China Direct

BBC Worldwide and CCTV-9 sign two China co-production deals

 

[Image courtesy www.bbc.co.uk]

BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of CBI member BBC, and CCTV-9, the documentary channel of Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, recently signed two co-production deals for the new science series Generation Earth and Wonders of Life.

The deals marked the first co-production arrangement between CCTV-9 and BBC Worldwide.

CCTV-9 will broadcast the new Brian Cox series Wonders of Life, which examines the story of life through physics, in winter 2012, while Generation Earth, a study of the most ambitious engineering projects on earth, will air on CCTV-9 in spring 2013.

Steve Macallister, President and Managing Director, Sales & Distribution, BBC Worldwide, said, "BBC Worldwide has been doing business in China for over 20 years, and has established a strong relationship with CCTV. We're proud to bring the U.K. and Chinese creative sectors together on these educational and enlightening series."

Liu Wen, Channel Director, CCTV-9, said, "The BBC is world-renowned for its factual programming, and we've had great success with titles such as Human Planet and Frozen Planet, so we're very pleased to be partnering with them on two groundbreaking new series."

Kim Shillinglaw, the BBC's Commissioning Editor for Science and Natural History, said, "With the support of international partners like CCTV-9, our creative talent have the freedom to push themselves even further in producing outstanding programmes. We're excited to see the results in the finished series, which are large-scale, ambitious, and informative."

Please click here to read the full press release by BBC.

 

 

Thales flying high with the new C919 in China

 

[Image courtesy www.thales.com]

CBI member Thales and China Electronics Technology Avionics Co., Ltd. (CETCA) signed a joint venture agreement, which will support the integration of the Thales TopSeries system in the cabin of the new C919 aircraft.

Manufactured by Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the C919 will first take flight in 2014, with aircraft deliveries scheduled to begin in 2016. The Thales system will be a scalable platform offering services ranging from interactive audio capability through to full in-seat on-demand services, with an emphasis on minimising weight, cost, and power consumption.

Olivier Guibert, President Thales China and North Asia, said, "The global strength of Thales Group and our investment and growth strategy in partnership with both CETCA and COMAC is a strong combination that will ultimately change the landscape of the civil aerospace marketplace in China. We fully expect that there will be excellent demand for the C919 in China, and we are proud to be part of this business arrangement."

Zeng Li, General Manager of CETCA, stated that the, "C919 programme is just the start. China's civil aviation industry is under fast development, and the partnership with Thales has great potential."
 
Please click here to read the full press release by Thales.

China Economic Focus - March 2012 Summary

 

Dear CBI Members, kindly find the latest economic summary from the British Embassy attached with highlights below.

China Direct would like to thank Henry Bell and Huang Zhenqian for sharing this with our members.

China Economic Focus Summary March 2012

• Premier Wen Jiabao set out a yearly growth target of 7.5 percent at the National People’s Congress, the lowest target since 2005. But most analysts believe that the growth will remain above 8 percent, consistent with a 'soft landing'.
• Macroeconomic data for the first two months of 2012 has been mixed, but the distortions caused by Chinese New Year make it hard to draw robust conclusions.
• Industrial production growth declined to 11.4 percent in January and February combined (on a year earlier), reaching a 29 month low. Fixed asset investment growth has slowed since mid 2011, reaching 21.5 percent in January and February. Growth of retail sales, a proxy for consumption, dropped to 14.7 percent in the first two months, compared with 18.1 percent in December. On the other hand, at 53.1, the official purchasing manager’s index was significantly stronger than expected.
• Inflation fell to 3.2 percent, well below the official target for 2012 of 4 percent. The slowdown was mainly driven by the food prices falling after the Chinese New Year. With inflation now under control and most economic data weaker than expected, the authorities have scope and incentive to introduce policies to support growth. Further cuts to the required reserve ratio are expected.
• Property prices remain flat or on downward trend. But the price falls so far have been moderate and the central authorities remain determined to bring prices down to 'a more reasonable level'.
• Both exports and imports rebounded in February but much of this can be explained by the effect of Chinese New Year in January. Overall, the trade picture in 2012 so far has been weak.
• The RMB remained stable in March. The authorities have recently indicated an appetite for currency reform. In the first instance, reform is likely to entail a widening of the daily trading band.
• There were not many surprises from the annual National People’s Congress meeting in March. The authorities emphasised expanding domestic (consumption) demand but there was little discussion of the structural reforms necessary to achieve this.

