默多克缓步撤离中国

    当代生意场上有一条铁律：去中国投资，否则就会危及未来的发展。正因为如此，有一件事值得引起注意，一度在打开中国市场中积极扮演急先锋的一家公司如今正在某种程度上放弃这种努力。

    默多克今年夏天从其以出版为主的新闻集团（News Corp.）拆分出来的电影和电视公司——21世纪福克斯公司（21st Century Fox）正在积极缩减自己在这个世界第二大经济体的投资规模。这个事态的发展令人震惊，原因完全在于，默多克曾经耗费了这么多年的时间这么热情地追逐中国市场。而且这家公司从中国撤资的方式充满了火药味。默多克目前聘为旗下公司高管的唯一一个儿子詹姆斯批评中国政府行事胆怯，而且对改革缺乏承诺。

    为什么现在从中国撤资呢？小默多克今年7月份在美国科罗拉多州阿斯彭召开的《财富》杂志年度科技行业大会上接受全面采访期间说：“我们搞创意产业的在中国做生意一直都很困难。江泽民领导时期，政治开放，一切都可以积极尝试。这个时期结束后，中国对投资和开放变得谨小慎微……我认为很多人并没有充分地注意到（这种转变）。基本上可以说，在中国做生意变得越来越困难了。”

    因此，21世纪福克斯公司近来一直在忙于抛售在华资产，同时减持投资。几年前，这家公司将自己在电视广播公司——星空传媒集团中国分公司（Star China）持有的股份削减到了50％以下。最近，它又将自己在上市公司凤凰卫视（Phoenix Satellite Television）持有的股份从17％缩减至12％。一位发言人说：“我们将继续在这个以及其他在华投资项目上研究我们的战略选择。”

    从某种程度上讲，21世纪福克斯公司正在缩减在华投资规模，而其他公司则正在扩大在华投资规模。相对论传媒公司（Relativity Media）和梦工厂动画公司（DreamWorks Animation）已在中国电影制作方面投入巨资。传奇娱乐公司（Legendary Entertainment）最近与中国最大的电影发行商签署了一项协议。【21世纪福克斯公司并没有完全逃离中国：一年前它收购了中国另一家电影发行公司——博纳影业集团（Bona Film Group）17％的股份。】

    不过，根据詹姆斯•默多克的语气来判断（他是21世纪福克斯公司的副首席营运官，主要负责全球的电视业务），中国在默多克帝国中的优先事项列表上排名靠后。而印度已经成为它最青睐的亚洲国家。“与此同时，在我们投资亚洲的20年里，我们在印度拥有最大的传媒公司，获得了巨大的成功，无论是从财务角度还是……知名度的角度。我们在印度九种语言的原创节目和原创作品和内容创作领域投资巨大。而与我们在印度取得的上述成就相比，我们在中国取得进展的态势与此完全不同。我们只是认定，（印度）是一个更好的市场。”

    从某种程度上说， 21世纪福克斯（中国）公司撤离中国市场与其特定行业有关。著名的中国问题观察人士、亚洲协会（Asia Society）美中关系中心主任奥维尔•斯科勒说：“传媒行业是中国打算留到最后一批才会放手的自留地。虽然很多人在中国赚到了钱，但在传媒领域赚钱并不容易。外资成功介入的与传媒最接近的领域是公关行业，公关实际上就是宣传。而中国人很懂宣传。”（财富中文网）

    译者：iDo98 

    It is an iron-clad rule of the contemporary business landscape: Invest in China or imperil your future growth. It's noteworthy, then, that one of the most aggressive western companies in terms of trying to crack the China nut is more or less giving up the fight.

    21st Century Fox, the film and TV company Rupert Murdoch cleaved from his print-focused News Corp. (NWSA) this summer, is actively reducing its exposure the world's second-largest economy. It's a shocking development only in that Murdoch spent so many years pursuing the China market so enthusiastically. The company is going out guns-a-blazing too. Murdoch's son James, his only child currently employed as a company executive, has criticized the Chinese government for timidity and a lack of commitment to reform.

    Why get out now? "It's always been hard for us in the business of ideas to do business in China," the younger Murdoch said during an extensive interview in July at Fortune's annual technology-industry conference, in Aspen, Colo. "We went from the end of the Jiang Zemin regime, which was liberalizing, trying to do all things, to a much more ... timid approach to investment and to liberalization ... I don't think a lot of people noticed [the shift] enough. And basically it became harder to do business there."

    As a result, 21st Century Fox (FOX) has been busy selling off and selling down investments. A few years ago it cuts its stake in broadcaster Star China to below 50%. More recently it reduced its stake in publicly traded Phoenix Satellite Television from 17% to 12%. A spokeswoman says "we're continuing to explore our strategic options," in this and other China investments.

    To some extent 21st Century Fox is zigging where others are zagging. Relativity Media and DreamWorks Animation have invested heavily in film production in China. Legendary Entertainment recently signed a deal with China's largest film distributor. (21st Century Fox isn't completely fleeing: A year ago it took a 17% stake in another Chinese film distribution, Bona Film Group.)

    But judging James Murdoch's tone -- he is the company's deputy chief operating officer, with responsibilities primarily in global television activities -- China is low on the Murdoch empire's list of priorities. India has become its favored Asian nation. "In the meantime, in the 20 years we've been investing in Asia, contrast what we've achieved in India, [where we own] the largest media company ... which is hugely successful financially and ... from a popularity point of view. We're a big investor in original programming and original writing and content creation in India in nine different languages. It's a fundamentally different animal [from China]." We just decided that [India] was a better place to be."

    To some extent, the 21st Century Fox China retreat is a function of its specific industry. "When it comes to the media this is one of the last preserves that China is going to let go of," says Orville Schell, a noted China observer and director of the Asia Society's Center on U.S.-China Relations. "Although many people are making money in China, it's not easy to make money in the media. The closest anyone has come is in public relations, which is really propaganda. And the Chinese understand propaganda."