China Direct

2020 Hays Asia Salary Guide & China Insights

Dear CBI members and partners,

Please find attached the 2020 Hays Asia Pacific Salary Guide which provides important industry trends and employer/employee insights across a range of sectors and countries in the Asia Pacific region.

China Direct would like to thank CBI member Hays and their Shanghai team for very kindly sharing the Guide.

Kindly also find attached a China-focused PPT which provides unique insights into China's working environment and future trends.

Download 2020 Hays Asia Salary Guide EN - Low Resolution

Download 2020 Hays Asia Salary Guide - webinar PPT _EN

 

Sincerely yours,

CHINA DIRECT

 

 

United Airlines resumes US-China passenger flights

CBI member, United Airlines, has announced that it will resume flights to China, following a temporary suspension of service in February due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Starting July 8, United will operate twice-weekly flights between San Francisco and Shanghai's Pudong International Airport, with a stopover in Seoul.

United will fly a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from San Francisco to Shanghai on Wednesdays and Saturdays, while passengers traveling from Shanghai to San Francisco will fly on Thursdays and Sundays.

"United's service to the Chinese mainland has been a point of pride for our employees and customers for more than 30 years. Resuming services to Shanghai from the United States is a significant step in rebuilding our international network," said Patrick Quayle, United's vice-president of International Network and Alliances.

United will also restart flights to Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong.

At present, only Chinese nationals can freely enter the country. Since March 27^th, foreign visas and residency permits are considered suspended, unless they are diplomatic, Type C or courtesy visas.

British Business Awards 2020 launched in Shanghai

On 11 June, the British Business Awards 2020 was launched at The Langham Shanghai Xintiandi by the British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai. The Awards, supported by Department for International Trade (DIT), The British Council, China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), Confederation of British Industry (CBI), and British Chambers in Beijing, Guangdong and Southwest, seek to celebrate the fantastic work being done by British businesses across China and the ever-growing trade between China and the UK. Established in 2008, the biennial British Business Awards have grown to become a prestigious feature of the business calendar, recognising and promoting excellence in innovation, enterprise and endeavour in the British and Chinese business communities. Through ten categories in 2020, the Awards act as a testimony to the depth, breadth and success of British businesses operating in China, as well as recognise the excellent achievements of Chinese businesses operating in the UK.    6月11日，由上海英国商会主办的2020年度英国商业大奖在上海新天地朗廷酒店宣布正式启动。本届大奖得到英国国际贸易部（DIT）， 英国文化教育协会，英中贸易协会（CBBC），英国工商业联合会（CBI）以及中国英国商会，广东英国商会和中国西南英国商会的大力支持。  “英国商业大奖”创办于2008年，是每两年举行一届的全国性评选，由中国（北京）英国商会和上海英国商会轮流举办。该奖项旨在表彰对中英贸易、投资及商业合作发展做出杰出贡献的企业与个人，他们身上展现出拓思立新，勇于创业，锲而不舍的精神。经过十余载的打磨，大奖已逐渐成为中英商界的一大盛事。  本届大奖将通过十个奖项类别来展现英国企业在中国开展业务的深度，广度与成功。其中，年度中国投资者奖还将表彰杰出的在英中国企业。

“The UK and China have fostered a constructive trade relationship over recent years. 2019 saw record volumes of UK-China bilateral trade. Total bilateral trade reached GBP 104.5 billion. China remains the UK’s third-largest export market after the EU and North America. The UK is the global No.1 destination for foreign direct investment in Europe and was the largest recipient of Chinese investment in Europe in 2019. We have also seen high levels of UK foreign direct investment flow into China, reaching GBP 3 billion (RMB 27.4 billion) in 2018, up 159% on 2017. Although the epidemic has indeed hit hard trade around the world, including trade between our two countries, Britain and China maintain confidence in the prospects for future economic and trade cooperation. British and Chinese businesses will be at the heart of the recovery and of that cooperation – helping not only to exchange knowledge and expertise but also to maintain and build trade ties between the UK and China. The British Business Awards will play a hugely important role in highlighting the skills and expertise which British businesses can offer to China.” - British Consul-General in Shanghai, Chris Wood 英国驻沪总领事胡克定（Chris Wood）先生出席了大奖发布会，在提及中英经贸关系时，总领事表示：“近年来，中英两国建立起了建设性贸易伙伴关系。 2019年，中英双边贸易额创历史新高。双边贸易总额达到1045亿英镑。 中国仍然是英国的第三大出口市场，仅次于欧盟和北美。投资方面， 英国是全球在欧洲进行外国直接投资的第一大目的地国；也是上一年度中国在欧洲投资的最大接受国。英国对华外商直接投资也大幅增加，2018年达到30亿英镑（约合274亿元人民币），较2017年增长159%。”  总领事补充道：“年初以来的新冠疫情确实沉重打击了全球贸易，包括我们两国之间的贸易往来，但中国和英国对未来的经贸合作前景仍然充满信心。而英国和中国的企业将成为推动复苏和发展合作的核心，双方的合作将不仅促进知识交流，还能有助于维持和建立中英之间的贸易联系。 英国商业大奖在突出英国企业可以向中国提供的技能和专业知识方面将发挥极其重要的作用。”

