Chairman’s Corner – Simon Lichtenberg
Dear Members and friends of the Chamber!
The Year of the Goat is on our doorsteps! The oil price has fallen off a cliff and so has the Russian ruble – Ukraine seems to be without a solution and Europe south of Germany continues a very difficult economic time. The World is having a tough time as well – but China seems to be rolling on! Small adjustments of the growth speed, a continuous soft retail market and some areas dropping real estate prices – but all in all a very strong and resilient Chinese economy.
Chinese austerity measures driven by the Central Government have become the order of the day – which is taking a toll on certain luxury goods, gift items and expensive dining and liquor – and as such is has affected the economy in many ways, but it is clearly not just a fad or something seasonal, the clamp down on corruption and unnecessary spending seems to be here to stay.
All of this affects us more or less directly, much depending on which industry we are in and what products we are selling. Hopefully in the long run it will make the economy more healthy and the Chinese will spend more money on good Danish products like Lego, Kjeldsens cookies, Danish butter, Ship paint, Danish design furniture, B&O speakers or some other of all the good things Denmark has to offer.
For those of Danish companies who are manufacturing or sourcing in China the world economy’s dampening effect on raw material prices may come in handy for some extra profit in 2015.
All in all – we are off to another very exiting year in China! 2015 will be another not boring year in the Chinese busy business world – opportunities and challenges facing us all – as always. Welcome to the year of the Goat and all that this will bring you and your families in a busy China 2015.
The principles for the Chairmanship of DCCC is to stay for 2 years, so I will resign as the Chairman of DCCC at the general meeting in March and as such, this will be my last “Chairman’ Corner”. I will stay on the board and of course continue to support the DCCC work and the new Chairman in the coming years.
It has been a fantastic time working with you and developing DCCC over my 2 years time as Chairman, thank you to all of you that has made DCCC what it is today!
Simon Lichtenberg
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Welcome to Alexander Petersen –
the new President of the Young Professionals
On behalf of the Board of Directors of DCCC, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Alexander Petersen as the new President of the Young Professionals.
Alexander is the Managing Director of eGISS China Limited, a Danish IT solutions company specializing in global deployment and distribution of standardized PC hardware to large enterprise customers. While setting up the Chinese operations for eGISS, Alexander has also become actively engaged in YP as a board member.
A short year after joining, Alexander accepts the role of President to bring to life his vision for a new YP group. Suffering from an inconsistent membership base of students and interns, it is Alexander’s aim to reinvent the group’s structure and foster a true community amongst the young professionals of Shanghai.
With a focus on networking, career development, and helping recently arrived expats adjust to life in China, YP aims to reinvent itself into a new platform for young people both within and beyond large corporations. Further hoping to inspire students to come back as the new generation of YP, this will be a big step for the DCCC Young Professional network!
Should you have any suggestions or wish to contribute to YP, you can contact Alexander at ape@egiss.dk.
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Did you miss any DCCC’s events in January and February?
Here are some highlights:
Accompanying Spouses Business Working Group Meeting
January 20th
This time we have invited Cecile Mazourine who proposed a short workshop around Personal Leadership in order to help the participants to clarify what they really want, what is their center and their envision of what would be great, as well as to build a plan on how others can contribute to practice relentlessness, and finally to measure and celebrate the progress.
(Photo by Laura Li)
The participants went through a 1,5 hours session with creative tasks, couching and active learning of some Personal Leadership tools.
Next meeting in the working group will be held in March at the charity organization Stepping Stones.
To join the working group, share ideas for potential speakers or get more information about the working group and their work please contact the secretariat at mail@dccc-shanghai.com
HR Working Group – The Essentials for SMEs Operating in China
January 29th
Many foreign companies especially SMEs are unaware of key elements of the labor law in China. Therefore, this HR session aimed to provide an opportunity to clarify any HR related issues and the preferential policies for foreign SMEs operating in China.
The meeting was held in the cozy Melange Oasis in Jiashan Market, and it attracted more than 30 participants. Besides our usual HR events’ audience – HR managers – this time several Danish and international SME owners were represented.
(Photo by Laura Li)
The speakers, Chen Chunjie and Joy Shen from HROne talked about HR Related Laws, Employment, Labor Cost, Mandatory Benefits, Individual Income Tax, Termination & Severance Payment, Individual Income Tax Refund, Government Support for Specified Companies, Trade Union Benefits and many other vital topics for SMEs, creating an active round table discussion between participants.
