China's 500 Most Valuable Brands in 2006 released by World Brand Lab (WBL) on June 16 shows that Haier, with a brand value reaching 63.989 billion yuan, keeps the first place, followed by Lenovo, China Mobile, CCTV, with a brand value exceeding 60 billion yuan respectively.

Besides, Chang Hong, Bank of Communications, GOME, China Life, CREC, Sinochem are among the top ten list.

This is the third time that WBL has issued China's 500 Most Valuable Brands on the base of all-round evaluation.

The WBL is an international and professional research institute. Robert Mundell, the winner of Nobel Prize in Economic Science in 1999 and the Father of Euro, is the chairman and the experts and advisors are all from famous universities such as Harvard University, Yale University, MIT, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge.

After its effective implementation of brand management strategy for nearly two years, China Mobile, the leader of communication, has established a series of brands and ranks among the top three for the first time. Of the elected brands, Foton Motor, Furong Wang cigarette, CGL have been keeping strong growth.

The output of over 200 China made products ranks the first worldwide, but China is short of world-class brands. The 2006 World's 500 Most Influential Brands also released by WBL are from 28 countries. The United States has built 245 of them, accounting for 49 percent; France, 46 brands, accounting for 9.2 percent; Japan, 44 brands, accounting for 8.8 percent.

China has only six brands on the list, including Haier, Lenovo, CCTV, Chang Hong, China Mobile and CREC.

(People's Daily June 21, 2006)