Me mbe r m aga zi n e f or th e Swe d i sh Cha mbe rs of Comme rce i n Hong Kong an d Ch i na i s sue 1 • 2 018
6
Thomas Lagerqvist Sweden must develop a relevant China strategy
20
Håkan Agnevall The future is electric
Smarter city, better life China is moving to cure its “big city disease” to create a more sustainable city environment in its metropolises.
Publisher The Swedish Chambers of Commerce in Hong Kong and China For advertising inquiries, please contact respective chamber’s office The opinions expressed in articles in Dragon News are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Editorial management, design and printing Bamboo Business Communications Ltd Tel: +852 2838 4553 www.bambooinasia.com bamboo@bambooinasia.com Art director: Johnny Chan Designer: Victor Dai English editor: Chris Taylor Cover: iStock INQUIRIES Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong Room 2503, 25/F, BEA Harbour View Centre 56, Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong Tel: +852 2525 0349 Email: chamber@swedcham.com.hk Web: www.swedcham.com.hk General Manager: Eva Karlberg Event Manager: Rebecca Netteryd Finance Manager: Anna Mackel 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 Email: beijing@swedcham.cn Web: swedcham.cn General Manager: Martin Vercouter Office Manager: Erika Staffas Member Service Manager: Jaycee Yang Finance Assistant: Tian Yiling Shanghai contact Level 5, The Executive Center, 159 Madang Road, North Block, Huangpu District, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China Office Manager Shanghai: Marianne Westerback Tel: +86 21 6135 7229 Mobile: +86 185 0170 3307 Email: shanghai@swedcham.cn
CONTENTS
No.012018 06
4
Editorial
6
Opinion: Thomas Lagerqvist, SCTC
8
Smorgasbord
10 Focus story: Smarter city, better life 18 Executive talk: Niina Äikäs, SEB Shanghai
18
20 Feature: Håkan Agnevall, Volvo Buses 22 This is Sweden: Walpurgis Night 24 Young Professional interview: Casper Oldén
22
26 Chamber activities in Hong Kong 28 Chamber activities in Beijing 30 Chamber activities in Shanghai 32 Say no to plastic waste 33 New members
24
36 The chamber and I: Favourite spots in China 38 Directors and committee members
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DRAGONNEWS • NO.01/2018 3
EDITORIAL
Care for ambition Kristian Odebjer Chairman Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong
Lars-Åke Severin Chairman Swedish Chamber of Commerce in China
The Chinese urban dream is not yet for everyone Dear Reader, Most likely “the cities of tomorrow” will look quite different from the ones we live in today. New technologies have the power to change the way we live and work in profound ways. For example, the introduction of autonomous cars and the further development of ridesharing services are likely to lead to dramatic drops in car ownership as we know it today. Much of the infrastructure we are surrounded by is purpose-built for a car-centred society (spacious garages, wide highways), and may become redundant when we enter what has the promise of being a more human-centred, and therefore sustainable, era. China’s environmental challenges are enormous, but at the same time the country has a unique opportunity to leap-frog western countries when it comes to implementing urban infrastructure solutions that will make its cities the leaders of the 21st Century. In the past few years, we have actually already seen a noticeable improvement in air quality in cities like Beijing. This has been achieved mostly through “old school” methods like moving industry away from the city, and implementing (some) restrictions on car traffic. The type of fundamental technology shift promised by a “smart car revolution” could quite possibly make China’s great cities as clean as their peers anywhere else in the world. There is also the question of how a country and its cities grow in a sustainable fashion. Is it possible for a “green” city to expand indefinitely? The Chinese government appears to have concerns that this is not the case, as it is developing plans to turn its biggest cities into clusters of many “mini cities”, instead of letting them continue 4 DRAGONNEWS • NO.01/2018
to grow organically. The challenges for mega-cities like Beijing and Shanghai (but also Guangzhou and Chongqing) in areas like energy generation, logistics, waste management and public transportation, as well as in the provision of basic social safety and health care, are beyond imagination. Just take the single question of power supply; for now it is impossible to see a full transition to renewable energy anytime in the foreseeable future. For the time being, even a “sustainable” city will still be powered to some extent in an unsustainable fashion. So will these future dream cities be available to everyone? Here we may paraphrase Deng Xiaoping, who famously stated that China had to “let some people get rich first”. In the same vein, the world will probably have to let some people get access to a more environmentally friendly environment first, which would further increase the gap between the rich and the poor. It is still possible, judging from the direction in which the country is headed, that some of these lucky inhabitants of sustainable metropolises will live in China. At the same time, let us not forget that China is a big country with many backward regions, and it will take time before we see autonomous vehicles on a daily basis in the backroads of Anhui province, or are we perhaps underestimating the appetite for change in rural China? Last year, the Chinese government demonstrated in very practical terms how far they are willing to go to manage the future population of Beijing. Using a tragic fire as the pretext, they closed down a large number of “illicit” markets and smaller shops, none of them more “unsustainable” than other establishments in their respective neighbourhoods. As a result, thousands of
non-hukou residents (i.e. people without social registration in Beijing) were effectively forced out of the city. These people were apparently not considered welcome any more. Cases like these make it abundantly clear that the Chinese (urban) dream is not for everyone, at least not yet. A sustainable city is not only about the physical environment and infrastructure, but very much also about the people. You can introduce electrical buses and taxis, an improved waste management system, and super-efficient public services, but at the end of the day you need people to be able to live and thrive in the city. The single biggest challenge for the Chinese government will therefore be to achieve a balanced growth model that combines affordable housing and social services (including schools and hospitals) with an overhaul into a more sustainable society. China is among the countries that are leading the transition from cities congested by cars using fossil fuels, into cities only allowing electric vehicles, as well as a more efficient public transportation system. China has an obvious advantage in terms of implementation, i.e. when a decision is made the implementation will usually follow regardless of public opinion. But China also faces challenges associated with fulfilling promises made about a prosperous future and a higher quality of life. China’s young generation does not want a quiet life in a relatively backward countryside; they are looking for inspiring work in vibrant, modern cities. Change cannot come soon enough for them. Perhaps the true challenge lies more within managing people’s expectations, rather than in realising the physical environment as such.
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o pi n i o n
Sweden must W develop a relevant China strategy Text: Thomas Lagerqvist, thomas.lagerqvist@msa.se
And because China is so integrated into its economic, political and cultural life, the West is vulnerable to such pressure. Since President Xi Jinping came to power, he has introduced what is now generally called Xi Jinping´s Thought, enshrined as part of party dogma together with the thought of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. Xi Jinping’s Thoughts are founded on an overall strong vision. To fulfil the “China Dream”, this vision will serve as a guiding star into the new era. However, that said, it is “just” a vision. So, as the old English proverb goes “The proof is not in the pudding. It is in the eating of the pudding”. This means that we will have to wait and see when and how it materialises. In the meantime, we urgently need corporate headquarters in Sweden and Swedish politicians to increase their understanding of how these new concepts and vision can translate into more concrete business opportunities from a Swedish point of view, including the Belt and Road Initiative and Chinese direct investments into the EU. How can we prepare for change?
Photo: iStock
The Swedish government and parliament must be able to analyse and understand what it is that drives China´s continued development, writes business lawyer and former SwedCham chairman Thomas Lagerqvist.
inston Churchill said in a radio broadcast in October 1939: “I cannot forecast to you the actions of Russia. It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest.” Today you can say the same about China. China is getting richer, older, more urbanised and better connected (although only within China and under tighter control). China is getting more complex politically (within the Communist Party itself). China is becoming more powerful and more assertive economically and geopolitically. And it is becoming less enamoured of foreign investors and more focused on building Chinese champions that will successfully compete on a global scale. China uses its “soft power” to affect others by attraction and persuasion rather than the hard power of coercion and payment. Remember the 500 Confucius Institutes and 1,000 Confucius classrooms that China supports around the world to teach Chinese language and culture. Sometimes the soft power crosses the line and becomes “sharp power” because China also commands a comprehensive and flexible influencing toolset, ranging from the overt to the covert. The Economist raised a red flag in a recent cover article: “Even if China does not seek to conquer foreign lands, many people fear that it seeks to conquer foreign minds.”
Firstly, the Swedish government offices must launch a China desk with at least three or four people who are knowledgeable about and experienced in understanding China, its drivers, policies and vision, and at the same time are in tune with Swedish companies’ needs and aspirations for the Chinese market. Only then will there be a real opportunity for a more China oriented dialogue between business and politics and an ongoing dialogue to ensure that business and politics are synchronised when it comes to China with the aim of clarifying the respective roles we play for the benefit of “AB Sweden” (Sweden Inc). The Swedish government, parliament and related departments must be able to
Thomas Lagerqvist is a senior adviser of the Stockholm office of Mannheimer Swartling law firm. Lagerqvist has been a business lawyer for more than 40 years. Over the past 30 years he has been focusing on China, with 20 years spent working from offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai. He is the author of a number of articles and books on China-related matters. Lagerqvist served as chairman of SwedCham Hong Kong between 1996 and 2011, when he was elected Honorary Chairman. In 2011 he was elected chairman of the Sweden-China Trade Council.
There has long been overconfidence that China will become more democratic ... It is time to realise that this will not happen.” analyse and understand what it is that drives China´s continued development. There is a lack of transparency in how the vision will be implemented. We need to understand more in depth how China may affect everything from the global economy, to the rules and systems our global organisations (such as the UN) follow, global trade and investment and geopolitics. After all, what China is currently offering is perhaps a new world order. Who knows? China has so far proven that it is good at finding new ways and models to engage with the world, all with distinct “Chinese characteristics”. One example: there has long been overconfidence that China will become more democratic as a result of its continued economic development and emerging role in a globalised world. It is time to realise that this will not happen. President Xi Jinping himself has clarified that “China is a country with a land area of more than 9.6 million square kilometres and a population of 56 ethnic groups. Whose model should we copy? And who is qualified to throw their weight around and tell us what to do?” What he offers is a “socialist, consultative, democracy”. Similar expressions are
We need to have firm and relevant understanding, initiatives and bilateral support from the government to help our future national champions ...” 6 DRAGONNEWS • NO.01/2018
currently being used in China´s policy parlance. Examples include a “Socialist market economy” and “Socialist rule of law with Chinese features”. By using the word “socialist” China has given itself exclusivity on how, in practice, it wants to interpret what such expressions should mean to China. And then Xi Jinping can say again, “And who is qualified to throw their weight around and tell us what to do?”