SMEs: Meet your peers! Inter Chamber Networking Event at Kartel
February 4th
(Photo collage by Laura Li)
On-site Visit to Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects
February 5th
Nearly 30 people joined the site visit at Danish architects Schmidt Hammer Lassen at the idyllic Ferguson Lane in the Former French Concession and got a look inside the Shanghai design studio of one of Scandinavia’s leading architecture firms.
After a short tour in the company, Chris Hardie and Rasmus Duong-Grunnet offered an inspiring and in-depth lecture on how Nordic design values can be applied in Chinese cities, while the Danish EQ treated the participants with frikadeller, sweets and drinks.
(Photo collage by Sarah Jiang/Laura Li)
Save the date!
DCCC Shanghai
Annual General Meeting
18:30 on Thursday March 19th at Banyan Tree on the Bund
Meet the Board Members – and learn what is coming up next for DCCC Shanghai and China. The program includes:
- 3-courses dinner
- DCCC Annual General Meeting
- Presentation of the results of the Scandinavian Salary Survey by MPS China
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We are Pleased to Welcome the Following New Members:
With 7,700 people and a global network, Geodis Wilson is one of the world’s largest freight management companies. The company serves its customers with integrated supply chain solutions that deliver cargo by sea and air. Their expertise, value-added services and e-services enable to streamline the flow of goods and make the supply chain more transparent and easier to manage.
Individual Members:
Bo Udsen
Michael Mellerup
Alexander Petersen
Steen Teisen
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News from our Members
SAS opens ticket sales – Ready for take off to Hong Kong
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Up-Date From The Royal Danish Consulate
Denmark celebrates 65-year anniversary of recognition of the People’s Republic of China
On the 9th of January it was 65 years ago since the Kingdom of Denmark recognized the People’s Republic of China as one of the very first Western countries to do so. This was followed up by the formal establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries the 11th of May 1950.
During the 65th year anniversary, there will be several events in both China and Denmark commemorating the ties between the two countries.
“We have many exciting events coming up this spring, including many more activities from the Danish Cultural Season, where an authentic Danish Viking ship will be exhibited in China,” says Friis Arne Petersen, Danish Ambassador to China.
“Today the relationship between Denmark and China is at an all-time high. Politically, economically and culturally we see an increased growth in both depth and width of the Sino-Danish bonds.”
In 2014 there were a record high number of official visits from Denmark to China and vice versa. The most prominent visit was the State Visit by Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II to China on invitation by Chinese President Xi Jiping. The deep ties between China and Denmark were exemplified on many occasions during the visit, not least when the Queen together with First Lady Madame Peng Liyuan read aloud H.C. Andersen fairy tales for Chinese children and when the Queen showed her sincere respect by visiting the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Museum.
Denmark is the only Western country to have unbroken diplomatic presence in China since 1908 and Denmark is the first Nordic country to have a permanent presence from 1908 in China and from 1912 to establish our own mission in China headed by Preben F. Ahlefeldt-Laurvig making China the first Asian country to host a Danish Embassy.
The Consulate General started the year with a visit by a high-level delegation from the Greater Copenhagen Region from the 12th to the 16th January.
The delegation was led by the chairman of the Regional Council Mrs Anne Sophie Hæstrop Andersen and includes the chairman of Bycirklen the Mayor of Frederikssund Mr John Schmidt Andersen and chairmen of two regional committees, Danish CEOs and external partners.
The visit by the Danish delegation focused on key areas of cooperation with their Chinese counterpart regarding environmental solutions and health service. Experiencing a healthy and sustainable lifestyle is also on their agenda.
The visit started in Shanghai with meeting at the Consulate General where the Ambassador to China Mr Friis Arne Petersen briefed the delegation about the Danish – China relations.
From Shanghai the delegation travelled to Nanjing to meet with Mr. Li Xueyong, Governor of Jiangsu in Nanjing, and sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the Danish Region and Jiangsu Province.
In Nanjing the Capital region also hosted a Jiangsu-Capital Region Healthcare Leadership seminar for 100 Chinese invited guests. The seminar was moderated by Consul General Nicolai Prytz and co-organized by the Health team at the Embassy in Beijing.