Download CEF-Mar2012

 

 

   

National People's Congress 2012 - an analysis

 

[Image courtesy of www.apcoworldwide.com/china]

China Direct would like to thank CBI member APCO for kindly providing the following analysis of the recently convened annual National People's Congress in Beijing.

For more information and analysis please download below.

Download NPC_2012

Thank you.

UK Company BP continues to tap into China

 

[Image courtesy of www.bp.com]

CBI member BP recently received approval from China's Ministry of Commerce to explore for natural gas in the South China Sea in what will be the British energy giant's second deepwater project in China. BP now has permission to establish a presence in a gas field known as block 43/11, which is operated by China National Offshore Oil Corporation.

BP will hold a 40% stake in the project during exploration and later receive 20% of any production. BP and CNOOC first signed a cooperation agreement for the project during Chinese Vice-Premier Li Keqiang's visit to London in January.

BP has invested around $5 billion in China since its entry into the country in the late 1970s to the end of 2010.

Please click here and here for further media coverage.

UK CBI Member Notts University wins green funding from Ningbo City

 

[Image courtesy of www.nottingham.ac.uk]

CBI member The University of Nottingham's Ningbo campus in China recently received nine million RMB (about £1 million) in funding from the City of Ningbo for an ambitious project to produce at least 25 manufacturing research engineers and 25 patents for new technologies over the next five years.

The funding represents the highest amount ever awarded to The University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC). The University's innovation team will work with at least 50 companies in Ningbo to invent low-carbon technologies. Much of the team's focus will be on the automotive industry in Ningbo.

Professor Sam Shen, Registrar at UNNC, said, "This project is vitally important for the economy of Ningbo and China in general. The government has prioritised green technologies in its latest five-year plan.

"The city of Ningbo, which is a key industrial area in China, wants to take the lead in scientific and technological innovation that helps deliver on national goals to reduce carbon emissions and at the same time generate further economic growth.

"The project's funders and leaders also have international aspirations. Our innovation team will play an important role in developing scientists in China who can create world-leading technologies and make valuable contributions to international scholarly research."

Professor Nabil Gindy, UNNC's Vice-Provost for Research and its Graduate School dean, said, "This project isn't just about research; it is about talent-building. The concept is to create a number of researchers with critical mass to work in areas that the Chinese government considers important. The emphasis will be on nurturing young scientists."

Professor Gindy also noted, "We will be working closely with businesses to look at how companies can make money, and quite possibly even more money than ever, but reduce the environmental impact of what they do.

"This project is about job creation and improved productivity as much as it is about advances in science and technology."

Please click here to read the full press release by The University of Nottingham.

 

China's Foreign Investment Catalogue - 2012 update for business

On December 24, 2011, China’s Ministry of Commerce and National Development and Reform Commission released the Catalogue for Guiding Foreign Investment (2011 Revision) (“Catalogue”), the nation’s principal document for regulating foreign investment into China. 

As expected, the final Catalogue promotes investment in the strategic emerging industries identified in China’s 12th Five-Year Plan (“12th FYP”) and removes a number of investment barriers previously applicable to foreign investors. The catalogue took effect on January 30, 2012.

China Direct is grateful to Covington & Burling LLP for kindly sharing their summary with CBI members.

 

Blame it on Rio - CBI member HSBC takes Chinese investors to Brazil

 

CBI member HSBC led a business delegation of major Chinese companies to Brazil for a five-day visit in December last year. HSBC plays a significant role in facilitating the rise of trade and investment flows between China and Latin America, two of the world's fastest-growing emerging market regions.

