This Day, That Year

Item from Oct 20, 1991, in China Daily: Qingdao TV Factory in Shandong province has seen a great leap in exporting its black and white and color TV sets to 40 countries and regions in the past seven years . ... The assembly line imported from Japan’s Matsushita Company in 1984 marked a turning point in the production of the factory.

Growing out of Qingdao TV Factory in Shandong province, Hisense Group has developed into a major player in the world’s telecom and home appliances market.

The company established a globalization strategy in 2006, and has built 13 manufacturing plants and 12 research and development centers globally.

Hisense has rapidly expanded its business to more than 130 countries and regions around the world. The company has said it ranks third overall in global TV shipments.

To further strengthen its global exposure and awareness, Hisense has become an official sponsor of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. The partnership is expected to see the brand reach more than 200 countries and regions. Hisense has also sponsored other major sporting events and teams, including UEFA Euro 2016, the Australian Open, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Germany’s FC Schalke 04.

In addition to Hisense, many Chinese brands have been expanding their global presence.

PC giant Lenovo is listed as the most powerful Chinese export brand, followed by Huawei and e-commerce giant Alibaba, according to the first BrandZ Top 30 Chinese Global Brand Builders ranking report released in January.