The delegation also visited several local companies as well as the Museum of Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders. The delegation also visited the Green Lighthouse in the Nanjing High-Tech Zone. The green project was introduced as a green urbanization solution in the zone during Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II’s visit in April 2014.
After Nanjing the delegation travelled to Wuxi where they met with the Mayor mr Wang Quan and signed a cooperation agreement between Danish Soil Partnership and Wuxi Urban Development Group. Apart from meeting with local officials of Wuxi, the delegation also visited a coking plant, where Danish companies are preparing for an environmental project regarding soil remediation.
During visit the delegation was accompanied by the Consul General Nicolai Prytz and it ended in Shanghai on the 16th January.
The new offices for the Danish General Consulate in Shanghai and Innovation Centre, Denmark was opened the 22nd of January 2015
On the 22nd of January Friis Arne Petersen, Ambassador of Denmark in China and Danish Consul General in Shanghai Nicolai Prytz inaugurated the new offices of the Royal Danish Consulate General and Innovation Centre Denmark in Shanghai.
At the reception more than 200 guests coming from the Chinese local municipal governments in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and Jiangxi, Danish businesses, diplomats from other foreign representations in Shanghai, media and other partners of the Danish Consulate General and Innovation Centre Denmark in Shanghai.
The Royal Danish Consulate General in Shanghai have been situated at Shanghai International Trade Centre since 1994, and due to the increased importance of the bilateral relations between Denmark and China and therefore a large expansion of staff members, the Consulate General decided to relocate to a new office on the 31st floor.
Back in 1994 when the Danish Consulate General in Shanghai opened only nine Danish companies were based in the Shanghai area. Today, there are more than 200 Danish companies in the Shanghai area. It is estimated that more than 1,000 Danish citizens are living permanently in Shanghai. Shanghai is also the region that has the largest concentration of Danish business people and Danish companies.
“During the last two decades Shanghai has seen tremendous development. The city has now become one of the most important financial centres of the world. In this area, the Danish Consulate General in Shanghai is serving Danish interests in not only the metropolis of Shanghai – one of China’s most sophisticated markets – but also the surrounding provinces where there is an access to more than 200 million Chinese consumers moving into or already in the middle class segment,” says Consul General Nicolai Prytz.
The Innovation Centre has been in Shanghai since 2007 and is headed by Executive Director, Mrs. Barbara Scheel Agersnap. She is assisted by Nina Espegård Hassel, who is in charge of higher education and science. Beside Consulate and Innovation Centre the new premises also house Invest in Denmark, headed by Director, Mr Rasmus Bjørnø. Invest in Denmark assists companies from all over China in growing their business through Denmark and Danish partners. Helping Chinese companies to establish branches in Denmark, form partnerships or joint ventures and identify acquisition targets is all part of the services Invest in Denmark offer our Chinese partners.
With the Danish Foreign Service new and strengthened presence here in Shanghai the Consulate General will be in a much better position to service our partners in the future and merging our four business areas – trade promotion, innovation, investment promotion and the visa section – effectively enables us to collaborate with Chinese government institutions – provincial and municipal – and businesses – Danish and Chinese – applicants for visa and consular services.
(Photo collage by Meeja Neergaard/Laura Li)
For more news from the Consulate General in Shanghai subscribe at our website or find us on Facebook and Weibo
http://kina.um.dk – http://facebook.com/AmbKina –http://weibo.com/danishembassy –http://t.qq.com/dkembassy
Follow upcoming Danish cultural performances and events in Shanghai on http://www.culturedenmark.com/en
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Upcoming Events
- Tuesday February 10th 2015 Get Expert Advice on Your Brand and Marketing Challenges in China
- Friday February 27th 2015 Danish Friday
- March 2015 Talent Development Discussion Between China and Denmark by Mads Davidsen, Football Coach in Shanghai
- Tuesday March 10th 2015 Emerging Leaders – Working Effectively with Danes
- Tuesday March 10th 2015 How the US Views China by DR Senior Correspondent Steffen Gram
- Wednesday March 11th 2015 Accompanying Spouses Business Working Group – Stepping Stones
- Thursday March 19th 2015 DCCC Shanghai Annual General Meeting
- March 2015 HR Working Group – Mistakes in Employee Management for SMEs and Solutions
- Friday March 20th Danish Friday
- Tuesday March 24th 2015 Inter Chamber Spring Mixer
To sign up for any of the above events please write to Laura Li at assistant@dccc-shanghai.com.
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