The delegation, consisting of senior executives from both private and state-owned Chinese companies in energy, resources, motorcycles, construction, and other industries, met with local  entrepreneurs and potential business partners to gain insights into Brazil's and Latin America's economic and business environments.

In 2010, HSBC launched a China Desk in Brazil, which is managed by experienced bankers seconded from China to provide on-the-ground support for Chinese companies expanding in Latin America. HSBC also has a Latin America Desk in China, which is managed by seasoned bankers from HSBC Brazil and provides support for companies from Latin America doing business in China and Chinese companies looking to do business in Latin America.

Montgomery Ho, Managing Director and Head of Commercial Banking at HSBC China, said, "While South-South trade is set to become a mainstay and key driver of the global economy, China and Brazil, as well as other Latin America markets, are leading the way with strong domestic growth and increasing bilateral trade and investments. Today, we connect Chinese corporates with Brazil's business community and facilitate their dialogues to help them understand each other’s markets and explore business opportunities. This is a very good demonstration of how HSBC leverages our global connectivity to help our customers capitalise on cross-border trade and investment flows."

Magnus Montan, Head of International Business at HSBC China, said, "Closer economic ties have been generating stronger needs worldwide for cross-border financial services in the past decades. Looking forward, we expect Chinese companies to continue to expand their footprint across global markets and Latin American companies to have greater appetite for doing business with China.

HSBC is the largest foreign bank in China and one of the leading international banks in Latin America. Our strong presence and local knowledge in both China and Latin America position us in a central role in assisting companies' growing trade and investment flows between the world's two rising economic powerhouses through our global connectivity and international banking services, including RMB trade services."

Please click here for further information. 

 

University of Nottingham launches Sino-UK Geospatial Engineering Centre in Beijing

 

 

[Image courtesy of www.nottingham.ac.uk]

CBI member The University of Nottingham and the Chinese Academy of Survey and Mapping (CASM), the academic arm of China's National Administration for Survey, Mapping, and Geoinformation (NASG), launched the Sino-UK Geospatial Engineering Centre in Beijing.

With its main site located at the China Surveying and Mapping Innovation Base in Beijing, the centre will develop geospatial information to solve key scientific issues for both countries. The centre will also have a presence at the Nottingham Geospatial Building in the UK.

The centre will promote innovation and technology transfer, leadership training, and staff and student exchange. In addition, it will explore funding opportunities and new project work, and act as a global incubation centre to realise beneficial combinations of R&D, production, and commercialisation.

Professor Chris Rudd, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Business Engagement and Knowledge Transfer at The University of Nottingham, said, "The University's relationship with the Chinese Academy of Survey and Mapping (CASM) and the recently re-named National Administration for Survey, Mapping, and Geoinformation (NASG) dates back eight years.

"We have a shared ambition—to create a Sino-UK centre of excellence that will accelerate the delivery of our vision. It represents the collaboration between China and UK in areas of leading research and development. We aim to benefit both parties and strengthen the ties between UK and China's high technology industries."

Please click here to read the full press release by The University of Nottingham.

2012 China Regional Cities Programme Q1

 

[Image courtesy of www.ukti.gov.uk]

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) recently released the dates for the next phase of its Regional Cities Programme in China.

The schedule of the missions is as follows: Zhengzhou and Wuhan (20-22 February 2012), Nantong and Yancheng (27-29 February 2012), Kunming (23-24 February 2012), Chongqing (05-06 March 2012), Hangzhou and Ningbo (07-09 March 2012), and Foshan and Shunde (28-29 March 2012).

These missions will offer an excellent introduction to these cities and the opportunities that they offer.

Participants in the missions will enjoy:

     • Access to high-level officials
     • Business workshops
     • Knowledge about specific opportunities

Please click here for full details on the mission to Nantong and Yancheng and here for the mission to Hangzhou and Ningbo.