book market in the two countries and the huge potential of these markets.