Dragon News - Swedish Chamber of Commerce in China

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ANNIVERSARY
1
95
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M e m b e r M a g a z i n e f o r 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 K o n g a n d C h i n a
CELEBRATING 60 YEARS
OF SWEDEN-CHINA
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
No.04
2010
The party’s over – did
the expo pay off?
The organisers of the Swedish participation
in the Shanghai Expo 2010 are happy and
so are most of the sponsoring companies
after six months of expo festivities.
But did it make Sweden a more
well-known country in China?
6
Opinion
Unclear
messages at the
Swedish pavilion
20
Executive Talk
Building the
Orrefors and
Kosta Boda brands
22
Young
Professional
interview
Reporting about
the life in China
Publisher
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
CONTENTS
reflect the views of the publisher.
Editorial management, design and printing
Bamboo Business Communications Ltd
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Art Director: Johnny Chan
Designer: Victor Dai
Cover photo: Tobias Andersson Åkerblom for
the Swedish Committee for Expo 2010.
INQUIRIES
Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong
Room 3605, China Resources Building
26 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
From 23 December 2010:
Level 10, World-Wide House
19 Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2525 0349
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.swedcham.com.hk
General Manager: Eva Karlberg
Marketing Manager: Märta Lang
Administration Manager: Maria Tornving
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 6462 7454
Web: www.swedishchamber.com.cn
General Manager: Yvonne Chen
Member Service & Sales Manager Beijing: Karin Roos
Administration & Finance Assistant: Jaycee Yang
Shanghai Contact
Member Service & Sales Manager Shanghai:
Carina Järold-Mattsson
Tel: +86 21 6217 1271
Fax: +86 21 6217 0562
Mobile: +86 1368 179 7675
No.042010
6
4 Editorial
6 Opinion: Jan Staël von Holstein
8 Snippets
10 Cover story:The party’s over – did it
pay off?
10
20 Executive talk: Ken Morrissette,
Orrefors Kosta Boda
22 Feature: Johan Rockström gloomy
about global warming
26 Young Professional interview:
Alexandra Leyton Espinoza
30 Chamber activities in Hong Kong
20
32 Chamber activities Beijing
34 Chamber activities Shanghai
36 Chamber news Hong Kong
38 Chamber news China
26
40 New members
44 After hours
46 The chamber and I: Joakim Persson
46 Board of directors
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Nordea page 45, Orrefors Kosta Boda page 15, Primasia page 43, Radisson Blu page 42,
Sallmanns Residential page 28, Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) page 48,
Scandinavian Furniture page 39, Scania page 43, Scan Global Logistics page 27,
SEB Private Banking page 5, Swedbank page 19, Swedish Trade Council page 29,
Vinge page 33, Volvo page 47, Worldwide Executive Centre page 31
Thank you!
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The Swedish Chambers of Commerce in Hong Kong and China
DRAGONNEWS • NO.04/2010 3
EDITORIAL
Forerunning China’s
th
12 five-year plan
Dear Reader,
In this issue of Dragon News you’ll find
an in-depth review of the Shanghai Expo
2010 and in particular the Swedish participation there.
How did Sweden do? Was it worth it? The
views are widely differing – from very positive
to rather critical. What do you think?
Moving ahead, one of the most interesting events of the coming period is the final
adoption of China’s 12th five-year plan in
March next year.
So far, many analysts of the preparatory
work expect China to cut its GDP growth
target to 7 per cent for the next five-year plan,
down from 7.5 per cent in the previous plan.
One crucial factor to taming the growth
rate in the coming years is that China’s aging
population and a shortage of unskilled labour
will create a sharp increase in salaries.
We have seen Foxconn raising monthly
salaries for workers at its Shenzhen factory
by an average 66 per cent, in addition to the
increase earlier this year. Media and analysts’
reports have highlighted sharp increases in
minimum wages in several parts of China,
ranging from 5 per cent to 25 per cent.
The rising salary costs may make manufacturers move from the coastal regions to inland
areas, especially western and central China.
4 DRAGONNEWS • NO.04/2010
Some say that as a result, the coastal regions
may shift toward service-oriented business.
In its 11th Five-Year Plan, China targeted
an increase of the service sector’s output to
43.3 per cent of GDP by 2010, up from 40.3
per cent in 2005. Analysts say this trend is
likely to continue.
Increasing domestic consumption is said
to likely be a central element of the next fiveyear plan. However, the lack of an adequate
social security safety net is still a major obstacle to higher consumer spending.
Another factor is increasing monopolistic
tendencies, driving up costs in many industries, for example telecommunications, energy
and construction. Although China has the
largest telecom market in the world with more
than 800 million mobile phone subscribers,
calling in China is not cheap.
Another key element of the plan will be
energy efficiency. China has committed to
reducing energy consumption by 40-45 per
cent of 2005 levels by 2020, and it is expected
to set new goals in the next five-year plan.
However, as a whole, China has not met
its energy savings goals as stated in the 11th
plan. By the end of 2009, China had reduced
its energy consumption as a percentage of
its GDP by 15.6 per cent, compared with
the target of 20 per cent. In September, as a
means to meet the energy-efficiency targets,
Mats Harborn
Chairman
Swedish Chamber of
Commerce in China
Stefan Rönnquist
Chairman
Swedish Chamber of
Commerce in Hong Kong
many Chinese steel mills were ordered to temporarily suspend production.
So, where does all this leave you? Rising
salary costs, increased service content and
improved energy-efficiency all sound quite
familiar to Swedish companies, don’t they?
Which brings us back to the Shanghai
Expo 2010, the theme of the Swedish pavilion, “Spirit of Innovation”, and the execution
of the events and presentations there.
On the last day of the expo, the international expo organisation Bureau International
des Expositions (BIE) awarded Sweden’s
exhibition with a gold medal for its creativity
and design.
In addition, the Swedish pavilion was
named one of the most commercially valuable
expo pavilions by Fortune Time, a nationwide
TV show; CNN’s blog praised the pavilion
for its arty appearance and the Global Times
newspaper appointed the pavilion website to
the best one of the expo.
We’d like to congratulate the organisers and
exhibitors for these accolades and for succeeding in highlighting some of the key elements in
providing true and lasting value to business and
society – creativity and innovation.
We would also like to wish all our members a very merry Christmas and a happy and
prosperous New Year!
Sweden has to rethink how to improve its image and how
to convey the message that Sweden is “a brand to reckon
with”, according to Professor Jan Staël von Holstein, who
is not impressed by what was achieved at the Swedish
pavilion during the Shanghai World Expo.
Text: Jan Staël von Holstein, [email protected]
Unclear messages
at the Swedish pavilion
N
ational identities are sealed in different
ways, but for the most part it starts with a
national anthem, a flag and, when available,
royal emblems or revolutionary symbols.
Stamps, coins and bills are other symbolic carriers of national identities.
Not long ago, airlines were another symbol of pride.
Today, Swissair belongs to Germany, KLM to France, Iberia to the UK and who knows how long SAS can keep their
three Scandinavian flags flying and not become a symbol of
a Siberian oligarch living in London.
Identity is an ever more confusing landscape that shifts
like the tides of the oceans or sand dunes in the desert, and
an increasing number of people in this ebb and flow are
getting new passports from countries they know nothing
about and with which they have nothing in common.
It gets harder and harder to follow. In the last 20 years,
over 250 cities changed their names, and some 33 new nations were born and ratified around the world as legitimate
by the UN, hoisting new flags and singing new anthems.
Absolut Vodka,
which was presented
at the Swedish
pavilion on top of
the building, belongs
to the French (The
photo is taken by
Tobias Andersson
Åkerblom for the
Swedish Committee
for Expo 2010).
Many other
countries
proved through
their pavilions
that they had
thought carefully
about what they
were doing.”
Identities have become more confusing
also as famous national brands shift owners and relocate. Rolls Royce is now German
and Absolut Vodka, proudly presented at the
Swedish Expo pavilion on top of the building,
belongs to the French. Saab is Dutch, and
Volvo is now owned by a Chinese company.
IKEA’s distinct blue and yellow coloured
buildings around the globe say Sweden, but
are filled with products made in all corners of
the world.
What was once a proud stamp, “Made in
Sweden”, no longer applies, as sourcing and
assembly shifts around the world to keep costs
down and profits up. Where something is really
made today is a difficult question. That goes for
many other countries as well of course.
Little wonder, perhaps then, that the
Swedish PR company orchestrating examples
of our efforts could think of nothing better
than Pippi Longstocking and a wooden decorated horse (dalahäst) as prime examples of our
pride and prowess. A playground outside and
a slippery slide inside completed the picture,
with some background shots of Stockholm and
the countryside, as backdrops around the walls.
The glorious beginning of the world
expo, which started in London in 1851 during Queen Victoria’s reign, has reached the
end of its lease of life. It was meant to give
citizens a glimpse of the world they could not
reach or visit and a place to start trading with
foreign countries. I think China will be the
last case in which this concept is fulfilled.
So what did the nations bring to China?
Did Sweden succeed in conveying a valid message about our capabilities, ideas and skills?
Did we meet the brief by the expo organisers to show the road to a better environment
and a sustainable life in the future?
No, unfortunately, in the case of Sweden’s
efforts, I think.
I wonder if our long successful Swedish companies that have been active in China over the
past 20 years or more got their money’s worth
out of this as sponsors. Perhaps they would have
achieved more with the throngs waiting in line
by giving a traditional Chinese banquet?
Statistics will undoubtedly follow, proving
how successful it all was for the organisers and
ultimately Sweden.
But I was not proud of our efforts. We are
capable of much more than a half-baked PR
exercise to promote well established businesses. Many other countries proved through
their pavilions that they had thought carefully
about what they were doing.
Wooden decorated horses were visible outside the
pavilion (The photo is taken by Lily Huang for the
As for improving the image of “Made in
Swedish Committee for Expo 2010).
