By Bing Wei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-12-17 11:24

Santa Clara, California - "The emerging markets are leading the future", according to John Chambers addressing to his attentive listeners at the annual Asian American Multi-Technology Association (AAMA) conference on December 12 at the Regency Hyatt in Santa Clara of California, a few blocks from Yahoo's headquarter.

Chambers, the CEO of Cisco, delivered the conference keynote speech and focused on the collaboration model implemented in his company management and how to integrate several countries in an open platform by today's globalization climate.

Walking among the audience, Mr. Chambers described the details of his recent China and India strategy. Cisco's recent announcement of its US$16 billion investment in China has sent a new wave in sea of the China-investment by world multinationals.

"I am delighted to be invited back to AAMA conference again," said Mr. Chambers exclusively to China Daily. Mr. Chambers was a speaker for AAMA conference four years ago.

Indeed Cisco's latest fund injection to Alibaba and its hefty investment in China has positioned Cisco at the center of the Middle Kingdom's technological platform.

Alibaba received an investment of US$17 million from Cisco before its IPO at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange last month when the company's shares tripled on the first day of trading, living up to its name of being the largest e-commerce company in China. Jack Ma, founder and CEO of Alibaba, has also been a formidable figure in the Silicon Valley's professional associations similar to AAMA.

"Jack Ma was one of the early members of the Hua Yuan Science and Technology Association I founded in the Valley", said Dr. Hong Chen, founder and CEO of The Hina Group, a private investment bank, the first of its kind in China. Being the president for AAMA during 2000 and 2001 and a successful serial entrepreneur himself, China-born Dr. Chen said it was through such associations that new ideas were inspired and new ventures were established. Hua Yuan's 2006 conference went on to America's national network TV - ABC news. Dr. Chen, whose last company before Hina was listed on NASDAQ for US$ 5 billion, illustrated a clear picture of today's aggressive Chinese company buy-outs in the global capital markets.

Hong Chen, CEO of The Hina Group, speaks at the conference. [photo by Michael Muramoto]

"This is the largest conference in the AAMA history with such positive energy and high quality and quantity of attendees," said Kyung Yoon, president of AAMA and vice chairman of Heidrick & Struggles. Ms. Yoon confirmed that the fact China' emergence as an economy influencing the markets of Asia Pacific region as well as the world has made their conference focusing on the Middle Kingdom this year.

"It is incredible to meet the members of my network from all over the world here," said Christine Hsu, the founder of Oriented.com, a happy-hour social network for cross-cultural professionals which enjoys 30,000 members globally.

For most other tech entrepreneurs, it is the direct contact with the VCs that attract them to the AAMA conferences. "The 'Venture Capitalists Day' is truly educational", said Dr. Liming Yang, a VP with Algaen, a biotech company founded by mainland Chinese PhDs in California. Her submitted business plan has won interests among the VCs at the conference. The IPO discussion session led by Anna Mok, a partner of Deloitte, also inspired the entrepreneurs of their future possibilities. The immediate conversation with a team of investment bankers, lawyers and stock-exchange administrators on the panel energized all the entrepreneur attendees.

From the VC's perspective, the conference has served as central point of encountering rising entrepreneurs and reconnecting with their VC communities from China, India, Vietnam and the USA. Two leading VCs in the Valley, Gerd Goette, managing partner of Siemens Venture Capital, and Scott Chou, partner of Gabriel Venture Partners served on the panel the first time after attending the same conference for over five years. As a corporate VC, Mr. Goette estimated that their Beijing office staff will be doubled the next couple of years with their intension of increasing its China investment. "It is a new wave of gold rush," said Mr. Goette, commenting on the VC funding pouring into China.

AAMA itself has set up a Beijing office and just started a Shanghai Chapter by William Chen, an American-born Chinese VC with DT Capital who moved to Shanghai last year from the Silicon Valley.