Secondly, it is critical that the Swedish government actually develops a coherent and relevant China strategy. We need to have a well devised and strategic official attitude on how to deal with China, generally, as well in support of the various business challenges that China´s non-tariff trade barriers offer to our national champions. We need to have firm and relevant understanding, initiatives and bilateral support from the government to help our future national champions, the SMEs of Sweden, to conclude more concrete business in and with China, with reduced risk. But we are not looking for a “strategic document” in itself. I agree with Dwight Eisenhower, who said: “In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” The most critical is the planning process itself because that will force the government to increase its understanding – and on a more conceptual level too – of China´s influence on “AB Sweden” and its various players. Governments who fail to understand the drivers of China´s development, its course and the “codes” behind China´s visions and catchphrases will not be able to deal with them in the most optimal and proactive way, but will be forced to react, and then it may be too late. I believe that Swedish business generally expects our government to be knowledgeable enough to be able to play its role in support of “AB Sweden” and our future. I conclude by quoting Confucius: “To know what you know and what you do not know that is true knowledge.” I rest my case. Thank you. b DRAGONNEWS • NO.01/2018 7
S morgasbord Smarter cities in numbers
No 1 1.5 million
90%
Hong Kong has the most sustainable transport system in the world, according to the design and consultancy firm Arcadis’ Sustainable Cities Mobility Index in 2017. Hong Kong takes the top spot because of its innovative and well-connected metro network and a high share of trips taken by public transport, which is also relatively cheap. The number of people that are added to the global urban population every week. The percentage of the world’s urban population growth that will take place in African and Asian countries. This rapid urbanisation is placing huge demands on infrastructure, services, job creation, climate and environment.
58% 2 trillion
The percentage of China’s total population that lived in the cities by the end of 2017. That is a permanent urban population of 813 million, up 20.5 million on the year, according to government data published by the official Xinhua news agency.
The estimated cost in yuan, equivalent to US$290 billion, that China will invest over 15 years in infrastructure and relocation for building the new city of Xiongan, about two hours’ drive from Beijing, according to the financial services firm Morgan Stanley.
Rank City (Province)
Alain Bertaud, urban planner and senior research scholar at the New York University Stern Urbanisation Project, in an interview with The Guardian.
Hukou reform on its way
Photo: iStock
million
1
Shenzhen (Guangdong)
2
Hangzhou (Zhejiang)
3
Zhoushan (Zhejiang)
4
Zhuhai (Guangdong)
5
Ningbo (Zhejiang)
6
Guangzhou (Guangdong)
7
Weihai (Shandong)
8
Huzhou (Zhejiang)
9
Zhongshan (Guangdong)
10
Shaoxing (Zhejiang)
Photo: iStock
Source: McKinsey & Company
The world’s most liveable cities n For the seventh year in a row, Melbourne was ranked as the most liveable city in the world in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2017 Global Liveability Ranking, which scores lifestyle challenges in 140 cities worldwide. The report concludes that global liveability has improved for the first time in a decade. Melbourne is the best city to live in, according to a global ranking. Of the Nordic capitals, Helsinki was ranked ninth, Copenhagen 21st, Oslo 25th, Stockholm 26th and Reykjavik 37th. No Asian cities made it into the top 10 list. Hong Kong was ranked as the fourth best city in Asia after Osaka, Tokyo and Singapore. China’s top cities were Hong Kong (global ranking 45), Suzhou (72), Beijing (73), Tianjin (77), Shanghai (81), Shenzhen (84), Dalian (88) and Guangzhou (92). The survey assesses each city according to five broad categories: stability, healthcare, culture/ environment, education and infrastructure.
n Shenzhen is the most sustainable city in China, thanks to its excellent performance in the economic, social and environmental segments, especially in the innovation area, according to a ranking by global management consultancy McKinsey & Company. In its 2016 Urban Sustainability Index Report, Hangzhou was ranked second and Zhoushan third. Beijing dropped out of the top 10 because of its unsatisfactory environmental performance and lack of proper use of resources. Other cities, including Xiamen, Dalian, Fuzhou, Changsha and Yantai, also lost their positions in the top 10. Cities in the provinces of Guangdong and Zhejiang dominate the list. Shenzhen tops the list of sustainable cities in China.
Rank City
Country
1
Melbourne
Australia
2
Vienna
Austria
3
Vancouver
Canada
4
Toronto
Canada
5
Calgary
Canada
6
Adelaide
Australia
7
Perth
Australia
8
Auckland
New Zealand
9
Helsinki
Finland
10
Hamburg
Germany
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)
8 DRAGONNEWS • NO.01/2018
WHERE BUSINESS MEETS BENEFITS
China’s most sustainable cities
“Urbanisation [in China] didn’t happen because the government wanted the country to urbanise. The economy asked for it, and the people voted with their feet.”
n China’s government has announced a goal of expanding urban hukou, or residency permits, to its 100 million migrant workers by 2020 as part of its plan to rebalance its economy. “China’s hukou system is one of the most pressing areas for policy reform. It is both a direct cause of economic and social inequality and a major obstacle to China’s goal of building a highly urbanised, consumer-driven economy,” writes the online news magazine The Diplomat. The hukou system designates a resident’s status as being either rural or urban based on their registered birthplace. In practice, this means a migrant worker from the countryside is not entitled to public services in a big city, despite working and living in the city.
828
The number of people that live in slums today – and the number keeps rising.
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focus STORY
Future trends (1): Tomorrow’s cities
Smarter city, better life
Rapid urbanisation, environmental challenges and technological breakthroughs are reshaping the world we live in, the markets we do business in and the companies we work for. For this year’s four issues of Dragon News, the Swedish Chambers of Commerce in Hong Kong and China have chosen, as the magazine’s overall theme, to look at some of the more notable of tomorrow’s trends. We will analyse current developments and interview representatives of member companies and others that in one way or another are involved in these trends. In this issue, we look at tomorrow’s cities. Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas but the question is how the cities could become smarter, cleaner and more sustainable in the near future.
China is moving to cure its “big city disease” to create a more sustainable city environment in its metropolises. Text: Jan Hökerberg, Bamboo, jan.hokerberg@bambooinasia.com
F
ive years ago, Beijing was ranked as one of the worst cities in the world when it comes to air pollution, with a density of PM2.5 – fine particles small enough to pass from the lungs to other organs – reaching more than 700 micrograms per cubic metre. Walking around the city was, on certain days, akin to doing a workout in a smokers lounge at an airport. Today, the picture has totally changed. In December 2017, Beijing was ranked ninth of 74 Chinese cities in air quality. “The air quality in Beijing is so much better today,” confirms Mats Harborn, executive director at Scania China Strategic Office, while watching a clear blue sky from his office window. “If the air quality index reaches 200 today, we would regard it as very alarming.” In 2014, Premier Li Keqiang declared “war on pollution”, allocating 10 billion yuan to nine provincial-level governments in China. In Beijing, coal-fired plants and other heavy industry facilities were either shut down or moved elsewhere. Violations of environmental protection laws resulted in heavy penalties for factories and construction sites. “China’s businesses have also moved up the value chain, so when the focus is on value instead of quantity, you will automatically get other positive effects such as better air,” says Harborn, who is also president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. 10 DRAGONNEWS • NO.01/2018
More than half of the world’s population now lives in urban areas, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). By 2050, that figure will have risen to 6.5 billion people – two-thirds of all humanity. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without significantly transforming the way we build and manage our urban spaces. The rapid growth of cities in the developing world, coupled with increasing rural to urban migration, has led to a boom in mega-cities. In 1990, there were 10 megacities with 10 million inhabitants or more. In 2017, there were 37. Extreme poverty is often concentrated in urban spaces, and national and city governments struggle to accommodate the rising population in these areas, notes the UNDP in a report on sustainable development goals. Making cities safe and sustainable means ensuring access to safe and affordable housing, and upgrading slum settlements. It also involves investment in public transport, creating green public spaces and improving urban planning and management in a way that is both participatory and inclusive. How cities evolve will be determined by the collective actions of city governments, people and businesses. What is critical is to focus interventions not just on the “smart city”, but on the smart town and the smart village, enabling an interdependent
ecosystem that counters rapid organisation to the mega-city. China’s urbanisation continues at a rapid pace but environmental issues – traffic jams and so on – are forcing China to stop the development of mega-cities and rather develop large city clusters. By putting a cap on its population growth, both Beijing and Shanghai are now trying to manage its so-called “big city disease” – that is, when a mega-city becomes plagued with environmental pollution, traffic congestion and a shortage of public services, including education and medical care. Beijing, which had a population of almost 22 million in 2017, will limit the number to 23 million in 2020, while Shanghai, with a current population of more than 24 million, will have a maximum of 25 million people in 2035. To help to achieve this goal in Beijing, some universities, institutions, government agencies, state-owned companies and residents of the Chinese capital will be moved to a new city called Xiongan, about 100 kilometres south of Beijing. The city is part of the Xiongan New Area economic zone, which will cover an area nearly three times the size of New York City. “[This is a] major historic and strategic choice made by the Chinese Communist party’s central committee with comrade Xi Jinping as the core,” said the central DRAGONNEWS • NO.01/2018 11
focus STORY
Mats Harborn, Scania
committee and the state council in a joint notice in April last year when the project was launched. Official news agency Xinhua said Xiongan’s creation would reduce pressure on China’s car-clogged, 22 million-resident capital, and “usher in a new chapter in the country’s historic transitioning to Smart City Sweden is a national export and investment platform that shares Swedish sustainable solutions for smart cities. It coordinated, inclusive and sustainable growth”. is funded partly by the Swedish government and partly by industry “We have noted a rather big interest from Swedish companies and businesses and managed by the Swedish Environmental Research for the Xiongan project,” says David Hallgren, trade commissioner Institute (IVL) in close collaboration with business promoting for China at Business Sweden. “In 2017, we held several information networks and organisations, as well as private companies. meetings for Swedish companies about Xiongan and this year we will In order to build smart and sustainable cities, many organise a number of activities such as match-making different processes and functions need to harmonise with events. A couple of Swedish companies were invited to each other. Smart City Sweden has these focus areas: air participate at an early stage and we anticipate there will be quality, bioenergy, biogas, smart grids, smart mobility, a number of business opportunities this year.” waste management, waste-to-water and water. The Xiongan project is part of the central government’s The number of In October 2017, Smart City Sweden held a kick-off strategy to create large city clusters instead of letting the mega-cities, that ceremony at the Swedish embassy in Beijing. existing mega-cities grow. Xiongan is located within such is cities with more “The reception in China for Swedish sustainable a cluster called Jingjinji (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei) with an than 10 million solutions are, in general, very good. The Chinese know expected total population of 130 million. inhabitants, in 2017. that Sweden can offer good solutions in areas such as city Other clusters include the region around Chengdu In 1990, there were planning, sustainable transport, clean air and water, waste and Chongqing (population around 60 million), the only 10 such cities. management and so on,” says Hallgren. Yangtze River Delta cluster around Shanghai (around “However, while Sweden’s solutions are based on life 90 million), the Yangtze River Middle Reaches cluster cycle costs versus life cycle profits, the focus in China is often on the around Wuhan (29 million) as well as the Greater Bay Area Initiative initial investment,” he adds. in the south which include 11 cities, among them Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou and Shenzhen (67 million people altogether). “If the integration of the Greater Bay Area succeeds, it will In order to create a sustainable city environment, today there is a fast-growing interest in electric and autonomous – self-driving become the world’s largest economic centre, which will combine the – vehicles in cities all over the world. For example, Singapore is very outstanding innovative spirit of Shenzhen with the financial strengths progressive when it comes to public transport. of Hong Kong, the logistics and manufacturing powerhouse of Volvo Buses and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Guangdong province and the gaming centre of Macau,” says Johan in Singapore have signed a cooperation agreement on a research Nylander, correspondent for the Swedish business daily Dagens and development program for autonomous electric buses. The Industri and the author of the recently published e-book Shenzhen Superstars (see separate article).
