ScandAsia China - June 2017

JUN 2017

Sweden in China Ambassador

Anna Lindstedt BUSINESS

PEOPLE

COMMUNITY

EVENTS

Private Banking

by SEB

Riitta Kuisma, Hong Kong artist

Finland 100 party in Shanghai

Finland 100 Expo Hong Kong

At Stenhus High School you can either attend Pre-IB in English or take the Danish STX og HF exam.

Stenhus High School is one of the largest high schools in Denmark offering a big variety of subjects and extracurricular activities.

2 ScandAsia.China • June 2017

JUN 20 17

Past events

Sweden Ambas in China sa

Anna Ldor indste dt BUSIN ESS

Private

by SEB Banking

Finland 100 Expo Hong Kong event

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he Finland 100 Expo, celebrating Finland’s 100th anniversar y of independence and showcasing Finnish Design, Education, Food and Innovations in Hong Kong was held on 10 May at the SME Centre. Almost 400 visitors attended during this day, which was excellent showcase celebration of Finland’s centenary.

It was a unique oppor tunity to get to know Finnish businesses and culture featuring over 30 exhibitors within various fields of businesses from Finland in the Expo. Visitors could engage with a vast array of companies ranging from Finnish elevator and innovation expert KONE, eclectic design house Marimekko to organic chocolate manufacturer Goodio. Technology and digital innovations were strongly present ,with for example Finnair showcasing their new cabin innovations through a Virtual Reality headset.

In addition the Expo showcased aspects of Finnish culture through traditional food and drinks as well as famous figures, including Santa Claus, the Moomintroll and Angry Birds.

Four thematic areas were included: Food

and Beverages, Design & Lifestyle, Innovation and Education. Three panel discussions also highlighted these areas with expert speakers from Hong Kong, Finland and abroad sharing their knowledge and experiences. For example the sustainability of food production from the Nordic perspective was on the programme, and panelists examined the differences between the education systems of Finland and Hong Kong and how the Finnish system could be applied locally.

This year Finland is celebrating 100 years of independence, a big number for any country.To mark the centenary the Finnish Chamber of Commerce, the Consulate General of Finland and Invest Hong Kong are organized this expo for the first time ever.

Finnish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong thanked also to all the exhibitors and sponsors InvestHK, Henry Chan, KONE and Saga Furs who made the day possible.

Sources: Consulate General of Finland, Finnish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong

PEOPLE

Riitta Kuism Hong Kong a, artist

COMM UN

ITY Finland 100 part in Shanghai y

EVENTS

Finland 100 Expo Hon g Kong

Your FREE ScandAsia Magazine in China ScandAsia is the only magazine that covers all the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish residents in China.

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June 2017

ScandAsia stories

3 Finland 100 Expo Hong Kong event 6 Ulf Ohrling resigned as Swedcham Chairman

18 Denmark Foreign Minister’s China visit

9

PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen

Denmark’s leader visited China

10

3

Sweden in China

ScandAsia Business

6 Dibi Academy China

Finnish education for small children

14

6

Mr. Sven-Eric Bucht

13 SEB Private Banking

The spirit of co-operation, continuity

Sweden’s Minister of Agriculture re-visited Hong Kong

15 Geely and Saxo Bank

Chinese company to become key shareholder

18

16

Ms. Riitta Kuisma

Finnish passionate Hong Kong artist

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4 ScandAsia.China • June 2017

Community

Finland 100 lecture series started in Shanghai

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he first event in our Finland 100 lecture series was held on 19 April at the Vn Space (Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park). Mika Toikka, Vice President at VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland) discussed the concepts of Smar t Energy and Clean Cities. The Consulate General of Finland together with the Finnish Business Council Shanghai organized the event.

Source: Consulate General of Finland, Shanghai

Finland 100 party held in Shanghai

P

arty Like a Finn! On 11 May Visit Finland organized a big Finland 100 party at the Shanghai Intercontinental Expo Hotel.

Mr. Paavo Virkkunen, Visit Finland’s Executive Vice President was among the speakers, and Ms. Heli Mende, Head of Global Sales Promotion, talked about the impressive growth of Chinese tourism to Finland (growth which shows no signs of slowing down).

The event was also attended by two very famous Finns - Santa Claus and the Moomin.

Consul General of Finland Shanghai

June 2017 • ScandAsia.China 5

Business

Finnish education for small children in Beijing All lessons are given in English and translated into the local language. Such an early training gives great support to future language learning ability because babies automatically acquire sounds and melody patterns of the English.

