The Trade Exchange, which took place in Shanghai this week, saw a gathering of approximately 30 businesses from across Europe to understand more about the opportunities that exist to do business with or in China.
Mark Emmerson,
Regional Head of Trade and Supply Chain, HSBC Europe, provides his round up of day one (28 June 2011) of the Exchange:
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The first full day of HSBC’s Trade Exchange event here in Shanghai has been as exciting as it has been educational.
Delegates representing successful firms from Europe and Asia have been getting to grips with the immense opportunities presented by the Chinese market. A series of workshops and presentations delivered by a selection of first-rate experts in their respective fields have given these companies the chance to discuss a wide range of issues today.
Listening to the experienced views of ex-pats on the ground and highly-respected senior Chinese businesspeople, we are being left with little doubt about the compelling case for making your mark here.
The numbers are, by any standards, staggering. Ninety-three Chinese cities have a population of over one million. If China’s provinces were separate states, six of them would be on course to sit on the G20.
We also dealt with the complexities of finding the right partner, and how vital guanxi – the age-old system of family, friendships and networking – is in gaining the presence you need to navigate this market.
Following today’s sessions, which included valuable briefings on the significance of high value business, renewables and infrastructure opportunities in China, we now look forward to exploring more about the increasing role of the Renminbi in international transactions.
We will also be hearing the experiences of corporates with many years’ experience in China, and the delegates will get an opportunity to network with some of Shanghai’s most influential business figures. And what a fantastic city this is.
There’s no doubt that these are exciting times for China and the time is ripe to be a part of it."
China has re-emerged as the world’s second largest economy and the biggest global exporter. Trade flows between Europe and China has increased dramatically in recent years and China is now Europe’s second trading partner behind the USA and the biggest source of imports (€214.7billion in 2009). EU's imports from China are mainly industrial goods: machinery & transport equipment and miscellaneous manufactured articles.
The EU’s open market has been a large contributor to China’s export-led growth (EU goods exports to China in 2009 amounted to €81.7billion). EU’s exports to China are also concentrated on industrial products – machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods and chemicals.
Europe, as a region has benefited from the growth of the Chinese market and the EU is committed to open trading relations with China, which is why Shanghai was selected as the perfect destination to hold a Trade Exchange.
The exchanging of information, advice and guidance took place in the form of key note speeches from industry experts, organisations who specialise in helping businesses do business in China, as well as HSBC experts. Please take a look at what was covered in the
Agenda
The delegates included CFOs, CEOs, Heads of Trade and Export, D irectors, Treasurers and Finance Directors from Corporate and MME businesses across Europe who are either already doing business with China and see more potential but don’t know how to capitalise on it, or considering the opportunity seriously.
Several industry sectors were selected to ensure the content is relevant to all the delegates who attended. The most relevant and growing sectors in China were identified as:
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Green industry to include recycling, renewable energy (such as solar, wind power and modern forms of bio energy) and carbon-neutral industry
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Life Sciences to include pharmaceuticals, healthcare, medical and biotechnology
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Industrials and Manufacturing, including construction, engineering and metals
The delegates networked with like minded businesses, and potential partners they may want to do business with in the near future.
Read the output and the insights from the sessions covered in the agenda during the Trade Exchange
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