China Direct

GKN and SAMC announce new China partnership

CBI member GKN recently announced that GKN Aerospace and Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Company (SAMC) revised their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and signed further agreements covering manufacturing development and intellectual property rights for structures for the
COMAC 919 next-generation, twin turbofan, narrow body, 150-seat aircraft.

In collaboration with SAMC, GKN Aerospace will manufacture and assemble the composite horizontal tail plane (HTP) for the C919. On completion of this phase, GKN Aerospace and SAMC will move into a manufacturing joint venture, which will be called Shanghai GKN-SAMC Aerospace Composite Structure
Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

Marcus Bryson, Chief Executive Officer of GKN Aerospace and Land Systems, said, "The on-going success of this collaboration with SAMC represents both an important expansion of GKN's long-established working relationship with China and a vital technological step forward in our work on the design and manufacture of advanced composite components and structures."


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

 

CBI President Sir Roger Carr's China Visit - Nov 2012 - A Summary

 

Dear China Direct Readers,

Kindly find a summary of CBI President Sir Roger Carr's recent China visit attached below for your reference.

Sir Roger visited Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai in November.

 

Download Sir Roger Carr China Visit Summary Nov 2012

 

 

 

CBI Retail member Marks & Spencer continues to prosper in China

CBI member Marks & Spencer (M&S) recently released its results for the first half of its fiscal year 2012/13, reporting strong growth in Asia, with sales up 13.3%.


M&S opened nine new stores in the region, focusing on driving growth in its key priority territories of India and China.

In mainland China, M&S’s Shanghai stores continued to perform strongly, and the retailer now has 10 stores in the city, having opened three this year, including a new 4,500 square
metre flagship store on Huahai Road.

M&S’s Hong Kong stores also delivered a good performance, and it opened one new store there.

Please click here to read the full results for M&S.

CBI Member GKN wins British Company of the Year Award at 2012 BBA

 

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

The winners of the British Business Awards 2012 were recently revealed at an awards dinner held on 08 November. The ceremony was formally opened by Her Majesty's Ambassador to China, Sebastian Wood, followed by an address from CBI President Sir Roger Carr.

CBI members were well-represented among the winners, including:

• GKN China: British Company of the Year. Please read more here.

• Standard Chartered Bank: Financial and Professional Services Award. Please read more here.

• Unilever China: Sustainability Award. Please read more here.

CBI President Sir Roger Carr to visit China 02-08 Nov

 

The CBI's President, Sir Roger Carr, will be visiting China from 02-08 November. During his week-long trip he will visit Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai with his trip culminating in the British Business Awards Gala Dinner in Shanghai on Thursday 08 November.

In addition to meetings with member companies and engagements with key stakeholders Sir Roger will be speaking at a series of British Business Luncheons hosted in Hong Kong on 02 November and in Shanghai on 07 November respectively.

Please find Sir Roger's Biography (English & Chinese versions) attached below:

Download Sir Roger Carr Biography_Eng

Download Sir Roger Carr Biography_CHN

For more detailed information please contact the CBI's Beijing office directly via: 008610 85253100 or via [email protected].

 

 

Diageo's China Sustainability Programme - serving society

 

[Image courtesy of www.diageo.com]

CBI member Diageo recently released its 2012 Sustainability & Responsibility Report, which highlights progress and goals across the company's key sustainability focuses, including alcohol in society, water and the environment, socio-economic development, people, and governance and ethics.

Highlights of Diageo's sustainability programme in China include:

     • Diageo launched local Sustainability & Responsibility Strategy workshops in China, Kenya, and the 
       U.K. this year. These workshops aimed to determine or confirm what constitutes shared values for 
       Diageo and its local stakeholders.

     • As part of its DRINKiQ programme, which aims to promote responsible drinking, Diageo partnered 
       with others in China to deliver training to industry groups, media, and bartending students.

     • As part of its Water of Life (WOL) programme, which aims to provide access to safe drinking water, 
       Diageo has been improving the safety of drinking water for residents in impoverished areas and 
       protecting water resources in China since 2007. In 2011, Diageo employees travelled to Sichuan 
       province and invested more than £30,000 to build 100 local wells that bring safe drinking water to 
       villages.

     • The Diageo Bar Academy, which provides accredited training and professional certification for 
       bartenders and focuses on serving alcohol responsibly, has trained 10,000 bartenders across 
       China, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Vietnam since 
       the foundation course was launched in India in May 2011.

Paul Walsh, CEO of Diageo, said, "Driving strong performance in sustainability and responsibility is in the long-term interests of our company. It helps ensure that we can both deliver returns to shareholders and benefit the communities whose lives we touch. It is my firm belief that the most genuinely strategic and forward looking businesses treat sustainability as a core component of business delivery."

Please click here to access the full report by Diageo.

2012 British Business Awards in China - Finalists announced

 

The British Chambers of Commerce in China recently announced the shortlisted finalists for the British Business Awards 2012.

[Source: CBI BJ]

Award categories include: Sustainability Award, Chinese U.K. Alumnus Award, Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Innovation Award, Chinese Investor of the Year Award, Creativity Award, Financial and Professional Services Award, and British Company of the Year Award.

The winners will be revealed at a Gala Awards Dinner in Shanghai on 08 November.

Please click here and here for further information.  

British Business Awards 2012 - Strengthening UK-China Relations

 

Applications for the 2012 British Business Awards closed on 27 July. The number of applicants increased by one-third, reflecting the strengthening trade relations between China and the U.K. since the last awards programme was held in 2010.

The Awards showcase organisations and individuals who have achieved outstanding results and demonstrated a high level of commitment to China-U.K. relations in a variety of sectors. The 2012 Awards are run by the British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai.

The shortlist for the 2012 Awards will be revealed on 06 September.

Please click here for further information on the 2012 British Business Awards.