37
Since the early 2000s, China has been promoting so-called eco-cities for sustainable development, but with little success. Caofeidian, Dongtan (close to Shanghai) and Tianjin Eco-City are examples of everything going wrong and some others are even ghost towns today – that is urban areas with many empty buildings. Still, China has recently announced that it is now planning 12 DRAGONNEWS • NO.01/2018
China is moving away from quantitative growth to high-quality growth and it’s not just talk; it actually happens.” David Hallgren, Business Sweden
programme is part of Singapore’s drive to create new solutions for tomorrow’s sustainable public transport. Singapore has announced that self-driving buses will be deployed in several areas of the country by 2022. “Together with NTU, one of the world’s leading universities of technology, we now have the possibility of testing various solutions under realistic conditions in a major city that has high ambitions for its public transport,” says Håkan Agnevall, president of Volvo Buses (see also pages 20-21). “For Volvo, this will be the first autonomous application in public transportation. Volvo has already demonstrated autonomous technology in mining, quarry and refuse collection operations,” he says. Scania is also active in this field and announced in February that it had joined forces with Shenzhen-based Haylion Technologies, which focuses on solutions for the Chinese transport industry in the areas of autonomous driving, electrification and connectivity. The common aim is to expedite the commercialisation of autonomous driving applications and sustainable transport. Scania has also recently teamed up with Northvolt, a company that is going to build Europe’s largest and most advanced lithium-ion battery
Jeremy Knight (left) of Volvo Bus Hong Kong together with his colleagues David Mead, Akash Passey and Dusan Prastalo.
Jeremy Knight, Volvo Bus Hong Kong
factory in northern Sweden. They will develop and commercialise battery cell technology for heavy commercial vehicles. In early March, electric vehicle start-up NIO and state-owned carmaker SAIC Motor became the first two mainland firms to receive approval from the Shanghai city government to test their self-driving cars in a designated area in the north-western suburb of Jiading, initially covering a 5.6-kilometre route. The rules in Shanghai require that a driver must always sit behind the wheel and be ready to take charge even
Photo: Volvo
What China should do instead of building demo cities is to focus on making the existing cities more sustainable.”
to build 285 eco-cities across the country. “China has a naïve and immature view on this. Some eco-cities may have good intentions from the planners but when developers take over they are often uninterested in sustainability. Rather, they see it as a label to make the project more profitable. What China should do instead of building demo cities is to focus on making the existing cities more sustainable,” says Harborn. “There is a tendency in China that when someone begins to move in a certain direction then others will follow on a large scale and while some succeed others fail,” says Hallgren of Business Sweden. “However, something that has been very clear over the past two years is that China takes environmental policy very seriously today. The Ministry of Environmental Protection has acquired more powers to increase the environmental requirements and there is a new set of regulations in place,” he says.
Hong Kong is one of the hardest markets for city buses. We sometimes say that if a bus can work in Hong Kong, it can work anywhere.”
DRAGONNEWS • NO.01/2018 13
Johan Nylander, Dagens Industri
when the vehicle is in a self-driving mode. China is racing into what it calls its “new energy” future, the country’s term for electric-powered vehicles. Nearly half of the municipal buses on the road worldwide will be electric within seven years, with China expected to dominate the global market as it aims to cut urban pollution and support domestic manufacturers. The total number of electric buses in service is forecast to more than triple, from 386,000 last year to about 1.2 million in 2025, equal to about 47 per cent of the worldwide city bus fleet, according to a report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. In December 2017, Shenzhen’s transport commission announced that all the city’s 16,359 buses are now electric, as well as 63 per cent of its 17,000 taxis. In Hong Kong, where Volvo has about half of the market for city buses, it will probably take a long time before the city will see any electric or self-driving buses. The city has undertaken trials of both electric buses and electric taxis but they were not considered a success. “There are many hurdles in Hong Kong for electric buses,” says Jeremy Knight, managing director of Volvo Bus Hong Kong. “An overwhelming majority are double-decker buses, which means that they weigh more and consume much more battery power.” The landscape of Hong Kong is also hilly, with many steep slopes, which also adds to the battery consumption. Furthermore, Hong Kong has high humidity for a large part of the year so the buses need to use airconditioning, which means more energy consumption. A bus on a flat surface consumes about 1 KWh per kilometre. If it uses air-conditioning, 1 Kwh per kilometre needs to be added and if the city has steep hills, as in Hong Kong, another 1 KWh per kilometre has to be added. “Hong Kong is one of the hardest markets for city buses. We sometimes say that if a bus can work in Hong Kong, it can work anywhere,” says Knight. In order to curb roadside pollution levels, Hong Kong has started to scrap old energy-guzzling buses and the government has launched a programme to stimulate bus operators to replace older bus models with more energy-efficient ones.
In a BRT system, such as this in the city of Changzhou, the buses run in their own lanes which increases reliability and punctuality.
14 DRAGONNEWS • NO.01/2018
“In 2017, we supplied our customer Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) with Hong Kong’s first Euro 6 diesel double-decker bus,” says Knight. The bus is undergoing field tests to ascertain how it adapts to the operating environment in Hong Kong.
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a system that probably never could be introduced in Hong Kong because of the city’s topography, but it has been successful in South America and also in China, where more than 20 cities have constructed BRT systems. BRT, sometimes called a “surface subway”, was first introduced in the Brazilian city of Curitiba in the late 1980s by the city’s then mayor Jaime Lerner, who worked closely together with Volvo, which has a factory there. BRT buses run in their own lanes. In extreme cases even double lanes, allowing for express lines on the same route. And having a free way ahead makes it possible to operate reliably and punctually. The buses are longer than normal buses and can carry almost 300 passengers. The tickets are pre-paid and there is a real-time traffic management system in place. BRT combines the single-corridor quality of rail transit with the flexibility of buses. It is also considerably cheaper than rail, at onetenth the construction and operational costs, and takes less time to set up – typically less than three years from design to completion. Volvo is one of the leading suppliers to BRT systems around the world. Scania has also delivered buses to BRT, for example to the system in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, which was the third to be built in China, after Beijing and Hangzhou. “I believe strongly in BRT. It fits cities that have the physical infrastructure and it is a less expensive alternative to a metro system,” says Harborn of Scania. In 2017, China announced that automakers that want to manufacture fossil-fuel-powered cars must first produce low-emission and zero-emission cars to attain a new energy vehicle score. The new rule applies to companies that make or import more than 30,000 fossil-fuel-powered cars annually. This means that by 2019, carmakers
Photo: Scania
If the integration of the Greater Bay Area succeeds, it will become the world’s largest economical centre.”
Photo: Allan Nylander
focus STORY
focus STORY
must be producing a fleet with a total of 10 per cent or more electric vehicles, and 12 per cent or more by 2020. China’s new rule is part of an aggressive plan to phase out fossilfuel-powered vehicles. “China is moving away from quantitative growth to high-quality growth and it’s not just talk; it actually happens. This means that they will have higher requirements for the technology they choose and this could benefit Swedish companies,” says Hallgren. But, he adds, there will be competition. “We need to remember that China’s domestic companies are getting much stronger in these fields. China is already at the forefront in the world when it comes to electro-mobility, battery technology and autonomous vehicles. All the same, there could be good opportunities for Swedish companies to enter into partnerships with their Chinese counterparts,” he says. Harborn’s vision of sustainable city transport is to have seamless systems that makes it easy and safe to go from one place to another whether you walk, bike or take the bus, metro or car. “The ideal city is built so that it is easy to walk in. Hong Kong,
for example, is a city where it is very convenient to walk, while in Beijing we have broad and dull boulevards without any stimulus and where it’s not interesting enough to walk. This explains why the bikesharing phenomenon has become such a success in Chinese cities. It is a more convenient, cheaper and faster way to move around in a city than many other ways of transport,” he says. So how will Chinese cities look like in 2030? “The bus will play a more important role. By then, China’s whole bus fleet will probably be electrified or use renewable fuels,” says Harborn. “The sharing economy will also play a big role. There will probably be fewer cars since many young people don’t want to own a car, they will use car-sharing instead,” he adds. “To me, a smart city is a city that has a well thought-out city planning of everything from transport systems to give people quality of life and to diminish the negative effects of urbanisation,” says Harborn. The 2010 Shanghai World Expo had as its motto: Better City, Better Life. Today, China could be on its way to making that a reality and, probably, in the near future make the cities smarter as well. b
Shenzhen – China’s smartest city Shenzhen is not only the most entrepreneurial city in China, it is also the most sustainable.
Johan Nylander’s book about Shenzhen became an immediate bestseller on Amazon.