Sweden” and putting Sweden firmly on the
map as “a brand to reckon with”, I would say
we have to rethink how we achieve that and
I hope the sponsors got their payback, as
what message we really want to convey.
they wined and dined their way through the
Just next door, for example, were excelexpo with Chinese business prospects. The
lent architectural designs and well
office environment on the second
selected messages about Denmark
floor was business as usual, interand Finland.
spersed with seminars and presentaThe advantage of expressing your
tions, only accessible through the
opinion is that the words are only
IKEA-styled VIP entrance, while
The number of
yours and that others can exercise
the uninvited queued up outside.
new countries
theirs and disagree.
But how do you measure success?
since 1990.
This is called freedom of
By the number of people who manthought. There is always a risk of
aged to get through? Did they get a
course in having them printed for everyone to
lasting impression of what Sweden represents?
read, as is the case with this article. But I am
Did they come away fervently wanting to visit
prepared to take that risk … and hopefully
our distant shores? Were there any contracts other
stimulate productive debate. b
than the usual business deals signed as a result?
33
What was once a proud stamp,
‘Made in Sweden’, no longer
applies, as sourcing and assembly shifts
around the world.”
Jan Staël von Holstein is the founder
and co-chairman of The Network with a
Silver Lining, which has 15 offices around
Europe and the United States. Having
spent more than 35 years in the design
business, he is now a world authority on
corporate and brand identity creation and
design management. He is Swedish, lives
in London, but spends much of his time
in China, where he is a visiting professor
at the Central Academy of Fine Arts and
Tsinghua University in Beijing, and at Tongji
University in Shanghai.
S w ed i s h S n i p p ets
Photo: Tobias Andersson Åkerblom for the
Swedish Committee for Expo 2010.
The good, the bad and the downright ugly
n Sweden’s pavilion at the World Expo was one of six mentioned as “good”
when CNN’s lifestyle website for Asia, cnngo.com, listed what they labelled as
“the good, the bad and the downright ugly” among the expo pavilions.
“While there are some really impressive pavilion designs at this year’s expo,
there are more than a few eyesores too. We round up the best and worst
dressed,” said CNN.
The first one it mentions is Sweden and here is the judgement: “Sweden’s effort gets a big thumbs up with lots of angles. Arty and well, really cool looking.”
Turkey, South Korea, Denmark, Israel and The Netherlands were also mentioned as “good”.
So which were the bad and ugly ones? You will have to check that out for yourselves. Go to: http://www.cnngo.com/shanghai/none/shanghai-expo-267939
QUOTE
“I am convinced that the vision
of ‘Better City, Better Life’ will
become reality.”
Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan at the closing
ceremony of the Shanghai World Expo 2010.
Did you know ...
n … that a Chinese version of a business anti-corruption
portal is now available, in addition to the English, Russian and
Germans ones, thanks to Sweden?
Sweden has financed the Chinese version as part of the
cooperation under the Memorandum of Understanding on
Corporate Social Responsibility between the governments
of China and Sweden. The Chinese version can be accessed
by clicking on the Chinese flag at the top of the page on this
link: http://www.business-anti-corruption.com/?L=0
Also, as part of the agreement on CSR between China and
Sweden, a joint website has been set up with relevant information on CSR in Chinese, to be used by anyone interested in
making CSR a part of their core policies and business strategies. This is the link: http://www.csr.gov.cn/
The website aims to present and explain ideas, intentions
and trends in CSR, and to present related laws, regulations
and standards.
What makes Sweden and China a perfect match in CSR is
that both countries are dependent on international trade and
also have many internationally active companies. Developing a
deeper exchange on best policies, standards and implementing arrangements is seen by both parties as very valuable.
Along with the website, the parties also plan to arrange
a series of special training events and activities for officials,
business, academia and others interested in CSR.
Sweden in the Top 10
n Sweden is ranked as No 10 on two different lists that measure the strength
of a country brand. In one of them Sweden is a “rising star”.
The Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index (NBI) for 2010, which measures
the global image of 50 countries, shows the United States holding the top spot
for the second year in a row as the country with the best overall brand. The
US is followed by Germany, France, the UK, Japan, Canada, Italy, Switzerland,
Australia and Sweden, which remains at the tenth position it held in 2009.
“Sweden is certainly one of the most admired countries on the planet: it’s the
only Nordic country that nobody confuses with any of the others, and it ranks
well above the others”, said researcher Simon Anholt.
“Sweden’s image is so good, that anything good or remarkable that anybody
does in Denmark or Finland or Norway or Iceland automatically accrues to Sweden’s benefit: it’s a sort of feudal reputation tax,” Anholt added.
In another survey in 2010, the Country Brand Index (CBI), which is carried out by
the brand consultancy FutureBrand together with the BBC World News, Sweden is
also placed as No 10. This survey covers 102 countries and aims at measuring the
“intangible asset” of how the country is perceived amongst international business
and leisure travellers, travel and nation branding experts and opinion formers.
According to the survey, Canada is the most respected country brand in the
world, followed by Australia, New Zealand, the US, Switzerland, Japan, France,
Finland, the UK and Sweden.
FutureBrand comments on the fact that Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark are all among the Top 20 by saying that this reveals a strong emerging
preference for “‘brand Scandinavia” across the world.
“From Denmark’s role as the host of the Copenhagen Summit [about climate
change], to Sweden’s internationally-renowned welfare state, ‘brand Scandinavia’ represents a commitment to freedom, well-being, global citizenship and
quality of life that unites these Northern European countries in people’s perceptions,” said the brand consultancy, continuing:
“As a ‘rising star’ in 2010 – moving from 21 to 10 – Sweden in particular
cultivates very strong perceptions around the dimensions for value system
and quality of life. Specifically, Sweden performs well in attributes such as
environmental friendliness, education and healthcare system – which are all
ranked at No 2. The strong performance of brands like the airline SAS that bring
Scandinavia together shows the power of unifying individual country brands
behind regional flag carriers or corporations that represent common values.”
Michael Zell – Head of Greater China and General Manager Hong Kong branch
Jason Wang – Chief Representative, Beijing Representative Office
Michael Zell – Head of Greater China and General Manager Hong Kong branch
Jason Wang – Chief Representative, Beijing Representative Office
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The party’s over
– did the expo pay off?
The organisers of the Swedish participation in the
Shanghai Expo 2010 are happy and so are most
of the sponsoring companies after six months of
expo festivities. But did it make Sweden a more
well-known country in China?
Text Jan Hökerberg, Bamboo, [email protected]
Photo: Paul Philip Abrigo for the Swedish Committee for Expo 2010.
The Swedish pavilion by night. (Photo
by Tobias Andersson Åkerblom for the
Swedish Committee for Expo 2010.)
F
or half a year, the city of
Shanghai has been the host of
the biggest and most expensive
fair of its kind. Now, Shanghai
has returned to normal after six hectic expo
months and, before that, a massive upgrading and expansion of the city’s infrastructure.
The party is over, but the jury is still
out on whether this was a benefit not only
for China but also for the participating
countries and its sponsoring companies.
For 184 days, representatives of 190
countries and 56 international organisations exhibited their interpretations of the
theme “Better City, Better Life” to some 73
million visitors – 3 million more than the
organisers had planned for.
Ever since the Bureau International
des Expositions (BIE) voted for Shanghai
to organise and host the World Expo in
2010 back in December 2002, there were
eight years of high expectations for China
and Shanghai.
The expo was everywhere you looked in
Shanghai – on banners and billboards and
on radio and television. It was also touted
all over China, with coverage in national
newspapers, television and news websites.
In contrast, in the international media,
the expo was little covered, particularly
when compared to the Beijing Olympics
in 2008.
The Swedish Committee for Expo
2010 is analysing the Swedish participation
and will submit its study to the Swedish
government in March.
“What we have seen so far is that our
partners – the sponsoring companies, authorities and the government – have been
very happy with both the platform, that is
the pavilion, and their own activities,” says
Annika Rembe, Sweden’s commissioner
general for Expo 2010 and now the head of
the Swedish Institute (SI).
features and a possibility for the visitors to
“This expo project is the largest marketkeep in touch with Sweden by giving their
ing initiative Sweden has made abroad so
email address at the exit.
far and the results exceeded all expectations
“However, from a Chinese perspecthat we and our partners had prior to the
tive, it could be more attractive in a way.
opening,” says Rembe.
Chinese people expect [to have] a reason
On the last day of the expo, the interto visit a pavilion, something eye-catching
national expo organisation BIE awarded 34
such as Denmark’s authentic Little Merpavilions for outstanding operations. Swemaid statue, France’s masterpiece paintings
den’s pavilion was one of 11 gold medallists
from Musée d’Orsay, Belgium’s hand-made
and won gold for its exhibition creativity
chocolate, Spain’s flamenco dancers or a big
and design.
idea like the UK’s ‘seed cathedral’. China
“We had strived to create an exhibition
is such a competitive country, you need a
that truly communicates our theme, ‘Spirit
unique selling point to get
of Innovation’, and it is fanattention,” says Liu Hähnel.
tastic to get this award for
She also thinks that
creativity,” says Rembe.
Sweden should have had
Besides the BIE prize,
something that the visitors
the Swedes were also recwould have remembered
ognised in some other quarThe World Expo set an
after they left the expo:
ters – in September, the
attendance record with 73
“For example, the Finnish
pavilion was praised as one
million visitors.
pavilion sent out Bluetooth
of the most commercially
messages, which I still read
valuable expo pavilions
when I was at home. It doesn’t need to cost
in an event organised by Fortune Time, a
anything or be expensive, but a ‘take-away’
nationwide TV show. CNN’s blog praised
to remember the country.”
the pavilion for its arty appearance and the
Global Times newspaper called the pavilion
website the best one of the expo.
