China to welcome British exporters next week in Kunshan

Posted on 10/05/2013 by BCC LinkToChina

China (Kunshan) Brand Products Import Expo (CIE) is to be held next Week (15-18 May 2013) in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province.

Last year the event attracted a total of 677 firms from 46 countries and regions over the world to offer their products to the China market including many leading brands. The three-day exhibition attracted 56,545 trade visitors in total.

This year it will showcase new technologies and products from outside of China, in areas of high-end machinery and equipment, automation systems, new energy, environment protection, and new materials, etc.

The expo is hosted by Ministry of Commerce of the People‘s Republic of China, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (China Chamber of International Commerce) and the Jiangsu Provincial People’s Government.

British exporters should contact the show organiser directly : http://www.importexpo.org/English/

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The Tempation of Globalisation — Windsor Debates in Cannes

Posted on 08/05/2013 by BCC LinkToChina

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, CANNES, 13 JUNE

LinkToChina members and readers are offered the opportunity to attend the launch of a new international conference in Cannes on 13 June at an introductory rate of £445.00.

“The Temptation of Globalisation: doing business in an interconnected and increasingly interdependent world” features international speakers and subject matter experts who will address both the opportunities and risks of globalisation. Speakers and participants alike will share experience, opinions and concerns following these focused speaker sessions, and in doing so will gain a deeper understanding of success factors in a globalised world.

This conference builds on the success of the highly-regarded “Windsor Debates” held twice a year at Windsor Castle by Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce. We expect that this new “Windsor Debates International” will help all participants to improve their understanding of international markets whilst making excellent business contacts, so that they are better placed to seize the opportunities offered by globalisation and the changing business landscape.

The quoted cost of £445.00 includes dinner following the daytime conference, and also a welcome drinks reception on the evening of 12 June.

For more information about the speakers and venue, and to download a flyer, go to Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group/International Windsor Debates

To book please call 01753 870500 or email marionroyer@tvchamber.co.uk

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Chinese investment in the UK and politics

Posted on 08/05/2013 by BCC LinkToChina

The reported lost billions of inward investment may be exaggerated by the press, but the PM could do with some better business advice in the sensitive area of working with China, said Dr. Kegang Wu, Executive Director of BCC LinkToChina.

Dr. Wu was discussing on Jeff Randall Live – Sky News last night when he assessed the impact of David Cameron’s relationship with China and the impact on Chinese investment to the UK.

Elaborating on the points of the interview, he has given David Cameron the credit of setting a high target to double UK China trade by 2015 on the 2010 level, as well as leading a trade group to China and promoting doing business with China. However, he believed that the PM could have handled China with due sensitivity on various issues. China is more sensitive on the issue of territorial integrity and stability, and rightly so given its recent history of humiliation by foreign powers, its geographical size and diversity (think of China as an EU equivalent in these aspects), and the rapid social transformation that has resulted from economic change.

While some high level Chinese delegations have been downgraded and cancelled from the Chinese government, Dr. Wu believed the ‘cooling’ of relationship is confined to the high-ranked government-to-government visits,  he commented that it is business as usual as far as the business community is concerned. In April, LinkToChina launched an intensive campaign of Investing in the UK in four Chinese cities of Beijing, Tianjin, Shenzhen and Guangdong. The delegation, participated by council leaders and CEOs from selected key investment locations, chambers, leading professional services providers, and UK based businesses and Chinese investors, has been welcomed by all Chinese hosts with open-arms and has forged strong relationships to encourage more Chinese investors into the UK and selected destinations in the Thames Valley.

Last year, LinkToChina received more than 20 inward Chinese delegations.

Huawei Technologies last month moved into Green Park in Reading and is in the process of creating hundreds of new jobs; Hytera Telecommunication UK has doubled its size in Slough this year; and there are more exciting enquiries in the pipeline for investment into the UK.

Dr. Wu visited the Tibetan regions in China last year and was as an invited international observer to this year’s Guangdong CPPCC (the nearest Chinese equivalent of an Upper House). With first-hand experience of the matters on the ground he believes that China needs to do a better job in sharing with the West on the on-going social and political progress.

With thoughts back on the positives of the recent visit and attracting Chinese investors in the UK, he observed that at the flagship China Enterprise Outbound Investment Conference, where the Investing in the UK seminar was pitched against a whole host of other countries like German, USA, and Canada, the UK group was successful in promoting Slough and Bracknell in the Thames Valley specifically, and the UK in general, whereas in contrast, Canada had a consortium of 11 cities working together at the same event. Needless to say, the UK has a lot to do to catch up in attracting Chinese investors and “we could do more with government on our side”, he added.

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Guangdong Technology Delegation of 10 cities to visit UK

Posted on 26/03/2013 by BCC LinkToChina

18 senior officials responsible for the technological work of governments in Guangdong Province are to visit the UK and meet BCC LinkToChina on 3rd April.

BCC LinkToChina is to facilitate a roundtable meeting to explore cooperation on technology and investment between the UK and delegates who represent more than 10 different cities. The roundtable is open to the partners and members of LinkToChina and the UK-China Business Chamber.