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ibi Academy China’s kick-off event took place at the Ambassador’s residence on 11 April. New ear ly childhood education centres will be opened in Beijing and Shanghai later in 2017. 0-5 years old kids will be taught in English in small groups by both Finnish and Chinese teachers, based on the Finnish education methods. Weekly sessions contain music, ar ts, gym, math and nature studies. Finland’s Ambassador H.E. Marja Rislakki, gave the opening remarks following by Mikko Salo’s, Johan Storgård’s and Miranda Zhang’s introductions.

Dibi Academy offers:

Babies curriculum (aged 2–23 months) consists Arts, Music, Communication and Gym. They are combined to a meaningful, caretaking and inspiring whole that supports the baby’s development as a social being and the parent’s closer contact with the baby.

Learning goals for the babies include awakening of inspiration and excitement, stretching the boarders of the experience field and activating the senses. At the same time parents learn new ways to communicate with the baby and enjoy the company of the young life to the fullest.

Dibi Academy’s curriculum for kids (aged 2–5 years) consists of five subjects: Arts, Music, Sport, Nature and Math. The learning goals are matched to age-relevant skills.

All subjects suppor t each other in a way that enables wide-spanning creative thinking which is strengthened with multiple, changing themes throughout the year. Social group skills, communication and creativity has very important role in our education and all teaching emphasizes playfulness, innovation and environmental awareness.

Every lesson is held in English and translated into the local language. Both English and international communication culture are easy to learn for children and our method makes use of these abilities.

Source: Embassy of Finland in Beijing

Ulf Ohrling resigned as Swedcham Hong Kong chairman

The board from left: Jimmy Bjennmyr, Patrik Lindvall, Katarina Ivarsson, Anders Bergström, Petra Schirren, Kristian Odebjer, Per Ågren and Karine Hirn. Absent: Karin Brock

O

n 12 May 2017 Swedcham held it´s Annual General Meeting at Club Lusitano. Roughly 40 ordinary members participated in the meeting, led by chairman Ulf Ohrling. This was Ulf last AGM as chairman, ah he has decided to step down after six consecutive years as chairman of the board. Swecham thanks Ulf for his efforts.

Apart from presenting the chamber´s annual report with the different committees, it was time 6 ScandAsia.China • June 2017

to elect a new chairman of the board together with three new directors: The members choose Kristian Odebjer as new Chairman for the upcoming three years. Kristian has a long history of activity within the chamber as a director of the board and a member of a number of committees.

As directors, the members choose to reelect Karin Hirn after three successful years on the board and Petra Schirren from Ericsson and

Karin Brock from Daniel Wellington (missing in the picture).

The Swedcham team gave a big thanks to everyone who attended the AGM and of course welcomed the new members of the board.

Source: Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong Photo copyright: Jayne Russell

DCC Hong Kong AGM 2017 report

Business

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he Annual General Meeting 2017 of Danish Chamber of Commerce (DCC) Hong Kong was successfully held at Pandora Jewelry Asia-Pacific on 9 March with 23 members and guest speakers in attendance. Frank Jensen was the facilitator of the meeting, reports DCC Hong Kong.

The meeting started out with the Chairman, Thomas Andersen’s repor t, followed by the Treasurer, Ander s Schultz Thygesen who presented the financial report 2016 and budget for 2017. Lastly the AGM ended with current DCC board re-elected.

Following the AGM the honourable speakers, General Consul Guangzhou, Anja Villefrance and the Counselor – Maritime Affairs and Shipping, Bjarke Wiehe Boetcher presented their respective work.

Anja Villefrance laid out ideas for events promoting Danish companies and designs that could take place in HK. The first idea was to repeat last year event, ‘Danish Company In Hong Kong’, in the first half of June. Second one is to have a Danish pavilion on the International Design Furniture Fair that takes place in Wanchai Exhibition Centre; a Danish Design Showroom in HK – inspired by a success story in Chongqing where Danish furniture and home decoration companies/distributors displayed the items in an apar tment showroom of a new proper ty.

Birgitte Larsen (former Office Manager), Thomas Anders (Chairman) and May Chieng (current Office Manager)

General Consul in Guangzhou, Anja Villefrance presented her ideas for Danish promotional activities in HK (after the AGM took place).

Another idea was to have a Gastro event with a Danish chef. To wrap up, a VIP visit to Guangzhou will take place on 26th September 2017 where the Consulate will host a Denmark Day on the colonial style Shamian Island.

