The Facts of the Matter...

More of the latest facts about China

Here are some of the latest facts that we have discovered about the China business opportunity that might just get your business development minds ticking.

  • LGC Standards has opened its first office in Beijing, which will allow this manufacturer of laboratory products to tackle the Chinese market directly. Dr Matthias Brommer, director, said that LGC Standards was committed to providing global quality management solutions worldwide
  • General Motors may be struggling in the US, but the car maker has announced a half year sales record in China.
  • M&C Saatchi has said that it hopes to capitalise on China’s economic expansion by adding an office in Beijing to the office that the agency already has in Shanghai
  • China has more English speakers than the US
  • The Carbon Trust has signed a £10million agreement to accelerate low carbon innovation and technology transfer in China
  • At the IVCA Seminar in Glasgow, IP Law specialist Margaret Briffa said that China now had stringent copyright laws in place and that fears of the industry regarding infringement were based on the past and not the present
  • Tesco Chairman David Reid has said that “China represents one of the biggest opportunities in the 21st Century”
  • The Bank of China recently celebrated 80 years in the UK. The bank now has branches in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham. CEO Kenneth Ge said “We are expanding. You may see other banks reduce their size and lay off people, however we have recruited 50 more staff in the last 12 months and for the remainder of 2009 we will continue to do so.”
  • At the IVCA Seminar in Leicester, UK-China Business Consultant Anny Wang said that proposals written simply and in Chinese had the greatest chance of success. Anny also said that is was not considered rude in Chinese business etiquette to ask for a meeting ‘tomorrow’
  • China has launched a new commercial plane maker. China Commercial Aircraft has received $2.7 billion funding from state and regional governments. It is hoped that this company will soon be able to compete with Boeing and Airbus
  • China is now the world’s 6th largest maker of wine, with 400 wine producers
  • The China Britain Business Council and UKTI are considered best placed when it comes to developing business in China. Both run an Overseas Market Introduction Service that will provide much of your research make initial introductions and even act as a base for your business development in China
  • The next IVCA UK-China Seminars, which are free to members are at:
         29/9 - Spectrecom, Greenwich, London
         7/10 - Liverpool Chamber of Commerce
         28/10 - Two Four Studios, Plymouth
         TBA - Yorkshire and Humberside

Finally, some contacts gained from the 3 recent IVCA UK-China Seminars: