- The Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong

Transcription

Download the
Dragon News app
M e m b e r M a g a z i n e f o r t h e S w e d i s h C h a m b e r s o f C o mm e r c e i n H o n g Ko n g a n d C h i n a
No.04
2013
Foreign
appetite for
China’s food market
22
Ola Rollén
Measuring
the world
24
Aron
Fredriksson
Bringing
Scandinavian
fashion to
China
30
Kristoffer
Luczak
King of the
kitchen
China’s food
safety concerns
are creating
great opportunities
for foreign firms. But
Sweden’s food and beverage
exports lag far behind other
Scandinavian countries such as
Denmark and Norway.
FLY THE SHORTCUT
TO EUROPE
Fly the faster, shorter route from Hong Kong via Helsinki to over 50 destinations in Europe.
Finnair is the fast airline that connects you with all major destinations in Europe. Fly smoothly and
conveniently via Helsinki with one of Europe’s youngest fleets. See our daily prices and book your
flights at finnair.com/hk, call +852 2117 1238 or contact your travel agent.
Publisher
The Swedish Chambers of Commerce
in Hong Kong and China
For advertising inquiries, please contact
respective chamber’s office
The opinions expressed in articles in Dragon News
are those of the authors and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the publisher.
Editorial management, design and printing
Bamboo Business Communications Ltd
Tel: +852 2838 4553
Fax: +852 2873 3329
www.bambooinasia.com
[email protected]
Art director: Johnny Chan
Designer: Victor Dai
English editor: Chris Taylor
Cover photo: iStockphoto
INQUIRIES
Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong
Room 2503, 25/F, BEA Harbour View Centre
56, Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2525 0349
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.swedcham.com.hk
General Manager: Eva Karlberg
Marketing Manager: Emma Cosmo
Finance Manager: Anna Mackel
Helsinki
INQUIRIES
Swedish Chamber of Commerce in China
Room 313, Radisson Blu Hotel
6A, East Beisanhuan Road, Chaoyang District
Beijing 100028, People’s Republic of China
Tel: +86 10 5922 3388, ext 313
Fax: +86 10 6464 1271
Web: www.swedishchamber.com.cn
General Manager: Yvonne Chen
Office Manager Beijing: Karin Roos
Webmaster: Jaycee Yang
Finance Assistant: Klara Wang
Beijing
Delhi
Chongqing
Bangkok
Seoul
Shanghai
Tokyo
Nagoya
Osaka
Hong Kong
Singapore
Shanghai Contact
Office Manager Shanghai: Johanna Pollnow
Event Manager: Emma Gunterberg Sachs
Tel: +86 21 6217 1271
Fax: +86 21 6217 0562
Mobile: +86 1368 179 7675
CONTENTS
6 Opinion: Kristina Sandklef
8 Snippets
10 Cover story: Foreign appetite for
China’s food market 10
22 Executive talk: Ola Rollén
24 Young Professional interview:
Aron Fredriksson
30 Feature: Kristoffer Luczak - king
of the kitchen
22
32 Chamber activities in Beijing
34 Chamber activities in Shanghai
36 Spotlight on the SwedCham board
38 Strengthening Chinese leadership skills
40 Swedish companies still positive on China
30
42 New members
52 After hours
54 The chamber and I:
Members pick their favourite restaurants
ADVERTISERS
APC Logistics page 35, Asia Perspective page 21, Bamboo page 25
B&B Tools page 55, Bureau Veritas page 15, Business Sweden page 51
Executive Homes page 53, Geodis Wilson page 17, Handelsbanken page 56
Join the Finnair Plus programme at finnair.com/plus and get all the benefits right away from your first flight.
Finnair is also part of the oneworld alliance together with Cathay Pacific so you may collect Asia Miles on all our flights.
6
4 Editorial
Finnair page 2, Environmental Air of Sweden (EAS) page 49, Ericsson page 19
Finnair Plus – Enjoy the benefits of our frequent flyer programme
No.042013
Thank you!
APC Logistics
for your immense generosity shipping and distributing
Dragon News in China, Hong Kong, Asia and Sweden.
Nordea page 45, Primasia page 47, Radisson Blu page 9
Iggesund Paperboard
for being the proud sponsor for the paperboard
cover sheet of Dragon News magazine in 2012.
Cover printed on Invercote® Creato 220gsm.
Scandinavian Furniture page 47, Scania page 45, Scan Global Logistics page 53
The Swedish Chambers of Commerce in Hong Kong and China
Hellström page 49, Iggesund Paperboard page 37, IKEA page 27
Johnny’s Photo & Video Supply page 50, Mannheimer Swartling pages 28-29
SEB page 5, Sigtuna Boarding School page 52, Swedbank page 41
Vinge page 33, Volvo page 39
DRAGONNEWS • NO.04/2013 3
Jon Hicks/Corbis/Scanpix
EDITORIAL
When it’s time to do business,
we’re exceptionally open.
Katarina Nilsson
Chairman
Swedish Chamber of
Commerce in China
Ulf Ohrling
Chairman
Swedish Chamber of
Commerce in Hong Kong
Food – a question of health,
ethics and economy
Dear Reader,
Food is one of the basic necessities in life, as
well as being a source also of joy and a reason
for social gatherings. Scandals involving food
are therefore something that touch on deep
feelings, and they are of great concern. One
wonder what people are thinking when they
pour melamine into milk, knowing that is
dangerous, or drench vegetables in formaldehyde so that the greens look greener before
being sold at high prices even after having
been transported on a lorry for too long.
Some time ago there was a CNN report
on Chinese farmers living next to a chemical
plant that had polluted the soil surrounding
the factory. One farmer was asked whether
he was worried about the rice he was growing
there. His answer was a staggering: “Yes, we are
very concerned, but as we don’t eat the rice ourselves, we sell it, we think the situation is OK.”
Meanwhile, a river was filled with dead
pig carcasses as a result of the authorities’
crackdown on illegal sale of pork from diseased
pigs. Before the crackdown the meat was sold
in the streets of Shanghai and other nearby cities. The examples are many, and each of them
demonstrates greed and lack of even a limited
concern about other people’s health.
When IKEA responded to public concern
about their meatballs by saying their Chinese
4 DRAGONNEWS • NO.04/2013
products were actually produced in Fujian
Province, it is not certain that they provided
more comfort to the public than if they had
actually said they contained horsemeat and
been produced in Europe.
Food safety is not only a Chinese problem, but China has a relatively high number
of food-safety related scandals and food safety
is very high on the agenda of common people
in China. It is telling that demand for foreign
milk powder for babies, as opposed to milk
powder produced in China, is so high that
restrictions have been introduced in Hong
Kong limiting the amount of cans each mainland Chinese traveller can take out of Hong
Kong to protect supply to local customers.
The callousness of certain producers and
some responses from the public is an expression of a short-term perspective prevailing in
China today. In a society where development
has been rapid and economic progress paramount in recent decades, other values have
had to take the back-seat. There is a profound
lack of trust in society.
One problem is what people do knowingly, but an even higher risk is perhaps the
not so obvious effects on animals and crops
that are raised and grown on polluted soil and
in polluted waters. Health effects might only
show up much later.
Food as a resource will globally become a huge issue in a decade or two. Food
prices are expected to rise, which will hit the
poorest people the most. Social unrest is most
likely to follow. Food safety, as well as related
economical, environmental and ethical issues
should top the agenda for politicians around
the world.
But, what can individuals and companies do about it. One answer is to demand
and deliver high standard products that
are produced in an ethical and sustainable
way. This is a way of securing long-term
health, profitability and a way to look after
the generations to come. Evidence of the
importance of ethics and sustainability was
recently seen in China’s angora-fur sector.
That “industry” will now suffer dearly due to
the methods used to obtain the fur – simply
tearing it off tied up rabbits screaming in
agony. Anyone who has seen the YouTube
clips would ever dream of buying a coat that
included any angora.
Soon, most Swedes will gather together
for Julbord – a smorgasbord filled with all the
specialities of the season. Let’s pray that the
Julbord stay healthy and affordable for many
more generations to come! And with this
Christmas prayer, we would like to wish all
our readers a God Jul och Gott Nytt År.
Every business has a different story and a different goal. We understand that.
Over many years in this market of unique opportunities, we’ve developed the
local knowledge, resources and connections needed to turn ambitions into
reality. That’s why we’re one of the most well-established northern European
banks in the region. For corporates, financial institutions and private banking
clients, we’re ready to listen and cater to your needs – in Beijing, Shanghai,
Hong Kong, Singapore and New Delhi.
Discover more at www.sebgroup.com/asia
Agriculture is
crucial in China’s
food supply
China’s food-safety issues will
be tough to solve as long as it is
possible to cheat and bribe.”
Photo: iStockphoto
TEXT: Kristina Sandklef, East Capital, [email protected]
China has to provide
food for 20 per
cent of the world’s
population with only
8 per cent of the
world’s farmland.
With increasing
urbanisation, and an
increased demand
for meat and dairy,
future food supply
could face a rocky
road, predicts analyst
Kristina Sandklef of
East Capital.
In
November and early December 2013, many China
analysts have been focusing on
interpreting the new reform
agenda, which was published after the Third
Plenum of the 18th Chinese Communist
Party’s Central Committee (CCPCC).
Many parallels have been drawn to the economic reforms launched by Deng Xiaoping
at the Third Plenum of the 11th CCPCC in
1978, which launched the rapid economic
growth we have seen in China for the past
three decades.
At the 1978 plenum, the focus was on
creating a socialist market economy, but also
on opening up China for foreign investors,
allowing private entrepreneurs to do business, and reforming agriculture to make it
more efficient. The latter meant that farmers
were de-collectivised and received the right
to lease land for cultivation, though it was
regulated under the so-called “household
responsibility system”, which allowed them
to cultivate what they wanted as long as they
produced specific quantities of grains to be
sold to the government at a fixed price.
This was probably the reform that had
the largest impact on the Chinese popula-
tion, which at that time was largely rural, with
71 per cent of the working population working
the fields. By 2012, in contrast, only 34 per
cent of the working population was farmers.
In today’s reform programme, besides
the proposed land reforms and reforms of the
hukou system, there is actually little focus on
agriculture – only some fluffy talk about modernising the sector and establishing new forms
of agricultural operating systems. However, if
the proposed land reforms are implemented,
it would mean that the rural population will
be able to use their leasing rights as collateral
for loans, and that they would also be able to
sell the leasing rights to others, which could
create larger farms.
Land reform is a sensitive issue in China,
as the Communist Party came into power
by abolishing land ownership and executing
hundreds of thousands of landlords. Today,
local governments get a large share of their
revenues from land sales, and land disputes
have become the most common reason for the
approximately 180,000 mass incidents taking
place annually in China.
For China to be able to pursue land reforms, the country needs to change its tax sys-
Kristina Sandklef is a macro-economist focused on Asia at East Capital,
an asset management company specialising in emerging and frontier markets. She started studying Chinese
and Asian studies at Lund University
in 1990 and worked as a consumer
market researcher at Ericsson for
nine years, three years as a China
analyst for the Swedish Armed Forces
and joined East Capital in 2011.
tem so that local governments are less dependdevelopment to become more efficient in
ent on land sales to balance their budget. On
order to minimise food wasted due to lack of
the other hand, land is the safety net for the
inefficient storage facilities and poor transrural population within the hukou system, and
portation. According to the UN Food and
when 20 million migrant workers lost their
Agricultural Organisation, one third of the
jobs in the export industry in 2008/2009,
food produced globally is wasted, with India
many of them returned home to their plots
and China being the worst culprits.
of land and lived on subsistence farming until
In order to increase agricultural producthey found new jobs.
tion, China is very interested in genetically
Although agricultural reforms are not the
modified (GM) foods, but there is also a lot
focus of the latest round of reforms, agriculof criticism of GM products in China. Last
ture is crucial in terms of China’s food supply.
year, a scandal erupted in Hunan Province
Today, China has to provide food for 20 per
after news came out that school children in
cent of the world’s population with only 8 per
rural areas had been fed with GM golden rice
cent of the world’s farmland. China is already
with added A-vitamin in school without their
a large importer of grains, and as urbanisation
parents’ knowledge. Given the importance
gathers pace and farmland per capita falls,
of food for many Chinese – for example, in
coupled with the increased demand for meat
traditional Chinese medicine – GM food
and dairy products that comes
products could face similar
with higher income levels,
problems in China that they
along with other emerging
are facing in other countries.
markets’ increased demand for
