Chapter 236 Telecommunications Industry

Citibank Hong Kong headquarters.

Steve warmly received Liu Zhicheng in the office. He knew that Liu Zhicheng had predicted the risks again this time and sold a large number of scattered properties and buildings before the crash.

Today, the New Era Group and Liu Zhiben himself have huge financial capabilities and can buy real estate at the bottom.

Of course, the premise is that Hong Kong will not become a stinky port.

Steve is not sure about this. Will Hong Kong's economy and real estate be sluggish?
However, it is true that the stock market has rebounded slightly now!

Moreover, some European and American entrepreneurs have actually withdrawn from Hong Kong in large numbers at the call of the country. Even the "Asia Satellite 1" has been banned from sale and transportation by the US government (later, with the efforts of Huaxin, the ban was lifted).

Steve said: "Mr. Liu, I am curious about a question!"

Liu Zhicheng immediately said: "I know this question. Are you asking me if I predicted this crash?"

Steve nodded!

Liu Zhicheng said seriously: "There were signs in March. Also, after the August 7 stock market crash, the Hong Kong real estate and stock markets soared again. I think there is a possibility of adjustment. So, I accurately predicted the risk this time!"

Steve was immediately impressed. Liu Zhicheng's words were well-reasoned, but if these analyses had been published in the newspapers, I'm afraid not many people would have believed them!

After a long while, Steve said, "Your success is inevitable! I believe that you will soon demonstrate your amazing vision of the big picture on the world stage."

Liu Zhicheng smiled and shook his head, saying: "There is a problem with Hong Kong's foundations. How can we dare to think about developing in the world business?"

Steve asked curiously, "You Chinese businessmen have been buying a lot of insurance overseas in recent years. Aren't you worried?"

At this time, Liu Zhicheng's investments outside of Hong Kong were mainly concentrated in the mainland, unlike Li Chaoren in his previous life, who mainly invested in the British Empire and North America.

Liu Zhicheng smiled and said: "Now the mainland has opened up a lot. I believe that it will become more and more open, step by step. It is not like your Eagle Sauce government."

The implication is that we are already protecting the motherland.

Steve smiled bitterly and said, "Well, I can't refute you! Why are you here this time?"

"cooperate!"

"You are most welcome!"

Liu Zhicheng nodded and said, "The first cooperation project is about the 'Garden Road Land King' in Central. Here's what I think. We will sell you 20% of our shares and then invest in this project together."

Steve said in bewilderment: "We are a bank and rarely invest in real estate!"

Liu Zhicheng explained the project with a smile: "I want to build this project into a core area of ​​a bank. One of the buildings can be named the Wan Citibank Building as your headquarters in Hong Kong; the other building can be called the Asia Pacific Financial Center."

After hearing the analysis of this project, Steve immediately became excited. This is a great thing!
At present, their headquarters building is rented and the area is small enough. However, the headquarters building of a bank reflects the strength of the bank.

Just like HSBC started investing a huge amount of HK$55 billion to build the HSBC Building in the late s, the same was true for the Bank of China Building.

After calming down, Steve asked, "How about 30% of the shares? I don't mind that our shares are too small, but we plan to attract some partner companies. They can invest in this project and move into these two buildings in the future."

As a large conglomerate in the United States, its network of relationships is naturally beyond doubt, and this is what Liu Zhicheng valued.

If he wants to build a banking core area in the central district, a large number of banks and financial companies must move in here, otherwise it will not be considered a banking core area.

It just so happens that the Citigroup has this network of relationships. Japanese financial companies are all their younger brothers, and they have younger brothers everywhere in the world.

However, Liu Zhicheng still said: "President Steve, you just said that you don't invest much in real estate.

Besides, 60% is already a huge investment, and my budget for the entire project is billion Hong Kong dollars!"

Steve did not force it. What Citibank cared about was the naming rights of the building and the influence of the entire project. 20% would be fine, and the other half would be given to the partner companies.

"Okay, I will apply to the headquarters as soon as possible! Mr. Liu, please rest assured that I believe there will be no problem with this project, and I will be able to give you a reply soon!"

Liu Zhicheng nodded. In his previous life, this project had already started this year, so Huangpu Group could also start construction this year.

Then, Liu Zhicheng continued: "For the second project, I want to lend another 30 billion Hong Kong dollars to Huangpu Group!"