The group is interested in working with the BCC LinkToChina, its partners and members for international investment and technology related trade. There is a wide range of topics that they are interested in, such as technology investment, IPR (trade mark and patents), science and technology opportunities, S&T information intelligence, Hi-Tech Industrial Zone, Hi-tech Enterprising Service Centre, and Industry & Information.

The delegates are from the Guangdong’s cities of Guangzhou, Yangjiang, Jiangmen, Foshan, Huizhou, Zhangjiang, Zhuhai, Qingyuan, Shenzhen, Dongguang and Maoming.

LinkToChina has been supporting the Science and Technology Facility Council’s campus in Harwell (Oxford) in R&D incubating facilities for Chinese hi-tech companies that are interested in the UK market. In the last two years, groups of Chinese technology companies have been visiting business locations such as Bracknell, Slough and Oxford through the support of local authorities and Chambers of Commerce in these areas in strong partnership with BCC LinkToChina.

Guangdong is where Chinese investors in the UK, such as Hytera Telecommunication, Huawei Technologies, ZTE, and TP Link are from. A province that produces the equivalent of 1 in 9 pounds of Chinese GDP, with an economy similar to the size of South Korea and having been the long standing run-away export leader of China, Guangdong is one of the most prosperous economic centres in China. Dr. Kegang Wu, who was the only invited delegate from the UK to have attended the recent Guangdong CPPCC and Congress in January, believes that there is huge untapped potential for UK exporters and its technology sector in the market of Guangdong’s 104 million population.

A strong UK delegation will visit Shenzhen and Guangzhou of Guangdong in April to promote further business links with the Province.

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British Delegation to Lure Chinese Investors

Posted on 22/02/2013 by BCC LinkToChina

A strong delegation from the UK will head for China in April (13 – 22 April 2013, Beijing and Guangdong) to lure Chinese investment to the UK.

The delegation will showcase the specific investment propositions in the UK at China’s national level Go Global event – the 7th China Enterprise Outbound Investment Conference (CEOIC) (Beijing, 17th/18th April).

An Investing in the UK seminar will focus on promoting key locations, specific projects and service sectors propositions that are of particular interest to Chinese investors.

LinkToChina is inviting participants from UK local authorities, professional services, developers and project owners, British firms seeking new investors and joint-venture partners, and companies looking to sell their businesses.

Already, four of the six speaking slots have been booked. Proposals from prime locations, hospitality sectors, hotels, regeneration sites, infrastructure, sports business, design and branding etc. are being assembled by the LinkToChina team based in Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce.

2012 was a remarkable year for Chinese investment into the UK. While the headlines were all on the big deals done by the sovereign funds like the 9% stakes of Thames Water and 10% holding of BAA, there are also non-sovereign fund investments such as Huawei’s announce of £1.3 billion investment in the UK. Many Chinese companies also invested in the UK for the 2012 summer Olympics. Total Chinese investment in the UK amount to $8 billion in 2012.

The Conference is the largest gathering of more than 1000 potential investors, government agencies, business media, professionals and multipliers.

Last year, the LinkToChina delegation took a number of inviting propositions to the conference and was well received. Bracknell, Slough and Oxford were among the key locations were promoted to the same conference. Over 60 Chinese businesses subsequently visited the three locations in September.

Dr. Kegang Wu, Executive Director of BCC LinkToChina programme, who have been a speaker for the conference in the last 5 years, believes there is much potential for Chinese private sectors and SMEs to invest in the UK economy, quoting the sample of Hytera UK (Slough) that won last year’s Windsor Award for Investment in the UK: “UK and Chinese businesses complement each other well structurally and can learn from each other through investing in each other.”

The delegation’s proposed programme includes meetings with prospective Chinese investors in Guangdong Province, the economic powerhouse in Southern China. Guangdong is home to Huawei and Hytera, already actively investors in the UK. A new edition of the popular How To Do Business in the UK – A Practical Guide will be available at the conference.

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Breakfast Briefing – Opportunities for Service Industries

Posted on 17/01/2013 by BCC LinkToChina

China-UK Masterclass
Breakfast Briefing: Opportunities for Service Industries

Date: 13th February 2013
Time: 7:30am – 9:30am
Venue: Ascot Racecourse
Cost: £16+vat

Speakers: Dr Kegang Wu (BCC LinkToChina), Prof. Steven Mithen (University of Reading), Stephen Crouch (Wellington College) and a panel of professional service experts.

What does the Chinese market in the Year of Snake have in store for UK business? What are the risks and opportunities in 2013? The first in a series of Masterclasses on China-UK business will feature a market update briefing, case studies, and an expert panel.

Fresh from his extensive travelling in China in recent months and his invited attendance of a high level policy and economy conference, Dr Wu will provide an authentic and insightful reading into the China market changes to come in 2013.

China’s training and educational markets, like many other services sectors, are predicted to do well in 2013. Our case studies will feature Reading University. Professor Steven Mithen, Pro-vice Chancellor, will present the case study “University of Reading and China: An academic and business relationship”

He will explain the University’s engagement with China in regard to both its academic value and economic significance for the University, the town and region. He will detail on-going projects involving partnership building with Chinese universities, recruiting Chinese students to study in Reading and overall reputation building in China.