Even if many of Asia’s big cities are known for their studied abroad and then entrepreneurial spirit, there is probably no better returned to China. example than Shenzhen. “Shenzhen has been Since the early 1980s, when the then paramount allowed by the government leader Deng Xiaoping created China’s first Special to be a role model for other Economic Zone in Shenzhen, the city has grown rapidly cities – it’s been allowed to and is today a mega-city with 20 million people and experiment and it’s been some of the world’s leading technology companies, allowed to make mistakes,” such as Huawei, Tencent and BYD, and some of the most says Nylander. innovative startups, such as the drone maker DJI. According to both the “Shenzhen differs from other cities because of its management consulting firm fantastic entrepreneurial spirit. When the Sweden-based McKinsey & Company and employer branding company Universum asked postthe professional services giant 1990s university graduates from universities where they PricewaterhouseCoopers, wanted to work, 60 per cent of the respondents Shenzhen is also the most in Shenzhen said they wanted to join a startup or sustainable city in China. start their own company. In Beijing, only 15 per The firms highlight how technological cent had similar dreams,” says Johan Nylander, a innovation and balanced development are the Swedish Hong Kong-based journalist who has just keys to building “cities of opportunity” and hails released an e-book called Shenzhen Superstars Shenzhen for its advancements. The number of – How China’s smartest city is challenging Silicon “Since I first set foot in the city, areas like university graduates Valley, which can be downloaded on Amazon. liveability and lifestyle have undergone an in Shenzhen that want Through the 1980s and 1990s, Shenzhen was enormous change – adding new parks and to start a company or considered to be a cheap and rather soulless restaurant areas, better housing and improving join a startup. manufacturing base. But the city has modernised air quality. For example, the city is rolling out rapidly and with the expansion of its home-grown technology the world’s largest metro line system and became, in last companies the city has transformed into a tech hub, attracting December, the world’s first city with an all-electric public bus talent from all over China. The city is also a magnet for a high fleet. It also aims to have 80 per cent of its new buildings greennumber of so-called returnees – Chinese citizens who have certified by 2020,” says Nylander.
60%
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e xe cut i ve ta lk
From paper engineering to banking China has solved some of its manufacturing industry economic problems over the past couple of years, but there is still much to be done in the Chinese economy when it comes to transparency, consistency and stability, according to SEB Shanghai’s general manager Niina Äikäs. Text: Jan Hökerberg, jan.hokerberg@bambooinasia.com
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s a banker in Shanghai, SEB’s general manager Niina Äikäs follows the Chinese economy daily in her work. She also gets information from the bank’s China Financial Index, which is published twice a year and is based on a business climate survey of SEB’s Nordic and German corporate clients. Recently, she has noticed some positive trends: “The manufacturing industry in China had a tough time in 2015-2016 because of overcapacity in many sectors. At the same time, China was rapidly transforming to a service-oriented society and we have seen big growth in the consumer market. China’s economy has, however, remained strong and they’ve been able to solve some of the overcapacity issues,” she says. “The steel, cement and chemicals industries have solved a lot of problems and the Chinese state-owned enterprises are doing much better than a few years back,” she says, adding that it is not only about what China does because China is dependent on global demand. The commercial banks’ non-performing loans are still a worry, however, she says. “The official figure is at an around 1.75 per cent ratio, but according to our own calculations, and estimates from Bloomberg and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the figure is much higher.” Being a banker was not really on Äikäs’ agenda when she grew up in the 1970s in the Finnish town of Nokia, which at that time was not known for its mobile phones and networks but for paper and rubber.
The RMB is on the road to becoming a truly global trade and reserve currency.”
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The company Nokia was a conglomerate which then manufactured, among other things, tyres, gas masks, rubber boots and paper. “It was a town where everyone’s parents worked for either the paper mill or the rubber factory. It was a safe and nice place to live as a child,” says Äikäs. After finishing upper secondary school in Espoo, close to Helsinki, Äikäs entered university and graduated in 1994 from the Helsinki University of Technology with a Master of science in technology. She did her Master’s thesis at a Stora Enso paper mill in Imatra, close to the Russian border, and after graduation she joined Jaakko Poyry as a consultant and worked on restructuring work for international projects.
Sometimes you get a feeling that China is carrying out reforms with one foot on the brake pedal and the other foot on the gas pedal.”
A couple of years later she moved on to become a paper industry analyst at the commercial bank Postipankki in Helsinki which is today owned by the Danish Danske Bank. The first year, I was in Shanghai by myself while our eldest son joined “At that time, I became more convinced that working as a paper the Finnish army and my husband supported our two other children. engineer was not my future. Part of the decision was based on the After one year, they joined me here except for our eldest who was reality that paper mills are normally not located in, or close to, bigger entering higher education in Finland. My husband could continue cities, but mostly in quite small towns in the countryside. Banking, working with some projects for a Finnish consulting company on the other hand, offered many job opportunities in capitals such as while our two children here are attending international schools in Helsinki and Stockholm which was more attractive when you were Shanghai,” says Äikäs. young,” says Äikäs, who besides having Finnish as a mother-tongue also is fluent in Swedish, English and German and is She had settled in Shanghai at a time when studying Chinese. China’s stock market went through unprecedented So in 1998, she was hired by Citigroup Finland, volatility throughout 2015 and 2016 after the Shanghai first as a forest products industry analyst and later Composite Index soared nearly 140 per cent between director at its corporate and investment The year when Niina June 2014 and June 2015 and then plummeted sharply banking unit, where she stayed for 10 Äikäs came to Shanghai in 2016. years. “It was a very interesting ‘school’ for as general manager for Äikäs expects that volatility factors will remain in me, working with analysing credit risks in the SEB branch. the stock market in short to medium term: “Changes a very global environment,” she says. are hard to predict and sudden regulatory changes can However, she wanted to come create big noise. Regulations can expand to political risks. Recent closer to the clients and travel a bit less so that she examples include controlling cash outflows, enforcing environmental could spend more time with her family which policies and new cyber security laws. Despite all this noise and consists of husband Juuso, sons Akseli (21 years bumps, the RMB is on the road to becoming a truly global trade today), Olavi (18) and daughter Stella (12). and reserve currency. The Swedish central bank (Riksbanken) and Swedish pension funds will start buying RMB soon,” she says. She joined SEB Finland in 2008 as a client “What China needs is consistency, transparency and stability in executive, working mainly with corporate its reforms, so that the interpretation of the regulations make it easy banking for large Finnish international for the players. When investors make a decision based on certain corporations. guidelines, they want long-term stability. However, sometimes you When Fredrik Hähnel in 2015 left his get a feeling that China is carrying out reforms with one foot on the job as general manager at SEB Shanghai and brake pedal and the other foot on the gas pedal,” Äikäs says. b moved to Hong Kong to become head of SEB in Greater China, Äikäs was appointed to be his successor in Shanghai. Facts about SEB Shanghai “I have always been interested in Asia and in China and I had been involved in SEB’s Shanghai branch has 45 employees, whereof four several transactions there so I had made expatriates. The bank opened in 2005 and offers, since 2009, frequent visits to the region. However, banking services in RMB. SEB Shanghai offers its clients, mainly to work abroad is always a balancing act from the Nordic countries and Germany, a broad range of when you have a family and the decision financial services such as working capital financing, foreign involves many people. But the puzzle exchange, cash management and trade finance. pieces did fit well for us at that time.
2015
In Asia, SEB also has branches in Hong Kong and Singapore and representative offices in Beijing and Delhi.
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ith more than half of the world’s The city of Gothenburg, where Volvo has population living in cities, a its headquarters, already has an indoor bus good and sustainable public stop at Chalmers University of Technology’s transportation network is crucial campus in Lindholmen. for making cities more liveable with better air quality, less carbon dioxide emissions, less Agnevall, who recently visited Hong traffic jams and less noise - and bus networks Kong in conjunction with the Volvo Ocean play an important role in that. Race, joined Volvo Buses as president in 2013 “In the coming 10 years we will see more and has an extensive Swedish and international changes both within private and commercial business background from several different vehicles than we have seen in the previous companies, such as ABB and Bombardier. He 40 or 50 years, because there is so much was born in 1966 in the southern Swedish happening on the technology side,” says Håkan city of Helsingborg and graduated from Lund Agnevall, president of Volvo Bus Corporation. University in both engineering physics and Over the past five years that he has been economics. He also has an MBA from the heading Volvo Buses, Agnevall has seen Swiss business school IMD. He has lived and increasing interest in public transport due to worked in various countries besides Sweden, ongoing global urbanisation. “To solve today’s among them Thailand, the US, Canada, Brazil big urban problems, we need to utilise public and Switzerland. transport systems,” he says. So far, Volvo has delivered more than Agnevall sees three major trends of big 3,800 electric and hybrid buses around the change: Alternative powertrains for hybrid world. The UK (London), Colombia (Bogota), (which combines a conventional diesel Luxembourg, Spain and Scandinavia are the system with an electric system) and electric biggest markets. vehicles will take a larger share of the cities’ “London has about 6,000 double-decker bus fleets. Autonomous vehicles, such as buses and half of them have Volvo chassis and self-driving buses, will be tested in various 1,000 of those are Volvo hybrid buses,” says situations. The use of sensors, Agnevall. telecommunications and Since Volvo has led this telematics will enable bus development, Agnevall says companies and operators to that “in the bus world, Volvo is extract data to enhance the similar to what Tesla is in the The year Volvo launched performance of the vehicles private electric car world.” its first hybrid bus. and offer more convenience to The difference, however, the passengers. is that while Tesla cars can “These trends will fundamentally only be charged with Tesla chargers, Volvo transform both public and private city promotes open interface systems when it transport in the coming decade,” says Agnevall. comes to batteries and charging systems since cities are not willing to be dependent on just one supplier of electric buses. When it comes to electromobility – that is electrified vehicles – Volvo Buses is already “We have partnerships with ABB and a world leader. In 2005 and 2006, the Volvo Siemens to develop a complete charging Group carried out a strategic study of future infrastructure with an open interface for powertrains and came to the conclusion that the public transport, in which any vehicle will be future is electric when it comes to city transport. able to connect to any charging station. Electricity is the most sustainable fuel “When we undertake discussions with source, it is three times more energy efficient cities, we say that we don’t recommend them than fossil fuel and is very suitable for urban to buy the batteries. Instead, we will charge bus transports. per kilometre and take care of the charging In 2009, Volvo Buses launched their infrastructure,” Agnevall says. first hybrid bus, which was followed by an China has come far in the field of all-electric bus in 2015. In 2019 Volvo will electromobility and has more electric buses launch its first electric truck for city transport. than any other country. “Today, trucks are not allowed at night “However,” says Agnevall, “Chinese time in many cities because of the noise. electric buses would likely not fit Europe Electric trucks will change that,” says Agnevall. today since we focus more on the life cycle of “Since electric buses and trucks are both quiet the buses. We also differ when it comes to the and emissions-free, they will also change how we energy mix. Much of the electricity in China plan cities in the future and how the cities plan is still generated by coal-powered plants while, their electric grid system. Public transport will for example, Sweden and France have much come closer to the people and electric buses can more green electricity.” even be driven indoors,” he says.
