Chapter 576

Zhou Andong once again took the drink and took a slow, deliberate sip. Miss Yang watched, thinking to herself, just how salty was that tofu pudding he ate? He's taken several sips in just these few minutes.

"I do not deny that in today's era of globalization, against the backdrop of our attracting investment, cross-border acquisitions by foreign companies are a very normal commercial behavior.

But we must be vigilant: after these introduced foreign capitals acquire our national brands, they will not compete with each other, but will share the benefits and jointly carve up the market.

Once they jointly monopolize the market, they will inevitably raise prices, suppress the prices of suppliers, exploit our suppliers and workers, and legally remit profits out of China.

By then, the pricing power of most of our country's livelihood products and the entire industrial chain will fall into the hands of those capitalists. When the economic lifeline is controlled by others, it is like the blood in a human body being drained dry; what remains in the end will only be an empty shell."

"Isn't it terrifying?" Zhou Andong scanned the audience below, "Now, we cannot help but wonder: the seven major beverage factories have all been sold, with brands, channels, and factories handed over on a silver platter. In the future, besides Coca-Cola and Pepsi, what else will we be able to drink?"

As soon as Zhou Andong finished speaking, everyone was stunned, and they couldn't help but think. That's right, the beverage factories have all been acquired by the two colas; in the future, besides drinking cola, what else can we drink?

"Right now, cola is three yuan a bottle. When they no longer have competition and we can only drink cola, it will rise to four or five yuan. In this way, our wealth will flow bit by bit into the pockets of these capitalists."

The audience below were all looking at Zhou Andong, pondering his words.

Zhou Andong smiled and raised the iced black tea, "Don't worry about the two colas raising prices, because you still have Xurishang iced black tea to drink."

The audience didn't react for a moment, then burst into laughter, followed by enthusiastic applause.

Miss Yang also smiled: "Chairman Zhou, where does the path for the development of our national enterprises lie?"

Zhou Andong said: "If war is politics with bloodshed, then brands are the economy with bloodshed. In this invisible smoke of gunpowder, our national brands are being quietly captured and plundered.

Especially some of our country's enterprise leaders, whose brand awareness is weak, protection awareness is not strong, and crisis awareness is completely absent. I once conducted a survey: many of our country's particularly famous brands have not been registered abroad, but have been preemptively registered by foreign companies.

For example, Japanese companies preemptively registered Tongrentang and Goubuli, and South Korean companies preemptively registered Quanjude and Jianlibao, etc. To date, nearly a thousand of our country's export trademarks have been preemptively registered by companies in Australia, Japan, India, the EU, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, causing losses of over a billion yuan every year."

Miss Yang looked shocked: "That many?"

Zhou Andong nodded: "Our country's corporate brand protection awareness is too weak; they always think that as long as the product quality is good and the price is cheap, it will be fine. In fact, good quality and cheap prices cannot help an enterprise gain a firm foothold abroad; instead, they become synonymous with cheap goods.

Conversely, foreign companies pay great attention to brand cultivation and construction, thereby occupying a dominant position in market competition. Therefore, for our enterprises to develop, they must attach importance to brands.

The tragedy of the two colas acquiring the seven major beverage factories must not be repeated; we must resolutely not let national industries be harmed in their survival. Because without independent brands, we have no shortcuts to take.

If we even sell our own backbone, it will be very difficult to stand up again. Perhaps we can learn from some foreign countries to protect local and national brands, listing well-known brand enterprises as specially protected enterprises and prohibiting foreign companies from acquiring them..."

Time passed quickly, and the program was only a few minutes from ending. Miss Yang said: "Chairman Zhou, many ambitious young people like you are now going into business. There are only a few minutes left in the program; why don't you say something to them."

Zhou Andong smiled: "Across the vast land of China, the five thousand years of historical culture are as vast as the sea. The sons and daughters of China, with their own diligence and wisdom, have led the world's trends for thousands of years, standing at the pinnacle of the world. How glorious that was!

How do you write the character for 'person' (ren)? One stroke to the left and one to the right—that is the backbone of us Chinese people. I believe that as long as our waists do not bend, we can create national brands with Chinese characteristics that lead the world.

Finally, please remember that as a major country with a population of over a billion, with the continuous advancement of economic globalization, our economy will inevitably become an important part of world economic development.

We are growing up in such a great era, standing in such a favorable position, even a pig could fly. For those who think they can't fly and sell their brands, I can only say that they are not even as good as pigs."

This statement by Zhou Andong definitely offended a large group of people, but he didn't care; anyway, you can't bite me.

"Here, I dare to assert that by 2010, our country will surpass Japan to become the world's second-largest economy. Perhaps no one will believe it, but we are all young and can witness the arrival of that day with our own eyes."

The one-hour interview ended, and Zhou Andong and Miss Yang bowed in thanks.

Applause erupted, and it only gradually stopped after a long time.

"Chairman Zhou, can you give me an autograph?" Just as Zhou Andong was about to leave, a chubby girl wearing glasses ran over with a notebook and a pen.

"Sure!"

Zhou Andong took the notebook and pen, signed his name with a flourish, then picked up the unopened bottle of iced black tea on the table and handed it to the girl.

"You are the first one to ask for my autograph, so here is a reward."

The girl was stunned for a moment, then laughed with pleasant surprise, took the iced black tea, thanked him, and turned to leave the stage.

Returning to the dressing room, Miss Yang took off her makeup: "There is a good hot pot restaurant near the TV station that I often go to. Chairman Zhou, could you do me the honor of letting me treat you once?"

Zhou Andong said with a smile: "When a beautiful woman treats me to a meal, let alone doing me the honor, even if I had to lose my face, I would still have to go."

Miss Yang giggled: "Then let's go."

The two left the TV station, and Wu Chao, who was waiting in the car, hurriedly started the engine and drove the car over.

Zhou Andong opened the car door: "Let's go!"

The two got into the car, and Miss Yang said: "Follow this road, turn right at the intersection, and in about two hundred meters, there is a Liao Qingkui Hot Pot."

A few minutes later, Wu Chao parked the car in front of the hot pot restaurant.

Zhou Andong said: "Park the car well and come in to have a bite."

Wu Chao shook his head: "It's not even eleven o'clock yet, I'm not hungry."

Miss Yang said: "Eat a little even if you're not hungry, so you don't have to look for a place to eat later."

Wu Chao still shook his head, and Zhou Andong said: "If I tell you to come, then come. Why are you dawdling?"

Wu Chao grinned, and followed Zhou Andong and Miss Yang into the main entrance.