Donald Trump goes to China
By Josh Grossberg (E!online)
Updated: 2005-08-23 09:22

Donald Trump has teamed with Chinese producers for to export The Apprentice to China, according to the South China Morning Post.

The U.S. is shipping out Donald Trump to China. [E!online]

"China is going to have its own version of The Apprentice, Trump told the newspaper.

According to the report, the Chinese edition will likely stick close to the original's design, with 16 budding capitalists vying for a $250,000 job working for the Trump Organization for one year. However, instead of Trump in the boardroom uttering "You're fired," the Chinese Apprentice will feature 41-year-old Beijing-based real estate mogul Pan Shiyi. (Shiyi was reportedly dubbed "Naughty Boy" by business rivals after he reportedly painted a housing complex in dramatic colors instead of the traditional gray.)

Setting his sights on China could be the next step to Trump's quest for world domination. Not only will the Donald's empire make further inroads into the world's hottest economy, but a Chinese Apprentice will protect the Donald's intellectual property rights by freezing out competitors who have tried to ape the show's concept.

"There have been 11 copies of The Apprentice and every one of them has failed," Trump told the Post in a thinly veiled reference to Wise Man Takes All, a similar reality series started by Hong Kong developer Vincent Lo, who's chairman of Shui On Group, one of the biggest developers in Shanghai. Trump has battled with Lo before, suing his rival for $1.76 billion for allegedly selling a hot Manhattan property below market value. Trump is attempting to obtain a court order barring Lo from profiting on the sale.

The Apprentice is slated to go up against Lo's show, which gives budding Chinese entrepreneurs a shot at winning $123,000 in start-up funds for whoever came up with the best business plan.

"Copying is the greatest form of flattery, I guess. I am actually a little surprised that Vincent Lo didn't try and make a deal to be on The Apprentice," added Trump.

Trump is set to return for a fourth season of The Apprentice next month. He and fellow producer Mark Burnett are busy overseeing a spinoff, The Apprentice: Martha Stewart fronted by the formerly imprisoned domestic diva.

While Stewart hasn't released many details on her catchphrase or the format of her show--other than revealing that her eliminations won't take place in a boardroom--she did announce Monday that she has tapped her daughter, Alexis, and Charles Koppelman, chairman of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, to be her advisors in helping her judge contestants. Her show will debut on NBC Sept. 21, a day before Trump's version premieres.

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