‘Take-away’ or not, the sponsors seem
to have appreciated the opportunities that
the expo gave them to bring customers and
A branding and marketing expert
employees together in different types of
in Shanghai, Yongyan Liu Hähnel, who
activities. Many companies brought over
runs her own company, Kenex Consulttheir whole boards of directors and execuing, thinks the Swedish pavilion “was a
tive management teams to China.
very Swedish way to showcase the country,
“It was an opportunity for us who live
not grand, but thoughtful”. It followed
and work here to show our headquarters
the organisers’ brief to relate strongly to
what is happening in this part of the world
sustainability issues, there were interactive
73 M
Sweden is
too modest,
too low-key, in
promoting itself.”
Yongyan Liu Hähnel, Kenex
Consulting
and give them a better understanding of the
dynamics of China today. We had several
people in our management team who had
not been in China before,” says Mats Johansson, country manager at Gunnebo Security
in Shanghai.
“It is very important today to take China
seriously. We need to relate to a new situation in the world in which there is now, for
the first time in 30 years, two superpowers.
In that sense, the expo did a lot to facilitate
that understanding.”
But he says he was not sure that the
expo was really of benefit to Sweden: “We
participated more to support China and our
business here, since Gunnebo only has two or
three per cent of its turnover in Sweden and
no real need to promote its Swedish roots.”
Johansson also thinks that the theme of
the pavilion had a complex message: “We
were showing that we have had similar problems as China has today, for example with
the environment, and that we have solved
them by being innovative. It is not that easy
to understand and there is no wonder the
Swedish pavilion had less visitors than for
example the Danish and the Finnish.”
In 2009, Atlas Copco decided to be an
official partner of the Swedish pavilion at the
expo. The company invested SEK5 million
in return for exclusive use of the entire third
floor of the pavilion for events during the
expo for six days in a row, allowing Atlas
Copco to meet with clients, business partners and other stakeholders.
“We invited local customers, dealers,
suppliers, authorities, investors, students,
teachers and media to the Swedish pavilion.
All of our 13 brands in China were part
of the events and we had around 1,000
visitors per day,” says Magnus Gyllö, vice
president of Atlas Copco (China) Investment Company.
Spirit of Innovation room in the pavilion.
(Photo by Stefan Geens for the Swedish
Committee for Expo 2010.)
The Innovative Society room in the
pavilion. (Photo by Stefan Geens
for the Swedish Committee for
Expo 2010.)
Sweden is a strong brand
The brand of Sweden is strong globally. Even foreign
companies buying Swedish companies most often
prefer to continue branding the products as Swedish,
according to Eva Ekeroth, counsellor and head of
cultural affairs at the Embassy of Sweden in Beijing.
In the pavilion, you could
take a slide between
two floors. (Photo by
Paul Philip Abrigo for the
Swedish Committe for
the Expo 2010.)
Did the Swedish pavilion live up to your expectations?
“Yes, but perhaps I had expected more high-tech and
interactive elements in the exhibition. Sweden made
a good choice though when it came to the use of the
pavilion. For example, it used it as a venue for building relationships – public diplomacy. Many countries
realised too late that their pavilion only had an exhibition and nowhere to meet with people. Today, when
competition is so fierce and similar products and
services can be obtained from any country, what you
can compete with are good relations.”
Could the money the Swedish government spent on
the expo have been used in better ways?
“If you mean that the alternative should be not
spending anything at all on the expo in Shanghai, and
instead spending on totally different things, then my
answer is no. Sweden had to participate in the expo
this time – it was too important to stay out.”
The theme for the Swedish pavilion was “Spirit of
innovation”. Are Swedish people as creative and innovative as we tend to think?
“I think we are, but at the same time we mustn’t be
too proud of this and relax. The result of globalisation is that all countries, more or less, have creative
people and some countries, especially in Asia, have
something Sweden hasn’t and that is speed and flexibility. We have a very good base to stand on, with
innovation in our blood but we need to learn more and
combine it with other things. Sweden is a fast adaptor of new trends at least, so I think we can make it if
we don’t wait for too long.”
In your opinion, what values does Sweden represent?
“Innovation and creativity – but not at the expense
of people and nature – along with trustworthiness,
transparency and openness. We find it easy to adopt
new ways of thinking, we have public access to official
records, freedom of speech, gender equality, high
tolerance of sexual orientation and religion, not too
much hierarchy and we let people at a grassroots level
in society and within organisations to have a say, etc.”
How can a company make use of its Swedish origin?
“Companies ought to consider using Sweden in their
branding, taking advantage of the goodwill it brings
along, especially here in China, where Sweden has a
very good reputation and is relatively well known. It
would be of mutual benefit for both the country and
the company if our strategic communication is coordinated. Germany has made great progress in this. Some
companies there have even measured the results and
realised that sales improved markedly when they used
Germany and its values in its communication.”
Today, many multinational Swedish companies have
most of their business in other countries. Is there
any point for them to use their Swedish roots in
their marketing?
“Of course there is! The brand of Sweden is strong globally. Even foreign companies buying Swedish companies most often prefer to continue branding the product as Swedish. I mean, which company doesn’t want
to be considered innovative, trustworthy, creative and
with high moral values today? But it’s not only about
screaming out values in the company’s marketing and
sales campaigns. The whole communication platform,
which is a base for decision making of all kinds in an
organisation, should be considered carefully. The
Swedish government has done a lot of research into
brand Sweden and how to communicate it. Swedish
companies can take advantage of this research.”
Perhaps I had
expected
more high-tech and
interactive elements
in the exhibition.”
Dance performance in
the pavilion. (Photo by
Paul Philip Abrigo for the
Swedish Committee for
Expo 2010.)
Eva Ekeroth, Embassy of Sweden
Sweden receives an award for “Most commercially
valuable pavilion”, commissioner general Annika Rembe
together with the other winners Mark Rowswell from
Canada, Adam Coin from Australia and Martin Alintuck
from the US. (Photo: Tobias Andersson Åkerblom for the
Swedish Committee for Expo 2010.)
The week-long programme in May
included a special evening event, together
with the Consulate General of Sweden,
celebrating the 60th anniversary of
Sweden-China diplomatic relations. The
company also arranged a press conference,
which more than 70 media representatives
attended, and held a conference for 175
investors and analysts.
Over the course of the week, Atlas
Copco had its own exhibition and
there was also entertainment, including
shadow dancers and an artist making
drawings in sand.
“It was absolutely worth the investment. The most valuable asset we have
in the Atlas Copco Group is our brands.
During the expo days, we had the opportunity to reinforce that and to make sure
all our invited guests were shown numerous examples of how Atlas Copco represents sustainable solutions and sustainable
productivity in everything we do. China
is now like a second home-platform for us
for our future growth and development.
The expo and our participation could not
have been better timed!” says Gyllö.
He points out that expo is by definition a show of where you stand and where
you are aiming to be in the next few years.
“Consequently,” he says, “business results
are correlated with that. We believe in
longer term benefits and returns from our
This expo project is the largest
marketing initiative Sweden
has made abroad so far and the results
exceeded all expectations.”
Annika Rembe, Swedish Committee for Expo 2010
week-long direct exposure. But of course
some important deals were also included
and published during and immediately
after the expo event.”
Sweden used a public-private partnership (PPP) model for funding and
operating its participation in the expo.
The government allocated SEK70 million,
which was half of the original project
budget, and the sponsoring companies
brought in the remaining part.
“We had a strong focus on our business partners’ activities and our VIP section was the largest of them all, proportionally, at the expo,” says Rembe.
Scania was one of the major Swedish
companies that chose not to participate in
the expo, even though the company has
a strong Swedish culture and strong Swedish roots. “This was not the right platform
for us at the business development stage
where we are now. Our customer base is
not of such a kind that we could motivate
the costs that would have been expected
from a big company like Scania,” says
Mats Harborn, executive director at the
Scania China Strategic Office in Beijing.
Harborn questions the PPP financing
model that Sweden used, which gave
only the sponsors access to the pavilion. He would have preferred that the
government had taken the full financial
responsibility and then let companies pay
according to the extent they wanted to
use the facilities.
“It was similar to when the GötheFacts and figures
The Swedish participation at the
expo in figures:
• More than 3.5 million visited the
Swedish pavilion.
• Over 110 partners co-financed
the project with government.
• 230,000 children played in Villa
Villekulla outside the pavilion.
• SEK150 million was the total
project budget.
• 450 cultural performances were
designed in conjunction with
circus Cirkör.
• 32,000 VIP guests visited the
pavilion.
• 2,300 official delegations were
received.
It was an opportunity for us
who live and work here to show
our headquarters what is happening in
this part of the world.”
Mats Johansson, Gunnebo Security
A wall at the VIP entrance area of the Swedish
pavilion was showing the business partners.
(Photo by Tobias Andersson Åkerblom for
the Swedish Committee for Expo 2010.)
iggesund.com
Tel: (852) 2516 0250 Fax: (852) 2516 0251
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden,
communist party chief in Shanghai Yu Zhengsheng, deputy prime
minister Maud Olofsson and
other VIPs at the Expo centre
in the morning ceremony of
the Swedish National Day
celebrations at the pavilion.
(Photo: Paul Philip Abrigo
for the Swedish Committee for Expo 2010).
borg sailing ship arrived in China in 2006.
Due to a similar unwillingness from the
government to see the value of that great
project for the promotion of Sweden in
China, the result was a financing model
that suboptimised the impact of the event.
It was a good opportunity to promote
Sweden and Swedish companies but only a
limited number of sponsors were allowed
to use the ship for events,” says Harborn.
Even if Scania did not participate in the
expo, Harborn – who is also the chairman
of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in
China – thinks that the Swedish participation was important and well thought-out:
“The design of the pavilion was extremely
well done. You got a magical feeling in
there – it was good feng shui all through.”
