China Direct

US CBI member company Nike to build new Greater China HQ in Shanghai

 

[Image courtesy of www.nike.com]

CBI member Nike recently announced plans for the development of a new centralised campus for the company's employees in Shanghai. Nike's investment in developing the nearly 600,000 square foot headquarters will support its long-term business growth strategy in China, where it celebrated 30 years of business in 2011.

Nike's new campus will be located at The Springs, Tishman Speyer's newest mixed-use development in Shanghai's Yangpu District. The headquarters will feature up to three office buildings and a five-storey multi-purpose conference centre as well as a soccer pitch, regulation-size indoor basketball court, state-of-the-art work-out facility, full-service food and beverage facility, and standalone conference centre to host large-scale events and product unveilings.

Nike expects to occupy the new space beginning in the first quarter of 2014.

Craig Cheek, VP & GM of Nike's Greater China geography, said, "This announcement is very exciting and a strategic investment in our continued growth in China. This new campus headquarters will allow us to elevate and expand on our facilities and capabilities while bringing all of our Shanghai-based employees together from our portfolio of NIKE, Inc. Brands into one central campus."

Tishman Speyer co-CEOs Jerry Speyer and Rob Speyer said, "When we broke ground on The Springs in June, we were confident that world-class companies would recognise the value and importance of establishing a presence in Shanghai. The creation of the Nike Greater China headquarters at The Springs underscores the strength of this market and importance of this development to the Shanghai business as well as residential communities. We're thrilled that Nike, one of the world's great global brands and companies, will be an anchor in this development and look forward to a long-term relationship."

Click here to read the full press release by Nike.

The CBI's International Footprint - building the voice of business globally

 

[Image courtesy of www.cbi.org.uk]

As the UK's premier business lobbying organisation, the CBI operates around the world to help our companies do business. Our offices in the UK, China, India, mainland Europe, and the U.S. actively promote Britain's business interests overseas, offering information, lobbying, and networking.

Please click here to read more about the CBI's international offering.

 

 

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner flies to Hong Kong

[Image courtesy of www.boeing.com]

Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner made its first commercial flight today, flying from Tokyo to Hong Kong.

With a special carbon-composite design, the Boeing Dreamliner offers a 20% improvement in fuel efficiency, an attractive proposition for airlines facing soaring fuel costs.

In additional Boeing news, the U.S. aviation giant opened a new service centre in Beijing earlier this month to provide enhanced product support to China's growing commercial aviation industry. The team based at the new Boeing China Service Centre will enhance Boeing's day-to-day support of the more than 800 Boeing airplanes currently in service in China.

Commenting on the new service centre, Lou Mancini, senior vice president of Commercial Aviation Services, said, "We are bringing Boeing's world-class airplane services and support closer to our China customers, providing them a competitive edge in their markets."

Boeing China President Marc Allen said, "The centre is another important step in the overall partnership of Boeing with China. Having a support centre in China will help us bridge language and time-of-day barriers."

Please click here for additional media coverage on the first commercial flight of Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner and here for the full press release by Boeing on its new service centre in Beijing.

US Budget Control Act 2011 - implications for business

 

 
[Image courtesy of www.cbi.org.uk]

Please refer to the following commentary from our CBI Washington DC office of the recent US budget crisis and US Budget Control Act 2011.

Kindly contact our US office directly via rhian.chilcott@cbi.org.uk or matt.bricken@cbi.org.uk for further comment or opinion.

 Download CBI US Budget Brief Aug 11

Seeing is believing - GE's X-ray Unit moves to Beijing

 

 
[Image courtesy of www.ge.com]

Earlier this week, CBI member GE announced that its Healthcare unit will move the GE X-ray leadership team from the U.S. to a new global headquarters in China.

The shift to Beijing will enable global imaging business GE X-ray to establish a comprehensive in-country business cycle covering engineering, development, sales and service and better support healthcare settings in rural and urban China.

According to Anne LeGrand, Vice President and General Manager of X-ray for GE Healthcare, "Moving GE X-ray's global headquarters to China will help make the business more nimble and responsive while continuing to strengthen our local focus and grow our global footprint."

