This week: new silk road bumps, email’s future, HK developer HR issues and more! This newsletter has been renamed “GFA Pulse” and I am spending a lot more time adding new and interesting news in it each week. Hope you enjoy – also don’t forget to make it to the bottom of the email where we share our GFA podcast of the week and other news. Our idea is to share other news first, then plug some of our stuff! Welcome to GFA Pulse Number 125 Wondering how China’s new silk road is going?
Seems not so smooth at the moment as “Rift between Qatar and its neighbours could disrupt key projects in Beijing’s sprawling trade initiative”. Read more Well, I did lose a lot of weight AFTER I got married, maybe not the same reason as this couple:
Never knew that the desire of starting a family can be so strong that give me the motives to lose 200kg’s weight! Check out this article here:
Morbidly obese Chinese couple loses 200kg between them so they can start a family While in the West, many startups are trying to “kill” email…
Email has always been dead in China… this is a great article about why:
The Chinese person will take a few seconds to remember his email address. He’ll then scribble down a jumble of numbers, maybe with a single letter— a18984703@163.net. The foreigner will be puzzled as to why this person has such a strange email account name. And she’ll also be puzzled when emails to her new acquaintance go unreplied.
Via Andre Martin Shenzhen is all over the biggest Internet Trend report of the year
Lots of China info in this deck, including stuff specifically about Shenzhen
Via Chris Moore I hope they are wrong here, let’s hope it doesn’t go that far
Hong Kong game developer that can’t find local talent says it’ll take a revolution for Hongkongers to see industry as a viable career [ Video]
Maybe not Asia specific – but banking related…. Banks are lying to us – what else is new? This video shows us how Trump has a ton of Goldman Sachs alumni on his team, and 5 banks in USA hold 44% of the market – up from 25% before the 2008 financial crisis Via Andre MartinIs Hong Kong’s market really free? It doesn’t look so when looking at the major local industries, reports the Hong Kong Free Press
The world’s freest economy? Just take a look at Hong Kong’s supermarkets, utility firms or taxis!
Another great one via Andre Martin HK Hotel Shakeup?
Mandarin Oriental International announced Monday it has plans to explore a potential sale of The Excelsior Hotel in Hong Kong. I was interviewed on the 80/20 podcast (link broken https://www.8020investingshow.com/investing-ep020-michael-michelini-ground-work-china/ ) (investing theme) about my transition from Wall Street to China. Always a popular topic. | 