2009
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“In the bus world, Volvo is similar to what Tesla is in the private electric car world,” says Håkan Agnevall.
Many companies in the world – for example technology giants such as Google, Baidu and Apple as well as major automotive brands – have come far in developing autonomous unmanned self-driving vehicles. Volvo has already tested this technology in mining, quarry and refuse collection vehicles and has also signed an agreement with a university in Singapore for a research and development programme for autonomous electric buses. But Agnevall believes that it will take time before these projects can be fully commercialised. “For buses, we anticipate a gradual development, with a driver in place in the beginning for safety reasons. Probably, this technology will first be used in bus depots, which will mean that the driver can just leave the bus there and go home when he has finished his work. Today, there are many accidents in the depots and they can be avoided with autonomous buses,” says Agnevall. He also believes that the bus industry has much to win by increasingly using sensors and ICT to increase safety and reliability on the roads. For example, applications are already used to limit the speed of the bus and, in a hybrid bus, regulate when the bus should shift to go all electric. b Facts about Volvo Buses • Part of the Volvo Group – one of the world’s leading manufacturers of heavy commercial vehicles. • One of the world’s largest manufacturers of buses and coaches. • Annually delivering around 10,000 vehicles. • Pioneering electromobility solutions. • Sales in more than 85 countries all over the world. • Around 9,000 employees.
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T his is S weden
Firing up for spring on Walpurgis Night
TEXT: Sofia Norén, sofia@swedcham.cn
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By lighting bonfires on 30 April, people all around Sweden celebrate the brighter times ahead.
very year on the last day of April, Swedish people gather to celebrate Valborg, or Walpurgis Night. The history of the celebration goes back as far as to the Middle Ages where Valborg officially was the end of the administrative year. Accordingly, this was a day of festivity with dancing and singing to greet the upcoming spring. Welcoming the spring season and enjoying nature’s rebirth after winter is still very important for Swedish people. It is celebrated most commonly by friends and family gathering outside to light a big bonfire, called Valborgseld or majbrasa, to eat and drink together, and listen to choirs singing about greeting the spring and brighter times. These kind of gatherings are arranged for the public all over Sweden. Once the fire dies, many people continue the evening with various festivities around the town, especially the students. b
Photo: Ola Ericson/imagebank.sweden.se
Photo: Aline Lessner/imagebank.sweden.se
Introducing
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22 DRAGONNEWS • NO.01/2018
yo u n g pro fe ss i o n a l i n t e rv i e w
From his base in Shenzhen, Casper Oldén is using e-commerce channels for dealing with antiques and vintage items to Chinese consumers.
Sometimes it is not the item itself that interests me, but rather the story that lies within the item.”
Text: Fabian Lundberg, fabian.lundberg@swedcham.com.hk
Selling European antiques on the Chinese market C
asper Oldén visited China for the first time in 2001 when he was five years old. Seventeen years later he is back and working as an entrepreneur in the dynamic city of Shenzhen. In the beginning of 2016, Oldén started to work full time at Antique Scandinavia. He made a couple of trips to Hong Kong and China before buying a one-way ticket to Shenzhen in September of the same year. When we meet Oldén outside his Shenzhen office, he greets us with a big smile. A few moments later, we walk into his office on the 12th floor. The office has a classic startup feel, and is shared with three other Swedish entrepreneurs. Sharing offices has been a great benefit for establishing in Shenzhen, Oldén explains: “John Skalin, whom we share office with, has been in China for several years and has been a terrific asset and help for us here. Without him I’m not sure how we would have managed.” When moving to Shenzhen, you have to be open minded and willing to talk to anyone, Oldén continues. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help or talk to strangers – you never know who you will bump into in this city; the person sitting next to you could be the boss of Tencent or Huawei.” He starts off by showing some of Antique Scandinavia’s wide
We are one of the first western companies of our kind to enter the Chinese market and claim a share.” inventory: everything from old classic cameras, paintings from the early 19th century and vintage scarfs from Dior and Yves Saint Laurent. He explains that he has not always had an interest in antiques, and it only sparked a couple of years ago. “Sometimes it is not the item itself that interests me, but rather the story behind the item,” he says. What Oldén is doing in Shenzhen is what really distinguishes him from the “typical” Shenzhen entrepreneur. He is dealing in European antiques on the Chinese e-commerce market. It is an ancient industry that has taken the leap into the online market, in Europe and the rest of the world. The Chinese online market has, however, been relatively untouched by the large European antique dealers. This opens up a lot of opportunities, but it also creates difficulties, as there is no rule book to fall back on. The market is steadily growing, Oldén explains. “With the steady growth of the Chinese middle class, consumer values and behaviour are shifting. People are starting to seek unique things, they value historical products in a new way.” But selling online in China is not the same thing as selling online in Europe. Oldén says that understanding the Chinese market and how to sell things to the Chinese consumer has been challenging and he is still learning. Due to the Chinese internet firewall, the possibilities to access international online auctions have been limited for the public. “Now we are giving this market an opportunity that didn’t exist
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Casper Oldén in brief before,” he says and adds: “I believe that during the time that we have been here we have learned how to be present on the market.” When asked about the future in China, Oldén is positive; “I believe that we have created a great platform to build on. It’s a traditional industry that is still exploring the e-commerce scene – we are one of the first western companies of our kind to enter the Chinese market and claim a share.” During the spring of 2018, Antique Scandinavia is seeking new capital to further expand their operations. In addition to their current online activities, they are also planning to build B2C and B2B platforms, open showrooms and invest further in marketing to establish themselves as the one-stop-shop for European antiques in China, something Oldén is excited about: “After a year and a half we are confident in our capabilities and we are ready to start scaling up.” b
Age: 22. Occupation: Chief operating officer at Antique Scandinavia. Hometown: Karlskoga, Sweden. Background: Media and marketing. Lives: In Shenzhen since 2016. Best time to visit Shenzhen: “During Chinese New Year. The city is almost empty. It’s a completely different experience, you have so much space and time to really explore Shenzhen at your own pace.”
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chamber activities hong kong
Volvo Ocean Race makes stopover in Hong Kong
Rob Lilwall talks about his adventures.
n On 24 January, SwedCham Hong Kong visited the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Hong Kong for a guided tour of the race village in Kai Tak, meeting the sailor Brian on the boat Twist the Tide on Plastic and to listen to the speaker Rob Lilwall, an adventurer who has walked across the Gobi Desert in winter, braved the jungles of Papua New Guinea and cycled across Afghanistan. The guests learned a lot at the evening. For example, did you know that the sailors dropped 10 kg between each stopover or that they can only bring one pair of underwear with them on the boat? Hong Kong hosted the end of the fourth leg of the seven-yacht fleet race with the city being the only stopover in Asia. Volvo Ocean Race features a total of 10 legs and will finish in The Hague in the Netherlands at the end of June this year.
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Urban fashion showcase n Team SwedCham recently attended Wardrobe K’s SS18 multi-brand showcase, held at The Hive in Kennedy Town. Wardrobe K is a leading distributor that specialises in urban fashion and lifestyle brands, including Scandinavian clothing labels 5Preview and Cheap Monday, Australian premium denim Neuw and more. We also got a teaser of what would be available instore this summer and could look at some pieces from 5Preview’s 10 th Anniversary collection.
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chamber activities beijing
Our Promise: The quest for easy After Work with PSU n SwedCham Beijing started off 2018 with a welcome-back After Work organised together with PSU China Consulting. PSU’s CEO, Lars-Åke Severin, who also is SwedCham China’s chairman, presented the company and was later joined by PSU’s own quiz master Chee Fath Chiu who had prepared an interactive quiz about Sweden with excellent prizes.
Ambassador Anna Lindstedt (left) with SwedCham’s office manager Erika Staffas.
Career Women Forward with Anna Lindstedt n In January, SwedCham China was proud to present the first G8 (G for gender) Inter-Chamber series 2018 on Career Women Forward together with Sweden’s ambassador to China, Anna Lindstedt. The G8 InterChamber series aims to showcase and develop inspiring and professional women in each chamber’s respective community, and also serves as a platform to enable established leaders to share their career stories and insights on policies to promote gender diversity and career advancement. The sold-out event started with a mingle where all 140 participants could enjoy Swedish drinks, sandwiches and snacks from Fika Fika. After that, the
28 DRAGONNEWS • NO.01/2018
ambassador talked about Swedish feminist foreign policy and how it is implemented in practice both in Sweden and in China. One example is the role that the Embassy of Sweden played in the consultation process prior to the adoption of Chinese legislation against domestic violence that came into force in 2016. “Such legislation is crucial for the advancement of women’s rights in China, and we follow the implementation of the law with great interest,” the ambassador stated. She was also generous in sharing her own journey and anecdotes from her professional career.
How to sharpen negotiation skills n SwedCham Beijing’s first event in the Year of the Dog was a sold-out workshop focusing on how to sharpen negotiation skills. The training was organised together with the Danish Chamber of Commerce. The full-day workshop was led by James Huang, who has more than 10 years of experience working with marketing in multinational corporations. All through the workshop, the 42 participants were highly engaged in discussing the questions and the specific case studies presented by Huang.
Sweat like a Swede n Heyrobics is the most popular non-competitive exercise activity in Sweden, with more than 6 per cent of the Swedish population as members. Heyrobics is the branch-off of what in Sweden is called “Friskis & Svettis” – which means “healthy and sweaty” – and was introduced to China by Linus Holmsäter, the son of Johan Holmsäter, who invented the concept of “Friskis & Svettis” in Sweden back in the 1970s. Today the focus is still on having fun and sweating together – something that SwedCham’s Beijing office and SwedCham’s members experienced, when we joined Heyrobics for a fun and sweaty work-out session.
