The scene below was photographed at Shanghai's Hongqiao Airport Terminal 1 - which serves international flights to destinations across East Asia.

The photo features two airlines - the privately owned Taiwanese carrier "EVA Air" and the Chinese government majority owned "China Eastern Airlines" 

At first view it looks like a pretty normal airport scene, however at second glance you can see that both planes in the photograph are themed, or as they say in the business "have special liveries"!

The two contrasting designs serve as a good example of the difference between private business being run for the benefit of shareholders and state owned enterprises being run for 'the benefit of all'.

Let's take a closer look at the two aircraft:

EVA AIR
Adorned with the cute image of Hello Kitty, this might not be everyone's cup of tea, however it is an attractive design which instantly draws people's attention.

The service is primarily aimed at developing tourism between Taiwan and Japan and comes complete with it's own website.

CHINA EASTERN
This design features the logo of the Xinhua News Agency, their website address and some yellow clouds. 
It is poorly presented and easily forgettable.

According to this account on their website (Chinese only) the objective is to "further enhance brand awareness, social influence, promote bilateral business and achieve new development"

Ceremonies to promote and announce the launch of these respective services were held.

KEY FACTS
Information about the parties involved is summarised in the tables below:

Senlinx have been quoted in the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association's magazine.

Their Autumn 2011 release was a special international edition and included an article "The Chinese Challenge", for which Senlinx were approached to contribute to.

The following quotes were provided by and attributed to Senlinx:

"Doing business in China is a somewhat daunting task that regularly tests your patience and commitment, it is no small undertaking, so understand what you are getting yourself into first"

"The lack of clarity from the regulatory and bureaucratic system makes seeking good advice of key importance - small decisions which seem inconsequential at the time, can often come back to haunt you"

"Local knowledge is critical in order to get things done efficiently - language and cultural differences are always challenges when doing business overseas, but in China these differences are amplified"

Senlinx is a Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise (WFOE) consultancy business registered in Shanghai, China.