Scania did, however, participate in
the Innovation Week activities in Beijing,
which were organised in conjunction with
the 60th anniversary of Sweden-China diplomatic relations. “We arranged a seminar
for designing truck cabins, which gave us
an opportunity to have a dialogue with the
participants about building a long-term
brand and how to protect yourself against
pirated copies,” says Harborn.
Sweden’s promotion activities in
China have not ended with the closure of
the expo. For example, Sweden has signed
an agreement with the city of Tangshan in
Hebei province to sell the pavilion, which
will be dismantled and relocated to the
Caofeidian International Eco-City, where it
will serve as a Swedish science and innovation centre.
“Sweden is a country with plenty
of advantages, and Swedish companies
should definitely use the country brand,”
says Liu Hähnel.
“Sweden is positioning itself as a progressive country that is innovative, open,
authentic and caring. I think this is all true,
but Sweden is too modest, too low-key, in
promoting itself. In a country like China,
where people exaggerate a lot when they
communicate, you need to speak out loud”,
she says.
From a branding perspective Liu Hähnel thinks it is important to identify what
kind of innovation you are talking about
as, for example, Germany, the US and the
UK all claim to be innovative too.
“I think the Swedish innovative attributes are not yet clearly defined. You
should not just talk about technology;
you can also talk about design and peopleoriented innovation, promoting Swedish
innovation in style, clearly differentiating
yourself from Germany or the US at least.
That’s why I think the Swedish Institute’s
programme to promote fashion can benefit
Sweden’s nation branding, as you reach out
to the public and not just to the technical
circles,” she says.
The party may be over, but there is
clearly one winner: the People’s Republic of
China and especially the city of Shanghai.
The National Tourism Administration has estimated that the expo generated
some 80 billion yuan of income, with
hotels, aviation companies and retailers the
top beneficiaries. The municipal government has also got billions of yuan in tax
revenue and there seems to be little doubt
that the expo will boost Shanghai’s gross
domestic product, which grew by 8.2 per
cent in 2009.
On top of that, when the city auctions
off the land on the expo site, analysts
expect the sale to bring in about 1 trillion
yuan. b
It’s like at home,
just around the corner
Photo: www.sxc.hu id 40928
Your local branch 7 781 kilometers away.
Swedbank has its roots in the Swedish savings bank tradition,
which dates back to 1820. We have 9.5 million private customers
and 650.000 corporate customers and our purpose is to promote
a sound and sustainable financial situation for our clients.
Swedbank Shanghai Branch provides Nordic, Baltic and Chinese
corporate clients with RMB products such as cash management,
deposits and loans, trade finance, money market as well as
foreign currency/RMB spot and forward trading. On 12 August
Swedbank Shanghai Branch received the local currency license
from the China Banking Regulatory Commission, CBRC.
Telephone: +86 21 386 126 00 Fax: +86 21 386 127 11
[email protected] www.swedbank.cn
Ken Morrissette is running the Orrefors Kosta Boda
operations in China for the New Wave Group, a company
he knew little about until just a few years ago.
Text: Jan Hökerberg, Bamboo, [email protected]
Building the Orrefors and
Kosta Boda brands
I
n 2008, Ken Morrissette
decided that he wanted some
more adventure in his life, so he
left his job as a lawyer in Seattle
in the US where he had practiced corporate
litigation for 10 years, and started to work
for the Swedish company New Wave Group
in Bangladesh.
“I had to make up my mind whether I
should continue to work hard to become a
partner in the law firm or whether I should
take a break and do something completely different. I love to travel and to see new cultures
and I felt I needed a new challenge in life,”
says Morrissette, who is an American citizen
with French roots and was born in Washington DC in 1967.
A friend of his had joined New Wave’s
purchasing office in Bangladesh and tempted
him to come over. Morrissette did so and was
hired as an executive trainer.
“Being in Bangladesh was an adventure
every day. I was some kind of ‘jack of all
trades’, which meant that I looked at all the
processes and procedures, was teaching English, made the employee handbook and many
other things. I was also appointed social and
environmental responsibility manager and
had to make sure that our suppliers complied
with the Group’s corporate social responsibility principles,” says Morrissette.
Before he joined New Wave Group, he
had not heard of the company and did not
Ken Morrissette wants to
increase Orrefors Kosta
Boda’s sales to corporate
promotions and direct sales
to specific customers.
know much about Sweden. “As a lawyer, I
had been to Finland and Denmark, but not
to Sweden. I knew that IKEA and Volvo are
typical Swedish brands but not much more.”
After two years in Bangladesh, Morrissette
was promoted to deputy general manager
for New Wave in China, which included
responsibility for the Orrefors Kosta Boda
operations. He is also the Group’s social and
environmental responsibility
manager for Asia, which includes
China, India, Bangladesh and
Vietnam. He moved to Shanghai
in February, 2010.
Swedish province of Småland where the company designs and makes high-quality utility
glassware and art glass. It is the largest glassworks group in the Nordic countries, with a
history dating back to 1742. The heart of the
business is the glassworks in the municipalities
of Kosta, Orrefors and Åfors.
Orrefors Kosta Boda entered the China
market in 2006 and tried to blanket the market by distributing its
products to many different cities
all around China. It was not so
successful, Morrissette admits. “We
were not ready for those secondThe number of
tier markets and they were not
New Wave Group was
years that Ken
founded in 1990 and specialises
ready for us.” Today, the company
Morrissette
in designing, manufacturing and
is focusing on the Beijing and
worked as a
marketing of sports and profile
Shanghai markets, with just a few
lawyer before he
apparel, crystals, luggage and bags,
exceptions.
decided to join the
electronics, stationary and home
Its products are currently sold
New Wave Group.
decorative items. The company
and marketed at 11 stores in China
provides a full range of corporate
– five in Shanghai, four in Beijing
identity products and gifts for multinational
and one each in Wuxi and Wuhan. Two of
companies around the world but also for
them are so-called flagship stores that only
the retail market. Orrefors Kosta Boda was
market Orrefors Kosta Boda products. One is
acquired in 2005.
located in The Village in Sanlitun, Beijing, and
“There are 36 brands and 77 companies
the other in the Plaza 66 upscale shopping mall
in the New Wave Group, and most of them
in Shanghai. A third dedicated store will open
are being run independently. Here in Shangin January, 2011, in the China World Shophai we do purchasing for almost all of these
ping Mall in Beijing, and the company is lookbrands,” says Morrissette.
ing for more similar opportunities in upmarket
Orrefors Kosta Boda has its base in the
retail locations in China’s two major cities.
10
One of our strongest selling
points is that all the glasses are
handicrafts from Sweden, where each
individual piece is manufactured by hand.”
“One of our strongest selling points is
that all the glasses are handicrafts from Sweden, where each individual piece is manufactured by hand. We will put more emphasis
on that in our marketing – for example, by
organising exhibitions where consumers can
meet the designers behind the glassware,”
says Morrissette.
The retail sector represents some 70
per cent of Orrefors Kosta Boda’s sales in
China, while 20 per cent go to corporate promotions and 10 per cent are direct sales, for
example to wine distributors. But Morrissette
wants to change that market breakdown.
“We rely too much on retail today. We
want to increase the promotional and direct
sales parts. Besides wine distributors, we are
also targeting the hotel industry, interior
decoration firms and the real estate sector. We
are pushing more on the corporate side and
have ramped up our sponsorship programme.
We are involved in many activities in several
chambers of commerce, not only the Swedish,
but also the German, Australian and British
chambers in China,” says Morrissette.
Orrefors and Kosta Boda may be wellknown brands in the Nordic countries in
Europe, but in China they are still not widely
known among the target consumers, so the
most important job for Morrissette and his
team is to build the brand, or actually the
brands, since they are two and differ from
each other: Orrefors is more traditional and
timeless while Kosta Boda is more artistic,
creative and colourful.
“Coloured glass is still quite unique in
China, but we can see an increase of interest
in Orrefors’ stemware, that is wine glasses.
The wine industry in China is growing
quickly and this can open up many exciting
opportunities,” says Morrissette, who has not
regretted saying goodbye to the law firm in
Seattle when he did. b
The Environmentalist
From a
scientific
point of view, it
is very important
to totally phase
out the emissions
of greenhouse
gases from oil,
gas and coal.”
Widening gap S
on climate
change
There is a widening gap between what
the scientists say and what governments
around the world want to do to halt the
accelerating effects of climate change,
which worries Johan Rockström, an
internationally recognised scientist on
global sustainability issues.
Text: Jan Hökerberg, Bamboo, [email protected]
peaker after speaker at a
major climate change conference
in Hong Kong in early November painted a gloomy picture of
the world’s future due to global warming.
“There is a widening gap between what
the scientists say is absolutely necessary to do
and what governments around the world want
to do to halt the accelerating effects of climate
change,” says professor Johan Rockström, an
internationally recognised scientist on global
sustainability issues.
He was a keynote speaker at the four-day
Climate Dialogue international conference in
Hong Kong, organised by the independent
think-tank Civic Exchange.
The 2009 United Nations (UN) Climate
Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, was considered a crucial conference for
the control of carbon emissions and climate
change but the outcome was vague. A followup conference was held in Cancun, Mexico,
in November 2010. The outcome of that
conference was not known when this article
was written.
The Copenhagen Accord, which falls
short of a binding treaty sought by many nations, sets a goal of limiting global warming
to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit)
above pre-industrial times. But it leaves each
Photo: J Lokrantz/Azote
It is good that single countries
[such as China] are making
progress, but national initiatives are not
enough to combat climate change.”
nation to set its own targets for 2020.
“From a scientific point of view, it is very
important to totally phase out the emissions
of greenhouse gases from oil, gas and coal.
But the world’s leaders are not even willing to
discuss that today,” says Rockström.
Even if Rockström shares the general
pessimism and scepticism addressed by his
colleagues among climate experts, he can,
however, see some optimistic signs.
“I believe there is a chance that there will
be a new commitment period after 2012 when
the Kyoto Protocol expires. In such an extension of the Kyoto Protocol, which regulates
the reductions of greenhouse gas emissions,
all developing countries, including China and
India, must participate,” says Rockström.