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chamber activities shanghai
Celebrating International Women’s Day n On 7 March, SwedCham in Shanghai hosted a breakfast seminar to celebrate the International Women’s Day. Three inspiring women were invited to talk about their careers and how they manage worklife-balance. Lisette Lindahl, consul general at the Consulate General of Sweden in Shanghai, shared her long experience working abroad for Swedish embassies, as well as her personal thoughts and the insights she had gained from her career path. Audrey Deng, head of regions and payment solutions at Atlas Copco Financial Solutions, talked about her career experience.
We want to extend a warm thank you to everyone who attended the event, and of course, to our lovely guest speakers for sharing their stories!
Caroline Xue, managing director at Marja Kurki’s China operations, told her fascinating story about how she became the head of a Finnish company in China.
Strategies for the Belt & Road Initiative n On a snowy morning in Shanghai on 29 January, SwedCham hosted an appreciated event on the Belt & Road Initiative. We listened to three interesting speakers: Nick Winther Graversen from Greencarrier, Lin Luo from the Alibaba Group and Connor Griffin from The Economist, and learned more about how Alibaba and Greencarrier have embraced the Belt and Road Initiative in their business strategies.
Insights about Didi vs Uber n At a SwedCham event in Shanghai on 25 January, the entrepreneur and podcast creator Tom Xiong shared the story and his insights on the war between the two ride-hailing giants Didi and Uber. Shanghai-based Xiong is a Swedish-Chinese serial entrepreneur with more than a decade of experience of startups and digital transformation in Europe, the US and Asia. Through his podcast, The Digital Dragon, Xiong is considered one of the most influential voices in Sweden about Chinese technology innovation.
Celebrating with semla buns n A few days before the Chinese New Year and the Swedish fettisdagen (the Fat Tuesday) friends of SwedCham China were invited for a real Swedish fika with semla buns to thank them for all of their contributions to the chamber. A semla is a cardamom-spiced wheat bun that is split in two and filled with almond paste and whipped cream.
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Get in touch with Iggesund Paperboard Asia at phone: +852 2516 0250, fax: (852) 2516 0251 or visit iggesund.com
chamber news
Say no to plastic waste n Currently, 66 members of SwedCham Hong Kong have accepted the challenge to “Say no to plastic waste,” which means that these companies and organisations have decided to not offer water or other beverages in disposable plastic bottles or cups at their Hong Kong workplace. SwedCham Hong Kong, through its Sustainability Committee, plan to forward the challenge to the other international chambers of commerce in Hong Kong since we like to think of this as Swedish sustainability leadership in action. These are the members of SwedCham Hong Kong who have accepted the challenge: “Say no to plastic waste”: Bamboo, Bluewater Group, Bolon, Boris Design Studio, Business Sweden, CellMark (HK), China Pacific Merchants, Cibes Lift Asia, C’monde, Consulate General of Sweden in Hong Kong, CTEK HK, Current Consulting Group, Daniel Wellington HK, Diaverum, Doro Hong Kong, East Capital Asia, ebp Global, Edgeware, EF, eicó, Elekta, Envac Far East, EQT, Ericsson, Ewes, Feedback Online, Flexworks, FLIR Systems, Gaia Leadership, Greencarrier Asia, Habia Cable, Handelsbanken, Happy Rabbit, Henriksson Consulting, H&L, H&M, Holmbergs Safety System, Hop Lun, ICA Global Sourcing, IKEA Hong Kong & Macau, IKEA Supply (Hong Kong), KappAhl, Lindex, M2 Retail Solutions, Mannheimer Swartling, MIQ Logistics, Morling Studios, Nasdaq, Nilorn East Asia, Nordic Light, Norman Global Logistics, Odebjer Fohlin, Oriflame, OSM Group, Pricer, Primasia Corporate Services, Project Performance, QuizRR, SAS, SCA Timber, Scania, SEB, Stadium HK, Stora Enso (HK), Swedavia and SwedCham HK. There are also eight non-members that have decided to support the campaign: Engelberth & Partners, Globibo, Hong Kong Wholesale, RPC, ScandiCrest, Springpoint, Söderberg Agentur and ThreeMain.
new members
Welcome, Fabian! Thank you, Daniel! n SwedCham Hong Kong would like to welcome Fabian Lundberg as the new communication and Fabian Lundberg Young Professional coordinator. Fabian is currently studying his Master’s in management at Lund University and has received the Swedish Foreign Trade Scholarship to work at the Swedish chamber for 10 months. Fabian is thankful for the opportunity and looks forward to facing new challenges and getting to know the amazing city of Hong Kong. Daniel Hartman SwedCham would also like to thank Daniel Hartman for a great year with the chamber. Daniel has returned to Stockholm and is now working at Ernst & Young as a management consultant. SwedCham would like to wish Daniel the best of luck with his new job and hope that he will come and visit us soon again.
Welcome, Carl! n Carl Johansson, born in 1992, from Lidköping is the winner of the 2018 Anders Wall Scholarship for a one-year internship at the Carl Johansson SwedCham China in Shanghai. The SEK200,000 scholarship was awarded at a ceremony in Stockholm on 9 March. Carl has studied economics at Lund University and graduated in 2016 with a major in Business Law. After his graduation, Carl worked at his family business, Cupola, providing solutions for fire safety, and last summer, he and his father founded the investment firm Tranquility Capital. Carl has previously run his own e-commerce business and worked in the London startup scene. Carl fell in love with Shanghai on a visit in 2016. “China is a very interesting country. The people, the art and the architecture speaks to me. I’m looking forward to build strong networks with interesting people, and perhaps also find business opportunities on my own,” he says.
Welcome, Louise! n Louise Utterström is our new intern at the SwedCham Beijing office. Louise is studying business administration at the School of Business, Economics Louise Utterström and Law at the University of Gothenburg. This six-month internship, she says, is her chance to get some hands-on experience that could be beneficial to her studies. Louise is looking forward to work in an international atmosphere, meet new people and maybe even find an opportunity to stay in Beijing.
Welcome, Yiling!
Tian Yiling
n Tian Yiling is our new financial assistant at the SwedCham Beijing office. Yiling is a Beijing local and, prior to joining SwedCham, she worked as a financial assistant at different European organisations. She is looking forward to getting to work and believes it will be a great learning experience.
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Welcome, Sabina! n Sabina Olsson is our new intern and joined our Shanghai office at the end of February. Sabina came from Malmö in Sweden to China two years ago, at Sabina Olsson the age of 18, and is currently working towards her Bachelor’s degree at New York University in Shanghai. Studying humanities and literature, she is also learning Mandarin, and enjoys exploring all aspects of life in China. As an intern, she will help out with marketing and communications, while gaining experience at event planning and business relations. Joining SwedCham in Shanghai, she is looking forward to getting to know more people and learn more about Sweden-China relations.
HONG KONG ORDINARY MEMBERS >>>
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Bluewater Group 7/F Grand Millennium Plaza, 181 Queens Road Central, Central, Hong Kong Tel: +852 5580 3353 Web: bluewatergroup.com
About us Swedish-owned Bluewater is an entrepreneurial, world-leading water purification company with high engagement and focus on reducing plastic waste. Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, the company helps people and businesses globally enjoy and leverage the health and wellbeing benefits of cleaner, healthier tap water. Bluewater pursues the ethos that clean drinking water is a basic human right. Hong Kong is Bluewater’s second headquarters and the local Bluewater team is currently growing business in 10 APAC markets. Chamber representatives Magdalena Ranagarden APAC Head and Global Marketing Manager Viggo Ljungqvist Business Development Manager APAC
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Eicó Unit 2B, Evergreen Industrial Mansion 12 Yip Fat Street Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong Tel: +852 2677 9377 Web: www.eico.hk About us Eicó paints are manufactured in Sweden and Iceland to exacting environmental standards, using 100 per cent geothermal or hydro-power energy, making the production process carbon neutral. Eicó has one of the lowest VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) ratings of any paint sold in the region. It is, therefore, ideal for any residential or commercial application as it has practically no odour and is safe for the environment, applicators and end users. Chamber representative Joakim Cimmerbeck, Managing Director
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Isaksson Ltd 15C Seahorse Lane, Discovery Bay, Hong Kong Tel: +44 7854760365 Web: www.isak.co.uk www.sandraisaksson.com Email: info@isak.co.uk
Frost Limited 408B, 4/F, Lippo Sum Plaza 28 Canton Road Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong Tel: +852 5171 3208 Web: www.trendybartender.com
About us Sandra Isaksson Design Studio offers design solutions within graphic design, product design, surface and pattern design for international brands, department stores, publishing houses, book publishers and clothing companies. Isak is a brand of well-designed and functional graphic-based home accessories, designing, sourcing, manufacturing and distributing its own range of homeware and kitchen products. The company is passionate about creating a brand of responsibly manufactured products for the home. Most of the products are made in Europe, with the exception of the ceramics that are made in Indonesia.
About us Frost Limited is a full-service Amazon FBA and e-commerce consultancy firm. Whether you are an entrepreneur or a multi-million-dollar corporation, we help you grow your brand and increase sales. With years of hands-on and strategic experience, Frost Ltd supports its clients with everything from product selection and brand creation to online sales and supply-chain planning. Founded by Peter Luxenburg in Hong Kong in 2014, the company initially developed and sold its own brand and line of products across multiple continents. Started from a simple idea, Luxenburg and his team successively grew the business to become an Amazon success story. Today, Frost Ltd helps clients to plan, launch and cultivate business online in general, and on Amazon in particular.
