China Direct

BP flying high with China Aviation fuel deal

 

CBI member, BP has announced that its subsidiary, BP Aviation, has entered into a joint venture agreement with China Aviation Oil Group Company, to develop the provision for the distribution of aviation fuel in Southwest China; principally Sichuan, Guizhou and Chongqing.

After receiving regulatory approval from the relevant authorities, the joint venture company will be committed to supporting the growth and development of China’s commercial aviation industry. There is huge market potential, considering that China’s commercial aviation industry is expected to boom between now and 2020, with aircraft in China’s airspace racking up over 2 million flying hours and the number of planes in China’s skies numbering over 5,000.

John Platt, CEO BP Aviation said: “[BP] are pleased to extend [what has been a] successful partnership between BP Aviation and China Aviation Oil. Through combining BP Aviation’s world-renowned business management best practise and innovative fuelling technologies, with the business networks and local expertise of China Aviation Oil, our two companies can look forward to continuing to deliver long-term sustainable development for China’s aviation industry.”

Prior to the signing of this latest joint venture, BP Aviation has managed two other joint venture contracts with China Aviation Oil; these are Shenzhen Chengyuan Aviation Oil and Huanan Blue Sky Aviation Oil Company. Through partnering with these two companies, BP provides aviation fuel to 29 airports in central and southern China.

Yang Xiaoping, Chairman and President of BP China said: “This newly signed joint venture contract not only demonstrates BP’s continued confidence in the China market, but also reaffirms BP’s commitment to supporting China’s transformation through continuous innovation and industrial growth.

IHG accelerates Western China Growth

CBI member InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has today announced the signing of ten new deals under seven of its brands in Western China.

The ten hotels will span several different tiered cities and well-known destinations in Sichuan, Chongqing, Shaanxi, Yunnan, Gansu, and Guizhou Province.

Building on the momentum of its existing and successful multi-brand hotel portfolio in the area, IHG will further strengthen its leadership and tap into the large potential of this fast-growing market. Boasting distinctive natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, the western area of China has been a worldwide attraction.

Enjoying great opportunities brought by policies like the Belt and Road Initiative, the cities’ economies continue to boom with the acceleration of urbanisation, as well as the upgrading of transportation and other supporting facilities.

According to world leading hotel and tourism consultancy, Horwath HTL, market expectations for the overall performance of the hotel sector in Western China have risen significantly in recent years.

Please read more here.

CBI makes the case for British Business in China

 

CBI MAKES THE CASE FOR BRITISH BUSINESS IN CHINA

The CBI’s Director-General is visiting China this week on a trade visit with the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Theresa May.

Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI Director-General, said:

“The Sino-British relationship is a tremendous success story. From services to schools, and iPhones to tea, our countries have a special and integral place in each other’s lives.

“British businesses are keen to play their part in further deepening and engraining the economic ties between China and the United Kingdom. With the consumer market alone worth over £3.3 trillion, this relationship creates thousands of jobs in the UK and China, raising living standards and boosting productivity.

“As the UK forges a new global trading future, it is well ahead of the curve in making the most of its relationship with the world’s fastest growing economy. By making inroads into China’s lesser economically known regions, the UK stands to profit from China’s move from manufacturing and infrastructure into technology and services, writing a new chapter in the golden era of relations.”

30 January 2018

Notes to Editors:

Read the CBI’s latest report on British trade and investment with China, Sterling Assets China.

Across the UK, the CBI speaks on behalf of 190,000 businesses of all sizes and sectors. The CBI’s corporate members together employ nearly 7 million people, about one third of private sector-employees. With offices in the UK as well as representation in Brussels, Washington, Beijing and Delhi, the CBI communicates the British business voice around the world.

Media Contact:

CBI Press Office is available 24 hours a day on 0207 395 8239, or email: [email protected] Follow the CBI (@CBItweets), Carolyn Fairbairn (CBICarolyn) and CBI China (CBIBEIJING) on Twitter.

U.K. celebrates 15 years of its diplomatic presence in Southwest China

 

In early June, the British Consulate-General in Chongqing hosted receptions in Chongqing and Chengdu to mark the Queen’s Birthday and the 15^th anniversary of the British Consulate-General in Southwest China.

The British Consulate-General in Chongqing was established on 01 March 2000. Throughout the past 15 years, it has been actively engaged in a wide spectrum of areas, playing a vital role in overseas exchanges in the region.

Since the establishment of the Consulate-General, it has worked closely with local partners to strengthen links in trade and investment, culture and art, science and innovation, climate change and energy, achieving great success.