Likewise, increased use of
food, future food supply face a
pesticides and fertilisers might
rocky road.
appear to be a quick fix, but
The percentage of the
This is a likely reason why
today many Chinese farmers
working population in
we read so much about China
already use too much of them,
2012 that are farmers.
leasing land for cultivation
resulting in poisonous fruit and
In 1978, the percentage
of grains in Africa, Southeast
vegetables, and lakes overgrown
was 71 per cent.
Asia, Latin America, and this
with algae.
autumn also Ukraine. It is also
not surprising that China has a comprehensive
Another major problem that needs to be
grain security policy that requires the country
solved is water supply. Northern China already
to be self-sufficient in grain production until
suffers from water shortages, often leading to
2020, and also aims to achieve more efficient
droughts. This is a problem the Chinese govagricultural production.
ernment is prioritising by investing hundreds
of billions RMB in water-works infrastructure
during the current Five-Year Plan.
One way of solving this problem, according to the 12th Five-Year Plan, is to modernise
Lastly, the large question of food safety
needs to be solved. China’s new leaders have
the agricultural production and build a new
promised to get tougher on cheating food
socialist countryside with better infrastructure,
producers, and food safety is paramount in
creating “a civilised rural society”, to quote
the minds of most Chinese these days in
the People’s Daily. Part of this project will
the wake of scandals involving tainted dairy
be to create larger farms from today’s small
products, meat products compromised by
plots for more efficient cultivation, an aim
hormones and antibiotics, pesticides in wine,
that has made the Swedish experience of land
fake eggs, rat meat sold as lamb, and gutter
consolidation in the 18th and 19th centuries an
oil. From a broad perspective, China’s foodinteresting case study for Chinese researchers.
safety issues will be tough to solve as long as
In consolidating land into larger farms,
it is possible to cheat and bribe, but solving
there will also be a focus on creating nonthem is essential if China wants to remain
agricultural jobs in the agricultural service
self-sufficient in food production and not
sectors, such as logistics, transportation and
become a net food importer. b
processing. Today, these services need further
34%
Foo d Safet y S n i p p ets
Rat race in Guangdong
n In May 2013, Chinese authorities busted a criminal operation that sold rat, fox and mink meat
as mutton in Shanghai and neighbouring Jiangsu
Province for more than 10 million yuan.
But for some Chinese, rat is a delicacy and is even served in restaurants. The China
Daily reported in 2010 about restaurants in the town of Zhongcun in Guangdong Province,
where rat dishes have been a major attraction for decades. Diners sometimes have to book
in advance for a rat meal at the most popular restaurants during peak hours.
A staff member of one of the restaurants said that it could sell more than 40 kilograms
of rat-meat dishes a day – they come roasted, braised in soy sauce, stewed or cooked in soup.
n Premier Li Keqiang has promised to tackle
pollution and food safety problems in China
with an “iron fist and firm resolution”.
“We will upgrade China’s economic development model to enable people to enjoy
clean air, safe drinking water and food,” Li
said at a press conference after the closing
meeting of the first session of the 12th
National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing
on 17 March, 2013.
Li said that the food safety issue is of
utmost importance as it is directly related
to people’s health and life quality.
“The government should resolutely
crack down on fake and substandard food
products, and make those unscrupulous
producers pay high prices,” the premier said
according to the Xinhua news agency.
He promised that the government
would push forward with scientific development and deal with environment and food
safety issues in a more transparent way.
Did you know …
n … that the number of law suits over food safety
cases has grown rapidly in China over the past
three years, with 1,533 criminal cases related to
the production and sale of uncertified food tried
nationwide and 2,088 people sentenced between
2010 and 2012, according to the Supreme People’s Court, reports China Daily.
QUOTE
Food safety to be tackled
with ‘iron fist’
“Right now, almost all of the
beef jerky on the market in
Fujian [Province] is fake.”
Yao Yuancheng, general manager of Longhai
Yuancheng Food Company, to a reporter who
revealed that most of the province’s beef
jerky, or dried beef strips, is made from pork,
processed into a beef-like substance using
beef extract and illegal chemicals.
A paradise for infant formula producers
n In 2008, China surpassed the US to become the
world’s largest market for formula milk for babies. The
London-based market intelligence firm Euromonitor
expects sales of infant formula in China to double from
US$12 billion in 2012 to US$25 billion in 2017.
Sales of formula milk in the US are declining because of a falling birth rate and a rise in breastfeeding.
As a result, manufacturers of infant formula are turning their attention to developing countries, especially
China, where they can charge a premium since the
domestic brands are still struggling with the bad reputation caused by the melamine scandal in 2008.
Old traditions also help to create a big market for
formula milk in China, where new mothers are supposed to rest for the first month after delivery, while
the relatives take care of feeding the new-borns. Infant
formula is, for this reason, much preferred over breastfeeding – and also because formula helps babies to sleep longer.
China also has the world’s second highest rate of caesarean sections – at 46 per cent
of all deliveries – which leads more mothers to use formula milk. Mothers fear drugs used
in the operation will affect their breast milk. There is also a common belief that China’s
chronic air pollution is harming mothers’ milk supply, reports Reuters news agency.
Rewards to food-safety informers
n China will offer up to 300,000 yuan as a cash reward to
people who report on others who violate food safety laws.
“Actions taken to report violations of food and drug
safety laws will be rewarded,” state news agency Xinhua
reported in January 2013. “The reward for each case, in
principle, will not exceed 300,000 yuan.”
Rewards will be paid out after the authorities confirm
the veracity of the tip-offs.
Four new
modernisations (4)
Foreign appetite for
China’s food market
China’s food safety concerns are creating
great opportunities for foreign firms.
But Sweden’s food and beverage
exports lag far behind other
Scandinavian countries such
as Denmark and Norway.
Text: Jan Hökerberg, Bamboo,
[email protected]
A
s China’s people get wealthier,
they also want to eat healthier.
China’s upper-middle class is
expected to account for more
than half of urban households by 2022,
according to research by McKinsey. At that
point, they will become the principal engine
of consumer spending, and they will probably, to a large extent, choose imported food
over local products.
For decades, the ruling Communist
Party set a goal of guaranteeing at least 95
per cent food self-sufficiency. But the ongoing urbanisation process – the fastest and
biggest in world history – is swallowing
up arable land, which has led to a drive for
quantity rather than quality. Harvests have
been secured even from land contaminated
by high levels of industrial waste, and irrigated with water unfit for human consumption.
The result has been successive food
scandals, forcing the government to put food
safety ahead of food security, and making it
highly plausible that quotas on high-quality
food imports will be allowed to increase.
In 2008, six infants died and 300,000
babies were affected with painful kidney
stones after drinking tainted milk powder.
An industrial chemical, melamine, was
added to milk powder sold by several major
Chinese producers, allegedly to boost the
protein content in the milk.
Many other items on the shelves of
Chinese stores have been tainted by scandals.
The so-called “gutter oil” scandal involved
the sale of cooking oil made from leftovers
in restaurant kitchens, or even scooped from
drains. Rice has been found to contain dangerous levels of toxic cadmium. Pork from
diseased pigs has been sold countrywide, and
some food products have been proven to be
faked altogether – most notoriously mutton
and beef that was actually made from rat, fox
and mink meat.
While these frequent food scares are
terrible news for Chinese consumers, they
could turn out to be good news for foreign
food exports.
Many countries have already woken up
to that fact, but Sweden appears only now to
be rousing from a deep sleep.
“With some exceptions, Swedish food
and beverage companies have underperformed when it comes to exports to China.
Many other countries, such as our neighbours Denmark and Norway, have done
much better,” says Marie Söderqvist, director
general at the Swedish Food Federation.
“Denmark and Norway are at levels that
are at least 10 times higher than Sweden. If
Swedish food and beverage exports had the
same ratio to total exports as Denmark, our
exports would increase by more than US$700
million,” says Margaret Leung, manager at
Business Sweden’s Hong Kong office.
The food industry is Sweden’s fourth
largest industry. About a third of the production, valued at around SEK60 billion, is
exported, mainly to Nordic and other European countries. In 2011, China accounted
for only SEK244 million, or 0.4 per cent, of
those exports, while food exports to Hong
Kong amounted to just SEK101 million.
Sweden food exports to China are mainly
milk powder and other dairy products,
fruits and vegetables, coffee, chocolate and
confectionaries.
“Total Swedish food exports have
doubled over the past decade, but in the
case of China development has been rather
slow. Most important is to get a trade agreement with China to be able to export meat.
However, many other countries are standing
in line, trying to get such an agreement from
the Chinese,” says Söderqvist.
“There is big demand in China for
chicken feet, pork legs and pork ears – products that are not used in Sweden, but could
become Swedish export successes if they were
allowed to be exported,” she says.
Sweden’s neighbour, Denmark, has
worked much harder at achieving acceptance by the Chinese authorities. Denmark is
known internationally for its breeding skills,
“For many Swedish small- and medium-sized
companies, China is a faraway market,” says
Margaret Leung of Business Sweden.
The overall theme for this year’s cover
stories in Dragon News is the four new modernisations launched in November 2012 by
China’s then premier-in-waiting, Li Keqiang. Li
announced the party’s four new modernisation goals highlighting Beijing’s push in the
areas of information technology (IT), industrialisation, urbanisation and agriculture.
In China, the so-called four modernisations were first used by former premier Zhou
Enlai in 1963 to strengthen the fields of
agriculture, industry, national defence and
science and technology.
And in December 1978, at the Third
Plenum of the 11th Central Committee, paramount leader Deng Xiaoping announced an
official re-launch of the four modernisations,
marking the beginning of the reform era.
In this year’s fourth issue, Dragon News
looks into the opportunities for foreign
companies to export food to China after the
recent years’ many food scandals.
waste management and animal welfare.
Meanwhile, official Chinese representatives
have also made frequent visits to Denmark,
leading to some Danish farms being certified
by the Chinese and given permission to
export meat to China.
“The opportunities in China for exporting dairy products are huge,” says Frede
Juulsen, senior vice president and responsible for China at Arla Foods, a farmerowned dairy company with owners in
Sweden, Denmark and four other countries
(see separate article).
Denmark’s leading food and beverage exports are pork, seafood, cereal, milk, starch,
flour and pastry products, as well as soups,
ice cream, sauces, seeds, fruits, and grains,
and fodder for animals.
Traditionally, Swedish food producers have concentrated their efforts on the
domestic market rather than on exports.
“They are not used to it, and there could
be cultural barriers, as well as problems handling supply chains, logistics and transportation,” says Söderqvist.
“For many Swedish small- and mediumsized companies, China is a faraway market.
Because of the competition, they have to do
a lot of homework,” says Leung.
The furniture retailer IKEA is actually
Sweden’s biggest food exporter to China.
IKEA is even able to offer meat and chicken
products in its restaurants in China. How-
ever, these products are made in China, according
to Yvonne Yin, commercial PR manager at IKEA in
Shanghai (see separate article).
Breakthrough for Arla
If Swedish companies have been slow in selling food products to China, some have been more
successful in selling equipment to the food industry.
DeLaval, a company within the Tetra Laval Group, is
a pioneer in the Chinese agricultural sector, providing
equipment, consumables and services to Chinese dairy
farmers since 1979.
DeLaval delivers products for automated systems
for milk extraction, milk cooling and storage, herd
health and performance systems, consumables services
including farm-management services. The company is
the market leader in China and counts all the country’s
leading dairies among its customers.
“After the melamine crisis, there was much greater
concern about food safety. This has resulted in a consolidation into big farms, often with more than 1,000