Chamber representative Sandra Isaksson, Owner & Designer
Chamber representative Peter Luxenburg, Founder & CEO
DRAGONNEWS • NO.01/2018 33
new members
new members CHINA COMPANY MEMBERS >>>
Swedish’s Handmade Bodycare 5/F, 21 Tung Street, Sheung Wan Hong Kong Tel: +852 6711 5740 Web: www.swedish-handmade.com www.chinesewhisper.se www.footprintsock.com
About us “For me, what I do is very similar to food,” says founder Rebecka Lundin. “I use fresh ingredients, mix them together, and then use it all freshly made.” The whole idea about her products is that you treat it as any of your daily consumption of food. It is all made fresh to then be used before an expiration date. In this way, no preservatives or other chemicals are needed, and the only thing you will put on your skin is just amazing oils. Chamber representative Rebecka Lundin, Founder
Vitamin Well/Smartbev Ltd Smartbev Ltd, 19/F, 299 Queens Road Central, Hong Kong Tel: +852 6292 9937 Web: www.nocco.com www.barebells.com www.vitaminwell.com About us Vitamin Well, founded in Sweden in 2008, specialises in fortified beverages and functional foods under various brand names. After rapid expansion in Europe, two of the company’s brands are finally available in Asia (Hong Kong and Singapore). NOCCO is a tasty functional beverage developed by the Swedish health and exercise oriented enterprise No Carbs Company. The Barebells Protein Bar, developed by Barebells Functional Foods, is a new product which we expect will take the health and fitness industry by storm. Chamber representative Magnus Arver, Director
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Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine/Karolinska Institutet Units 608-613, Building 15W No 15 Science Park West Avenue Hong Kong Science Park Sha Tin, Hong Kong Tel: +852 2624 3800 Web: www.ki.se/mwlc
About us As part of Karolinska Institutet, Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine (MWLC) is established to significantly contribute to the improvement of human health by conducting cutting-edge research in reparative medicine and related subjects, and by creating a new platform for synergies between academia and innovation in Sweden and Hong Kong as well as China, and fostering future leaders in both academia and industry. MWLC consists of two nodes: one in Stockholm and one in Hong Kong. The focus of the Hong Kong node, located at the Hong Kong Science Park, is to establish a technology hub exploring novel technologies, including genome editing, reprogramming, single-cell transcriptomics, biomedical engineering, and 3D tissue imaging technologies, with specialty areas of stem cell-based regeneration of the heart, skin, liver and nervous systems. Chamber representatives Marie Tell, Administrative Director Emily Ip, Head of Administration
HONG KONG INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS >>> Tommy Granström Email: tommy@k-fab.eu Tel: +46 706 54 06 46
Fred Kong Email: fredkong@maxibit.com.hk
Peter Reinli Email: Peter@reinli.se Tel: +852 6271 5886
Kenny Ting Email: kennyting@gmail.com
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Airsonett AB Metallgatan 2E, SE-262 72 Ängelholm Sweden Tel: +46 70 379 69 45 Web: www.airsonett.eu
About us Airsonett sells and market the unique, patented temperature-controlled Laminar Airflow technology to significantly reduce allergens and other airborne irritants from the user’s breathing zone during rest, primarily at home. Chamber representatives Jonas Båghammar, VP Business Development & Distribution Email: jonas.baghammar@airsonett.eu Mobile: +46 70 379 69 45 Jerry Gong, VP Sales & Marketing Email: gongchengyu@eyko-biomed.com Mobile: +86 135 1101 6583
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About us In 2001, the Chicago team of Martec relocated from the warehouse district to offices in the Chicago Loop at the corner of Adams and Clark, where our world headquarters remains today. Along with this relocation, we launched our inaugural office in Beijing, China, and furthered our global scope. By 2007, Martec was again expanding globally, opening our second office in China, in Shanghai. Chamber representative Zikai Liu, Senior Sales Manager Email: zikailiu@iisasia.co.uk Mobile: +86 185 0171 8500
Martinsen International 25I Block A, Grand Orient 2B Dongzhimenwai Xiaojie Beijing 100027, PR China Tel: +86 10 8447 9500 Fax: +86 10 8447 9349 Web: www.thomasinternational.net
Encode Networks Svenska AB Gullbergs Strandgata 36D SE-411 04 Gothenburg, Sweden Web: www.encode.se
About us Encode is a leading supplier of EDI and logistic solutions in Sweden and Europe. Together with our OEM partner Cedex in China we connect Chinese companies with European companies and vice versa to generate efficiency in the supply chain. We also support Volvo Cars’ suppliers in China with applications that secure the quality of the supply chain. Chamber representatives Mikael Johansson, Sales and Marketing Manager Email: mikael.johansson@encode.se Tel: +46 31 384 42 20 Mobile: +46 70 433 29 49 Hans Holmberg, CEO Email: hans.holmberg@encode.se Tel: +46 31 771 20 35 Mobile: +46 70 836 43 43
Martec 8/F, Block A, 800 Wanhangdu Road, Jing’an District Shanghai 200042, PR China Tel: +86 21 60159588 Web: www.martecchina.com.cn
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About us The Martinsen Group was founded in 2001 and has the business exploration and cross-field development authority of two major international brands, Thomas International and Leadership Pipeline Institute, in China. As the world’s leading human resource management consulting company, the Group uses the “Competence-Assessment-Development” (CAD) model, from modelling to evaluation to final development, to help companies unblock talent development channels, deliver excellent core talents, and provide enterprises with integrated talent development solutions. Chamber representative Lu Feng, GM Email: Feng.lu@thomasint.cn Mobile: +86 137 0124 0795
CHINA ASSOCIATE MEMBERS >>> Hanna Xia Project Manager, Joyea Corporation Hightech Innovation Park, Danyang City Jiangsu Province 212300, PR China Mobile: +86 136 1529 0699 Email: hanna_xia@hotmail.com
Igor Doubenko-Lazarev Professor, School of Information Science and Engineering University of Jinan No 336, West Road of Nan Xinzhuang Jinan 250022, Shandong, PR China Mobile: +86 155 5410 9167 Email: idlazarev@yahoo.es DRAGONNEWS • NO.01/2018 35
Syntronic Syntronic
T he chamber and I
Favourite spots in China China is the birthplace of one of the world’s earliest civilisations and is also the home to some of the world’s most beautiful places. There is plenty to discover in China, from beautiful lakes, rivers and mountains to vibrant and dynamic mega-cities, from ancient historic sites to modern architecture. We asked some of our members where they prefer to go in China. This was our question: What is your favourite place in China? And here are the answers. Nino Rosenlund Radisson Blu, Beijing “For sure it is Beijing, it is so rich in history and many of the most interesting places are located here. From the traditional Forbidden City to the hidden backyard hutongs with their own special atmosphere. Here you will be able to tick off a lot of places on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Another great place is the Longmen Grottoes with more than 100,000 Buddhist stone statues in all sizes between 25 mm to 17 m in height. There are still so many places that I have to discover and I cannot wait.” Luka Lu Capital Associates, Beijing “My favourite place to travel to in China is Ningxia because of its clean environment and clear sky. The air is nice and fresh and so is the food; there’s a wide range of organic food and fruit, which I really like, When in Ningxia, I usually visit the Yellow River, the desert and the mountains.” Anna Zhan Business Sweden, Beijing “Even though I love the buzzing cities of Beijing and Shanghai, they don’t represent the ‘real China’ to me. Whenever I get the chance, I like to escape the big cities and head to the countryside, like the village in Guangdong province where my grandmother lives or Yunnan province, which is a magical place.” Felicia Lindoff North of North, Beijing “The Longji Rice Terraces or Dragon Back Rice Field Terraces in Longsheng County is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited in my life. It is so beautiful when the sun reflects on the water of the rice terraces. The place is still quite untouched and natural. The most beautiful hike ever!”
36 DRAGONNEWS • NO.01/2018
www.Syntronic.com www.Syntronic.com
Provides Excellent Hardware Testing Services Provides Hardware Testing It is inevitable that aExcellent new developed product has hardware problems. However,Services problems emerging after the release of
Magdalena Ranagården Bluewater Group, Hong Kong “I was completely breath-taken by the historical structure and the magnificent scenery during my visit at the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. This section is about one-and-a-half hour’s drive from downtown Beijing and not very crowded compared to other parts of the wall. My suggestion is to be there when the section opens early in the morning before it gets too hot and when there are less tourists. I also give an extra plus for the super fun and fast tobogganing ride back down the wall!”
products mightthat havea new adverse impactsproduct on companies. Thus,problems. hardware However, testing plays an important roleafter in athe high quality It is inevitable developed has hardware problems emerging release of ensurance. products might have adverse impacts on companies. Thus, hardware testing plays an important role in a high quality
Peter Luxenburg Frost, Hong Kong “My favourite destination in China is Yunnan. Less than three hours flight from Hong Kong, it offers a beautiful scenery with lakes, mountains and endless rice terraces. It’s a very diverse place with rich culture and history. The variety of ethnic groups living there makes it very interesting.”
hardware testing is of to make sure One that the performance of stability hardware. of the purposes of product meet the is design specification. hardware testing to make sure that the performance of
inverter, (2) Electronic control product of new energy vehicle; telephone and other electrical product; (3) controlcontrol and assembly (2) The Electronic product of of robot; new energy vehicle;
product meet the design specification. Syntronic has a professional Hardware Testing team and
of RF and Digital (4) The Development production (3) control andand assembly of robot; Unit. (4) Development and production of RF and Digital
they provide services for hardware test. The Syntronic hashigh-quality a professional Hardware Testing team and team consistshigh-quality of professional and experienced: they provide services for hardware test. The
Unit.
Van Hoang Business Sweden, Hong Kong “For those living in East China or can spare some time while visiting Shanghai, I would recommend spending one night in Wuzhen, which is an ancient water town, one-and-a-half hours from Shanghai. You will have an amazing experience of a beautiful and old Chinese small town in a relaxing way by boat, like visiting Venice. It’s a perfect escape from the busy city centres to relax and enjoy good food.” Seth Örbring Consulate General of Sweden to Hong Kong and Macau “My favourite place to visit in China is Beijing. The culture, food and number of historic sites, such as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City are all reasons for going there.” Elisabet Sjölund Perstorp, Shanghai “Tricky question. There are so many interesting and beautiful places that I have appreciated visiting and that I still look forward to going to. However, given my busy life, with extensive travelling in Asia and globally, coming home to Shanghai, walking the maple-tree streets of the former French Concession or reaching the Bund at sunrise, before the crowds arrive after an early morning long run on (almost) empty streets … These are true favourites of mine.”
ensurance.
