Haier

Satoshi Iue and Ruimin Zhang are Predestined to be Partners Haier and Sanyo have collaborated for a long time, mainly in the technology for air conditioners and procurement of parts and components. Mr. Satoshi Iue made a visit to Haier for the first time last September. He found he and Zhang Ruimin, CEO of Haier, have similar outlook and values. The negotiation on the cooperation went very smoothly due to the presence and contact of both parties' top management. It took only three months to make a conclusion. On December 19th 2001, Mr. Satoshi Iue was in Haier again, this time Sanyo and Haier officially signed the joint venture contract. "The conclusion has been reached so quickly and the cooperation has developed so smoothly that is beyond memory. It's really marvelous. Even in other part of the world, I believe it is rare to see such speedy conclusion. Haier's goal is to become one of the Fortune Global 500. I believe Sanyo is a good partner to help Haier realize this goal,"said Mr. Satoshi Iue at the contract signing ceremony. "There is a 'Ãô'(a character in both Chinese and Japanese) in your name and my name," Mr. Satoshi Iue made a humor to Zhang. "In China, a saying goes: the men who have predestined relationship can meet from thousand miles away." On December 19th 2001, Zhang expressed his longtime appreciation of Sanyo to the audience attending the contract signing ceremony held in the Qingdao-based Haier head office. "In 1980's, I read an article written by Mr. Satoshi Iue's father. I was very impressed by his words: it's no fearful to have no money; but it's most terrible to have no spirits of struggle. Sanyo has developed itself up with such spirits. In Haier, we have been learning Sanyo's innovation and strategy for exploitation of the overseas market." In this economic globalization world, in my opinion, the optimal strategy for multinational companies lies in the relationship between competition and partnership. This is to maintain cooperation while in competition to achieve win-win results for both parties. Such relationship meets the trend of global economic development. It should be very significant for Haier and Sanyo to make this step," Zhang said.