Steve was a little surprised and asked, "What is your purpose in borrowing this 30 billion Hong Kong dollars?"

Liu Zhicheng smiled and said: "Of course this money will be used to build the financial building."

Steve hesitated for a moment and said, "Mr. Liu, I know that the real estate market in Hong Kong is sluggish and your assets are also depreciating. What do you think about this issue?"

Liu Zhicheng smiled and said: "How many people can Hong Kong afford to immigrate? And how many can the three overseas countries accept?
In fact, immigration is only an option for a very small number of people, and most citizens have already settled down.

So the real estate downturn is temporary. We bought it at the cheapest price, so why worry that the asset value will not surge again! Also, have you, Wan Guo Baotong, ever considered withdrawing from Hong Kong?"

Steve was speechless. Even though the American government has lowered its tone, real large and medium-sized enterprises will not withdraw from Hong Kong.

How could we give up the market that we had worked so hard to conquer just because of a few words from the American government?

"Okay, a loan of HK$20 billion is no problem! After all, you have a lot of assets!" Steve said with a smile.

Liu Zhicheng didn't expect to have two gains today, and left Wan Guo Bao Tong in a good mood.

In fact, he had another idea for cooperating with Citigroup, which was that when he made a big move into American investment in the future, it would be better to have Citigroup as the leader.

Of course, there is no need to make a big fuss about securities investment, just be low-key.

However, some industrial investments will inevitably require the guidance and cooperation of American financial groups.

But when his funds reach a certain level, some investments with an annual return rate of 10% will also be considered.

So by then, we really have to spend money all over the world. We have to build good relationships with foreign financial groups and banks, which will be more conducive to local business activities.

……

In the office of the Sailing Ship Building, Liu Zhicheng was checking the report on Hong Kong's telecommunications industry written by Huo Haiqing and Wang Xingfa.

Hong Kong Telecom, owned by British company Great Eastern Holdings, has monopolized Hong Kong's telecommunications industry for a century. The company is second only to HSBC Group in strength and mainly owns international telecommunications patents, with 1 employees.

The overseas telephone patent owned by Hong Kong Telecom will expire in 2006.

Overseas telephone revenue is the bulk of the company's profits, and it can enjoy a 16-year patent. Before the expiration of the term, Hong Kong Telecom will go all out to strive for the patent after 2006.

Of course, Liu Zhicheng's ownership of the local telephone patent of Hong Kong Telephone is by no means unprofitable.

Because: Although the operating rights of local fixed-line telephone network services do not include the operating rights of international telephone networks, when anyone makes an international call and picks up the phone to dial, the message first passes through the local network before reaching the gateway of the international telephone network and then is transmitted outside Hong Kong.

At the same time, the principles for international calls and faxes to Hong Kong are the same.

However, the local telephone patent will expire in 1995, but it is estimated that the tender will be put out in 1993, so this matter is not very urgent for the time being!
However, in addition to overseas telephone patents and local telephone patents, telecommunications also has another area: mobile phones and pagers, which does not fall under the patent business.

Since the late 80s, the innovation of mobile communication tools has led to the rapid development of Hong Kong's non-proprietary telecommunications industry.

Mobile phones and wireless pagers are increasingly becoming essential communication tools for interpersonal communication.

In the non-proprietary communications sector, Hutchison Communications is currently the dominant player. It currently owns 100 paging stations, serves 23 customers, and holds a 50% share of the Hong Kong paging market.

Hutchison Telephone also accounts for 55% of Hong Kong's total cellular mobile wireless telephone services and currently has more than 5 customers.

The reason why Liu Zhicheng started to intervene now is because he knew that the Hong Kong government would allocate two mobile phone licenses next year.

Hong Kong Telecom will definitely have one license, so the remaining license will naturally be subject to fierce competition.

Of course, Liu Zhicheng also knew that more licenses would be issued in the future, and he would even soon be able to operate CT2, the second-generation mobile phone license.

Therefore, this year he wants to build a certain scale in wireless communications for Orange Technology Group's Hong Kong Telephone, starting with the simplest pager license.

Then they will quickly team up with British or European companies that have the European digital system GSM technology, participate in next year's mobile phone license bidding, and launch GSM mobile phones.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t have the technology, just find a company with technology to cooperate with, preferably a British company, which will help you win the bid.