cows, and in some cases over 5,000 cows on one site,”
says Geert-Jacob van Dijk, managing director of DeLaval’s local sales organisation in China, who has seen
the company’s turnover double every three years.
The company has also established a Sino-Swedish
Dairy Centre, which was China’s first international
collaboration in terms of training and research for the
dairy industry.
“There is a lack of knowledge about farm management in China, so at the centre we train farm managers
how to manage their herd, improve the milk quality,
animal health and drive herd productivity and profitability,” says van Dijk.
In essence, China needs to modernise its agricultural sector. Hexagon, a leading global provider of
integrated design, measurement and visualisation technologies, is currently working with two provinces on
technical solutions to make the farms more productive
and environmentally friendly.
The international dairy cooperative Arla Foods, with 3,600
owners in Sweden, has become the second-largest shareholder
in one of China’s largest dairy companies, Mengniu, which will
distribute Arla’s products China-wide.
China is the world’s fastest growing dairy marjoint venture with the Inner Mongolia-based
ket and the world’s largest importer of dairy
Mengniu, China’s second largest dairy comproducts. In 2008, China imported 250,000
pany, taking a 49 per cent minority share.
tonnes of dairy products, a figure that has
In 2012, Arla signed an agreement
quadrupled today to 1 million tonnes.
with Mengniu to strengthen its presence
“The opportunities for exporting dairy
in China. The deal involved an investment
products to China are huge,” says Frede JuDKK1.7 billion (RMB1.9 billion) and made Arla
ulsen, senior vice president with responsibilthe second-largest shareholder (6 per cent)
ity for China at Arla Foods, a farmer-owned
in Mengniu after the state-owned commodicooperative based in Aarhus, Denmark.
ties giant Cofco.
The main reasons for the import boom,
Arla has signed a commercial agreeaccording to Juulsen, is
ment with Mengniu,
that local dairy producwhich will distribute,
ers are struggling to find
market and sell Arlasufficient land and water
branded products in Chito support growing local
na, such as long-life milk,
The average milk consumption
demand.
cheese, and milk powder
per capita in China is still only 23
“The average milk
for babies.
to 25 litres per year, compared to
consumption per capita
“We have launched a
65 litres in Asia overall, and 200
in China is still only 23
number of new products,
litres in Europe.
to 25 litres per year. On
such as organic babyaverage, Asia as a whole
milk powder and organic
consumes 65 litres and the EU around 200
long-life milk,” says Juulsen, who adds that
litres milk per capita annually. Previous
Arla is the world’s largest organic dairy
experience in Japan and South Korea shows
product producer.
that when an economy grows, its citizens
“We also want to contribute to China’s
want better nutrition,” says Juulsen.
development, so we’ve set up a technical
centre where we can transfer knowledge
Arla has been active on the China market
from Scandinavia to increase food safety by
since 2006, when the company entered a
improving local milk production,” he says.
23-25
Most
important
is to get a trade
agreement with
China to be able
to export meat.”
Marie Söderqvist,
Swedish Food Federation
Photo: Arla Foods
Milkers in DeLaval’s Cascade milking parlour,
designed to increase the speed of cow traffic.
Photo: Peter Jönsson
Danish cows produce healthy milk.
RISK
RISK
COST
COST
DELAY
DELAY
ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT
ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT
Photo: Hexagon
With the help of aerial photos and a GPS system,
Hexagon helps farmers to get more productive.
SAFETY
SAFETY
QUALITY
QUALITY
0.4%
BRAND PROTECTION
Bureau Veritas' mission is to help Clients manage their assets, products or services, systems and employees whilst
creating economic value through risk management and performance optimization. Bureau Veritas China provides
customized and performance-driven solutions with a specific concern for domestic requirement.
Founded
Founded in
in 1828,
1828, Bureau
Bureau Veritas
Veritas is
is a
a World
World Leader
Leader of
of Conformity
Conformity Assessment
Assessment and
and Technical
Technical Consulting
Consulting services
services in
in the
the fields
fields of
of
Quality, Health
Health and
Quality,
and Safety,
Safety, Environment
Environment (QHSE)
(QHSE) and
and Social
Social Responsibility.
Responsibility.
Bureau Veritas
Veritas employs
employs over
over 10,000
10,000 people
people in
in 110+
110+ offices
offices throughout
throughout China.
China.
Bureau
CONSTRUCTION
CONSTRUCTION SERVICES
SERVICES &
& PROJECT
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
MANAGEMENT
- Construction Project Management
- Construction Project Management
- Regulatory Construction Supervision "Jianli"
- Regulatory Construction Supervision "Jianli"
- LEED and Green Building Consulting
- LEED and Green Building Consulting
- HSE / Safety Management
- HSE / Safety Management
INSPECTION & VERIFICATION SERVICES
INSPECTION & VERIFICATION SERVICES
- Fire Fighting & Electrical System Testing & Inspection
- Fire Fighting & Electrical System Testing & Inspection
- Lifting Equipment Testing
- Lifting Equipment Testing
- Pressure Equipment Testing
- Pressure Equipment Testing
- Machinery & Work Equipment Inspection
- Machinery & Work Equipment Inspection
INDUSTRY
INDUSTRY
- Design Review
-- Design
Review
Shop / Site
Inspection
The opportunities
for exporting dairy
products to China are huge.”
Frede Juulsen, Arla Foods
Shop / Site
Inspection
-- Supplier
Assessment
-- Supplier
Assessment
Product Certification
www.bureauveritas.com
www.bureauveritas.com
Another importer of Swedish food products is SverigeShoppen (The Sweden Shop) in Hong Kong, which is run by Swedish
couple Per and Carol Ågren. Per, who works at APC (Asia Pacific
Cargo), handles the logistics and Carol runs the store.
“When we found out in 2012 that IKEA had stopped selling
brands other than its own, we decided to import some traditional
Swedish products and launch a small-scale web shop. For that
year’s Christmas holiday, we brought in some 20 Christmas hams
but discovered that there was much bigger demand and ended up
selling some 150,” says Per Ågren.
“We realised that there was a potential to do much more
BUILDING VALUE
VALUE
BUILDING
Photo: Arla Foods
“We fly over the fields and take aerial photos
here, and decided to import many different
to identify problem areas and ways to improve
products that are not possible to find elsewhere
crop yields. Then we programme a GPS system
in Hong Kong. We also opened a small store in
mounted in the farm’s tractor, so that the farmer
Tsimshatsui, in addition to the web shop, and
is automatically guided to the problem areas.
have started distributing our products to superChina’s share of total Swedish
He can carry out special arrangements suggested
markets, hotels and restaurants,” he says.
food exports.
by an agronomist in order to improve yields in
All their items are imported by air-freight.
the problem areas but he can also avoid to, for
Hong Kong’s import regulations make this easy.
example, wasting water on areas where it’s not needed. With this
Import licenses are needed for chilled or frozen meat, but not for
solution, we can raise productivity by 30 per cent per hectare and
processed meats and most other products.
the usage of water and pesticides can decrease by 50 per cent,” says
Ola Rollén, president and chief executive officer of Hexagon (see
Peter Fransson, director and part-owner of Saison Foods
also pages 22-23).
Service in Hong Kong, is taking advantage of the same import
regulations, running a company that imports beef, pork, lamb,
Scandinavia has a good reputation in China, and as Chinese
become wealthier their curiosity about foreign products and the asArla Foods’ CEO Peder Tuborgh
sociated health, safety and status that comes with them are making
explains the deal with Mengniu.
imported foods an attractive market – a trend that can be expected
to continue for years to come.
However not all consumers in China are ready for imported
food and often need to be educated.
“To sell beer is not so difficult, since all Chinese know what
beer is. But lingonberry jam, for example, is much more difficult to
explain. We do that with in-store promotion where we get a chance
to explain the product and let the consumers taste,” says Per Lindén
who runs Scandic Foods Asia in Shanghai (see separate article).
- Product Certification
CERTIFICATION
CERTIFICATION
- Certification of Management Systems & Processes
- Certification of Management Systems & Processes
CONTACT US
CONTACT US
Kristoffer MIL
Kristoffer
Nordic KeyMIL
Account Manager China
Nordic
Key Account Manager China
[email protected]
[email protected]
Tel: +86 (21) 2319 0506
Tel:
+86+86
(21)180
2319
0506
Mobile:
1750
1488
Mobile: +86 180 1750 1488
Scandic Foods targets the wealthy Chinese
Scandic Foods Asia imports and sells around
40 Swedish products in China, including beer,
jam and crispy bread.
In 2009, Scandic Sourcing in Shanghai decided to import beverages from Sweden, but the move was more a coincidence than
a result of forethought.
“In our sourcing business, we couldn’t hedge the Chinese
currency at the time, and the RMB was appreciating against the
US dollar. To eliminate currency exchange losses we needed to
import something to achieve a balance in our currency flows,
and we chose mineral water,” says Per Lindén, president at
Scandic Sourcing.
That was when he discovered how difficult it was to import
food and beverages to China because the regulations were so
different compared to other countries.
“The mineral water we imported from Guttsta Källa couldn’t
be classified as mineral water; we were only allowed to say that
it was purified water,” says Lindén.
However, he didn’t give up; rather he founded a subsidiary
called Scandic Foods Asia. A breakthrough came about when
the company reached an agreement to distribute its products
through a supermarket chain called Olé, which today has stores
in 14 cities China-wide, most of them in luxury shopping malls.
Olé is owned by conglomerate China Resources Enterprise, a
giant that also owns CRC Vanguard and Pacific Coffee stores in
Hong Kong, among other holdings.
Olé is a high-end supermarket brand in China and it provides
quality products thanks to its close cooperation with more than
100 brand suppliers in over 20 countries and regions. Its imported goods account for over 85 per cent of its product range.
“When we introduced them to Swedish soft drinks, they
were really happy to see that it was a family of products in bright
colours and that they came from Sweden. They welcomed us
since they didn’t have any Scandinavian products in their assortment range. We decided that Scandinavian products in high endsupermarkets would be the niche we will work in,” says Lindén.
Today, Scandic Foods imports around 40 Swedish products to
China, including beer from Spendrups, Krönleins and Arboga,
jam from Felix, crispy bread from Vilmas, oat milk from Oatly,
and rice cakes from Friggs.
“We have now also made an agreement with the Swedish
food company Procordia and have access to their complete
product programme, including Abba seafood. It is our ambition to add some 30 more products in 2014,” says Lindén. “Our
target group is not expatriates, but sophisticated middle- and
upper-class Chinese, a fast growing customer group with a
growing demand for imported high-quality food products.”
Photo: Scandic Foods Asia
Our target group is
not expatriates, but
sophisticated middle- and
upper-class Chinese.”
Per Lindén, Scandic Foods Asia
mutton, and chicken products, mainly from Australia, the US,
and Argentina, among other countries, for five-star hotels in
Hong Kong, as well as to restaurants and supermarkets.
“Hong Kong has fair, open, simple and clear regulations for
meat imports,” says Fransson. “But Sweden is not known here as a
supplier of culinary food products. France has a good share of the
market and so has Italy and Spain, especially for fine dining. Holland, the UK, Germany and Denmark are also major suppliers.”
Fransson has been based in Hong Kong since the mid-1980s. At
that time, Sweden had a good share of the bacon market in Hong
Kong, but it disappeared when Sweden decided to limit its subsidies.
Realising there are huge opportunities, Sweden is now trying
to grab a bigger share of the food markets in China and Hong
Kong. In November 2012, a major delegation of food and beverage companies, led by Minister of Rural Affairs Eskil Erlandsson,
Guidelines to a China F&B entry
Ten basic guidelines for entering the Chinese market for
food and beverages.
• Get to know the market.
• Find a local partner and/or distributor.
• Know the rules.
• Invest (wisely) in consumer research.
• Find your market niche and focus on it.
• Invest in market promotion.
• Adapt your products.
• Pursue gradual but sustainable growth.
• Understand the importance of relationships.
• Be flexible.
Source: Business Sweden
Chinese customers enjoy Swedish food
Besides being the world’s leading
furniture retailer, IKEA is also a leading
Swedish food exporter, supplying its inhouse restaurants and Swedish food
market stores. Yvonne Yin, commercial
PR manager at IKEA, Shanghai, says that
Chinese consumers are becoming increasingly accustomed to Swedish food.
“It’s important for IKEA that we enable our customers to experience Swedish food, which is an important part of
Swedish culture. We can see customers
enjoy the food a lot. For example, Swedish meatballs have become a famous
dish. The quality of IKEA food is very good
and our customers feel they are getting
value-for-money dishes,” she says.
