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This
profile considers Chinese publisher Sing Tao and Aw family
interests.
It covers -
introduction
The Sing Tao group, best known for editions of the
Chinese-language Sing Tao newspaper in Hong Kong
and across the Chinese diaspora, traces its origins to
the Tiger Balm patent medicine fortune made by Aw Boon
Haw (1882-1954) and brother Aw Boon Par (1888-1944).
The brothers became wealthy manufacturing the eucalyptus
& camphor medicament in Burma before moving from Rangoon
to Singapore in 1926. They launched Sin Chew Jit Poh
- their first paper - in Singapore in 1929 (followed by
titles in Shantou and Xiamen) with a concurrent expansion
into banking, insurance, property and rubber. Sing
Tao was founded in Hong Kong in 1938.
Their descendents split in 1954, with Sally Aw taking
control of what is now the Sing Tao group (centered in
Hong Kong with Sing Tao) and cousins forming
Haw Par Brothers (centred in Singapore
and including titles such as Sin Chew Jit Poh,
which later experienced difficulty in competition with
that nation's two dominant players). Haw Par came under
the control of asset stripper Slater Walker in the early
1970s.
Sally Aw initially enjoyed success, in particular through
launch from 1969 onwards of daily editions of Sing
Tao for Chinese communities in Sydney, Toronto, Paris
and other locations. That has been aclaimed as the "first
global newspaper".
Sing Tao Holdings went public in 1972, expanding into
English-language publishing in Singapore. Domicile of
the group moved to Australia in 1979, where the group
was active in property speculation, before relisting in
Hong Kong in 1986. Aw launched the English-language Evening
Standard in Hong Kong; it folded within 10 months.
Monthly business magazine Billion (in partnership with
Swiss investors) lasted three years. Monthly newsmagazine
China Review was also unsuccessful. Aw lost control
of the group in 1999 after erratic management, excessive
borrowing and controversy over alleged inflated circulation
figures.
the group
The group is now controlled by the Ho family. It encompasses
print publishing and distribution, training and recruitment
services, and broadband content development.
It centres on Chinese-language newspaper Sing Tao
Daily, headquartered in Hong Kong and with 16 overseas
editions sold in over 100 countries. The paper has offices
in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, Toronto,
Vancouver, Calgary, London, Paris, Amsterdam and Sydney.
Sing Tao also publishes English-language business newspaper
The Standard (competing with the South China
Morning Post), property magazine Property Browser
and metro Headline Daily in Hong Kong.
Magazine titles in Hong Kong include East Week,
East Touch, PC Market, Jet
and Caz Buyer. JobMarket recruitment
magazine, published by Global China HCM, has expanded
into online recruitment services.
Sing Tao's book publishing arm is oriented towards the
Hong Kong SAR and more broadly to the overall PRC.
Xinhua Online Info-tech Company (XOL') is a joint venture
of Sing Tao and the China Economic Information Service,
a subsidiary of the government-controlled Xinhua News
Agency.
Greater China Media Services (GCMS) is a joint venture
with the PRC People's Daily Press, specialising in nationwide
distribution of newspapers, magazines and books. Global
China (Beijing) Media Consulting Company (GCMC) offers
management and financial services to print and non-print
media companies in the PRC. GC Media Teamwork provides
syndication and repackaging services.
China HCM Company Limited, a joint venture with the University
of International Business & Economics, offers custom-made
educational and vocational training to Chinese enterprises,
educational institutions as well as individuals. It also
operates 'eUIBE', a web-based distance learning institution.
Beelink Information Science & Technology Company is
a joint venture with Sanlian Group and Shandong International
Trust & Investment Corporation, developing internet
broadband technology and providing broadband content in
Shandong province.
studies
There has been no major English-language study of Sing
Tao. Sally Aw Pa appears in Nicholas Coleridge's chatty
Paper Tigers (London: Heinemann 1993). A view from
inside the Aw family appears in May Chu Harding's Escape
From Paradise (Phoenix: IDK Press 2001) - "banned
in Singapore". There's a broader view of the founding
fathers in Brenda Yeoh & Peggy Teo's From Tiger
Balm Gardens to Dragon World and Sam King's Tiger
Balm King: the life and times of Aw Boon Haw (Singapore:
Times Books 1992). For the Slater Walker fiasco see Charles
Raw's A Financial Phenomenon: An Investigation of
the Rise and Fall of The Slater Walker Empire (London:
Andre Deutsch 1977)
chronology
1929 Boon Haw launches Sin Chew Jit Poh in Singapore
1935 establishment of Aw Boon Haw Garden (Tiger Balm Gardens)
in Hong Kong
1937 establishment of Tiger Balm Gardens in Singapore
1938 Sing Tao launched in Hong Kong
1950 Chung Khiaw Bank founded
1954 extended family splits over control of holdings,
Sally Aw takes control of Sing Tao
1964
Sing Tao edition launched in San Francisco
1969 Sally Aw launches daily editions of Sing Tao
for diaspora
1969 Aw family lists Haw Par Brothers International
1971 Slater Walker Securities gains control of Haw Par
Brothers International (inc Chung Khiaw Bank and newspapers
such as Sin Chew Jit Poh)
1971 Union Overseas Bank (UOB) acquires 53% of Chung Khiaw
from Slater Walker
1972 Sing Tao Holdings goes public
1973 UOB raises holding in Chung Khiaw to 82%
1973 Sing Tao closes The Asian
1983 Sing Tao launched in Vancouver
1983 Sin Chew Jit Poh in Singapore merges with
Nanyang Siang Pau as Lianhe Zaobao
1985 launch of JobMarket recruitment magazine
in Hong Kong
1986 Sing Tao relisted in Hong Kong after move from Australia
1986 launches and closes English-language Evening
Standard in Hong Kong
1986 launches monthly business magazine Billion
1987 Sing Tao's Newspapers of Fiji Ltd (Fiji Sun)
withdraws from Fiji after second military coup
1987 Sin Chew Jit Poh delicensed in Malaysia
under Mahathir crackdown, later acquired by Sarawak timber
tycoon Tiong Hiew King
1988 UOB acquires remaining shares in Chung Khiaw
1989 Sing Tao closes Billion
1989 closes monthly newsmagazine China Review
1993 pays US$40 for stake in Hong Kong newspaper and comics
publisher Culturecom
1998 Sally Aw sells Hong Kong property holdings for HK$100m
1999 loses control of Sing Tao to Lazard Asia Fund after
debts of US$274m
2000 Sally Aw sells Tiger Balm Gardens to Li Ka-shing
for US$13m
2001 sells 55% of Sing Tao's Canadian arm to Torstar
for US$14m
2001 cigarette mogul Charles Ho Tsu-kwok buys 51.4% stake
in Sing Tao Holdings
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Caslon