Chinese automakers should pursue 'rational competition' in EV industry, official says
The comments from Che Jun, head of a Communist Party central leading group, came a day after China's cabinet pledged to regulate what it called "irrational" competition in the EV market and vowed to strengthen price-monitoring.
Che Jun spoke at a meeting attended by officials from the industry ministry and representatives from automakers BYD and BAIC Group.
Authorities in China have urged companies to stop excessive competition in the auto industry and in more recent regulatory comments, described such competition as "irrational."
On Friday, China's industry ministry, market regulator and state planner jointly held a separate meeting on the EV industry's development with representatives from 17 key auto enterprises, automobile industry association and local officials.
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CNA
22 minutes ago
- CNA
Diners welcome colour-coded labels at nasi padang, economy rice stalls but call for clearer prices
SINGAPORE: When part-time driver Yam Sok Chi visited Hjh Maimunah's outlet at Parkway Parade last week, she noticed something new – each dish was labelled with a colour code indicating its price. 'This is a very clear picture,' said the 70-year-old, who dines at the Kopitiam outlet two to three times a week. 'Nothing better than to look at the price and order according to the price that you can afford.' The colour-coded labels were recently introduced at the nasi padang chain's Parkway Parade outlet and will soon be rolled out at all nine of its mini outlets, the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) said in a media release in late July. This follows a similar collaboration between CASE and Koufu in March, with colour-coded price labels to be implemented at 77 economy rice stalls by the end of the year. At Koufu, labels categorise dishes such as seafood (S$2.50), meat (S$1.50) and vegetables (S$1), while premium items are individually priced. Hjh Maimunah's dishes are colour-coded with prices that range from S$1.50 to S$4.50. Speciality items, such as tahu telur and ayam bakar, have grey tags, and customers will have to ask staff for prices. CASE president Melvin Yong said the introduction of price labels aims to improve price transparency and help customers make informed choices before they order. Diners have often expressed frustration over unclear pricing at such stalls. Dr Teo Kay Key, a research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, said customers rarely calculate total costs while ordering. 'So sometimes if the total price they have to pay is not within expectations, then it can lead to some contention,' she said. With colour codes, stalls can avoid disputes by showing that they are not charging a random price, she added. ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT When CNA visited Hjh Maimunah's Parkway Parade outlet and the economy rice stall at Koufu at Plantation Plaza last week, most of the 14 diners interviewed supported the initiative. At Plantation Plaza, a 23-year-old fresh graduate who gave her name as Lynsie said she checks the colour codes when she wants to save money. 'Sometimes if I'm just very hungry, I just want to eat what I want to eat regardless of the price, I don't care about the colour so much,' she added. Production operator Mdm Toh, 60, did not notice the labels but said the idea was 'not bad'. 'I'm old, I don't know. I just see what I want, then order,' she said in Mandarin. She spent S$4.70 on her meal. Mr Khor Jun Han, 25, who oversees operations at Hong Le Mixed Veg Rice stall at Plantation Plaza's Koufu, said feedback has been positive. 'Customers say prices are more transparent. Sometimes when they come, they have a budget in mind,' he said in Mandarin. He explained that some premium dishes cannot have a fixed price point because ingredient costs can vary. Still, some felt the system could be clearer. At Parkway Parade, housewife Daria Wati said she only noticed a small A5-sized price chart at the cashier after picking her food. 'Because at first we don't know, then we go to the cashier, then we see it's like (this price),' said the 49-year-old. A diner who gave his name as Mr Ching questioned why the actual prices could not be shown directly on dishes so that customers would not have to refer to a price list. 'If you put the price there, easier what,' said the 55-year-old logistics manager, adding that he had not even noticed the colour-coded tags at Hjh Maimunah. WHY NOT LABEL BY PRICE? Ms Maria Didih, Hjh Maimunah's operations director, told CNA that labelling each of the outlet's 50-plus dishes individually would confuse customers. She added that dishes may have different prices for larger portions or takeaway orders. 'It's a bit hard for us, nasi padang, because there are a lot of prices. The best is actually for us, for our mini outlets, at least we put the per portion price in terms of colour code,' she said. Items tagged with grey "ask the server" tags, such as asam pedas fish roe, are seasonal and typically priced above regular tiers, making fixed pricing difficult, she added. Hjh Maimunah plans to gather feedback from the Parkway Parade outlet before expanding the initiative to its other mini branches. Its restaurants in Joo Chiat and Jalan Pisang, which offer more than 60 dishes, may adopt the system later. Other economy rice and nasi padang businesses CNA spoke to expressed concerns about adopting a similar system. Mr Terry Soh, who works at an economy rice stall in a food court in Katong, said he has too many variations of dishes to categorise them simply as "meat" or "vegetables" as Koufu stalls do. 'Customers may also get confused. So we don't use colour codes, we just communicate the prices verbally,' he said in Mandarin. He also raised concerns about hygiene and practicality in labelling each dish. Mr Mohamad Ariff Mohamad Zin, executive chef of nasi padang chain Rumah Makan Minang, said the colour-coded system is 'a good idea' for hawker-style setups but will not be adopted at his restaurants. His team instead provides menus with price ranges and breakdowns on receipts. He added that restaurant diners value ambience, while hawker customers may want quicker service – something colour coding could support. EFFECTIVENESS OF COLOUR-CODING Associate Professor Lau Kong Cheen, head of the marketing programme at Singapore University of Social Sciences, said that colour codes work only if pricing charts are clearly visiable to customers before they make their selection. 'Mistakes that some stalls commit are that they display this at the cashier counter after the customers have selected their food, not knowing the price that each colour code represents ... that defeats the purpose,' he said. Although labelling every item with a price would be ideal, he noted that it may be impractical and unhygienic. Inked tags are exposed to oil and water, and prices can change frequently. 'Thus far, colour-coded tags tend to be most feasible, safe and cost-effective to implement,' he said. Associate Professor Walter Theseira, a labour economist at the same university, added that the overall layout and number of colour codes also impact the system's effectiveness. 'I still think it would be difficult for an occasional customer to understand the system, particularly since there are quite a few price grades offered,' he said. Ultimately, as pricing displays are not regulated, he said only voluntary efforts from stallholders – such as those by Hjh Maimunah – can improve market practices.
CNA
6 hours ago
- CNA
Hitachi mulling over sale of Japanese white goods business, Nikkei reports
Japanese conglomerate Hitachi is considering selling its domestic home appliance business as part of a continued effort to prioritize the group's social infrastructure and digital sectors, the Nikkei newspaper has reported. The deal could be worth around 100 billion yen ($679.49 million) or more, the report said. Hitachi has reached out to multiple companies to buy its white goods business, with South Korea's Samsung Electronics being one of its potential suitors, Nikkei said. However, the report added that Hitachi is keeping the option of retaining the business open as well due to its potential of contributing to the company's brand recognition among consumers. Hitachi and Samsung Electronics did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for a comment. ($1 = 147.1700 yen)
CNA
6 hours ago
- CNA
Hitachi considering to sell Japanese home appliance business, Nikkei reports
Japanese conglomerate Hitachi is considering selling its domestic home appliance business in a deal worth around 100 billion yen ($679.49 million) or more, the Nikkei newspaper reported. One of the potential suitors expressing interest in the deal is South Korea's Samsung Electronics, Nikkei added. ($1 = 147.1700 yen)