Chairman of the British Business Awards 2020, Ray Chisnall, introduced this year’s Awards, “This year, we expand the Awards by introducing three new categories, British Exporter of the Year Award, Leadership Award and Best Employer Award. By doing so, the Awards cover more areas and aspects to recognise and reward the best that British companies offer to China.” Ray also encouraged applicants to build a bright future for both Chinese and British economies in this challenging time with their entrepreneurial spirit and cooperative stewardship. “We are living in truly unprecedented times, and it is only by working collaboratively across all boundaries that we can overcome the challenges and make sure business continues to grow between the UK and China. The Awards are a recognition of the tremendous work being done, and it is vital we continue to build on the strong foundations that exist. I encourage all companies to seize the opportunity this presents to showcase their business in the UK, China and beyond.”  2020年度英国商业奖主席薛思瑞（Ray Chisnall）介绍：“今年，我们设立了三个新类别，年度英国出口商奖，年度领导力奖和年度最佳雇主奖。 由此，整个大奖能涵盖更多领域，以表彰和鼓励英国公司向中国提供最好的产品与服务。” 主席先生还鼓励申请者充分发扬进取精神和合作精神，在这个充满挑战的时代为中英两国经济创造光明的未来。 “我们生活在一个前所未有的时代，只有跨界合作才能克服挑战，确保中英之间的业务持续增长。 英国商业大奖是对正在进行的这项巨大工作的认可，且至关重要的是，我们能在现有的牢固基础上继续发展。 我鼓励所有公司抓住这次机会，展现他们在中国和英国所取得的卓越成就。”

Award Categories | 奖项类别

1.  Innovation Award (Sponsored by bp) | 年度创新奖 (由bp赞助) 2.  Sustainability Award (Sponsored by Houghton Street Consulting) | 年度可持续发展奖 (由上海休荪企业管理有限公司赞助) 3.  Education Institutional Partnership of the Year Award | 年度教育合作项目奖 4.  Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Sponsored by The British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai) | 年度创业者奖 (由上海英国商会赞助) 5.  Chinese Investor in the UK Award | 年度中国投资者奖 6.  British Exporter of the Year Award (Sponsored by CBBC) | 年度英国出口商奖 (由英中贸易协会赞助) 7.  Leadership Award (Sponsored by The University of Manchester China Centre) | 年度领导力奖 (由英国曼彻斯特大学中国中心赞助) 8.  Best Employer Award (Sponsored by Smith+Nephew) | 年度最佳雇主奖 (由施乐辉赞助) 9.  Best Services Award (Sponsored by KPMG China) | 年度最佳服务奖 (由毕马威中国赞助) 10.                 British Company of the Year Award (Sponsored by SpiraxSarco) | 年度英国企业奖 (由斯派莎克赞助) Applications are now open, and the Awards invite all eligible individuals and organisations to enter. Five finalists in each of the ten categories will be chosen by the corresponding independent panel of judges and announced at a Finalists Event on 3 September. The highlight of the Awards, an Awards Gala Dinner will take place on 29 October, when the winners will be announced.  Application deadline is 31 July 2020.   More information is available at www.britishbusinessawards.cn. 大奖的在线申请现已开放，奖项邀请所有符合条件的公司和个人参与。 申请截止日期为2020年7月31日。每个奖项相对应的独立评审委员会将选出该类别的五位入围者，并于9月3日宣布。入围者将在9月份接受评审委员会的面试。颁奖典礼于10月29日在上海举行，届时将宣布最终获奖名单。更多详情请访问英国商业大奖官方网站：www.britishbusinessawards.cn。

Contact Us The British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai Room 1108, South Tower, M Place, 333 Chengdu Bei Lu Shanghai, China 中国上海市静安区成都北路333号招商局广场 | 南楼1108室 Tel: +86 21 6218 5022 admin@britishchambershanghai.cn www.britishchambershanghai.org

CBI Member Hays leading the Way

CBI member Hays has been busy leading the way, sharing business best practice and supporting businesses in response to COVID.

Please refer to two links below that we hope members will find useful.

