Society

China sees no Apple-style firms in 100 years: Lee Kaifu

By Cheng Anqi (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-09-16 17:09

The next Apple or Google may again come from the United States and not China, Kai-Fu Lee，the former head of Google China，said in Tianjin on Thursday, sina.com.cn reported.

Lee, who quit Google and launched a venture business platform called Innovation Works, revealed at the 2010 Summer Davos that the next creative company with a great impact in the areas of e-commerce and mobile Internet, like Apple or Google, may be produced in the United States, instead of China, or even Asia.

"Because entrepreneurs in America with their education background think in an original way without regulations and restrictions, which surpasses all other countries," he said.

The speed-to-market of novel ideas for TMT (Technology, Media and Telecommunication) has overwhelmed the competition around the globe. However, most SNS (social networking service) companies followed a trend of micro creation, especially in China.

They copy the model created by their successful predecessors, expanding the Internet market in China and raking in big money at a low cost, "but the trouble is how long it could last," Lee said.

"I think most Chinese companies are longing to bring fortune to their end users, but there won't be another Google or Apple in the next 50 or 100 years in China until a new education system is established," he emphasized.