Today, the Kyoto Protocol sets binding
targets for 37 industrialised countries, but the
United States, Australia and the developing
nations have not ratified the agreement.
The growing gap between rich industrialised nations and poor developing countries
is also a major issue in the climate change
debate. The developing countries demand
compensation for adjustments that have to be
made due to reductions of emissions.
“There are some positive signs in the
discussions between governments and institu-
tions that rich countries are more willing
today to compensate the poorer nations for
adjustments. Another area, where progress has
been made, is the negotiations about limiting
deforestation, which could lead to an international treaty,” says Rockström.
Tropical deforestation currently accounts
for roughly one-fifth of the global emissions
of carbon dioxide, the primary human-derived
greenhouse gas. When trees are cut down,
they begin emitting the carbon dioxide they
have stored over their lifetimes.
China’s government has set up ambitious
renewable energy goals and plans to nearly
double the proportion of renewables in its
overall energy mix – from 8 per cent in 2006
to 15 per cent in 2020.
“It is good that single countries are making
progress, but national initiatives are not enough
to combat climate change. We need to have
broader binding agreements,” says Rockström.
He is a leading scientist on global water
resources, and strategies to build resilience in
water-scarce regions of the world. He is an
agronomist with more than 15 years experience
from applied water research in tropical regions
and has produced more than 100 research publications in fields ranging from applied land
and water management to global sustainability.
He has many irons in the fire. Besides
being a professor in natural resources management at Stockholm University, he is heading
the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), an
international research organisation working on
sustainable development, and the Stockholm
Resilience Centre (SRC), an international
centre that advances trans-disciplinary research
for governance of social-ecological systems.
SRC was founded four years ago by SEI
and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
and is funded by Mistra, a foundation that
funds major programmes in environmental
research with resources that emanate from the
former Swedish wage-earner funds.
After giving his speech in Hong Kong,
Rockström flew to Taiwan for a meeting with
the Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, Yuan
Tseh Lee.
“Taiwan is interested in setting up a similar research centre as the Stockholm Resilience
Institute,” says Rockström. b
Swede of the Year
In 2009, Johan Rockström was awarded the
title “Swedish Person of the Year” by the
magazine Fokus for his work on bridging
science on climate change to policy and
society.
“Rockström has managed in an easy, yet
always scientifically based way, to convey
our dependence on the planet’s resources,
the risk of transgressing planetary boundaries and what changes are needed in order
to allow humanity to continue to develop,”,
said the magazine in a statement.
This year, Rockström was ranked, by the
magazine Miljöaktuellt, the second most
influential person on environmental issues
in Sweden. He was also recently given the
“Social Capitalist Award” by the business
magazine Veckans Affärer together with his
colleague Carl Folke at Stockholm Environment Institute.
Alexandra Leyton Espinoza works as
a journalist in Beijing and she loves
telling stories about people.
Text: Eskil Hallström, [email protected]
Reporting about
the life in China
T
he Swedish journalist Alexandra Leyton Espinoza is one of Beijing’s young and thriving foreign
correspondents. She writes regularly for the China
Daily, the magazine ScandAsia and will start writing
for the Swedish evening newspaper Aftonbladet, for which she
will cover the bustling capital of China and the life of the people
living there.
Alexandra grew up in Timrå, Sweden, and started working as a
journalist for the local newspaper Sundsvalls Tidning when she was
only 16 years old. After graduating from upper secondary school
she enrolled in the Swedish army and applied to do her service at
Värnpliktsnytt, the Swedish Army’s newspaper. She was accepted,
giving her an opportunity to refine her
journalistic skills.
After 15 months of military service, she was asked to work as an information officer at the Swedish Armed
The number of years
Forces headquarters in Stockholm.
Alexandra Leyton
Then she “changed sides” and became
Espinoza plans to
the one that had to answer nosy jourstay in Beijing before
nalists’ tricky questions. “I learned a
moving on.
lot about how to ask questions to get
the answers you want,” she says.
5
It’s not so much
about scrutinising
or finding scoops as
writing what your boss
asks you to write.”
Alexandra Leyton Espinoza
had the opportunity to
work for the state-owned
newspaper China Daily.
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After one year, she left the armed forces and started working as
a freelance journalist. Soon after, she decided it was time for another
challenge; it was time to go to China.
Was it your plan to come to Beijing and work as a journalist?
“Yes, actually it was. I had seen a TV programme with the Swedish
Television’s correspondent in China, Fredrik Önnevall. He was talking
about the importance of China compared to the relatively few foreign
journalists actually living in and reporting about China. I was working
freelance at the time and I really wanted to keep growing and challenging myself so I decided to go.
“I arrived in February 2008 just before the Beijing Olympic
Games with only two big suitcases. All the overwhelming impressions
of Beijing made me take a step back, although I wrote an Olympics
blog, I decided to focus on learning the language and getting to know
Beijing myself. There is nothing worse than journalists that think they
know something when they actually don’t!”
How did you get your job at the China Daily?
“Well, it was tricky. After I had finished my studies at the Beijing
Language and Culture University (BLCU) and decided to start writing full time I contacted the China Daily and they told me that they
only hire foreigners who are native-English speakers. I kept trying to
convince them to give me a chance. Later when China Daily started
their Metro section I got in contact with the foreigner in charge. He
decided to give me a chance, much thanks to my South American and
Scandinavian heritage. He hoped it would help China Daily connect
to the Spanish speaking community as well as the Scandinavian. He
gave me a week to show what I could do and after that week we signed
a one-year contract.”
What was the most important thing you learned about
journalism while working at the China Daily?
“Actually, what I learned was not as much about journalism as about
Chinese culture, especially about the work culture in a big stateowned newspaper like China Daily. What also surprised me was the
diversity of the Chinese people working there. Many of them had
majored in English and learned all they knew about journalism only
after they started working at China Daily. I remember once a coworker told me that if someone wanted to give me a gift or bribe me,
it was best not to accept, especially if you didn’t know the person. I
later learned that she had never studied journalism —the basics were
still new to her.”
What was the biggest difference between working for
China Daily compared to working in Sweden?
“I think it’s very difficult to compare, simply because of the fact that
it’s too different. Working as a journalist in Sweden is all about the
journalists trying to find interesting stories and scrutinise society, it
is about standing up for the common people and drawing people’s
attention to injustices in the society. While working at the China Daily
you need to check everything with your boss. It’s not so much about
scrutinising or finding scoops as writing what your boss asks you to
write. You need to put a lot of effort into understanding the hierarchy
among the Chinese staff. Knowing the hierarchy will help you get
your articles approved more easily.”
What do you enjoy the most to write about?
“I love telling people’s stories! While working at China Daily, I contacted most of the embassies and got in contact with a lot of very interesting people, such as the cultural counsellor at the Italian embassy,
Barbara Alighiero, who told me how it was working as a journalist in
the 1970s when she first got here.”
What are your plans and dreams of the future?
“In the future, some day, I hope to have the opportunity to report
from areas where there are armed conflicts, like when I was in Israel
and Kosovo as a freelancer. It is when I succeed in drawing people’s
attention to these problems that I feel my real worth as a journalist.
“My present plan is to stay in Beijing for the next five years. Beijing and China is a very exciting place to be and I’m still building my
network as a journalist. At the same time, I have many great friends
here in Beijing and without them I don’t think I would have stayed
this long!” b
Alexandra Leyton Espinoza in brief
Name: Alexandra Leyton Espinoza
Occupation: Journalist
Location: Beijing
Favourite Chinese media: “The website chinasmack.com always
makes me laugh.”
Best thing working with Chinese media: “The learning process
and of course how many doors that open when you work for
China Daily, everything goes smooth.”
Worst thing working with Chinese media: “The hierarchy, I hate
it, it stops all creativity and even if you need order, the boss is
not always right.”
Favourite spot in Beijing: “Parks, I just love them, especially
Dragon Park. They make me calm and I love how people socialise
in parks.”
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A
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MAKE YOUR
BUSINESS IN GREATER
CHINA
GROW
GIVE US A CALL:
Beijing
Shanghai
Guangzhou
Hong Kong
Taipei
+86 10 5815 6006
+86 21 6218 9955
+86 20 8331 6019
+852 2521 1215
+886 2 2757 6573
www.swedishtrade.se
Hong Kong
Be prepared for challenges
SEB’s team (from left): Andreas
Ebbe, Erik Leclerc, Ole Hamre, Klas
Eklund och Gerth Svensson
A world hard to govern
n SEB’s senior economist Klas Eklund
spoke in Hong Kong on 24 November, addressing global challenges in the aftermath of the financial crisis. He stressed
that the world has become more difficult
to govern, as the Anglo-Saxon version of
capitalism is now challenged by authoritarian capitalism. Old organisations, such
as the UN, cannot cope with co-ordinating complex negotiations on economic
governance, climate change and trade.
In this fluid situation, the US is gradually
declining, burdened by debt and deleveraging. Europe is facing a crisis in the
Euro zone as Germany grows more hostile
to costly bail-outs of weaker members.
The dominance of Western European
countries is challenged by more rapidly
growing Eastern European rivals, so the
European economic map is being redrawn.
Eklund worries that in a period of
slow growth, protectionist measures of
different kinds could become tempting for many countries. One method is
deliberately weakening your currency,
via ultra-loose monetary policy or direct
interventions in the currency markets.
Asia is set to continue its growth.
China will soon surpass the US as the
biggest economy in the world, and in
China’s wake follow India, Indonesia, Vietnam and other countries. Short-term,
there are many risks in the Chinese economy, such as regional property bubbles,
but these are not a threat to the longterm growth of the economy as a whole.