Our thanks to the Hays team in Shanghai for sharing their insights with China Direct:

1. https://www.hays.cn/en/what-lessons-can-leaders-learn-from-the-covid-19-crisis-cn,

2. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/video-on-demand/money-mind/counting-the-cost-12788380

CHINA DIRECT

British Business Awards 2020 - applications open now!

 

We are delighted to announce that the British Business Awards 2020 website (www.britishbusinessawards.cn) is now live and online applications open. 

Established in 2008 and now in its twelfth year, the biennial British Business Awards (BBA) recognises and promotes excellence in innovation, enterprise, and endeavour, in the British and Chinese business communities. The British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai is excited to be hosting BBA 2020 in Shanghai.

Over the past decade, BBA in China has grown to become a prestigious feature of the business calendar. BBA 2020 consists of nine categories which showcase a number of organisations and individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to trade and investment in China. These awards are:

·    Innovation Award (Sponsored by bp)

·    Sustainability Award (Sponsored by Houghton Street Consulting)

·    Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Sponsored by The British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai)

·    Chinese Investor in the UK Award

·    British Exporter of the Year Award (Sponsored by CBBC)

·    Leadership Award (Sponsored by The University of Manchester China Centre)

·    Best Employer Award (Sponsored by Smith+Nephew)

·    Best Services Award (Sponsored by KPMG China)

·    British Company of the Year Award (Sponsored by SpiraxSarco)

 

Key Dates of BBA 2020

·    Wednesday, 27 May: Official Website Launch & Online Applications

·    Thursday, 11 June: Official Launch Event

·    Friday, 31 July: Applications Close

·    Thursday, 3 September: Finalists Announcement

·    Thursday, 29 October: Awards Gala Dinner

For more details about each award and its criteria, please click here. To apply for the awards, please click here to register an account first or find your old account back.

BBA 2020 is supported by Department for International Trade (DIT), China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), The British Council, Confederation of British Industry (CBI), and British Chambers in Beijing, Guangdong and Southwest.

If you have any questions, please contact bba@britishchambershanghai.cn.

BP makes multi-million-pound AI low carbon tech investment in China

 

 

 

CBI member, BP has announced that it has invested £2.7 million in an artificial intelligence technology firm based in Shanghai, pioneering research into low-carbon power, energy storage, the wider digital energy value chain, and improving the energy usage of buildings.

 

BP’s high-tech investment arm, BP Ventures, joined CLP Innovation Ventures and JAFCO Asia in contributing to R&B Technology’s latest funding round. The deal will also see BP Ventures investment manager, Jin Hu, take up a director seat on the board of R&B Technology.

 

R&B’s energy management systems are designed to predict, control and improve a building’s energy use, supporting BP Alternative Energy’s focus on supporting industry’s transition towards low-carbon power.

 

BP Ventures has so far invested more than £400 million in more than 45 companies globally. The deal with R&B Technology marks BP Venture’s second foray into opportunities in advanced mobility in China, following a £7.6 million investment in NIO Capital in 2018.

 

Dev Sanyal, BP Alternative Energy chief executive and executive vice president, regions, said: “Digital technology, smarter consumers and bold decarbonisation targets are together rapidly changing the world's energy systems. BP is determined to help meet society's demands for more energy, delivered in new and cleaner ways. Our investment in R&B, a business developing and deploying innovative technology to improve energy efficiency, is fully aligned with this strategy.”

 

Through its venturing business, BP is leveraging a wide range of instruments in technology-related businesses that have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in BP’s operations, improve products and services to help customers lower their emissions, and creating new low-carbon businesses.

 

Graham Howes, managing director of BP Ventures, Asia, said: “Improving the energy efficiency of buildings will be crucial for the transition to a lower-carbon world. […] the commercial and industrial buildings sector in China is large and still expanding, so the potential to affect change is significant. R&B’s technology is aimed firmly at this opportunity.”

 

HSBC unveils first international banking centre in Mainland China

 

CBI member, HSBC has announced that it has launched its first International Banking Centre (IBC) in Mainland China. Located in a new sub-branch in Shanghai, the IBC seeks to serve growing demand for international banking services from domestic and overseas customers. HSBC is the first foreign bank in Mainland China to setup a dedicated international banking centre.

Richard Li, Executive Vice President and Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management, HSBC China commented: “As more of our customers and their families become more internationally-minded and mobile, they are now looking for specialist advice and dedicated support for their international financial needs.

Our IBC will focus on delivering these services through teams that combine extensive experience supporting international customers with the deep knowledge contained in our network of offices in 65 countries and territories. […] Over the past three years, we’ve seen double digit annual growth in the number of HSBC China customers using our international banking services. HSBC also services over 1.5 million overseas Chinese customers around the world.

