China Direct

UK Company GKN performs strongly in China in Q3 of 2012

 

[Image courtesy of www.gkn.com]

CBI member GKN recently announced its results for 2011, reporting Group sales up £683 million to £6.1 billion, an underlying increase of 10%.

In China, GKN continued to perform strongly throughout the year, with GKN Driveline opening a new Constant Velocity Jointed (CVJ) Systems plant in Changchun and expanding production in Wuhan and GKN Driveline AWD Systems launching a power transfer unit (PTU) in the country.

In addition, GKN Sinter Metals achieved strong growth in China in 2011, and GKN Aerospace signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Commercial Aerospace of China (COMAC) to form a joint venture for the composite structures manufacture of the horizontal tailplane for the C919 aircraft.

Please click here to read GKN's full results for 2011.

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.

2012 UK Now - the UK's largest arts festival in China - dates for your diary

 

[Image courtesy of www.britishcouncil.org.cn]

Dear CBI members,

We are delighted to let you know that UK Now, the biggest British arts festival in China ever, will be held next year between April and November, featuring hundreds of world-class events in 15 cities across China.

Key goals of UK Now include showcasing the quality, diversity, breadth, and innovation of artistic Britain and celebrating China and the UK as consecutive hosts of the Olympic Games.

Please find attached below a bilingual overview of UK Now.

Download UK Now fast facts EN & CN

UK Now's events programme will be wide-ranging and inclusive, covering all the art forms. Events will include exhibitions, concerts, performances, talks, workshops, collaborative projects, online activities, competitions, etc.

UK Now is sponsored by CBI members including British Airways, Burberry, Diageo, HSBC, InterContinental Hotels Group, Norton Rose, Prudential, and Standard Chartered.

For more information about UK Now please contact either Ms. Hannah Douglas or Ms. Sam Christie.

hannah.douglas@britishcouncil.org.cn tel: 00 86 10 65906903 ext 362

sam.christie@britishcouncil.org.cn tel: 00 86 10 65906903 ext 266  

Game, Set and Match. Penguin secures rights to Chinese Tennis Star Li Na Memoir

 

[Image courtesy of www.penguin.com]

Penguin's acquisition of rights to a book by a Chinese author to be published in the Chinese language is a first for the UK-based publisher, marking a new direction for Penguin's growing business in China.

Jo Lusby, Managing Director of Penguin China, said, "We are privileged to be able to work with Li Na to share her insights into the highs and lows of professional sport. With her reputation as a thoughtful, intelligent, straight talker, we believe this book will provide a fascinating window into the life of a professional sports player in China. This is a book that will not only appeal to fans of tennis, but also to those in China who are striving for success in this changing and dynamic country."

Penguin will co-publish Li Na's memoir, provisionally titled "How to Go West and Win", with a Chinese partner in early 2012.

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

Opportunities for UK businesses in China Regional Cities Report

 

The China-Britain Business Council and the Centre for International Business at CBI member The University of Leeds have prepared an updated research report on 'Opportunities for UK Businesses in China's Regional Cities' on behalf of UK Trade & Investment (UKTI).

The original report, published in September 2008, focused on the market expansion and development of China's regional cities and the relevance of this to British businesses.

However, the last three years have seen major changes to the international economic landscape, with the global financial crisis and UK recession having a deep impact on British businesses and their internationalisation prospects.

The new report presents the findings of research conducted this year.

Please click here to access the latest version of the 'Opportunities for UK Businesses in China's Regional Cities' report.

 

European Business in China - 2011/2 Position Paper launch

 

 
[Image courtesy of www.euccc.com.cn]

Yesterday, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC) released its 2011/2012 Position Paper, which provides an overview of the views of many European companies doing business in China.

The Position Paper is the product of six months of consultation, which involved hundreds of companies and individuals from European businesses operating across China.

The report includes chapters on a wide range of sectors, including aviation, construction, information and communication technology, logistics, maritime transport, travel, banking & securities, insurance, private equity, etc.

The report also includes chapters on numerous cities and regions across China, including Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Nanjing, the Pearl River Delta, Shanghai, Shenyang and Tianjin.

Highlights from the 2011/2012 Position Paper include:

     • China's strategic importance for global companies is rapidly increasing.
     • Key goals outlined in China's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) such as upgrading the industrial 
       sector, developing the service sector and encouraging innovation and green development match the 
       strengths of European companies in managerial know-how, the provision of services and green 
       and advanced technology.
     • The Position Paper brings together a significant number of recommendations for both Chinese and 
       European policymakers.

The CBI, together with the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) , is organising the launch of the Position Paper in London on 22 September, which will be hosted by leading global insurance broker and CBI member Willis Group.

Pleease click here to read the Executive Summary of the Position Paper and here to access the full report.

Manpower's China Employment Outlook Survey 2011 Q1 - Key Facts

 

  
[Image courtesy of www.manpower.com.cn]

CBI member company Manpower has very kindly shared with China Direct its 2011 quarterly China Employment Outlook Survey.

This useful survey is essential reading for employers and employees active in China. It analyses 16 regional cities and provides helpful sectoral comparisons in addition to an assessment of global employment trends.

Please download below:

Download 2011Q1 MEOS_EN

China Direct will also provide Manpower's Q2 Survey results later this week.

For more information please contact Manpower on 00 86 21 58782618 or apple.xu@manpower.com.cn     

China's High Speed Rail Network - back on track?

 

 
[Image courtesy of www.greendiary.com]

Dear China Direct readers, welcome back after the Bank Holiday weekend!

In today's piece a short note from James Cheng, Fund Manager at Morgan Stanley, on China's high speed rail network and a journey he recently made from Guangzhou to Wuhan.

As an aside there is an unattributable rumour circulating here in China that the first train leaving Guangzhou for Wuhan every morning is always empty - just to make sure that the track is still usable!

Please download Mr. Cheng's article below:

Download China's High Speed Rail Network - a journey

Our grateful thanks to Week In China for providing this article.

   

Stop Press: China's 2010 Census - making sense of the results

 

Today saw the release of population statistics collated during Nov 2010's China census.

Headlines:

Population (2010): 1.34 billion

Population (1953): 594 million

Urban: 49.7% (+13.7% 2000 Census)

Aged 60+: 13.3% (+3%)

Aged <14: 16.6% (-6.29% )

Av size of household: 3.1 (-0.34%)

To read the NBS Press Release please click here.

Please refer to China Direct's original article on the 2010 Census on 04 November 2010.

Kindly select 'archives' from the menu above and month/year to access.

China's new cities - economic powerhouses of the future?

 

 
[Image courtesy of McKinsey & Company]

Leading management consulting firm and CBI member McKinsey & Company has issued a report titled, "Urban world: Mapping the economic power of cities," which projects a shift in the centre of gravity of the urban world to emerging markets in the south and the east.

According to McKinsey, 600 urban centres account for roughly 60% of global GDP today.

In 2007, half of global GDP came from 380 cities in developed regions.

However, McKinsey forecasts that one-third of these developed market cities will fall out of the top 600 ranking by 2025, with 136 new cities from developing markets entering the top 600.

China will account for the overwhelming majority of these new economic centres, contributing 100 cities.

Click here to access the full McKinsey report and here to read additional media coverage.

China Direct would like to thank Ben Cooper, Policy Analyst, CBI Beijing, for this contribution