Rachel Duan, president and CEO of GE Healthcare China, said, "By moving strategic leadership to a new global hub of healthcare innovation, GE X-ray is better positioned to understand and meet the needs of high-growth markets, support the Chinese government's Primary Care Initiative and the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015)."

The potential of the Chinese healthcare market is enormous. According to Yan Qingchun, vice-president of the China National Committee on Aging, "By the end of 2020, China is estimated to have 248 million seniors above 60 years old, who will account for 17.2% of its population."

Please click here to read the full press release by GE and here for further media coverage.  

Boeing and AVIC to set up new maunfacturing and innovation centre in China

 

 
[Image courtesy of www.boeing.com]

Earlier last week, CBI member Boeing and Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), China's largest state-owned aviation company, signed an agreement to launch the AVIC-Boeing Manufacturing Innovation Centre in Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi Province in central China. 

The new centre, scheduled to open in early 2012, will provide classroom training for AVIC employees as well as hands-on training for workers in AVIC factories.

 Increasing AVIC's efficiency and capacity to supply high-quality components for Boeing airplanes will in turn improve Boeing's production system. In addition, the centre will also help AVIC move closer towards achieving its objective of improving its manufacturing and technological capabilities to achieve global Tier-1 supplier status.

As the initial work statement of the new centre, Boeing also announced that it had awarded a contract to manufacture 737 rudders to Chengfei Commercial Aircraft Co. (CCAC), an AVIC company located in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province in southwestern China.

Commenting on the new agreement, Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Jim Albaugh said, "As a company in a global market poised for tremendous growth, we need to increase both the capacity and capabilities of our supply chain. The AVIC-Boeing Manufacturing Innovation Centre is consistent with our approach of partnering with suppliers to enhance their quality and productivity. AVIC has been a valuable supplier partner to Boeing for many years. This agreement is an opportunity to advance their capabilities and add value for Boeing and our customers."

Please click here to read Boeing's official press release.

US-China Relations - May 2011 Strategic Economic Dialogue

 

 

 [Image courtesy of www.apcoworldwide.com]

CBI Member APCO has provided a useful summary of last week's 3rd US-China Strategic Economic Dialogue held in Washington DC from 09-10 May.

Kindly review the summary below.

Download APCO - US-CH SED May 2011

Stop Press: 2011 Amcham China Business Confidence Survey out now

 

 

The American Chamber of Commerce in China released its annual White Paper yesterday noting that whilst US businesses continue to perform well there was continuing concern over China's industrial policies and their longterm implications for US business.

A bilingual press release can be accessed here.

To download the White Paper in full please click here.

China Direct would like to thank Amcham for circulating this report and looks forward to the EUCCC Business Confidence Survey and White Paper later in 2011.

 

Public Affairs in Asia Pacific - Survey for 2011

 

 

 

[Image courtesy of www.publicaffairsasia.com]

Welcome back to our readers!

China Direct is now back in action after a week away.

The third annual Public Affairs Asia Industry Survey was released in Hong Kong today.

It highlights the importance for businesses to develop and localise their strategies to fit the local environment and concludes that whilst the industry is gaining in importance it suffers from staffing and capacity issues which in turn are hampering companies' international development plans.

For a summary please click below or alternatively further on for the full (16 page) report.

Download PA APA Survey 2011 PR

Download Public Affairs - 2011 APA Survey

Our thanks to Public Affairs Asia for sharing this important survey with China Direct.

New US Ambassador for China - locking down US-China relations.

 

 
[Image courtesy of www.dailyqi.com]

U.S. President Barack Obama announced this week that he had selected U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to be the next U.S. ambassador to China.

Pending approval for his appointment by the U.S. Senate, Mr. Locke will become the first Chinese-American to serve as the chief U.S. diplomat in China. Read more here.

Mr. Locke will succeed the current U.S. ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman, a Republican and former governor of the state of Utah who is considering a run for the U.S. presidency in 2012. Mr. Huntsman is scheduled to leave his post on 30 April 2011.

Prior to his current position as U.S. Commerce Secretary, Mr. Locke served as governor of the state of Washington, home to CBI members such as Microsoft and Boeing.

This week, Air China signed an agreement with Boeing to purchase five of the American aviation giant's 747-8 Intercontinental jetliners in a deal worth $1.5 billion. Please read the official Boeing press release here.