Eklund also mentioned that the Nordic
countries have fared well during the
recent crisis, showing resilience and now
returning to growth. One main reason is
their experience of crisis management
in the 1980s and 1990s. The lessons
learned during those recessions – and the
economic reforms undertaken – helped
create buffers that have been helpful in
this crisis. One example is the Swedish budget rules, which have made the
government budget more robust – the
reason Sweden does not have to undertake strong austerity measures now.
SwedCham Open 2010
n SwedCham’s annual golf tournament was
this year held at the beautiful Discovery Bay
Golf Club on Lantau Island.
We congratulate Mike Hawes and Eva Henriksson, winners of SwedCham Open male/female.
We thank our generous main sponsor Cargotec and also the hole-sponsors Direct Link,
SHL Healthcare and SEB. See all you golfers
next year!
The beautiful Discovery Bay
Golf Course.
n Lars-Åke Severin, CEO and founder of PSU (China)
Consulting Co, Ltd in Beijing and Kristian Odebjer,
principal of Advokatfirman Odebjer in Hong Kong
hosted much appreciated, interesting and interactive
seminars in three cities in South China – Hong Kong,
Guangzhou and Shenzhen – entitled “Consequences of
Corruption, Fraud and Lack of Compliance when Doing
Business in China”.
Corruption in China is widespread and if companies
do not put processes in place, it might be an unpleasant
part of business in the country. Corruption is a killer for
any business and creates no benefits in the long term.
What exactly constitutes corruption is open to
discussion and it could also be argued that, in some
small ways, what might be called “corruption” elsewhere is a natural part of doing business the “Chinese
way” (for example when it comes to exchanges of
gifts between business partners).
For foreigners in China – companies and individuals –
life becomes difficult if we try to too hard to “fit in” to an
environment of this kind; mistakes could be disastrous.
This is why, from a corporate perspective, we must
have a zero tolerance for all types of corrupt behaviour.
Preventive measures need to be in place to make sure
companies operate according to the law and their own
guidelines. Companies need to work pro-actively on a
continuous basis with internal training and other measures to create a sustainable, sound corporate culture.
Kristian
Odebjer (left)
and Lars-Åke
Severin hosted
seminars on
corruption in
China.
From left: Yves Therien (Santa Fe
Moving & Relocation Services),
Krister Svensson (W Hong Kong)
and Mike Hawes, today’s winner of
SwedCham Open
Today’s happy winner of the female
SwedCham Open: Eva Henriksson
(Henriksson Consulting) together
with the chamber’s chairman Stefan
Rönnquist (The Tomorrow Group).
Winners of the be
st team, from lef
t: Andreas Ebbe
Private Banking
(SEB
), Alexander Kirsha
kov, Jonas Blanc
(Apsis Asia) and
k
Joakim Persson
(Atos Medical).
Beijing
Use psychological tools to find the right staff
n At a morning seminar on 14 October at the
Radisson Blu Hotel in Beijing, three chartered
psychologists gave a presentation on how
psychological tools can be used into find the
right employees.
Employees’ motivation and attribution
profiles were highlighted as qualities that
are important to identify, according to the
presentation by Johan Hansson and Torbjörn
Vestberg from the Swedish human resources
company, Cohr Group and their Swedish colleague Andreas Bergsten.
People with a personality that is characterised by an external motivation profile, continuously striving for higher wages and constantly
competing with colleagues, will in the long run
be more difficult to maintain within the company and they are not conducive to cooperation.
Employees with an internal motivation
profile that is more focused on developing
themselves and their own talents are more
likely to be loyal to the company. However, this
requires the employer to provide plenty of opportunities for employees to grow, evolve and
be challenged in their work.
Hansson, Bergsten and Vestberg put forward
the internal attribution profile as a very important
focus when it comes to finding loyal employees.
An employee with an internal attribution
profile attribute setbacks to insufficient preparedness or knowledge, while an employee
with external attribution profile attributes
setbacks to coincidence, to the fact that they
work for a bad company or things they have
no control over. In other words, employees
with external attribution profiles think more
in terms of chance, while employees with an
internal attribution profile are more likely to
believe in hard work.
But to win the loyalty of employees with an
Apply for visa electronically
n On 15 October 2010, Charlotta Holm Vestberg, Migration
Attaché at the Embassy of Sweden in Beijing, held a visa
briefing at Radisson Blu. The topic was the recent new legislation regarding Schengen visas and the upcoming possibility
to apply for visas electronically and make reservations for a
visit to the Embassy through an electronic booking system.
The new legislation regarding Schengen visas is the
Visa Code (Regulation [EC] No 810/2009 of the European
Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009), the primary
role of which is to converge legislation and harmonise the
handling processes of visa applications for their issuance
for Schengen countries. The Visa Code, which came into
force on 5 April 2010, brought with it some changes both
for applicants and staff at visa sections.
The Embassy was recently the first Swedish mission in the
world to introduce the new system. A booking system will
be linked to the e-application system, which means that applicants can reserve an appointment for a visit
to the Embassy directly after registering the
application. During the visit, the application will be signed, a photograph taken and
the applicant shall submit their passport
and any documents that were not scanned
when the application was registered.
For applicants whose applications
are submitted by a courier or proxy,
an e-application will also apply. In
such cases, the application can be
printed and signed by the applicant
and a photograph attached and
handed in together with the rest of
Charlotta Holm
Vestberg from the
documents by the courier. The belief
Swedish embassy
is that this new system will make the
gave a briefing
visa application process smoother
about the new
electronic booking
and faster for applicants.
system for visas.
Johan Hansson, Torbjörn
Vestberg and Andreas
Bergsten talked about
external and internal
motivation profiles.
internal attribution profile, the company needs
to make them feel that it stands by their side
and believes in them even when they have difficulties. Finally, stressed Hansson, Bergsten and
Vestberg, if management show too much sympathy for someone with an external attribution
profile, it will be perceived as a weakness and
that the management is easy to manipulate.
Cornelia Rudh
and Agneta
Kvarnskog
talked about
strategic
internal communication.
Save time by taking time to communicate
n Good internal communication is the key to successful change in corporations. But
as the adage goes “time is money”. So with sales targets looming and new factories
to open, many companies spend little time or effort on internal communication.
This was the theme of an internal communication seminar held in Beijing on
25 October at the Radisson Blu Hotel with Cornelia Rudh and Agneta Kvarnskog
from the PR agency Springtime as speakers.
In fact, they said, internal communication, when done well, saves both time and
resources by making change happen faster. Strategic internal communication can
help bring about changes that are understood, accepted, and embraced by employees rather than being questioned and held up. Internal communication can build the
trust and buy-in necessary for employees to work together on achieving targets.
An example of this is the case of Southwest Airlines. After deciding that employee buy-in and a shared vision would be vital to the company’s success, the
company did something novel for a firm in the service industry: focus on their
employees instead of their customers.
The company’s goal at the time was to make everyone in the company think
as an owner and being interested in the result. By engaging their employees,
Southwest quickly became one of the airline industry’s most profitable players.
The case demonstrates that companies that take the time to strategically communicate to their employees in order to bring about trust and buy-in can help
their employees and bring about the company’s goals faster and more successfully, said Rudh and Kvarnskog.
The secret of success
For more than 25 years, Vinge has assisted its clients with their business activities and investments in China
and also Chinese clients with their investments in the Nordic countries.
Vinge’s long local presence and experience and familiarity with local conditions, enable our China Practice
Group to provide invaluable assistance to its clients as legal advisers as well as on all practical aspects of doing
business in China.
Vinge is one of the leading law firms in the Nordic region, offering a full range of commercial legal services.
We can show you the way to create a successful business!
For further information, please visit our web site or contact our offices in
Shanghai
hong Kong
Tel +86 21 5382 0196
Tel +852 2523 6149
STOCKHOLM
GOTHENBURG
MALMO
A good commercial lawyer sees beyond the law
www.vinge.se
HELSINGBORG
BRUSSELS
HONG KONG
SHANGHAI
Shanghai
Karin Grauers and
Gu Qun talked about
the challenges of
employing in China.
Employing in China is getting
more difficult
Photo: Tony Tang
The Swedish Crown Princess
Victoria and Prince Daniel
visited Shanghai in October.
n Employees in China are becoming more and more aware of
their rights and salaries are now increasing again. The increase
for urban areas is estimated to 8.3 per cent for 2011.
Karin Grauers and Gu Qun, both partners of Vinge law firm
in Shanghai, gave a morning presentation on the challenges of
employing in China.
Grauers summarised the difficulties in employing the right
person, keeping the good ones and getting rid of the bad ones.
Karin Grauers stressed the recommendation to foreign investors to carefully draft employment contracts, specifying the
tasks of the employee and to update or introduce a company
handbook including, for example, models for evaluation of
employees and rules on reassignment.
The Vinge lawyers elaborated on the rules on mandatory
compensation to employees leaving and reminded the audience about the consequences of wrongful termination and
about the models for calculating compensation. The lawyers
also warned of which situations employment contracts may
not be terminated as well as about joint liability with earlier
employers in case of take-overs, for example in mergers and
acquisitions transactions.
Gu Qun explained the newly enacted rules and their judicial
interpretations, addressing, in particular, the circumstances
in which consultations with labour unions or employees
representative councils are required, while also explaining the
amended rules regarding labour disputes. Also the regulations
regarding labour unions, collective bargaining agreements and
redundancies were described and explained.
The presentation triggered many questions and a number of
special situations were discussed. The Vinge lawyers concluded that the challenges of employing in China have increased
rather than decreased since 1 January 2008.
Gala Banquet with the Crown Princess
Social media in China
n In conjunction with the Shanghai Expo 2010 and the Sino-Swedish SymbioCare Forum organised at the Swedish pavilion, Crown Princess Victoria and
Prince Daniel visited Shanghai for three days.
On 14 October the Swedish Chamber of Commerce invited its members to
a Gala Banquet with the Royal couple at the newly opened Waldorf Astoria
on the Bund in Shanghai. Some 200 members attended the dinner and there
were also guests from the Swedish Expo committee, the Consulate General
of Sweden and the Swedish Chamber of Commerce.