Do you ‘localise’ the menu to better suit
Chinese tastes?
“Yes, we do. For traditional Sweden dishes
such as meatballs and salmon, we do
retain the authentic flavours. But we also
offer local dishes to customers so they
have a broader range of choices.”
Where are IKEA’s food items produced?
“Most products are produced either in Sweden or in Europe. But due to legislation,
some products can’t be imported, so some
IKEA-agreed recipes and flavours include
local products.”
Have you seen a downturn in the food
businesses in China after the discovery of
horse-meat in some IKEA meatballs?
“The Chinese market was not affected by
the horse-meat issue. The meatballs we
serve in China are made in China according
to a Swedish traditional recipe. There was no
horse-meat found in IKEA meatballs in China
The meatballs we serve in
China are made in China with
a Swedish traditional recipe.”
Yvonne Yin, IKEA
visited Shanghai and Hong Kong.
The Consulate General of Sweden in
Hong Kong is also actively working to
promote Swedish food products.
“Sweden is a big exporting country
but our agricultural sector has so far been
mainly domestic. As a consulate general,
we have to be selective and concentrate on
areas where we can make a difference. We
have decided to prioritise two main sectors:
clean-tech and food and beverages,” says
consul-general Jörgen Halldin.
“Hong Kong is an open market for
importing food and beverage products. It
doesn’t have its own agricultural sector and
is a fairly mature economy. Hong Kong is
also a window to China, so it can serve as
a test market for players who want to enter
China,” he says.
Together with the Swedish trade and
invest council, Business Sweden, the
consulate general is focusing on regulation,
education and events.
“After Eskil Erlandsson met his Hong
Kong counterpart, we had a breakthrough
and Hong Kong allowed imports of beef
from Sweden. We are now working on to
get approvals for imports of game meat,
such as elk, roe deer, red deer, fallow deer,
wild boar and reindeer,” says Halldin.
He adds that the Hong Kong market
for food products is really larger than you
would think at first; it is the largest export
market world-wide for Japanese food
products, the seventh largest market for
US agricultural products and it has quickly
grown to be the fourth largest market in
the world for Swedish pork exports.
The consulate also arranges opportunities for Swedish chefs to work at restau-
Photo: IKEA
IKEA is the leading Swedish
food exporter to China, but
some products have to be
produced locally.
… We don’t think our reputation was
damaged in terms of local customers.”
Two years ago, IKEA decided to only
promote its own food items in its
stores, but recently some of non-IKEA
brands are back on the shelves – has
the company changed its mind?
“No, there is no change IKEA policy on
food items. During the transition period,
there have been product shortages in
certain product ranges. As a temporary
solution, IKEA is adding some non-IKEA
brands, but we will go back to being
only IKEA-branded as soon as possible.”
Consul-general Jörgen Halldin is working on to get
Hong Kong approvals for imports of game meat.
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
When one person connects, their life changes.
With everything connected, our world changes.
Find out more at: ericsson.com/networkedsociety
Photo: Gerhard Jörén
“Hong Kong has fair,
open, simple and
clear regulations
for meat imports,”
says Peter Fransson
of Saison Foods
Service.
Louise Wikström of Ekpac Asia says that most of
the company’s customers already comply with
China’s new food-safety regulations.
rants in Hong Kong and Macau. Recently,
Lund University also signed a cooperation
agreement with the School of Hotel and
Tourism Management at the Hong Kong
Polytechnic University.
Business Sweden and Sweden’s official
tourism promotion arm, Visit Sweden,
have also launched a website about Swedish
food, www.tryswedish.com.
After the melamine scandals in
2008, China put its first Food Safety Law
into effect in 2009. Since then, the government has slowly implemented up to 350
food-safety regulations. By 2015, all the
regulations are expected to be implemented.
“Most of our customers already comply with the new regulations since they are
suppliers to larger non-Chinese corporations, for example McDonald’s,” says
Louise Wikström, chief executive officer of
Ekpac Asia, a company that sources specialised industrial machinery to customers
predominantly in Taiwan and China. Food
processing and packaging is one of the
company’s six divisions.
“Technology catering to European
regulations is at times challenging to
introduce to local customers in China
where regulations for animal handling and
environmental issues differ substantially,”
she says.
In March 2013, the National People’s
Congress ratified the creation a new authority, the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), which stripped several bodies
of their food and drug regulatory powers.
Ten years earlier, in 2003, a complete
overhaul of the food safety system was seen
as too difficult because several ministries
oversaw food safety.
In October 2013, the CFDA released
a revised draft of the law, asking for input
from the public.
It will, however, probably take a long
time for Chinese consumers to regain confidence in domestically produced food. b
Fierce domestic competition
In 2011, the National Bureau of
Statistics’ numbers for Chinese
food and beverage firms with core
revenue of at least 20 million yuan
alone included:
• 1,785 state-owned farms with 6.4
million hectares sown.
• 20,895 food-processing firms and
614 state-owned firms.
• 6,870 food manufacturers and 284
state-owned firms.
• 4,874 beverage manufacturers and
271 state-owned firms.
Source: Kreab Gavin Anderson.
Hexagon’s CEO Ola Rollén has created a totally
new company from the one he took over 13 years
ago. He has divested all 90 companies in the old
conglomerate and bought some 200 measurement
technology enterprises, making Hexagon a global
market leader. Now, he has made Hong Kong his
base for the company’s future expansion.
He quickly discovered that he wanted to work
in industrial companies “where you deal with a lot
of people and produce things that have meaning”.
At the heating technology company Kanthal, he
started out as a controller and left as president
eight years later. Several years earlier, in 1985,
Kanthal had set up the second Swedish joint venture in China, together with giant local steelmaker
Shougang Group.
“At that time, the more senior executives were
not so fond of going to China, so I got the opportunity and spent quite a bit of time in Beijing
from 1990 to 1998. Today, it is the opposite; now
the most senior executives in Western companies
are being sent to China,” says Rollén.
Text: Jan Hökerberg, Bamboo, [email protected] PHOTO: Hexagon
Measuring
the world
S
ome 13 years ago, Ola Rollén got a
pany in a struggle with some Swedish investors
very special offer. He was asked to
but managed to keep the name Hexagon, which is
take over a company called Hexagon
Greek for a polygon with six edges and six vertiand the main shareholder, the Swedces. In 1992, Ek founded a new Hexagon, which
ish businessman and investor Melker Schörling,
was dominated by Swedish family-owned smallsaid to Rollén that he could do whatever he wanted
and medium-sized enterprises, and Schörling took
with it because it had “driven off the tracks”.
a majority of the shares in 1998.
Rollén took over as president and chief execuToday, there is little that is Swedish about the
tive officer and undertook a massive restructuring.
company. Even though it is listed on the StockToday, he has sold all of the 90 companies in the
holm Stock Exchange, only 10 out of 14,000
original group – mostly moneyemployees are Swedish, its headlosing, family-owned companies.
quarters are in London, and Rollén
He replaced them with a new
himself has chosen to make his base
business – design, measurement
in Hong Kong, where he recently
and visualisation technologies –
moved together with his wife and a
The number of companies
and has, over the years, acquired
nine-year old son.
Ola Rollén’s Hexagon has
around 200 companies around the
acquired since he took
world, making Hexagon the global
Rollén is 48 years old and his
over in 2000.
No 1 player in the industry.
career has included top executive
“In the 1990s, while I was
positions at Kanthal, Avesta Shefworking at Sandvik, I was offered an executive
field and Sandvik Materials Technology. He was
position at an American corporation, Brown
born and grew up in Stockholm where his father
& Sharpe, which focused on metrological tools
Jarl-Erik was a businessman and his mother, Berit,
and technology. It was now in financial default
a social democratic politician. However, rather
and it became the first company we bought. The
than becoming a leader of a big international
purchase price was one and half times Hexagon’s
company, Rollén almost became a rock star ...
stock market value at that time so it was a huge
“Before I took up my studies in finance at the
deal,” says Rollén.
Stockholm University in the 1980s, I wanted to
be a musician. We had a band called Capricorn,
and we played middle-of-the-road rock music.
In the very beginning, Hexagon was a Swedish conglomerate led by the late entrepreneur
We even got a record contract, but then we had
Torbjörn Ek. He was manoeuvred out of the comdisagreements and we split up,” says Rollén.
200
If you’re
in line
with what the
authorities want
to achieve through
their five-year
plans, then you
can grow very
quickly in China.”
Ola Rollén on …
… why he hasn’t appointed any women in
Hexagon’s executive management team in 13
years: “I would be happy to do that, but real
equality in an engineering group like Hexagon
is when a woman is appointed an executive
for a part of our core business, not just a staff
function like head of human resources or communications. But it is a fact that 80 per cent
of all engineers are men so it’s not easy to find
women with the ideal background. In our China
operations, however, 25 per cent of the managers are women.”
… profit-sharing: “It is important that a company earns money and that its success can
be shared by the employees. If you feel that
you are part of the company, part of its profit
improvement, you do a better job. Just look
at how you treat your own car compared to a
rented one.”
… outsourcing of factories to China: “The middle class in the West aren’t earning more money
today, in real terms, compared to 10 years ago.
But the prices of capital goods have decreased
so we think we have got a better standard
of living. Today, we can hire five engineers in
Shanghai for the same salary as one in the US,
and it is very tempting to do that.”
He built Hexagon through buying companies,
and says the key acquisitions were the US-based
Brown & Sharpe Inc in 2001, Leica Geosystems
of Switzerland in 2005, and the US-based software
provider Intergraph in 2010. The customers come
from many different industries, such as surveying, power and energy, aerospace and defence,
construction, safety and security, automotive and
manufacturing, as well as governments.
“Sometimes, the competitors have advanced
more than we have, and then it is often better
to acquire them rather than doing your own
research and development,” says Rollén, adding
that Hexagon still spends 12 per cent of its net
sales on R&D.
Today, Hexagon has activities in more than 40
countries and net sales of about EUR2.6 billion.
In China, the company has 3,000 employees, five
factories, and 18 regional offices, with the head
office in Qingdao.
“China is the market with the biggest
growth potential. If you’re in line with what the
authorities want to achieve through their fiveyear plans, then you can grow very quickly in
China,” he says.
He realised early that it was impossible to
keep the global headquarters in Sweden and established a head office in London instead.
“We have one third of our business in North
America, one third in Asia, and the remaining
third in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. If we
need to set up a meeting quickly we need to be
in a city that everyone can visit via direct flights.
Stockholm has very few direct flights. It’s a pity
for Sweden that we have downgraded ourselves,”
says Rollén.
By locating himself in Hong Kong, he wants
to emphasise the importance of Asia for the
expansion of the company, to acquire information on what is going on in the Asian markets
more rapidly and, not least, force his executive
colleagues in the West to go to Asia more often.
“Asia will be our future home market and we
want to be regarded as a domestic player here,”
says Rollén. b
Aron Fredriksson, 27,
came to Shanghai to
study Chinese, but soon
founded ÅÄÖ Brands, a
company specialising
in helping Scandinavian
brands to enter China.
Text: Savannah Alsén, Swedish Chamber of Commerce Shanghai
[email protected]
C
hina is no longer only manufacturing garments for the rest of
the world. The Chinese fashion
industry is booming and the
opportunities for foreign brands to enter the
market are growing each year.
Scandinavia has a strong design heritage
and is known for high quality and design, but
Chinese consumers are in general more
aware of French and Italian design.
All the same, many Scandinavian
brands have arrived in China,
and as the fashion industry
landscape continues to develop Scandinavian design
is definitely here to stay.
Aron Fredriksson
has founded ÅÄÖ
Brands, a company that
specialises in helping
Scandinavian brands to
enter the Chinese market.
The company is leading the
opening of H&M-owned Cheap
Monday’s first ever mono-brand stores in
China in December 2013 and in the spring of
2014. A mono-brand store is a retail outlet that
only sells its own products.
How did you end up in China?