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ardware testing means the test of the function,
We provide hardware testing of:
performance, compatibility and ardware testingreliability, means the test of the function, stability of hardware. One compatibility of the purposesand of performance, reliability,
(1) provide IoT terminal frequency We hardware equipment, testing of: telephone other electrical product; (1) IoT and terminal equipment, frequency
consists System engineers and experienced: team of professional RF engineers System engineers
Electrical Engineers RF engineers Software ElectricalEngineers Engineers
HardwareEngineers Engineers Software MechanicalEngineers Engineers Hardware
Hardware Test Equipment Hardware Test Equipment
Mechanical Engineers Most of whom with over 5 years work experiences in the field Most of of: whom with over 5 years work experiences in the field of:Communication
Syntronic’s hardware testing system has been well received both domestic foreign Syntronic’sby hardware testing and system has enterprises, been well which is attributed received by both to:domestic and foreign enterprises, A short lead which is attributed to: time
Industrial control Communication Consumercontrol electronic Industrial
Automotiveelectronic electronic Consumer Circuit boardelectronic Automotive
An excellent cost-performance ratio A short lead time A degreecost-performance of automation ratio Anhigh excellent
Aging and durability Circuit board
Aging and durability
Perfect functions A high degree of automation Professional services. Perfect functions
Professional services. In the future, Syntronic hopes to provide extensive services to moreSyntronic customers.hopes to provide extensive In the future,
Samantha Wu EF Education First, Shanghai “I like Daocheng Yading the most. It’s near ShangriLa City, on the border of Sichuan and Yunnan province. When I was there, it almost had no tourists. So we climbed up the mountain (more than 4000 m high), and enjoyed the scenery and peace very much.” Sebastian Magnusson Consultate General of Sweden in Shanghai “Guangxi around the Li River, Guilin and Yangshuo. Try to visit a small village called Xingping, supposedly the exact site of the motif on the 20-yuan note. It looked identical to me.”
inverter,
services to more customers.
Hardware Test Equipment Hardware Test Equipment
Syntronic is a leading design house, they not only provide a turnkey solution and adesign perfecthouse, aftermarket but also Syntronic is a leading they notservice, only provide a give suggestions theadesign test of products. turnkey solution on and perfectand aftermarket service, but also give suggestions on the design and test of products.
DIRECTORS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong DIRECTORS OF THE BOARD Kristian Odebjer, Chairman [Odebjer Fohlin] Karine Hirn, Vice Chairman [East Capital] Anders Bergkvist, Treasurer [Stora Enso] Karin Brock [Daniel Wellington] Jimmy Bjennmyr [Handelsbanken] Katarina Ivarsson [Boris Design Studio] Petra Schirren [Ericsson] Per Ågren [APC] CREATIVE SWEDES Katarina Ivarsson, Chairman [Boris Design Studio] Filip Bjernebo [South Lane] David Ericsson [VOID Watches] Anders Hellberg [Boris Design Studio] Alexis Holm [Squarestreet] Anna Karlsson [Boris Design Studio] Pontus Karlsson [Happy Rabbit] Johan Persson [C’monde) Mikael Svenungsson [M2 Retail Solutions] EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Per Ågren, Chairman [APC] Jan Hökerberg [Bamboo] Eva Karlberg [SwedCham] Johan Lennefalk [Business Sweden] Kristian Odebjer [Odebjer Fohlin] Ulf Ohrling [Mannheimer Swartling] Johan Persson [C’monde Studios] Peter Thelin [Today Group] EVENTS COMMITTEE Jimmy Bjennmyr, Chairman [Handelsbanken] John Barclay [Primasia Corporate Services] Karin Brock [Daniel Wellington] Cyril Fung [Cyril Fung & Associates] Ove Joraas Eva Karlberg [SwedCham] Calle Krokstäde [DORO] Fabian Lundberg [SwedCham] Rebecca Netteryd [SwedCham] Casper Olden [Antique Scandinavia] Magdalena Ranagården [BlueWater] Moa Svensson [Young Professionals] Andreas Wannervall [SEB] FINANCE COMMITTEE Anders Bergkvist, Treasurer [Stora Enso] Eva Karlberg [SwedCham] Anna Mackel [SwedCham]
38 DRAGONNEWS • NO.01/2018
MARKETING COMMITTEE Lisa Boldt-Christmas Anders Hellberg [Boris Design Studio] Katarina Ivarsson [Boris Design Studio] Eva Karlberg [SwedCham] Linda Karlsson [Happy Rabbit] Johan Olausson [Bamboo] Rebecca Netteryd [SwedCham] Johan Persson [C’Monde] Ingrid Reinli [Boris Design Studio & IMIX] Sophie Sophaon [Kreab] MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE Karin Brock, Chairman [Daniel Wellington] Eva Bostam [Consulate General of Sweden] Anders Brage [Handelsbanken] Caroline Ergetie [House Hunters] Katarina Ivarsson,[Boris Design] Eva Karlberg [SwedCham] Fabian Lundberg [SwedCham] Fredrik Nyberg [MIQ Logistics] Ulf Sundberg [SEB] SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE Alexander Mastrovito, Chairman [Scania] Anders Bergkvist [Stora Enso] Lisa Boldt-Christmas Jonathan Crompton [RPC] Cheryl Gilbert [Dairy Farm-IKEA] Cheryl Hall [Nilorn] Hanna Hallin [H&M] Jens Helmersson [QuizRR] Karine Hirn [East Capital] Stefan Holmqvist [Norman Global Logistics] Andrew Lee [Fergas] Fabian Lundberg [SwedCham] Magnus Mattsson [KappAhl] Erik Moberg [Stadium] Rebecca Netteryd [SwedCham] Kristian Odebjer [Odebjer Fohlin] Magdalena Ranagården [Blue Water] Jeffrey Siu [Envac] Björn Wahlström [Current Consulting] YOUNG PROFESSIONALS COMMITTEE Rebecca Netteryd, Chairman Claus Björkgren Josefin Cheung Fabian Lundberg Sofia Wigholm Jenny Zeng
Swedish Chamber of Commerce in China DIRECTORS OF THE MAIN BOARD Lars-Åke Severin, Chairman [PSU] Joakim Hedhill, Vice Chairman [Handelsbanken] Lucas Jonsson, Vice Chairman [Mannheimer Swartling] Peter Ling-Vannerus, Treasurer [SEB] Curt Bergström [Sino Matters] David Hallgren [Business Sweden] Anders Henningsson [Mastec] Maisoun Jabali [Embassy of Sweden] Daniel Karlsson [Asia Perspective] Per Lindén [Scandic Foods Asia] Felicia Lindoff [North of North] Anna Löfstedt [Volvo Cars] Niklas Ruud [Konecranes] Martin Vercouter, General Manager [SwedCham China] Mikael Westerback [Handelsbanken] BEIJING CHAPTER Joakim Hedhill, Chairman [Handelsbanken] Curt Bergström, Vice Chairman [Sino Matters] Per Hoffman [Ericsson] Sören Lundin [Delaval] Kevin Rogers [Elanders] Claes Svedberg [AB Volvo] ZZ Zhang [Sandvik] Max Schnabel [Young Professionals] Martin Vercouter, General Manager [SwedCham China] Erika Staffas, Office Manager [SwedCham China] SHANGHAI CHAPTER Lucas Jonsson, Chairman [Mannheimer Swartling] Anna Löfstedt, Vice Chairman [Volvo Cars] Mette Leger [Grow HR] Lisette Lindahl [Consulate General of Sweden] Claes Lindgren [IKEA] Daniel Melin [New Wave] Niina Äikäs [SEB] Andrea Staxberg [Business Sweden] Martin Vercouter, General Manager [SwedCham China] Marianne Westerback, Office Manager [SwedCham China]
Swedish banking in China We feel at home in the Chinese market and want you to feel the same. It’s a large and fastgrowing market. As a result, more and more Scandinavian companies need banking solutions, such as cash management, financing in local and foreign currencies, trade finance and treasury solutions in China. We’ll help you – bringing our 25 years of experience of business in China. If you have the opportunity, please visit us in Shanghai where we’ve been located since 2001.
Swedbank Shanghai Citigroup Tower 601, 33 Huayuanshiqiao Rd, Shanghai, China +86 21 386 126 00
Anders Anders Bragée Bragée Anders Bragée Corporate Corporate Account Account Corporate Account Manager Manager Manager
Shui Shui Yim Yim Chin Chin Shui Yim Chin Senior Senior Trade Trade Finance Finance Senior Trade Finance Manager Manager Manager
Johan Johan Andrén Andrén Johan Andrén General General Manager Manager General Manager Hong Hong Kong Kong branch branch Hong Kong branch
Florence Florence Chan Chan Florence Chan Senior Senior Account Account Senior Account Manager Manager Manager
Jimmy Jimmy Bjennmyr Bjennmyr Jimmy Bjennmyr Head Head of of Corporate Corporate Head of Corporate Banking Banking Banking
Your Your Nordic Nordic Bank Bank in in Greater Greater China China Handelsbanken has been operating in Handelsbanken Handelsbanken has has been been operating operating in in Greater China for more than 35 years. Greater China for more than 35 years. Greater China for more than 35 years. Today we are the Nordic bank with Today Today we we are are the the Nordic Nordic bank bank with with the largest presence in the region. the largest presence in the region. the largest presence in the region.
Our offering includes full-service Our Our offering offering includes includes full-service full-service corporate banking, from all types of corporate banking, from corporate banking, from all all types types of of fifinancing to a wide range of cash nancing to a wide range of cash financing to a wide range of cash management services. management management services. services.
As your banking partner we are here As As your your banking banking partner partner we we are are here here to help your business succeed. When to help your business succeed. When to help your business succeed. When banking with us you will benefitt from banking banking with with us us you you will will benefi benefit from from local knowledge and experience as well local knowledge and experience local knowledge and experience as as well well as a high level of fl exibility and personal as a high level of fl exibility and personal as a high level of flexibility and personal service. service. service.
As an experienced member of the As As an an experienced experienced member member of of the the local clearing system, our payment local clearing system, our payment local clearing system, our payment services are second to none. services services are are second second to to none. none.
Contact us to find out more about how we can help your business. Contact Contact us us to to fifind nd out out more more about about how how we we can can help help your your business. business. Shanghai Shanghai -- Mikael Mikael Westerback Westerback +86 +86 21 21 5331 5331 7888, 7888, Jimi Jimi Flodin Flodin +86 +86 21 21 5331 5331 7821 7821 Shanghai - Mikael Westerback +86 21 5331 7888, Jimi Flodin +86 21 5331 7821 Hong Kong Johan Andrén +852 2293 5388, Jimmy Bjennmyr +852 2293 5326 Hong Kong - Johan Andrén +852 2293 5388, Jimmy Bjennmyr +852 2293 5326 Hong Kong - Johan Andrén +852 2293 5388, Jimmy Bjennmyr +852 2293 5326 Taipei Taipei -- Amy Amy Chen Chen +886 +886 2 2 2563 2563 7458 7458 Taipei - Amy Chen +886 2 2563 7458 Beijing Joakim Hedhill +86 10 6500 Beijing - Joakim Hedhill +86 10 6500 4310 4310 Beijing - Joakim Hedhill +86 10 6500 4310
handelsbanken.com handelsbanken.com handelsbanken.com