The Swedish business community had a chance to meet the Crown
Princess and the Prince during a private cocktail before the dinner and each
guest was introduced to them.
n Derek Dong from Eastwei Relations
gave a presentation in Chinese on how
social media plays an important
role in doing business. The
presentation was followed
Derek Dong held a
by an immersion workshop
workshop about social
in which participants could
media.
interact and participate in
an exercise showing how
we can use social media in
business.
Geodis Wilson – your Nordic
link and advanced partner
You know your business perfectly and with us as your logistics partner you
can focus on it. Geodis Wilson is the freight management expert of the
Geodis Group and we offer competitive solutions for Sea-freight, Air-freight
and Sea-air freight. You can feel comfortable in knowing that with 164 years
of experience it’s fair to say that we know our business too.
Our offering in China includes:
• LogisticwarehousecapabilitiesinShanghai
• ShortestoceanLCLlead-timefromChinatoSweden
• 12officesinChinaandownofficesin55countriesinallpartsoftheworld
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Our contact in China:
Johan Sivertsson
Route Development Manager, Greater China / Nordics
Geodis Wilson Shanghai Ltd.
[email protected]
www.geodiswilson.com
Geodis Wilson, your freight management partner
Hong Kong
th
25 Anniversary festivities
and the date for that has been set for
Friday 4 November 2011. So please mark
your calendars … this will be a very
special evening!
Photo: Gerhard Jörén
n The year of 2011 will be very special
for the chamber, since it celebrates its
25th Anniversary as a Swedish chamber
in Hong Kong!
A jubilee committee has already been
formed with Michael Knappstein as its
chairman. Brain-storming meetings have
been held – and many constructive ideas
came out of these meetings. Now, some
of these ideas have to become reality.
There will, of course, be various celebrations throughout the year but the
main events will occur during the latter
part of 2011. The theme for the whole
year will be “Children – innovation and
creativity”.
And yes there will be a Gala Dinner
There is always a lot of action
when SwedCham celebrates.
The photo is from a previous
Gala Dinner when Nils Landgren
and his band stood on stage at
the Island Shangri-La.
More activities in South China
Martin
Söderberg
and Louise
Byström are
heading the
committee.
n Chamber activities will continue more frequently in Guangzhou and Shenzhen. In November, Lars-Åke Severin of PSU China and Kristian Odebjer of Advokatfirman Odebjer made a tour with the same presentation in all three cities
in South China: Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. This was the first time
such a tour had been arranged and it was much appreciated by the attendees.
Read more about this presentation on Page 30.
New SwedCham office
Chamber activities in Taipei
n SwedCham Hong Kong is assisting Swedish and
Swedish-related companies to start up chamber activities in Taipei, Taiwan.
A couple of meetings have been held, and a committee has been formed with Louise Byström, director of
the Taiwan this Month tourist guide, as chairman and
Martin Söderberg, regional manager at TCO Development Asia Office, as secretary. Several activities are
planned– and the first one will be a Christmas luncheon
with an invited guest speaker. More news to come …
n The Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hong
Kong will move its office during the forthcoming Christmas from the China Resources Building in Wanchai to World-Wide House in Central.
From 23 December the new address will be:
Level 10, World-Wide House
Room with a view, here is SwedCham’s
19, Des Voeux Road Central
new office in World-Wide House. (Photo Hong Kong
courtesy of Worldwide Executive Centre.)
All other contact details will stay the same.
The chamber will be up and running in the new premises from Monday 3 January.
You are welcome to visit us at the Worldwide Executive Centre!
SwedCham HK wishes all readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
What if there were logistics partners
independent of heavy, costly overhead
structures? What if these partners
proved to be more efficient than any of
the global network giants? What if they
were fine-tuned to Air and Ocean
shipments between Scandinavia and
China? What if they were as dedicated
and committed to the success of your
business as you are?
And, what if you …
…would find this to
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China
Photo: Helena Jeppsson
Nils Landgren and
the Funk Unit.
Grand Finale at Shanghai Expo 2010
Nils Landgren
played for free in
Beijing.
n The Swedish pavilion closed on 31 October
with a Grand Finale party that saw some 300
expo partners present. This last day of the
inspiring half year at the expo in Shanghai
was also a moment to celebrate the Swedish
gold for best creative display. The award was
presented by Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in a ceremony the day before.
The success of the Swedish pavilion has
been the great collaboration of all parties of
government agencies, enterprises and individuals from Sweden and China. There were
many pleased and proud guests to share
the joy over this award.
For the Grand Finale, the Swedish Expo
Committee created an event in which the
exhibition was open for all guests as the
venue for a cocktail reception and a ceremony. Commissioner general Annika Rembe led
the final ceremony, which included a discussion about how to promote of Sweden. The
main theme was of course how to take future
advantage of all the expo’s achievements.
David & Fofo were the Street by Sweden
artists on the day and they thrilled and
entertained from the Innovation stage. The
Swedish band Movits played swing, jazz and
hip-hop in the VIP section after the buffet.
The conference room, Solvatten, proved to
be an excellent dance floor, and few guests
could resist moving their feet to the lively
beats. The rooftop bar closed late this last
evening in the Swedish pavilion.
Charity Jazz Gig with
Nils Landgren
n On 19 October, the Swedish Chamber was
one of the sponsors for a charity jazz Gig with
the famous Swedish trombonist and singer
Nils Landgren and his Funk Unit at the International School Western Academy of Beijing.
The event was an initiative by two charity
organisations, Change for Life and the Spring
Bud Project.
Change for life is a charity organisation
founded in Beijing 2008 by a group of Scandinavian women and it aims to improve the
lives of impoverished and poor children and
to support disadvantaged children to get
an education that can change their lives for
the better.
The Spring Bud Project was launched by the
well-respected China Children and Teenagers’ Fund (CCTF), under the leadership of the
All China Women’s Federation. Their goal is to
assist girls in poor areas of China to continue
or return to school, which will benefit not only
the girls and their families, but also the welfare
of society as a whole.
Landgren played for free in order to raise as
much money as possible for the two projects.
More than 250 tickets were sold and the
guests enjoyed South African wine and finger
food to the accompaniment of great jazz music through the evening.
Funds raised were shared between the two
projects, with the result that 17 children will
receive hearing aids for both ears and 11 girls
will get onward schooling.
For more information about the charity
organisations go to: www.changeforlife.se and
www.womenofchina.cn/Projects_Campaigns/
Projects/Spring_Bud/
Annika Rembe
with the gold
award for best
creative display.
The band Movits performed in Street by Sweden
on the last day and also made the Solvatten
dance floor vibrate in the evening.
David & Fofo
showed
their artistry
at the
Innovation st
age.
Annika Rembe, Swedish ambassador Lars Fredén, consul general Bengt Johansson,
Mats Bergman (Swedish Trade Council), Mats Harborn (Swedish Chamber of Commerce) and Ulrika Hallesius (Visit Sweden) discuss the Swedish expo participation.
Goodbye Mac - Welcome Malin!
Mac Karlsson
leaves for Moscow.
Malin
Franck
takes over
in Beijing.
n The Swedish Chamber of Commerce would like to say thank you
and goodbye to Mac Karlsson, former general manager for Radisson Blu Hotel Beijing, and who, with his Lilya, after almost seven
years, leaves Beijing for new challenges and experiences at the
Radisson Slavyanskaya Hotel & Business Centre in Moscow. Thank
you, Mac, for hosting the Swedish chamber’s office and for all your
generosity and support. It has been a pleasure working with you.
At the same time, we would like to welcome Malin Franck, who is
the new general manager of Radisson Blu Hotel Beijing. Franck has
more than 20 years experience of working at Radisson Blu (previously Radisson SAS) at various locations in Sweden as general
manager. It will be a pleasure to get to know you, Malin.
Good Luck!
HONG KONG >>>
HONG KONG Individual members >>>
Holmbergs Childsafety Co, Ltd
Block A, 19/F
Kong Nam Ind. Building
603 Castle Peak Road
Tsuen Wan, N.T.
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 3422 8191
Fax:: +852 3422 3372
Web: www.holmbergs.se
Line of business
Holmbergs Childsafety Group is a market leader in the segment of child restraint harness for child car seats. The company started manufacturing components for seat-belts as
far back as the 1950s. Since then Holmbergs has grown into
an international organisation with production and product
development facilities in both Europe and Asia together with
sales representation in Europe, Asia and US. Today, the focus
of the business is concentrated to the child safety area.
Chamber representative
Matz Larsson, Managing Director
1
2
Ottoboni Group
Ringvägen 100
SE-118 60 Stockholm
Sweden
Tel Sweden: +46 8 501 103 00
Tel Hong Kong: +852 6491 0822 (mobile)
E-mail: [email protected],
[email protected]
Web: www.ottoboni.se
Line of business
Ottoboni Group is a design and communications agency
specialised in digital channels. We deliver high-quality digital
communication to a broad range of international clients
ranging from Google, 3, The Absolut Company and Skanska.
Our focus is developing your business and strengthening
your brand by engaging and interacting with your target
groups in digital channels. Coordinating digital channels and
combining them with other forms of marketing is one of our
key strengths. We are a full service agency taking care of all
aspects of your communication from strategy, concept and
production to analysis and optimisation.
Chamber representatives
Fredrik Suter, Senior Project Manager
Daniel Bernehjält, CEO & Founder
1
2
Peter Dahlgren
Flat B, 25/F, Block 22, Laguna City
Kwun Tong, Kowloon
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 9570 4770
Jim Bjärkeback
Harbourfront Horizon
Suite B 1701
8 Hum Luen Road, Hung Hom Bay,
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 6907 9166
HONG KONG Overseas member >>>
ABB AB/ Jokab Safety
Boplatsgatan 3
SE-213 76 Malmö
Sweden
Tel: +46 40 6715644
Fax: +46 40 6715601
Web: www.jokabsafety.com
Line of business
Jokab Safety develops innovative products and solutions
for machine safety. We are specialists in practical application of safety requirements in connection with production
requirements. With a complete range of machine safety
products, we are your perfect partner - globally and locally.