“In 1995, when I was nine years old, my father
brought me along on one of his freelancing trips
to Beijing. During the trip I met a Swedish person
who spoke Mandarin fluently, and this left a big
impression on me. I think that was probably the
moment when I made the unconsciousness decision that I would learn the language in the future.
Bringing
Scandinavian
fashion
to China
Back in 1996, when mobile phones were
the size of bricks; before tablets, before 3G,
before Google even, Microsoft co-founder Bill
Gates wrote an article in which he foresaw the
importance of content on the Internet.
“Content is where I expect much of the real
money will be made on the Internet, just as it
was in broadcasting … Those who succeed will
propel the Internet forward as a marketplace
of ideas, experiences, and products – a
marketplace of content,” he wrote.
Bill Gates was right. Today, 17 years later,
content marketing has become the art of
communicating with customers and prospects
without the hard sell. If you, as a company, can
deliver consistent, ongoing, valuable content
to buyers, ultimately they will reward you
with their business and loyalty.
Ten years later, in 2005, I started Chinese studies at Stockholm
University, but soon realised that to really master this language I
had to travel China, so I bought a one-way ticket to Shanghai.”
Once you were here, how did you get the idea to start
your business?
“One thing led to another. I got a scholarship to study
at Fudan University and decided to start ÅÄÖ
Brands at the same time. I had some old
contacts in the fashion industry in Europe
and realised that, other than H&M,
there were no Scandinavian fashion
brands working actively in China
and specifically targeting Chinese
customers. As a result, I decided
to found the first and only fashion showroom in China that
offers distribution services for
foreign brands. The first ÅÄÖ
Brands office was just a
12-square-metre apartment
in the French concession
area, but it’s now a 500sq-m showroom, and our
business keeps growing
every day.”
Cheap Monday is
opening their first
mono-brand stores
in China; why are so
many Scandinavian
brands choosing to
enter the Chinese
market now?
“I believe Scandinavian
fashion brands have finally
Bamboo has been creating content in Hong Kong and overseas
from 1996 and in China from 2002 as a one-stop shop for its
customers. Here is what we can do: Customer magazines and
newsletters, internal magazines and newsletters, apps for iPad and
Android tablets, e-newsletters and websites, corporate video, marketing
materials for trade fairs, article assignments and photography,
interactive sales presentations, reader surveys, advertisements, etc.
We can do it in Simplified or Traditional Chinese and other
Asian languages, as well as in English.
Feel free to contact us to know more or to set up a meeting.
Jan Hökerberg, managing director
[email protected]
Johan Olausson, sales and marketing manager
[email protected]
Bamboo Business Communications
Ltd (Hong Kong) +852 2838 4553
Bamboo Business Consulting
(Shanghai) Co, Ltd +86 21 6472 9173
We make your company’s best stories come alive
www.bambooinasia.com
Scandinavian fashion
brands have finally
realised the importance of
expanding into the Asian
markets as the European
market continues to decline.”
Fredriksson’s company is helping the H&M-owned
Cheap Monday to open stores in China.
Selling in China has
always been more
about selling a brand rather
than a product.”
realised the importance of expanding into the Asian markets as the
European market continues to decline. Increased online social-media
sharing possibilities have also meant that Chinese customers are becoming more aware of which brands that are actually popular abroad,
which in turn has had a big impact on local demand.
“Still, as a foreign brand striving to enter Asia you have to be realistic and ask yourself what competitive advantages your brand really
has in these markets? From my experience, selling in China has always
Aron Fredriksson in brief
Age: 27.
Job: Co-founder and CEO of ÅÄÖ Brands.
Lives: Xintiandi, Shanghai.
Time in China: Seven years.
Best thing about Shanghai: The entrepreneurial environment.
Worst thing about Shanghai: The pollution.
been more about selling a brand rather than a product, But this is a
big challenge because it means that you have to put a lot of effort into
translating your entire brand story and adapting it to local habits.”
What are the challenges your clients face in China compared with other markets?
“China is a very complex market in the sense that you have competitors from all continents gathered in one place. This is a major
challenge, and it means that Scandinavian brands in China not only
compete with European and American brands but also with Korean,
Japanese, and local Chinese brands. Selling garments in a country with
a strong manufacturing sector is also a big challenge for all brands because it means price competition is extremely fierce. All brands have to
be very careful with how they position and market themselves in order
to reach their expected goals.”
What do you do when you’re not working?
“I like to travel a lot and get inspiration from different places; this always
improves my creativity. Other than that I like to do sports and work out,
I believe that staying fit and healthy is still highly underestimated.” b
This is the first time the MOFCOM has established a
formal legal panel for international investment disputes. The
panel was formed via a public competitive bidding procedure
conducted by CMC International Tendering Company on
behalf of the MOFCOM.
Mannheimer Swartling’s dispute resolution group secured
the appointment to MOFCOM’s legal panel with a team
led by Nils Eliasson, head of the firm’s Dispute Resolution
practice group in Asia, primarily assisted by Sabrina Wang
and Åsa Rydstern from the firm’s Shanghai and Stockholm
offices, respectively.
volvo car group signs second loan agreement
with china development bank
Volvo Car Group (Volvo Cars) and China Development
Bank have signed a USD 800 million loan agreement with
a maturity in 2021. As announced by Volvo Cars, the loan
will support Volvo Cars in further developing its product
program as well as strengthening its capital structure over
the coming years.
Volvo Cars was advised by Mannheimer Swartling. The
team handling legal issues in the transaction comprised
Rosmarie Söderbom from Volvo Cars, André Andersson
from Mannheimer Swartling’s office in Stockholm together
with Hans Abrahamsson and Ida Gao from Mannheimer
Swartling’s office in Shanghai.
Nordic touch with a Chinese edge
what's new?
judy wang and becky jiang recently join the firm’s
china team in shanghai
Judy Wang arrives from U.S. firm O’Melveny & Myers.
After receiving her L.L.M. degree at the University of
Pennsylvania in 2009, she worked at the US Securities and
Exchange Commission and later at the Government of the
District of Columbia.
Becky Jiang graduated from Shanghai International Studies
University (L.L.M.) in 2005 and gained work experience at
Carrefour China and at the Chinese law firm Concord &
Partners where she has been working with finance transactions as well as in- and outbound M&A.
what's up?
mofcom appoints mannheimer swartling to legal
panel for international investment
The Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) of the Government of the People’s Republic of China, has announced
the appointment of Mannheimer Swartling to its panel of
international legal advisers. The scope of the appointment
involves providing legal services to the Chinese government in economic and trade agreement negotiations related
to investment and in international investment disputes.
Mannheimer Swartling secured its appointment to the panel
in competition with 23 predominately English or U.S. law
firms and is the only firm from the Nordic region appointed
to the panel.
awards
mannheimer swartling leads “klientbarometern”
for tenth consecutive year
For the tenth consecutive year, Mannheimer Swartling
has been named Sweden’s most sought legal adviser in BG
Research’s annual client survey, “Klientbarometern”.
mannheimer swartling tops tns sifo prospera
client survey
Mannheimer Swartling ranks highest in “overall performance” among business law firms by corporate lawyers and
executives in TNS Sifo Prospera’s client survey. The study
evaluates commercial law firms by surveying nearly 200
companies that buy legal services in Sweden. Participants
rate various aspects of law firms’ services; among the 16
criteria assessed are legal expertise, professionalism, high
business ethics, ability to manage large projects and pricing.
biörn riese receives swedish bar association’s prize
for outstanding work in the legal profession
Mannheimer Swartling partner and chairman Biörn
Riese has received the Swedish Bar Association’s prize for
outstanding work in the legal profession. Riese is the first
lawyer specializing in business law to receive the award.
the sixth ap fund invests in salcomp and enters
into a partnership with nordstjernan
The Sixth AP Fund (“AP6”) has signed an agreement
with Nordstjernan whereby AP6 acquires, through a
holding company, 45 per cent of the shares in Salcomp Oyj
(“Salcomp”). Nordstjernan remains the majority owner with
55 per cent of the shares.
Salcomp is a world leading manufacturer of chargers for
mobile phones, tablets and other mobile devices. During
the last twelve months, Salcomp had net sales of EUR 466
million. Salcomp has around 13,000 employees and production sites in China, India and Brazil. The company also has
offices in Finland, Taiwan, South Korea, USA, Japan and
Hong Kong to support customers on a global basis.
AP6 was advised by Mannheimer Swartling in the transaction.The firm’s team included primarily Clas Nyberg, Jan
Holmberg, Terese Holmqvist, Anna Nidén, Moa Molin,
Tobias Normann and Magnus Prick from Sweden and also
included Ulf Ohrling, Rachel Dong, Hans Abrahamsson
and Andreas Elving from the firm’s offices in China. Stefan
Perván Lindeborg and Magnus Olsson were responsible for
the competition filing.
With Christmas and the Western New Year rapidly approaching, we would like to express our sincerest Season’s
Greetings!
god jul och gott nytt år
season’s greetings and a happy new year
frohe weihnachten und ein gutes neues jahr
joyeux noël et bonne année
c hoвыm годom
圣诞快乐及新年进步
The chef
King of the kitchen
Celebrated chef Kristoffer Luczak is enjoying
working in Macau, to where he moved after a career
at some of the world’s most famous hotels.
Text: Jan Hökerberg, [email protected] PHOTO: Gerhard Jörén – see his photo collection at www.gerhardjoren.com
A
s a teenager, Kristoffer Luczak
decided to quit upper secondary
school in Stockholm, Sweden,
and work as a trainee in restaurants instead. He never dreamed he would be
where he is today – vice president for food
and beverage at Melco Crown Entertainment
Ltd in Macau, with 1,600 people working for
him, including 600 chefs.
“At that time, working in a kitchen
was just an ordinary job. It didn’t have the
same status as today, chefs worldwide being
celebrated almost like rock stars,” says the 44year old Swede.
Luczak left Sweden when he was 19 and
has worked abroad since, at first at hotels and
restaurants in Ireland and England, followed
by a stint at Sheraton in Frankfurt.
Sheraton transferred him to its Australian
Mirage resort hotel in Port Douglas. In 1994,
he was appointed chef de cuisine of the fine
dining at one of Australia’s best restaurants at
Park Hyatt in the capital Canberra.
A few years later, he came to Asia, where he
has worked over the past 20 years for five leading
hotel companies: The Oberoi in Bali, the Dusit
Thani in Bangkok, The Peninsula in Bangkok,
Kristoffer Luczak (third from left) together with his
colleagues at Raffles in Singapore.
Kristoffer Luczak about …
Moving to Macau is the best thing
I have done in my whole life.”
pany is one of the six licensed casino operators
Raffles in Singapore, and now Melco Crown in
in Macau.
Macau, which operates the City of Dreams and
“I thought I should try it out and perAltira hotels including 25 restaurants.
haps stay six months. Now, I have been there
“I have had the opportunity of working
for seven years and it has been an amazing
at some of the world’s finest hotel restaurants.
development. Macau has the
The Peninsula got a prestigious
highest concentration of fiveaward as the world’s best hotel
star hotels in the world. In
when I was there. At that time,
2012, Melco Crown alone had
the Swedish King and Queen
the same turnover as the whole
visited Bangkok and I was reThe number of chefs
Las Vegas’ casino business,
sponsible for the royal dinner,”
working at Melco
four billion US dollars,” says
says Luczak.
Crown’s 25 restaurants.
Luczak.
“Raffles is very much a culinary institution and had at that
time the largest single food and beverage operaHe lives in Macau together with his French
wife Christine, whom he met 10 years ago in
tion in the Asia-Pacific. We had 18 restaurants
Bali, and their baby daughter Alexandra, who
and 200 chefs in the kitchen,” he says.
was born in January 2013.
“She’s my first, and it’s a fantastic feeling
He joined Raffles in 2004 as an executive
to have a child. In this part of the world you
chef and when he left a couple of years later
work so much so it is easy to forget about
he had overall responsibility for
having children,” he says.
food and beverage in the hotel
When Luczak came to Macau in 2007,
group.
after a career at some of the world’s most
“People thought I was
prestigious hotels, he admits that he probably
crazy to go from one of the
was somewhat pretentious in the beginning
world’s most famous hotels to a
and that Macau felt a bit ‘secondary’.
casino operator in Macau, but
“However, moving to Macau is the best
as a chef you need to change
