Foreign commercial satellite manufacturers and operators are
seeking potential acquisitions and partners in China, as the
nation's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) draws
closer.
"China is such a huge and exciting market that we have been seeking
to drastically increase our presence. Now it's high time," said
John Stanton, president of Intelsat's global sales and
marketing.
The comments came after China wrapped up its WTO talks last week
and was preparing to become a full member.
China has promised to comply with WTO principles, which means there
will be increased deregulation in the once tightly controlled
aerospace industry.
Intelsat is an international satellite organization supplying
services to 140 member countries. It became a private company in
August.
"We are making serious plans to make a big investment in China
either through acquisitions or in the form of a joint venture once
we have the permission from the government," he said.
Officials from China's space industry authority, China National
Space Administration, would not comment on when China would allow
foreign acquisitions or the establishment of joint ventures in the
aerospace sector.
The severing of the US-China cable last week, for the third time
this year, disrupted Internet access for many users in Hong Kong
and South China.
Intelsat used the event as an opportunity to stress its benefit to
a large nation like China.
Intelsat's satellites succeeded in restoring services to over 20
million Internet users in China two days after a fishing trawler
accidentally cut one of the undersea cables connecting China to the
US earlier this year.
The Internet connection to China was cut again in March because of
a "short circuit" and Intelsat again came to the rescue.
This time the company is prepared to help again, said Jodi Evans, a
spokeswoman for Intelsat. The accidents have demonstrated how
important satellites are in providing uninterrupted Internet
services to China.
"Undoubtedly, there are abundant business opportunities for
commercial satellite operators like Intelsat in China," she
said.
China Great Wall Industry Corporation will launch Intelsat's APR 3
synchronous-orbit telecommunications satellite on a Long March 3II
rocket in May 2002.
Industry analysts said this was evidence of the importance Western
operators placed on Asia's growing Internet demand.
China is one of Intelsat's 10 biggest customers. Its domestic
customers include China Telecom and Unicom.
Betting on the future
Analysts believe Intelsat aims to secure a leading position as a
satellite services provider in the fields of broadcasting,
corporate networks and broadband services.
China's 2008 Olympic Games and the possible inclusion of China's
soccer team in the 2002 World Cup will provide tremendous
opportunities for the company.
Intelsat garnered up to 70 per cent of the television broadcasting
business during the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
Yao Gao, Asia-Pacific regional sales director of Intelsat, said the
company will discuss with Chinese officials about becoming the
major television broadcasting services provider for the 2008
Olympic Games.
The business scenario in China is defying the global downward trend
in the IT industry, powered by robust economic growth at over 7 per
cent in recent years.
"Satellite operators like Intelsat are going to see a tempting
market in China as more multinational companies will come to China
after it joins the WTO," said a Beijing-based telecoms analyst.
"Besides, as the number of Internet users and mobile phone
subscribers increases, there will be a growing customer base for
satellite operators in China."
Intelsat is an international communications company offering
Internet, broadcast, telephony and corporate network solutions
around the globe through its fleet of 20 satellites.
For nearly four decades, many of the world's leading
telecommunications companies, multinational corporations and
broadcasters in more than 200 countries and regions have relied on
Intelsat satellites and staff for stable connections and a global
reach.
"China has a large population, and considering the speedy growth of
Internet users and the broadband access demand at present, we are
very encouraged by the potential of the emerging market," Stanton
said.
"We are not going to get involved in any direct business operation
or sales here in China. Our role is much more like a retailer who
relies on its local partner to market its products," he said.
Intelsat recorded revenues of US$1.1 billion last year, and had a
net income of US$504 million. Business revenue from China was about
US$18.5 million last year, he said.
The firm plans to launch 10 more satellites before 2003, half of
which will replace existing satellites. The company will go public
at the end of 2002, he said.
Alcatel joins the battle
Alcatel Space, the global space industry leader, is also beefing up
its efforts to convince the Chinese Government that co-operation
will help sharpen China's competitiveness in the aerospace
industry.
Pierre De Bayser, vice-president of Alcatel Space, said his company
was "very positive" about the prospects for China's market
"We hope to share information with China and form a long-term
partnership to grow with China's space industry," said Pierre, who
attended the China Satellite 2001 conference, held in Beijing from
September 18 to 20.
The company is in talks with the Ministry of Science and Technology
and the Chinese Academy of Space Technology (CAST), China's most
established space research base for possible co-operation in the
fields of Earth observation, meteorology, navigation systems and
telecommunications, he said.
"We are still working on possible forms for collaboration. Until
now we have been very encouraged because both sides have shown
strong willingness to promote the ties," he said.
Besides technical co-operation, the company's ambitions include
manufacturing satellite components in China for exports to other
Asian countries like Japan, De Bayser said.
"China is very strong in the space industry, both in terms of space
technology and the achievements that can be made. We can co-operate
with each other to manufacture satellite components and export them
to other countries like Japan," he said, referring to the booming
market expected in Asia for commercial satellites in the coming
years.
China and France signed the "Agreement of Co-operation on Peaceful
Use and Study of Outer Space" in 1997, which was a key document for
both sides in discussing and defining the long term co-operation
programme for the space industry.
Alcatel Space says any plan to set up a satellite manufacturing
plant will involve a huge investment and take a long time to gain
permission from the government, he said.
"In particular, we are developing solutions to meet the demands of
an emerging market like China for Internet and broadband
(multimedia) services," he said.
Alcatel Space received 10 satellite orders last year, which gave it
27 per cent of orders for geostationary communications satellites
around the world.
It
is a leader in the emerging field of high-speed communications and
Internet applications based on the support of its parent company
Alcatel, one of the world's leading telecoms giants.
It
is working in a close industrial partnership with all the biggest
space industrialists.
(Business
Weekly 10/01/2001)