Jonas Wackerfeldt, Manager Strategic Sourcing
JOHNNY’S PHOTO & VIDEO SUPPLY LTD
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• Video/Audio Hi-Fi Equipment
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• Mail Order Acceptable
Shop No.65, 1/F, Admiralty Centre, 18 Harcourt Road, Hong Kong
Tel: 852-2877-2227 Fax: 852-2877-2120
Mobile: 9051-9499 E-mail: [email protected]
Opening Hour: Mon – Sat 9:00am – 7:00pm
Sunday 2:00pm – 6:00pm
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Solid, reliable and utterly transparent, the future of your logistics is always
in a safe pair of hands with APC.
And of course, the human touch is never more than a phonecall away.
www.apclogistics.com
CHINA >>>
Cohr Group AB
Sveavägen 32, 3th floor
SE-111 34 Stockholm
Sweden
Tel: +46 8 411 64 55
Web: www.cohrgroup.com
Line of business
Cohr Group is a global human resources company specialising in psychological and business related assessment of top
and middle management for strategic talent management
and management development. We offer a unique combination of psychological expertise and knowledge of the conditions and demands in the corporate world.
Torbjörn Vestberg
Manager of China Operation, Chartered Psychologist,
Senior Consultant
Mobile: +86 1510 160 4611
1
Sustainability Support Services
(Europe) AB
Västergatan 11
SE-222 29 Lund
Sweden
Tel: +46 46 2850 417
Web: www.sustainability-support.com
Line of business
REACH (registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction
of chemicals, Regulation EC No 1907/2006) entered into
force on 1 June 2007. This regulation will have a significant
impact on manufacturers and exporters of chemicals and articles containing chemicals. Sustainability Support Services
(SSS) (Europe) AB is set up exclusively to provide technical assistance and guidance as required for non-European
manufacturers and exporters of chemicals and chemical
containing products to the European Union.
Chamber representatives
Shisher Kumra, Managing Director
Mobile: +46 70 877 9951
Xiaomin Dan Strand, Administration Business Development
1
To see how we can help you please visit our website www.pcs.com.hk or
write to John Barclay at [email protected]
A fter h ours
n Dining
n Books
A Swedish restaurant in Taipei
Whether you are in Taipei on business or
just for leisure, don’t miss a visit to Flavors, a
Swedish restaurant owned by chef Ola Wang
and his wife Stephanie, who met at a famous
hotel and restaurant school in Switzerland.
Flavors has been voted best Western restaurant in Taipei in three categories and has
also been reviewed as the No 1 restaurant
in Taiwan by www.tripadvisor.com. Sporting
a very cosy atmosphere, chef Ola provides a
personal touch. The menu is filled with well
known and tasty Swedish and Scandinavian
dishes that will make you home-sick.
Expect to leave the restaurant with such a
comfortable feeling of home you will be surprised to find yourself in the back alleys close
to Taipei 101, and not in Stockholm …
Phone: : +886 2 2709 6525
Opening hours: Tuesday-Friday 18-22.30,
Saturday-Sunday 12-14.30 and 18- 22.30
(Monday closed). Lunch by reservation.
Address: Ren Ai Rd, Sec 4, No 13,
Alley 26, Lane 300, Taipei, Taiwan
Guidebook writer makes his novel debut
Chris Taylor has published his first novel,
called Harvest Season.
Since the 1980s, veteran Asia-based writer Chris Taylor has
contributed to the Lonely Planet guidebooks covering, for
example, Seoul, Tokyo, China, Tibet, Cambodia, Malaysia and
Indonesia. His stories have appeared in publications such
as Time, the Wall Street Journal, the Far Eastern Economic
Review and the South China Morning Post. A few years ago
Taylor was living in Dali, Yunnan province, but is now based in
Kunming, where he is a freelance writer and editor. He is also
the English editor for Dragon News, an assignment he has
had for the past four years.
Earlier in 2010, Taylor published his first novel, Harvest
Season, which is the first contemporary novel to be published by the Shanghai-based Earnshaw Books.
The story, which takes place in an idyllic ancient walled
town deep in the mountains of southwest China, is about
a former guidebook writer who returns to find his modernday vision of Shangri-la threatened by forces he wants to
protect it from. Instead, he falls for the wrong woman and
becomes entangled in a power struggle that pits the drugaddled Westerners against increasingly hostile locals.
Critics have compared the book with The Beach by Alex
Garland, which became a popular Hollywood movie starring
Leonardo DiCaprio.
n Hotels
Trendy hotel in Hong Kong
n Fitness
Heyrobics in China
Every weekend, in the summertime in Chaoyang Park and in winter at Chaoyang Gymnasium in Beijing,
about 300 metres south of Chaoyang Park, you can enjoy Friskis&Svettis, or as it is called here, Heyrobics.
If you are a Scandinavian, you probably know what this is all about, but to make a long story short, it is
about exercising your body to keep yourself healthy and feel well about yourself. The goal of this exercise
is to lure you into a smile and feel passion for moving your body. Heyrobics is performed in a big group in
which everyone encourages one another to keep it up.
Earlier this year, a Heyrobis team also performed outside the Swedish pavilion at the expo in Shanghai.
For those who live in the university area of Wudaokou, Renmin University hosts a session every Saturday. More information at www.heyrobics.com and from: [email protected]
Located conveniently in the new and buzzing West Kowloon, tapped to become the
city’s new finance and commerce hub, W
Hong Kong is the nearest lifestyle hotel to
AsiaWorld-Expo and Hong Kong International Airport. The hotel has been voted one
of the 10 trendiest hotels in the world by
TripAdvisor.
With the Swedish general manager Krister
Svensson’s passion for hotels, extensive exposure in Asia and impressive career spanning
over 25 years, W Hong Kong has become the
best lifestyle product in one of the world’s
greatest hotel cities.
The hotel has 393 rooms, an award-winning
spa, a rooftop pool, a state-of-the-art gym,
two signature restaurants and an expanded
ballroom with the highest ceiling in Kowloon.
m
T
ank
pe
Martin Carey, Private Banker
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T h e c h amber and I
Since Hong Kong is a hub for the whole
Asia-Pacific region, a regional forum or a
regional event, organised by the Swedish
Chamber of Commerce, would be great,
says Joakim Persson of Atos Medical.
‘A regional forum
would be great’
J
oakim Persson is sales director for Asia Pacific for
Atos Medical, a company that provides medical devices
for the ear, nose and throat (ENT) market segments.
He is based in Hong Kong.
When did your company become a member?
“My company joined shortly after we had opened our office in
Hong Kong, in the beginning of 2007.”
Why did you become a member?
“Our company was quite new in Hong Kong, and so was I personally. I came alone to Hong Kong and I felt that I would surely
achieve my goals much more easily with the help of some good
advice, and the Swedish chamber seemed to be the obvious choice.
I saw great advantages in the network of Swedish people and companies that had already been through many of the same challenges
that we were facing as newcomers in Hong Kong.”
What has the membership meant to your company?
“There were many ‘new doors to open’ for me when we arrived in
Hong Kong, but by using the experience and advice that was offered by companies and people within the chamber, the process has
been a lot quicker and easier than it otherwise would have been.”
Kong, and there is something that I find especially interesting, I make
an effort to attend.”
What kind of activities do you enjoy the most?
“I think the breakfast meetings are great. They often cover interesting topics and since I am always pressed for time, I find that they do
not take too much time out of the working day. Also, the traditional
and highly popular Swedish parties are, of course, always great fun!”
What kind of activities would you like the chamber to
arrange in the future?
“I think the diversity and frequency of events are great already, so
if the chamber can continue in the same way, I would be more
than happy.
“One thought I have is that since many companies use Hong
Kong as a hub, not only for business in Hong Kong and China
but for the whole Asia-Pacific region, a regional forum would be
great. Some kind of forum, or perhaps an event that connects the
chambers in the region, would be very useful not only for us, but I
am sure, also, for a lot of the member companies.”
Do you and your fellow co-workers attend the meetings at the Swedish Chamber?
“I am travelling in the region very frequently so unfortunately I
cannot attend as often as I would like. But whenever I am in Hong
Do you have any other comments?
“I will close by promoting the chamber: If you not are a member
already, join now!
“On a more serious note, it is the members that make the
chamber what it is, so the more members we have, the more experience and knowledge are shared within the network, and that is
something that we all will benefit from.” b
DIRECTORS OF THE BOARD
Stefan Rönnquist, Chairman [The Tomorrow Group]
Hans Jarne, Vice Chairman [Ericsson]
Michael Zell, Vice Chairman [Handelsbanken]
Gunnar Mansfeld, Tresurer [Ocean Trawlers]
Eva Henriksson [Henriksson Consulting]
Staffan Löfgren [ScanAsia Consulting]
Kristian Odebjer [Advokatfirman Odebjer]
Ulf Ohrling [Mannheimer Swartling]
DIRECTORS OF THE BOARD
Mats Harborn, Chairman [Scania]
Mats Johansson, Vice Chairman [Gunnebo]
Christine Engdahl, Treasurer [Sweden Expo entity]
Yvonne Chen [Swedish Chamber of Commerce in China]
Paoling Chiu [Lotus Travel]
Birgitta Ed [Springtime]
Fredrik Ektander [SEB]
Kristina Lang Falck [ IKEA]
Johan Menckel [Sapa]
Tom Nygren [Ericsson]
Marianne Ramel [Gide]
Tomas Sörensson [B&N Tools]
* From Flightstats 2009.

Dragon News - Swedish Chamber of Commerce in China

Transcription

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