thing I have done in my whole life,” he says.
environment now and then to
“The owners give me freedom to do what I
get a new adrenaline kick and
want. I have learnt a lot about Asian and espefind inspiration,” says Luczak.
cially Chinese cuisine. I am also very much
Melco Crown is controlled
involved in the operations, creating strategies
by Lawrence Ho, a son of the
for different types of guests and price levels,
Macau gambling mogul Stanley
and taking active part in our future developHo, and James Packer, son
ments in Manila and the new gaming resort,
of the late Australian media
Studio City, in Macau.”
tycoon Kerry Packer. The com-
600
… food safety in China: “Those who
can afford it are eating more and more
imported food. The poor will continue
to suffer.”
… the quality of restaurants in Sweden: “I was travelling around in Sweden
for a TV programme in 2012 and I was
disappointed. While Stockholm has
a lot of great restaurants with new
concepts most of the towns in the
countryside seem to only have pizza
and kebab restaurants. I had hoped to
see farmers selling their fresh products
at market squares.”
… his favourite restaurants: “In Hong
Kong, I go to Din Tai Fung when I long for
dim sum and dumplings. In Stockholm,
it would be Lisa Elmqvist for seafood,
Operakällaren’s Bakficka for meatballs, Bistro Jarl for beef Rydberg and
Mathias Dahlgren at the Grand Hôtel
for fine dining.”
He also appreciates the proximity to
Hong Kong and boards the ferry several times
a week to meet friends and business contacts.
Luczak says that he eats all kinds of food
but prefers to have the local specialties wherever he is:
“When I am in Sweden, I’d like marinated
herring and Skagen mix [shrimps with dill, red
onion, bleak roe and mayonnaise] and other
typical Swedish tastes, such as wild strawberries and cloudberries. If I am in Thailand I’ll
have the Tom Yum Goong, and in the Czech
Republic I’ll eat roast pork and sauerkraut.”
He also enjoys making dinners at home.
“I try to do it as much as I can. I put on some
music, pour a glass of wine and start cooking.
It is relaxing and a bit of therapy for me …” b
Beijing
Are you ready for
the talent war?
Jacob Wallenberg together
with Lars-Åke Severin,
chairman of the chamber’s
Beijing Chapter.
Breakfast meeting with Jacob Wallenberg
n On 29 October, the Swedish banker Jacob Wallenberg gave a fascinating breakfast presentation on a broad range of subjects, starting with the founding of the
SEB bank in 1856 to his current view on the state of the world economy. The
presentation gave a clear-headed view on the challenges that China and the global
community is facing although he still remained hopeful.
Jacob Wallenberg visited China to attend the annual meeting of the International Business Leader Advisory Council (IBLAC) with the mayor of Shanghai, Yang
Xiong. He described the mayor as an energetic leader and noted that the deputy
mayors are younger than their predecessors, have a better grasp of the English
language and a more global outlook.
The presentation was followed by a Q&A session that addressed a variety
of topics, including a discussion of what advantages Swedish companies have in
China, such as Sweden’s respected national brand and the long-term commitment
to China that Swedish companies have demonstrated.
n The Nordic chambers of commerce hosted a human
resources morning seminar on 26 November at the
Radisson Blu Hotel in Beijing.
Nordic and other international companies struggle
with how to retain and attract the right employees.
The seminar was a good opportunity for everyone to
listen, share and take in good and practical advice from
the members of the panel, which consisted of Jessica
Hedlund (vice president North Asia at Universum), Anu
Pires (head of HR APAC Region at Nokia), Diana Niu (senior vice president for HR at Volvo Trucks) and Christian
Topp Olsen (managing director at Velux China). The
panel was moderated by Christer Ljungwall, counsellor
at the Swedish Agency for Growth Policy Analysis.
Hedlund based her speech on a vast number of
case studies and field research from Universum. She
talked about employer branding as a unique selling
point and the importance to match different generations’ needs and to analyse the difference in perception
between Chinese and Nordic students.
Other recommendations from the speakers
included not being afraid telling employees to face a
bumpy ride and to embrace company’s culture with an
open mind. Team members should be treated as if they
are the best you can hire. Employees should be retained
with a supplementary pension system, while maintaining flexibility for contributions by employees. Employers
should never “over-promise” its employees and should
adopt a pragmatic approach in recruiting local staff.
Experience leads to excellence
Vinge opened its office in Hong Kong as early as 1985. In 1999, Vinge became the
first Swedish and Scandinavian law firm to obtain a licence to open an office in China,
located in Shanghai. Vinge has led the way and assisted clients in Sweden-China related
trade and investment matters for more than 20 years. Practice makes perfect.
Gandong Li (left) of the Swedish chamber’s Beijing Chapter
presented the event, which included panel members Anu Pires,
Christian Topp Olsen, Christer Ljungwall (moderator), Diana Niu
and Jessica Hedlund.
Visa briefing from the embassy
From left, Curt
Bergström (Sino
Matters), Anders
Andersson (Swedish
embassy) and
Jimmy Xue
n On 26 November, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce had the pleasure of
welcoming Anders Andersson, senior migration officer and head of the visa
section at the Embassy of Sweden, for a briefing about visa rules and how to
make the process smooth and easy.
Andersson stressed the importance of handing in all the correct documents and not trying to cut any corners by using fake documents or not
submitting all the requested documents. Hand in your application in time,
and calculate 15 days for the process, although it usually takes less time.
He suggested that if you have questions or problems with the application,
you should contact the visa section directly.
STOCKHOLM
GOTHENBURG
MALMO
HELSINGBORG
BRUSSELS
HONG KONG
SHANGHAI
Driven
Shanghai
Social media as a
driver of innovation
n On 14 November,Tomas Larsson
from Kairos Future intrigued an
audience of 34 by sharing how the
more than 600 million internet users
in China have become not only a
force for change in society, but also
a driver of innovation in organisations
by using social media. Internet users
in China are three times more active
than their Western counterparts.
Larsson talked about how companies
can harness the wisdom of the crowd
and “big data” through social media
to enhance their innovation capacity
and devise better strategies.
From left, Henrik Larsson (Inter IKEA), Johanna
Pollnow (Swedish Chamber of Commerce), Olle
Carlbark (SCA) and Lars Falk (Volvo Cars) discuss
Scandinavian design in China.
Implementing Scandinavian design in China
n On 4 November, during the Nordic Design and Innovation Week, close to 50 people gathered at
Bridge 8 in Shanghai to discuss how to implement Scandinavian design in China. Lars Falk, vice
president of Volvo Design China, Henrik Larsson, head of architecture of Inter IKEA Centre China,
and Olle Carlbark, global technical innovation director of SCA Asia Pacific, shared their experience
and knowledge about the topic.
Falk told the audience that the Volvo Design studio’s work is all about maximising creativity
and working closely with customer and market inputs to create and deliver essential advantages.
Larsson gave a presentation on how the Inter IKEA Centre is bringing international shoppingcentre concepts to the China market. IKEA is emblematic of many Scandinavian design values
such as simplicity, functionality, diversity, natural light and materials.
Meanwhile, Carlbark discussed how innovation efforts at SCA utilised insights into trends and
customer- and consumer-needs to implement a Nordic baby-diaper design into a Chinese brand.
Analyst Tomas
Larsson
encourages
companies to
make better use
of social media.
Swedish businesses face
challenges in China
Jakob Kiefer of
the Swedish
embassy
and Katarina
Nilsson of
the Swedish
Chamber of
Commerce
present the
results of their
annual survey
of Swedish
companies.
n Katarina Nilsson, chairman of the Swedish Chamber of
Commerce in China and Jakob Kiefer, deputy head of mission
of the Embassy of Sweden discussed the results of the newly released Business Confidence Survey with an audience of
30 at Le Méridien hotel in Shanghai on 21 November.
The profit margins of Swedish companies in China are
decreasing and the domestic competition is growing fiercer
every day. However, most companies are still profitable and
plan to expand investments. A large number of companies
perceive corruption as still being an obstacle to doing business in China and believe that the competition does not
always play fairly. An increasing number of companies reported that their branding was an advantage on the market;
on the other hand, they said they felt that quality decreased
in value in terms of competitive advantage.
We are catalysts of evolutionary
development ... customer by
customer, order by order. Every
customer is unique and our role
is to make their logistics more
efficient in every way, every day.
www.apclogistics.com
Spotlight on the board:
Active lobbying in Hong Kong
SwedCham Hong Kong works for extended Swedish passports,
a double taxation agreement and direct flights to Scandinavia.
n The board of SwedCham Hong Kong is actively carrying out lobbying work in three
important areas, and appreciate the support it has received from members.
The possibility of an increased number of pages in the Swedish passports. A majority
of SwedCham’s member companies are frequent travellers to China and the Asia
region. Swedish 32-page passports fill up too quickly for such Swedish businesspeople,
causing a many problems for the companies and individuals involved. It is highly
recommended that a business passport with at least the double number of pages (64)
should be available, even at a higher cost.
A number of countries provide this service, but unfortunately Sweden does not,
even though it used to.
The board has taken this issue to the Swedish National Police Board
(Rikspolisstyrelsen), but with no success so far. Copies of the letters sent by SwedCham
and a reply from Sweden (in Swedish) are posted on www.swedcham.com.hk.
A comprehensive double taxation agreement (CDTA) between Hong Kong and
Sweden. SwedCham supports a tax treaty between Hong Kong and Sweden, as
opposed to an information exchange agreement only. Hong Kong has indicated
its willingness to negotiate and enter into such an agreement, but Sweden, in
contrast to a number of other European countries, has so far shown no interest.
For background, please see the notice posted on the SwedCham website.
The reply obtained so far states that Sweden is not giving this priority and
blames lack of resources.
The issue is on going, and the board is lobbying all possible channels in
Sweden. If you have any input or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact
the chamber’s office. The board feels this is an issue that, if not resolved, could
impact Sweden’s competitiveness negatively in relation to other European
countries, for example Finland and Holland, when attracting Chinese investments
in Sweden via Hong Kong.
Direct flights between Stockholm and Hong Kong.
Currently, no carriers offer direct routes to Scandinavia
(Sweden, Denmark and Norway) from Hong Kong.
SwedCham is convinced that there is potential for direct
flights, and has been pursuing in-depth dialogues with
airlines on expanding future routes. Dialogue is on going.
Please stay tuned for more information about the
progress of negotiations on these issues by visiting
SwedCham Hong Kong’s website, and click on the “Spotlight
on the Board” icon. Please remember that lobbying can be a
powerful tool. It was, at least partly, thanks to our chamber’s
initiative that the changes to the Hong Kong Companies
Ordinance, which aimed to store secret information about
board members in Hong Kong companies, were shelved.
Stronger leadership skills
for Chinese talents
Training in Shanghai
n The Swedish chamber in Shanghai has
over the past years held multiple training
programmes in Chinese focusing on leadership skills and personal development.
The goal for the participants has been to
cultivate the skills needed to work and
lead effectively within a Swedish-Chinese
organisation.
The focus has been on personal
leadership and one important result of
the programme is improved networks. The
programme is made up of three full training
days composed of six modules; personal
leadership and development, presentation
skills, a personality test assessment, and
cultural training, as well as assertiveness
and accountability. The educators have
come from MiL Institute, The One-Minute
Presenter, Concius and Thomas International, while participants are from large,
medium-sized and smaller companies, creating a dynamic group that learn from both
the trainer and from each other.
“The employees we have sent to the
A group of emerging leaders from
Shanghai-based Swedish companies.
Emerging Leader’s Programme have all been
promoted, and that is why we have kept
sending more employees to the programme
each year,” says Anna Palmqvist, chief representative of H&M Far East Ltd.
“Almost one month has passed since I
completed the programme together with
21 other talented participants from Nordic
companies, banks and institutions. One of
the biggest benefits I obtained from the
course was the chance to get to know
these energetic, talented and creative
people,” says Ida Gao, legal advisor at Mannheimer Swartling.
The Beijing participants were
