China Direct

CBI Members welcome early opening up of China financial services sector

 

Major China business news broke yesterday, when Chinese Premier Li Keqiang announced that China will end ownership limits for foreign investors in its financial sector in 2020, a year earlier than scheduled.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Dalian, Premier Li announced that “China will achieve the goal of abolishing ownership limits in securities, futures [and] life insurance for foreign investors by 2020, a year earlier than the original schedule of 2021.”

CBI members within the financial services sector where quick to support the promise of further reform.

JP Morgan said, “JP Morgan welcomes any decision made by the Chinese government that looks to liberalise its financial sector further.”

BNP Paribas said, “The reforms mean overseas banks can play a bigger role in serving China’s domestic market as more international capital flows in.”

While Citi Group said, “Citi welcomes any move that leads to the further opening up of the Chinese financial system.”

Chinese regulators have so far approved applications from CBI members, JP Morgan, HSBC and UBS, as well as the Japanese bank, Nomura, to establish majority-controlled brokerages. Following Premier Li’s announcement CBI members, Morgan Stanley and BNP Paribas are both reportedly considering establishing a majority-controlled operation in China.

Premier Li also announced that the Chinese government will reduce restrictions next year on market access for foreign investors in the value-added telecommunications service and transport sectors.

PwC launches its 2017 'Chinese Cities of Opportunity' Report

Our thanks to CBI member PwC China for sharing their latest 'The Chinese Cities of Opportunity' Report.

This is a series of city survey reports jointly released by the CDRF and PwC China and was for discussion at the recently concluded China Development Forum held in Beijing earlier this month.

Four editions of the Chinese Cities of Opportunity report have been published since 2014.

Please refer to the attached for a summary and the link below to download the full report.

Download Chinese Cities of Opportunity

The full Cities of Opportunity 7 report is available at:

http://www.pwccn.com/home/chi/cities_of_opportunity_7_chi.html

 

For enquiries please contact: [email protected] or Tel: 00 86 10 65338717 

IBM and Wanda form China cloud computing partnership

 

 

CBI member IBM and a unit of China's Dalian Wanda Group, a property and entertainment conglomerate, agreed on Sunday to team up to provide cloud services to Chinese companies, the U.S. technology provider said.

Through a newly formed venture, Wanda Cloud Company, they will offer select IBM cloud infrastructure and platform as a service (IaaS and PaaS) technologies in China, IBM said. The venture between IBM and Wanda Internet Technology Group will be "responsible for distributing, building and operating the IBM cloud platform in China", an IBM spokeswoman said.

In November, Alibaba Holdings Ltd's cloud unit announced plans to open four new data facilities outside China in a bid to grab market share from leading players Amazon.com and Microsoft.

Please read more here.

Celebrating CBI Member Success in China: July 2014

 

 

We would like to share with you our briefing for July 2014, which highlights the successes of a number of CBI members in China.

The attached briefing covers 24 members, including (by alphabetic order):

• Atkins
• Benoy
• Bentley Motors
• British Airways
• The British Film Institute
• Burberry
• Cardiff University
• Ford Motor Company
• Harvey Nash
• Heathrow Airport Limited
• HSBC
• Hytera
• IBM
• Microsoft
• Pentland Group
• The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS)
• Standard Chartered
• Sunseeker International
• UBM
• The University of Birmingham
• University College London
• The University of Manchester
• The University of Nottingham
• Whitbread

Please click here to access our latest briefing. Thank you.

 

Sunseeker sailing strong at Asia Yachting Awards

 

The Sunseeker Predator 80 was named the Best Worldwide Production Motoryacht (15-24 metres). Held on the first night of the Hong Kong Gold Coast Boat Show, the awards ceremony highlights the best that the Asian and international yachting industries have to offer.

Sunseeker International Sales Director Sean Robertson said, "We are extremely proud to receive the Best Worldwide Production Motoryacht Award for the Predator 80. We continue to strive towards excellence in yacht design, manufacturing, and quality, to provide superior luxury yachts and customer service to our yacht owners from around the world."

Earlier this year, Sunseeker International celebrated as Wang Jianlin, Chairman of Sunseeker's parent company Dalian Wanda Group, won the 'Personality of the Year' award at the Shanghai Asian Marine and Boat Awards thanks to his strategic decision to bring Sunseeker into the Wanda family.

Please click here and here to read the full press releases by Sunseeker.

UK design Company Arup builds its reputation with ICC award at MIPIM Asia

 

 

[Image courtesy of www.arup.com]

CBI member Arup recently announced that the International Commerce Centre (ICC) in Hong Kong, to which it provided full engineering services, was voted as the gold winner at the MIPIM Asia Awards 2011, a scheme which recognises outstanding real estate projects in the Asia Pacific region.

Boasting stunning views of Victoria Harbour, ICC is the tallest building in Hong Kong and set new benchmarks for tall building construction in the city. The main structural skeleton is formed from a high modulus concrete inner core wall. Arup engineered the design of the innovative self-compacting high modulus concrete with special volcanic tuff aggregate.

Arup also had a major involvement in five other projects which were recognised at MIPIM Asia Awards 2011 for their innovative, technical, environmental, and architectural qualities:

• Shanghai International Cruise Terminal, which Arup designed the district cooling system for, was awarded silver in the Best Mixed-use Buildings Category.

• Hong Cheng Plaza in Guangzhou, to which Arup was the structural, geotechnical, and façade engineer, received silver in the Best Chinese Futura Projects Category. Olympia 66 in Dalian, to which Arup provided structural and geotechnical consulting services, received bronze.

• Midfield Terminal at Abu Dhabi International Airport, to which Arup was the multi-disciplinary engineer, won silver in the Best Central and Western Asia Futura Projects Category.

• Shanghai Wheelock, which Arup developed a preliminary structural design for, won bronze in the Best Business Centre Category.

Please click here to read the full press release by Arup on the recognition it received at the MIPIM Asia Awards 2011.

Earlier this year, Guangzhou International Finance Centre (IFC), engineered by Arup, won the Best Tall Building Award for the Asia and Australasia Region from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) for its outstanding design and construction.

Arup engineers from Hong Kong, London, and Shenzhen worked together to provide full engineering design services for Guangzhou IFC, a highly innovative tower with striking visual impact.

Please click here to read the full press release by Arup on the recognition received by Guangzhou IFC.

Michael Kwok, Arup's Project Director, said, "Guangzhou IFC is another success story of global collaboration between Arup offices to deliver a world class project. We are proud that the depth and breadth of our expertise helps to shape Guangzhou's skyline, and continues to make a positive impact on the built environment."

 

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.

[email protected] tel: 00 86 10 65906903 ext 362

[email protected] tel: 00 86 10 65906903 ext 266  

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.

 

Manpower's China Employment Survey 2011 Q2 Summary

 

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

China Direct hopes that you find CBI member Manpower's Employment Survey trends for the second quarter of 2011 useful.

Please review the summary below.

Download 2011Q2_MEOS_EN

Our thanks to Manpower China for kindly providing this information to our members.

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 [email protected]