It doesn't matter if you have no experience, just acquire a paging company immediately. That year, Hutchison acquired seven paging stations and was the first to launch wireless phones, establishing its dominant position in the non-telecommunications patent field.

Therefore, as long as Orange Technology Group has money, it can also get a share of this industry.

in the afternoon.

Wang Xingfa from Orange Technology and Yang Baolin, general manager of Xiangjiang Telephone, came to Liu Zhicheng's office.

Liu Zhicheng said: "The telecommunications department has been fully established, right?"

The market research has already been done, and it is obvious that Orange Technology Group has been preparing for it for quite some time.

Yang Baolin said quickly: "It has been fully organized, and the information of the paging radio company is also ready."

Liu Zhicheng nodded and said, "Well, quickly initiate the acquisition of paging radio stations. The Hong Kong government will issue mobile phone licenses next year. We must have a certain level of strength to be qualified to intervene in this field.

Therefore, when you enter the paging field, you must also consider cooperating with European telecom operators so that we can launch GSM mobile phones! "

Yang Baolin seemed to be well prepared, so he said, "Well, I can complete the tasks you give me this year."

Liu Zhicheng said with satisfaction: "That's good. The group has sufficient funds. Now we have to grasp all aspects and be strong in all aspects!"

"it is good!"

The reason why Liu Zhicheng raised so many troops was mainly because he saw the dividends from the future mobile communications, which would make him a fortune every day.

The next day.

Huangpu Group and CITIC Bank held a signing ceremony and invited reporters to witness it.

Whampoa Group sold 7% of the interest in the Garden Road land king to Citibank for HK$8000 million, making a profit of HK$ million.

At the same time, Huangpu Group, CITIC Capital and Hongli Investment jointly invested in CITIC Capital Plaza.

The subsequent construction costs and taxes will naturally be paid through loans from CITIC Capital.

After the signing ceremony, both Liu Zhicheng and Steve were interviewed by reporters on the scene.

Reporter: "Mr. Liu, what kind of building is Wan Guo Bao Tong Plaza? Does your company have a preliminary plan?"

Liu Zhicheng smiled and said: "You asked the right question. We have been planning this project half a year ago.

At present, preliminary plans have been put forward, and the next step is to refer to the opinions of Wan Citibank.

The general plan of this project is: we plan to build two high-end office buildings with intelligent architecture operation, each floor will have an elevated platform and a fiber optic central communication system.

On the plaza platform, there is a 47-story Citibank Building and a 37-story Asia Pacific Financial Building, with a total floor area of ​​166 million square feet.

When talking about the topic of construction, Liu Zhicheng is not only eloquent but also extremely professional. This is what all reporters think, and he is indeed a great friend of real estate.

The reporter asked a few more questions, and Liu Zhicheng answered them one by one.

There was a question that involved the core strategy of the New Era Group, but Liu Zhicheng had no choice but to express his opinion.

Reporter: "At present, the real estate market in Hong Kong is in a downturn. Some people say that it will become an airport. I would like to ask Mr. Liu whether Huangpu Group will follow other companies and invest funds overseas?"

Undoubtedly, this question is a bit tricky!
However, Liu Zhicheng still said generously: "In addition to considering investment in the mainland, Huangpu Group will not consider transferring funds overseas for the time being.

Our policy remains to be based in Hong Kong, develop here, and build a better Hong Kong."

applause!

Next, the reporter asked Steve, the representative of Citibank.

"President Steve, what does Acrosstown think of the Acrosstown Plaza project?"

Steve said confidently: "The central location of Wan Citibank Plaza has redefined the banking center of the central area. We are very confident!"

At this time, the banking center in the central area should be HSBC and the Bank of China Building.

Of course, this will not affect the relationship between Liu Zhicheng and HSBC.

The news of the press conference that day quickly spread throughout Hong Kong, but the real estate market remained sluggish as it should be. After all, Liu Zhicheng can only represent himself.

Everyone is very afraid, so this sentiment will probably continue until the end of the year.

It can also be analyzed that after December, Hong Kong's real estate began to pick up.

After all, as far as Liu Zhicheng knew, in just one year, that is, in June 1990, real estate had returned to its pre-crash level.

This is a good thing. The shorter the time for bottom fishing, the slower his competitors will react, and the properties that Liu Zhicheng bottom fished out will appreciate quickly.

(End of this chapter)