happy to receive their certificates
at the last module.
Training in Beijing
n Since the human resources costs for
expats continue to increase, many foreign
companies are speeding up the pace of their
localisation process. This has led to strong
demand from Swedish companies to enhance their Chinese talents leadership skills.
In February 2013, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in China started a series
of training modules for Chinese leaders
at Swedish companies in Beijing, overseeing its last module in November. The goal
of this leadership programme, which was
arranged in cooperation with the training
company MTI, was to cultivate the skills
needed to work and lead effectively within
organisations that have both Chinese and
Swedish influences. It focused strongly
on personal leadership. Another point of
the programme was the development of
strong networks.
Many member companies in Beijing
“During the three-full-day course we
listened, shared, supported, challenged and
coached each other. We explored the foundations for good leadership in the context
of different personalities and cultural backgrounds along with presentation skills and
other practical abilities required to become
a better leader.”
The chamber will continue to offer
full-day training sessions in a new format
in spring 2014. The training will focus on
specific topics, such as sales, human resources, team management and leadership
and will be in English.
and Tianjin sent their Chinese talents to
attend the programme, which included
nine different modules, including the Leadership Transition Programme, From Vision
to Results, Influencing Leadership Power,
Developing and Coaching Your Team,
Problem Solving and Decision Making, Negotiation Skills, Successful Selling Skills,
Effective Meetings, and Customer Relation
Management. Around 60 participants attended the nine modules with an average
of 22 attendees in each module. The 12
participants who attended more than six
modules received a certificate signed by
the Swedish Chamber of Commerce and
MTI. The chamber is planning to continue
with more training sessions on new and
relevant topics in the future.
Swedish companies
remain positive on China
n Most of the 200 Swedish or Swedish-related
companies that participated in the 2013 Business
Confidence Survey view the Chinese market as favourable and profitable. However, the overall trend
suggests there has been a marginal decrease in
the number of companies that have a positive
outlook on China compared with the last report in
2011. This is evident in areas such as the overall
favourability of the Chinese market, profitability,
market share, investment climate and the availability of skilled labour.
The Business Confidence Survey is conducted
biannually by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce
in China, the Embassy of Sweden in Beijing, and
Business Sweden in China.
Among other key findings in the survey were
that fewer companies are increasing their market
share, with competition being the primary barrier to
profitability; that 60 per cent are planning further
investments in the coming two years; and that 50
per cent think that corruption exists, and more than
two-thirds of these companies think that it poses a
The survey covered 200 Swedish or
Swedish-related companies in China with
a total of almost 87,000 employees.
“moderate” or “great” difficulty to their business.
Product quality and design are regarded as
the greatest advantages versus local competitors, while pricing and government relations are
perceived as the greatest disadvantages.
Some 37 per cent have noticed increased
implementation of corporate social responsibility
(CSR), and 27 per cent have received increased
demands for CSR implementation from customers; 29 per cent had increased their demands on
Chinese suppliers regarding CSR.
The purpose of the survey is to get an overview of how Swedish companies are performing
in China, the opportunities and challenges they
face, and their outlook on the Chinese market.
The report will also serve as a source of reference
in the on-going bilateral trade dialogue and jointcommission meetings between the Chinese and
Swedish governments.
The surveyed Swedish companies employ a
total of almost 87,000 people with the majority
based in Shanghai or Beijing.
Swedish banking in China
We feel at home in the Chinese market and want you to feel the same. It’s a large and
fastgrowing market. As a result, more and more Scandinavian companies need banking
solutions, such as cash management, financing in local and foreign currencies, trade
finance and treasury solutions in China.
We’ll help you – bringing our 20 years of experience of business in China. If you have
the opportunity, please visit us in Shanghai where we’ve been located since 2001.
Swedbank Shanghai
Citigroup Tower 601,
33 Huayuanshiqiao Rd.
Shanghai, China
+ 86 21 386 126 00
HONG KONG ORDINARY MEMBER >>>
Connect2China Consultant
Company Ltd
No 39 Lung Sum Avenue, 17/F
Room 1707, Landmark North
Sheung Shui, NT
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2670 7787
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.connect2china.se
Activities
Helping companies become successful on the Chinese
market by offering services both for clients with export and
sales in China and for those buying and sourcing from China.
We also arrange business courses, matchmaking, and workshops, as well as events and leisure travel services.
Chamber representative
Urban Dahlén, Managing Director
Kemira Hong Kong Company Ltd
Room 801-02, Shui On Centre
6-8 Harbour Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2899 2850
Web: www.kemira.com
Activities
Kemira has operations in 40 countries and employs approximately 4,900 people. Our four research-and-development
centres are located in Espoo (Finland), Atlanta (USA),
Shanghai (China) and São Paolo (Brazil). Kemira is a global
chemicals company, serving customers in water-intensive
industries. We provide expertise and chemicals that improve
our customers’ water, energy and raw-material efficiency.
Petri Helsky, President
Hexagon AB
19/F, Cheung Kong Centre
2 Queen’s Road Central
Central
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 3469 5240
Web: www.hexagon.com
1
2
Ekpac Asia Ltd
2803 Sino Plaza, 255 Gloucester Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2555 5555
Web: www.ekpac.com
Activities
Hexagon (NASDAQ OMX Stockholm: HEXA B) is a leading
global provider of design, measurement and visualisation
technologies. Our customers can design, measure and position objects, and process and present data, to stay one step
ahead in a changing world.
Activities
Our business strengths lie in sourcing industrial machinery
from leading global manufacturers. with extensive sales and
service operations throughout Greater China and Southeast Asia. We also source a wide variety of components for
worldwide distribution from Greater China.
Ola Rollén, CEO
Chamber representatives
Louise Wikström, CEO
Leif Sjöholm, Director
1
2
1
2
Orangefield ICS Limited
6/F, St. John’s Building
33 Garden Road
Central
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2854 4544
Web: www.orangefield.com
SverigeShoppen
Shop 202, SOLO Building,
41-43 Carnarvon Road
Tsimshatsui, Kowloon
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2312 1919
Web: www.sverigeshoppen.com
Activities
Orangefield ICS is part of a global corporate service
provider and fund administrator. With more than 40 years
of experience, we provide a wide range of services to
corporate clients, private clients and fund managers from
all over the world.
Activities
SverigeShoppen promotes, introduces and distributes
Swedish food and beverage brands in Hong Kong/China,
directly to consumers through www.sverigeshoppen.com
and a retail shop in Tsimshatsui. We also provide wholesale
to restaurants, hotels and department store chains.
Karen Cheung, Business Development Manager
Quinten Kah, Business Development Manager
Carol Agren Lee
1
2
Panalpina Asia-Pacific Services Ltd
1301-13, 13/F, ATL Logistics Centre B,
Berth 3
Kwai Chung Container Terminal
NT, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 3405 0700
Web: www.panalpina.com
Swedbiz Design & Development Ltd
Unit 1628, 16/F Star House,
3 Salisbury Road
Tsimshatsui, Kowloon
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2802 9533
+86 138 233 80535
Web: www.swedbiz.com
Activities
The Panalpina Group is one of the world’s leading providers
of supply chain solutions. The company combines its core
products of airfreight, ocean freight, and logistics to deliver
globally integrated, tailor-made end-to-end solutions.
Activities
SwedBiz is your business partner specialized in procurement,
sourcing and sales services in China and Southeast Asia. We
offer a variety of services and business models for your company, and we can tailor the best solutions for your needs.
Robert Jonasson, Trade Lane Development Northern Europe
Kennet Stigsson, Managing Director
1
2
Wild Grass
1/F, 8 Arbuthnot Road
Central
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2810 1189
Web: www.wildgrass.hk
Universum Communications Pte Ltd
76 Circular Road 02-01
049430 Singapore
Tel: +65 91167854
Web: www.universumglobal.com
Activities
Our restaurant is all about natural, sustainable ingredients, lovingly prepared by traditional slow-cooking methods. Here, you’ll find wholesome, time-honoured recipes
readapted for a new generation of food lovers.
Jean Paul Gauci, Director
Emma Maria Norgren, Manager
1
2
Activities
Universum is the global leader in employer branding. We
are passionate about empowering clients to grow great
employer brands. We’re experts in providing market insights,
communication solutions and advisory services that enable
employers to attract, recruit and retain talent.
Joakim Ström, Managing Director, APAC
HONG KONG OVERSEAS MEMBER >>>
Välkommen, velkommen, tervetuloa, welcome ...
1
2
Muraya
4/F, No 1000 Changping Road,
Jing’an District
Shanghai 200042
PR China
Tel: +86 21 3226 7550
Web: www.muraya.com
1
Activities
Muraya is an established Swedish interior design and construction company in Asia. We have successfully completed
multiple projects across China for corporate offices, retail
spaces and industrial facilities for international clients, and
we are qualified to work on projects of any size within China.
Love Englund, General Manager
Agnieszka Rapala, Marketing Manager
1
2
OneMed Holding AB
Svärdvägen 3B
SE-182 33 Danderyd
Sweden
Tel: +46 725 32 00 92
Web: www.onemed.com
Activities
OneMed is a leading medical-supplies distributor, serving
customers in the healthcare industry with reliable and efficient solutions for their entire needs in terms of supplies
and related services.
Our mission is to make everyday life easier for healthcare personnel by ensuring that they receive the right products at the right time. By improving processes and reducing
inefficiencies, we can lower the overall costs for customers
and ultimately increase the quality of care for patients.
Johan Falk, CEO
Henrik Cederqvist, Product Area Director
Nordea opens International Private Banking branch in Singapore
With the opening of its new private banking branch in Singapore, clients resident in Asia can benefit from Nordea’s wealth management
expertise, global market access and Nordic approach to doing business, while maintaining their account in the Asian financial centre of
Singapore. Address: Nordea Bank S.A., Singapore Branch, 3 Anson Road, #20-01 Springleaf Tower, Singapore 079909
Visit us at www.nordeaprivatebanking.com, call +65 65 97 10 82 or email [email protected] for more information
or to set up a personal meeting.
1
Making it possible
Nordea Bank S.A, Singapore Branch is part of Nordea Group, the leading financial services group in the Nordic and Baltic Sea regions. Some products and services may, due to local regulations, not be available to individuals resident in
certain countries and their availability may depend, among other things, on the investment risk profile of persons in receipt of this publication or on any legislation to which they are subject. Nothing in this publication should be construed as
an offer, or the solicitation of an offer, to purchase, subscribe to or sell any investment or product, or to engage in any other transaction or provide any kind of financial or banking service in any jurisdiction where Nordea Bank S.A., Singapore
Branch or any of its affiliates do not have the necessary licence. Published by Nordea Bank S.A., R.C.S. Luxembourg No. B 14.157 on behalf of Nordea Bank S.A., Singapore Branch, 3 Anson Rd #20-01, Springleaf Tower, Singapore 079909,
subject to the supervision of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (www.mas.gov.sg). www.nordeaprivatebanking.com
AD_dragonnews_Opening_eng_Jonas.indd 1
12/09/2013 08:52
1
2
Michaël Berglund Expat Search
Strandvägen 5B
SE-11451 Stockholm
Sweden
Tel: +46 8 663 9000
Web: www.mbes.se/expat
1
Activities
Michaël Berglund Expat Search is an area within Michaël Berglund Executive Search, one of the leading executive search
firms in Sweden. We conduct assignments in executive
search and board recruitment, and also maintain a constant
lookout function. Our focus is Swedes working abroad who
want to maintain a connection with the Swedish job market.
Our definition of an expatriate is a person who has lived and
worked abroad for at least two years.
Our vision is to highlight global talent and enrich
companies, organisations and society. After nearly 30
years’ experience of executive recruitments in a variety of
industries, we know the value international experience can
bring to an organisation.
Per Wreding, Consultant
Stina Sandberg, Consultant
1
2
2
DIAB (Kunshan) Co, Ltd
No 27, Taihu Road, KETD Zone
Kunshan
PR China
Tel: +86 0512 5763 0666
Web: www.diabgroup.com