Our second case study is Wellington College. Wellington College, in Berkshire, is one of the world’s leading co-educational schools. Formed in 1853 by Queen Victoria as a national memorial to the Duke of Wellington, it opened its first international school in Tianjin in September 2011. A second school in Shanghai will open in 2014. Stephen Crouch, Group Finance Director & Bursar, will talk about the experience of building, opening and operating schools in China.

Our expert panel from LinkToChina strategic partners will be dealing with any questions regarding the “Do’s & Don’ts” of doing business with China, such as getting paid, IPR, currency exchange, contracts, etc. Attendees will have the opportunity for personal discussion with any of the panel or strategic partners following the formal presentations.

* Book Now *
T: 01753 870500 E: customerserices@tvchamber.co.uk
W: http://www.thamesvalleychamber.co.uk W: http://www.linktochina.org

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Beijing: 72 hours stay without visa for British transit passengers

Posted on 05/12/2012 by BCC LinkToChina

 

From 1st January 2013, British passport holders using Beijing as the transit airport can stay up to 72 hours in China without the need of a transit visa.

Visitors will be required to have an onward flight ticket and a valid visa (if required) for a third country and will have to depart China from Beijing airport at the end of the stay.

 

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Chinese SOE firms seek UK business opportunities through LinkToChina

Posted on 22/11/2012 by BCC LinkToChina

A group of 19 high level business executives from the Chinese province Shanxi visited BCC LinkToChina HQ at the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce in Slough today.

The delegation, consisting of MD’s, CEO’s and CFO’s from among the largest companies in Shanxi,  held talks with LinkToChina on how their companies can expand globally and tap into the opportunities on offer in the UK market. The companies are from a range of sectors including electricity, coal mining and trade, construction, property, investment, and new energy.

They were presented with proposals and propositions from LinkToChina, its partners, members, and subscribers of UK-China Business Bulletins. Linda Penny, Partner of Wilkins Kennedy, gave advice to the group on UK taxation and international tax planning.

Dr. Kegang Wu, Executive Director of BCC LinkToChina, who also briefed the delegates on the UK economic and market conditions, said “Chinese companies’ global expansion has been gathering momentum in the last few years and has just received a timely boost by the 18th CCP Congress last week, at which the policy of investing outside of China was given a significant endorsement by the ruling party’s commitment to ‘speed up the pace of Go Global’”.

“Hundreds of Chinese companies have visited BCC LinkToChina in 2012 to engage with UK businesses and seek opportunities.”

 

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NEW HUAWEI UK HEADQUARTERS AT READING

Posted on 09/10/2012 by BCC LinkToChina

London, UK, 10 October 2012:  Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today announced it has signed an agreement with Oxford Properties, the real estate arm of the OMERS Worldwide group of companies, which will see Huawei move its UK Headquarters to Green Park, Reading.

In April 2013, Huawei will take up residence at the 140,000 sq ft building at 300 South Oak Way, which was recently returned to Green Park under a landmark deal that has given Oxford Properties full control of the asset.

First stage in Huawei’s £1.3billion investment

The announcement is the first step in Huawei’s £1.3 billion-pound investment and procurement programme into the UK.  Huawei’s move to Green Park follows the announcement by Ren Zhengfei, founder and CEO of Huawei, in September 2012, that the company would make investments of £650 million and spend another £650 million on procurement in the UK over the next five years.  The privately-owned group also announced that the company’s workforce would increase from the 800 it currently employs in the UK, to 1,500, over the next five years.

Victor Zhang, CEO, Huawei Technologies UK said: “This move marks the beginning of an exciting new period of development for Huawei in the UK.  We opened our first office in here in 2001 and the decision to move to a new headquarters reinforces our long term commitment to the UK.  Green Park is at the heart of the Britain’s communications and technology industry, is well located for some of our major customers, has excellent transport links and is the right location for us as we continue our UK expansion.  The new HQ offers the space to accommodate up to 1,000 people as our business here continues to grow in the coming years.”

Welcoming Huawei to Green Park, Alok Sharma, MP for Reading West, said: “I am very pleased that Huawei has chosen to base its headquarters in my constituency in Reading and I look forward to welcoming them to the area.  Huawei is providing important investment to the UK and creating hundreds of new jobs for Reading and Green Park, demonstrating once again that Reading is an economic powerhouse in the south-east.”

Posted in Business matchmaking opportunities, Chinese investment, Chinese projects, Guangdong, UK China Business Bulletin, 广东 | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Chinese company seeks UK supply of automatic wire stripping machine

Posted on 05/10/2012 by BCC LinkToChina

Chinese company seeks UK supply of  automatic wire stripping machine 

201204-017

电线全自动剥线机进口项目

This company  would like to import Automatic wire stripping machine with the following specifications:  Wire length: 52mm-1000m; Speed > 1.95m/s; accuracy margin: ±0.1mm

Posted in British Export, Business matchmaking opportunities, Chinese projects | Leave a comment