As the largest international bank in mainland China, the new IBC reflects our continued investment in our capabilities to grow our presence and meet the evolving needs of customers here. We plan to open more IBCs in other areas where we see solid demand for international financial services.”

To read the press release in full, and to see the full range of services that HSBC’s International Banking Centre will offer, please follow the link.

British Airways flying to more Chinese destinations with China Southern

 

CBI member, British Airways has announced that it has expanded its code-sharing deal with China Southern Airlines. The pair, which have had a code-sharing deal since 2017, will now code-share on all direct flights operated between London and the Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Sanya, Wuhan and Zhengzhou.

The two carriers said at a press conference on Tuesday that their new business agreement would enable them to cooperate more on scheduling and pricing, open up more destinations between the two countries and develop a combined route network from Beijing’s new airport.

Alex Cruz, chairman and CEO of British Airways, said: “We are delighted to announce this joint business which will bring the UK and China closer together by providing British Airways and China Southern Airlines customers with a range of benefits. […]The agreement reinforces [British Airways’] commitment to boost tourism and business travel between the two countries and we look forward to strengthening the relationship further.”

Thales on track with Shanghai Metro Comms contract

 

CBI member, Thales has announced that Shanghai’s Metro Line 5, which incorporates Thales signalling and train communications equipment, has gone into full line service.

Thales was brought on to the project to provide its state-of-the-art dual Communication Based Train Control architecture for the re-signalling of the existing Line 5 route, which was the first metro line in China to undergo renovation and construction while maintaining operations. Thales’ CBTC was deployed to enhance the reliability and stability of communication along the track while the work was carried out.

Thales, along with its Chinese joint venture partner TST, was responsible for the re-signalling of the existing line and providing the new signalling for the extension in the meanwhile. To ensure no interruption to normal service, all the re-signalling and commission was conducted in only a few hours during the interval of normal operation during the night. Both before and after the commissioning, a switchover was made between the old and new signalling system to ensure normal operation the next day. After over 500 days of working against the clock, and more than 1,000 switchovers, Shanghai Line 5 had a seamless cutover to the new signalling system with no disruption to normal service.

Jerome Bendell, vice-president, North Asia and CEO of Thales China said: “By re-signalling a busy metro line in Shanghai and equipping the new signalling systems on its extension at the same time, Thales has once again proven its outstanding capabilities to deliver the complex projects in urban rail modernisation through its JV. It demonstrates the great success of our strategy on localising R&D through the JV. [Thales] is committed to supporting the future of Chinese cities with their Fast Forward plan and contributing to their increased public transit capacity.”

 

UBS first foreign bank to sponsor China Star tech bourse IPO

 

 

CBI member, UBS has announced that it has become the first foreign bank to sponsor an initial public offering (IPO) on China’s new tech-focussed Star Market trading bourse, where underwriters are required to invest in the listings they bring to the market.

The Star Market was launched in Shanghai in July, and is modelled on New York’s Nasdaq Index. The intention behind the bourse is to provide domestic technology innovators with a platform through which they can attract investment, ensuring they have resources to develop and compete globally. The bourse utilises a registration-based IPO system to facilitate companies’ funding, whereby if a company wishes to list a subsidiary or invested part of its business on the Star Market, the parent company must also become an investor in the listing.

UBS Securities, the bank’s majority-controlled joint venture in China acted as the sole underwriter for the IPO of Haohai Biological, a Chinese bio-chemical R&D company. Swiss-based, UBS AG subsequently become an investor in Haohai Biological, as required by Star Market listing rules. The company was previously listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange but has subsequently become the first company to be dual listed in Hong Kong and on the Star Market. Upon listing, the company was oversubscribed by more than 2,400 times, reflecting strong initial demand for securities listed on the market.

The launch of the Star Market was praised by analysts as a step towards embracing market forces in China’s economy, since companies that list an IPO on the bourse are priced by the market.

UBS said that this feature means that the Star Market opens up new revenue channels for its securities operations in China.

David Chin, head of UBS investment banking, Asia-Pacific said: “[The Star Market] is one of a series of capital market innovations rolled out in China this year which, collectively, present new business opportunities for us.”

UBS is one of only a small number of foreign banks permitted to sponsor IPOs in China. Historically, investment banking fees on IPOs issued on China’s stock exchange boards had been far smaller than in other markets, such as Hong Kong. However, Star Market deals are reportedly paying out more than IPOs on the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s main board. Banks reportedly took in $103m in revenue from $2.3bn in Star Market IPOs in October, while the Shanghai exchange listing made just $32m in revenues for investment banks on $2.2bn in IPOs during the same period.