Activities
DIAB is a world-leading supplier of sandwich composite
solutions that make products stronger, lighter and more
competitive. DIAB’s solutions include a wide range of core
materials, cost-effective core kits, a wide range of finishing
options and a comprehensive set of composite know-how.
DIAB also provides a series of consulting services within
composite technology through the Composites Consulting
Group. DIAB provides sandwich composites solutions within
wind energy, marine, transportation, aerospace and industry. DIAB is a global company with sales and customer support in 16 countries and an extensive network of distributors. DIAB has six strategically located manufacturing units
in order to serve its global customers on a local basis. DIAB
is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Swedish private equity
company Ratos AB (publ).
Johan Gralén, Executive Vice President Asia Pacific
Susan Zhan, Managing Director
1
2
HONG KONG INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS >>>
Varenne AB
Jakobsbergsgatan 16
SE-111 44 Stockholm
Sweden
Tel: +46 8 5550 9600
Web: www.varenne.se
Activities
Varenne is an investment company with the business idea
to create long-term profits for its shareholders by being an
active investor that works to increase the value of its portfolio companies.
Josefine Grane, VD
Ellen Huang
Tel: +852 2846 5124
Peter Luxenburg
Tel: +852 5171 3208
Doing business in Sweden?
CHINA ORDINARY MEMBERS >>>
Kienbaum Management
Consultants China
31 floor, Jin Mao Tower
No 88, Shi Ji Avenue
Shanghai 200120
Tel: +86 21 2890 9089
Fax: +86 21 2890 9999
Web: www.kienbaum.com
Activities
Kienbaum Management Consultants is a global consultancy
firm with German roots. As one of only few consultancy
firms, we combine traditional management and strategy
consulting with HR-focused change management expertise
in order to provide our clients with all the solutions they
need under one roof. In China we are mainly working in the
areas of operational excellence, process-safety excellence
and human resources management. In all of these services,
we rely on native Chinese and international consultants.
Guosta AB
Sveavägen 1
SE-777 32 Smedjebacken
Sweden
Fax: +46 763 097 772
Web: www.guosta.se
Activities
Guosta helps its customers with protection of intellectual
property rights in China, with research-and-development
patent applications, while also acting as a financial adviser.
banking and finance company law and corporate finance distribution
and agency law property lease law china desk environmental law corporate reconstructuring eu and competition law maritime and transportation law real estate and construction law employment law mergers and
acquisitions insurance intellectual property marketing and media law
international law energy and investment law it and telecom litigation
and arbitration private equity
Guo Qi
Mobile: +86 135 0116 5121
Lawyers you want on your side
Simon Thomas Hagspiel, Vice General Manager
Mobile: +86 186 1635 7022
Clean Healthy Air 24/7
= Life insurance and Higher Performance
GRAPHIC GUIDELINES
Microdata Telecom (Suzhou) Co, Ltd
No 69, Weixin Road, SIP
Suzhou, China 215000
Tel: +86 512 8083 8659
Web: www.microdata.se
Telko Shanghai Ltd
Room 2804-07, Tower B, City Center
No 100, Zunyi Road, Changning District
Shanghai 200051
Tel: +86 21 6270 0640
Fax: +86 21 6270 0872
Web: www.telko.com
Activities
Microdata Telecom Innovation AB is a Swedish telecom
company operating in the mobile infrastructure market. Our
high-volume manufacturing is located in Suzhou, China.
Activities
We carry out plastics and chemical distribution in China, as well
as sourcing chemicals and plastics for other Telko markets.
Johanna Sandberg
Mobile: +86 150 5144 8538
Sky Wang, Sales Director
Mobile: +86 136 2182 9553
At Home • Kindergarten/School/High School/University • At Work
EAS Beijing Office, China, Mr Shangyou Dong,
Manager, Ph: 0086 10 85322147,Cell: 0086 135
2199 5330, Mail: [email protected]
SWEDEN HQ Environmental Air of Sweden AB.
Mr Göran Hertzberg, M D,
Ph: 0046 761 048 350, Mail: [email protected]
www.easab.com
December 10th, 2008
Shampoodle AB
Bellmansgatan 22C
SE-11847 Stockholm
Sweden
Tel: +46 8 5031 3131
Web: www.shampoodle.com
Activities
Shampoodle designs comfortable clothes for kids and
adults, using organic materials and fair-trade standards. It
has retailing activities in 32 countries around the world.
Jakob Wästberg
Mobile: +46 708-95 61 31
Monitor ERP System
Jakobsbergsvägen 4
Hudiksvall
Sweden
Tel: +46 650 766 00
Web: www.monitor.se
Activities
Sales and consultancy services.
Knut Ngo
Mobile: +86 186 2171 0892
CHINA ASSOCIATE MEMBERS >>>
Helena Albrechtsson
c/o Wilddesign
Room 618, No 68, Changping Lu
Shanghai 200041
Mobile: +86 159 0213 4490
Tel: +86 21 5228 8112
Pinyin Studio
Room 19A, Building B, Oriental Kenzo
Office Building
No 48, Dongzhimenwai Dajie
Dongcheng District
Beijing 100027
Tel: +86 10 5817 4014
Web: www.pinyinstudio.com
Activities
Pinyin Studio is a branding and design agency active within
the fields of visual identity creation, print design, web
design, photography and advertising. Based in Beijing, our
job is to create and develop brand and corporate designs to
boost the identity and profitability of our clients.
Adrian Torstensson
Mobile: +86 150 1124 4204
Prit Singh
Room 1201, Building 3
No 255, Guangxi North Road
Huangpu District
Shanghai 200001
Mobile: +86 156 0163 7032
JOHNNY’S PHOTO & VIDEO SUPPLY LTD
Photographic Equipment
Equipment
•• Photographic
Video/Audio Hi-Fi
Hi-Fi Equipment
Equipment
•• Video/Audio
Home Appliances
Appliances
•• Home
Colour Film
Film Processing/Enlargement
Processing/Enlargement
•• Colour
Audio/Video Dubbing
Dubbing Services
Services
•• Audio/Video
Communication Equipment
Equipment
•• Communication
Electronic Equipment
Equipment
•• Electronic
•• Repairing
Repairing Services
Services
Mail Order
Order Acceptable
Acceptable
•• Mail
Shop No.65, 1/F, Admiralty Centre, 18 Harcourt Road, Hong Kong
Shop No.65, 1/F, Admiralty Centre, 18 Harcourt Road, Hong Kong
Tel: 852-2877-2227 Fax: 852-2877-2120
Tel: 852-2877-2227 Fax: 852-2877-2120
Mobile: 9051-9499 E-mail: [email protected]
Mobile: 9051-9499 E-mail: [email protected]
Opening Hour: Mon – Sat 9:00am – 7:00pm
Opening Hour: Mon – Sat 9:00am – 7:00pm
Sunday 2:00pm – 6:00pm
Sunday 2:00pm – 6:00pm
A fter hours
n Books
Bilingual cookbook
features Nordic recipes
SGL Textile Handling
– Experts in individual preparation
n Design
Decorate your walls the Swedish way
C
M
Y
CM
Sweden
in the World
MY
Let us pack, label, price tag and quality control your products in Asia
Our world is logistics
12926-SGL- Textil annonce.indd 1
SVERIGES LEDANDE INTERNATSKOLA
CY
Turn Fixed costs into Variable costs ..!
K
“With 101 recipes and a picture
for each dish, you can imagine my
family is happy now that they can
eat without waiting for me to take
pictures,” says Pollnow.
You can order the book, which
costs RMB299, by sending an email
to [email protected].
Have you ever thought of decorating your home
or office with wallpaper rather than paint? Finally,
high-quality Swedish wallpaper has arrived in China.
WallVision is the Nordic region’s market-leading
wallpaper group, and its business concept is to
design, produce and sell high-quality, branded
wallpapers, focusing on the premium segment.
WallVision has some of the best known and
top-selling Nordic wallpaper brands, including
Boråstapeter (classic, modern designs), ECO
Wallpaper (trendy designs), Cole & Son (traditional
and innovative wallpapers) and Mr Perswall
(customised photo wallpapers).
The Nordic market accounts for three-quarters
of the group’s sales. In China, WallVision International
Trading sells and distributes the products.
CMY
Food has associations with
memories, culture, traditions and
enjoyment, in addition to being a
source of nutrition. Johanna Pollnow,
office manager at the Swedish
Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai,
has been working on her cookbook
Chi Fan - 101 Nordic everyday
recipes for cooking in China since
she moved to China in 2011.
Chi Fan (“to eat”) is bilingual
(English and Simplified Chinese) and
was released in December 2013.
The cookbook is full of simple, quick,
everyday Scandinavian recipes that
contain ingredients that are easy to
find. There are recipes for starters,
main courses, salads, sauces,
dips, snacks and desserts.
The book is particularly
useful for expatriates living
in China who want to have
Scandinavian food on their
dining table made by themselves
or their ayi. It is also a great
cookbook for Chinese who are
interested in food and culture,
featuring both the traditional
and new tastes of Scandinavian
home cooking.
Kasper Svane Kristensen
Sales Manager Hong Kong & China
+86 139 1609 7764
[email protected]
www.scangl.com
05/03/13 08.10
T he chamber an d I
Members choose their favourite restaurants
With the holidays approaching, there will be more time to bring your family or friends to a good restaurant.
Dragon News asked some of our members what their favourite restaurants were and why.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1. Anette Andersson
4. Birgitta Söderström
7. Jörgen Halldin
Volvo Car Distribution China, Shanghai
Shang Learning, Beijing
Consulate General of Sweden, Hong Kong
“For Chinese food, I enjoy Lost Heaven, both
the one at the Bund and in the French concession, it has always high quality food and a nice
atmosphere. For Western food, I enjoy Nolita
at Dagu Lu.”
“Mercante is a fantastic Italian restaurant
located in a hutong in Beijing and the place is
small and cosy. The owner is a service-minded
Italian guy who imports olive oil and Parmesan
cheese from his village back home.”
2. Marie Lundgren
5. Marcus Solberg
Global Sourcing, Shanghai
Fjällräven, Beijing
“If you can´t get enough of authentic Sichuan
food, then San Xi Lou on Garden Road in MidLevels is the place to go. It has cheap nylon
napkins, which means it hasn’t seen an interior designer for a long time, a bustling and
noisy atmosphere, but the dishes will make
you feel like you really are in Sichuan enjoying
the world’s most exciting cuisine.”
“My favourite restaurant in Shanghai is Lost
Heaven. They serve delicious Chinese food with
a Western touch. The food is nicely organised
and the restaurant has a cosy environment.”
“Mughal´s Indian restaurant has the best
chicken tikka masala in Beijing, as well as
some really delicious naan bread to go with it.”
3. Mikael Bick
6. Margaret Leung
TOP-TOY, Hong Kong
Business Sweden, Hong Kong
“Il Moro in Sheung Wan is a hidden gem that
serves authentic home-style Italian food and
great self-imported wine. Make sure to get
along with the owner/chef Joseph and you will
be in for a treat.”
“Thai Basil in the basement of Pacific Place
serves very good Thai food. A lot of the dishes
are really tasty in my opinion. The seating is
relatively comfortable but booking in advance
is recommended.”
8. Camilla Hammar
IKEA, Shanghai
“My favourite foreign restaurant is Mr &
Mrs Bund because they have a large menu,
ambience and so far I have never been disappointed. They manage to maintain a consistent level of well-cooked food and service,
which is not always the case with other
restaurants in Shanghai.”
DIRECTORS OF THE BOARD
Ulf Ohrling, Chairman [Mannheimer Swartling]
Jimmy Bjennmyr [Handelsbanken]
Carl Christensson [Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken]
Eva Henriksson [Henriksson Consulting]
Walter Jennings [Kreab Gavin Anderson]
Staffan Löfgren [ScanAsia Consulting]
Laurence McDonald [Ericsson]
Kristian Odebjer [Advokatfirman Odebjer Fohlin Fitzgerald]
Per Ågren [APC Asia Pacific Cargo]
DIRECTORS OF THE BOARD
Katarina Nilsson, Chairman [Advokatfirman Vinge]
Lars-Åke Severin, Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Beijing Chapter [PSU]
Ulf Söderström, Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Shanghai Chapter [SCA]
Fredrik Ektander, Treasurer [SEB]
Yvonne Chen [GM, Swedish Chamber of Commerce in China]
Birgitta Ed [Six Year Plan]
Karine Hirn [East Capital]
Peter Idsäter [Mannheimer Swartling]
Daniel Karlsson [Asia Perspective]
Tom Nygren [Ericsson]
Martin Pei [SSAB]
Peter Sandberg [Tobii]
Jimmy Bjennmyr
Senior Account Manager
Mikael Westerback
Head of Greater China and
General Manager Shanghai branch
Florence Chan
Senior Account Manager
Johan Andrén
Deputy Head of Greater China and
General Manager Hong Kong branch
Your Nordic Bank in Greater China
Handelsbanken has been operating in Greater
China for more than 30 years. Today we are the
Nordic bank with the largest presence in the region.
As your banking partner we are here to help your
business succeed. Banking with us you benefit
from local knowledge and experience as well as a
high level of flexibility and personal service.
Our offering includes full-service corporate banking,
from all types of financing to a wide range of cash
management services. As an experienced member
of the local clearing system, our payment services
are second to none.
Contact us to find out more about how we can help your business:
Shanghai – Mikael Westerback or Camilla Sjöberg +86 21 6329 8877
Hong Kong – Johan Andrén +852 2293 5388, Jimmy Bjennmyr +852 2293 5326
Taipei – Amy Chen +886 2 2563 7458
Beijing – Jason Wang +86 10 6500 4310, Joakim Hedhill +86 10 6500 3435
handelsbanken.cn

- The Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong

Transcription

Similar documents

China 2006 July 7 - 18 Beijing, Xi`an, Shanghai and Hong Kong

Hong Kong Tatler HONG KONG

hong kong tatler

Reverse Logistic - [email protected]

Barnablick (Martin Broby).

PENINSULA HOTEL, HONG KONG, 1928

Real-time monitoring of Multiple Sclerosis care guidelines with

Please contact our Global Event Associate, Thu Thao Nguyen: E

East by Southeast: Encounters with Thailand in Contemporary East

See attachment - Cybersys Computer Ltd.