In December 2013, Prime Minister David Cameron led a business delegation to visit Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, helping British business leaders better understand the region, and thus promoting closer relationships between the U.K. and Southwest China.

In recent years, British companies have done well in Southwest China, particularly in the urbanisation sector and in architectural and engineering design, with a number landmark buildings in the region having been designed by British companies.

Famous local companies, such as Chang’an and Chongqing Machinery and Electric Co. Ltd. (CQME) have established themselves in the U.K. The U.K. has also worked with local partners to promote carbon capture and storage technology, carbon trading, and collaboration on shale gas.

In 2014, the U.K. signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Chongqing Development and Reform Commission on strengthening co-operation in climate change and energy, which has laid a solid foundation for future collaborative work in this area.

The U.K. government’s cultural and education section has also achieved great success in the region through a range of teachers’ training, school link-ups, arts and cultural exchange projects and social entrepreneur training schemes.

2015 marks a flagship year for U.K.-China relations, with the first ever bilaterally agreed U.K.-China Year of Cultural Exchange. Southwest China will host a series of events across different art disciplines, with headliner events including Mother River – Yan Wang Preston 2015 China Tour Exhibition, The Selector, U.K. Music on the Go, etc.

Please read more here.

CBI China Monthly Partners Round Up - April 2015

 

Dear Members,

Please find our monthly summary of our stakeholders' activities in China.

Details of the Great British Brands Festival 2015 should be of particular interest to those companies seeking to establish their brands with consumers in China.

• Biometric Residence Permits launched in China
• British Council’s Social Enterprise Programme Social Investment Platform
• British Council releases list of programmes for first ever U.K.-China Year of Cultural Exchange
• British Nationals in Beijing invited to Ambassador’s Residence Gardens to watch live results from U.K. General Elections on 08 May
• CBBC Great British Brands Festival 2015
• China IPR SME Helpdesk’s new website goes live
• E.U.-China Research and Innovation Partnership Programme launched
• E.U. embassies in Beijing celebrate 40^th anniversary of E.U.-China relations
• London Book Fair launch of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China
• Sponsorship opportunity to support Shaun the Sheep in China
• U.K. supports first science book about local wildlife for students in Guizhou

Download CBI China, U.K.-China Monthly Roundup, April 2015

CBI Member Successes in China - Snapshot of Year of the The Horse

 

Dear CBI members and strategic partners,

China Direct would like to share with you a snapshot of CBI members' successes in China through 2014. We hope that you found our new format easy to use, visual and informative and wish you all every success for the forthcoming year of the sheep.

Please do keep sending us your updates and press releases so that your business can also be highlighted in 2015.

Thank you.

Download CBI Beijing, Member Milestones in China, 2014

CBI Member ABB signs MOU with Guizhou government

 

CBI member ABB, the Guiyang Municipal Government, and the Guiyang Free Trade Zone signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Strategic Cooperation to explore in-depth cooperation in areas such as energy, industry, transportation, and infrastructure.

With the opportunities brought in recent years by China’s Go West strategy as well as its own resources and ecology, Guizhou Province has experienced strong economic development.

As the capital of Guizhou, Guiyang is an important hub of transportation and communication, an industrial base, and a commercial centre in southwest China. Taking the development of high-speed rail as an example, the Guiyang-Guangzhou, Changsha-Guiyang, Guiyang-Kunming, and Chengdu-Guiyang high-speed railway lines will all be gradually completed in the coming years, helping to create southwest China’s “one-hour economic circle” with Guiyang as the centre.

According to the MOU, ABB will use its advanced power and automation products and solutions to support Guiyang’s sustainable development. ABB has green and efficient technologies in three major areas—smart grid and city, smart manufacturing and production, and smart home and building—that can help customers from utility, industry, transportation, and infrastructure to reduce energy consumption, improve productivity and product quality, and lower environmental impact, thus achieving industrial upgrading.

Please read more here.

British Consulate-General Guangzhou hosts Ecotourism seminar

At the invitation of the Guilin Municipal Government, the British Consulate-General Guangzhou hosted a seminar on Ecotourism at the 5^th China Guilin International Tourism Expo that focused on supporting Guilin’s efforts to develop sustainable tourism.

Guilin has long been renowned for its unique landscape and is one of China’s most popular tourist destinations. The aim of the event was to share examples of the U.K.’s experience in ecotourism to help inform the audience and increase their understanding of how to take forward ecotourism in a sustainable way.

The British Consulate-General Guangzhou is now looking to build on the success of the event and work more closely with the authorities in Guilin on ecotourism as well as on related issues such as sustainable urban planning, low carbon policy, and green business engagement.

Please read more here.