Bjarke Wiehe Boetcher shared his work at the Embassy in Beijing since September 2015.

He works closely with the Chinese Central Government about maritime environmental regulations and introduces green maritime technology. He concluded thatwith the

importance and size of HK seaport it is very much relevant for him to expand his cooperation with the Hong Kong SAR government.

Last but not least DCC Hong Kong bid farewell to Birgitte Larsen, who moves back to Denmark in the coming summer of 2017.

The Chairman, on behalf of the Board, thanked her for the good work during the past years as Office Manager. She received a gift, sponsored by Pandora and as well as a gift voucher sponsored

by Skagen, Fossil Group.

June 2017 • ScandAsia.China 7

Business

Finnish minister Anne Berner took part in Belt and Road China Forum

M Finnish xEdu acceleration program begins Hong Kong start-up piloting

T

he Finnish xEdu acceleration program alumni companies are starting pilots with 24 schools in Hong Kong at the beginning of April with the support of HKEdCity platform.

This is the first time ever that edtech products coming from the Nordics are trialled in schools of Hong Kong.

All of the companies Bomberbot, Mightifier and Seppo are from the first batch of xEdu star t-up accelerator. Their products focus on developing the students’ 21st centur y skills, namely problem-solving, innovation and creativity, social skills, teamwork, health and wellness and ICT skills. The same skills are in the heart of the new Finnish curriculum, introduced last fall.

“What sets these products apart from any ordinary edtech solution is the fact that there is a strong pedagogical background in all of them.

The products have been granted the Kokoa Standard, which means they have undergone a rigorous evaluation by Finnish pedagogical experts and proven to promote the 21st century skills”, comments Stuart Patton, Chairman of the Hong Kong FinnCham Education Committee, and co-founder of Polkuni HK representing the best Finnish Edu-products.

In December 2016, xEdu, Polkuni HK and Hong Kong Education City signed a memorandum of understanding which opens up the possibility for the start-ups to pilot Finnish solutions in Hong Kong schools.

The pilots will go on for one year, and the impact is being assessed throughout the project.

Source: Consulate General of Finland in Hong Kong and Macao, xEdu

8 ScandAsia.China • June 2017

inister ofTransport and Communications Anne Berner visit China from 13 to 16 May 2017, during which she met China’s Minister of Transport Li Xiaopeng, Minister of Industry and Information Technology Miao Wei and Director of Civil Aviation Administration Feng Zhenglin. In Beijing, Minister Berner also took part in the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

The meetings with ministers and civil servants focus on the Nor theast cable, international measures required for 5G, the Mobility as a

Ser vice concept and direct air connections between Finland and China.

In the Belt and Road Forum, attended by representatives from 110 countries, Minister Berner spoke at a seminar on infrastructure connectivity.

She will also met representatives of Finnish transpor t and communications businesses operating in China.

Sources: Embassy of Finland in Beijing, Finland’s Ministry of Transport and Communications

Denmark’s Prime Minister Rasmussen visited China

D

uring the first official Danish prime minister visit to China since 2008, Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen met China’s President Xi Jinping.

And on 3 May 3, China’s Prime Minister Li Keqiang received Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen at the People’s Great Hall in Beijing, where there was a welcome ceremony for the Prime Minister and his delegation.

Denmark, as the only Nordic country has an extensive strategic partnership with China, and Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping underlines the strong link between Denmark and China, writes the Embassy of Denmark, China.

“An official meeting like this is important in order to lift Denmark’s political and economic relations in China to an even higher level.”

The Prime Minister and Xi Jinping also adopted and presented the joint work program between Denmark and China, which includes more than 80 Danish and Chinese authorities.

This is intended to strengthen bilateral political cooperation and open up new opportunities for Danish business in China by 2020.

In addition to the meeting with Xi Jinping, the Prime Minister also had a number of program items, including a visit to a trial farm owned by China’s largest food company COFCO, where

Ambassador A. Carsten Damsgaard signed a cooperation agreement with the big Chinese company, and where the Prime Minister met with the parent company for all State-owned Chinese companies SASAC. After this, the Prime Minister planted a fresh tree with COFCO’s chairman of the board and SASAC’s chairman of the board.

China’s Prime Minister Li Keqiang Li Keqiang also met with the Minister for the Environment and Food, Esben Lunde Larsen, acting Minister of Health, Karen Ellemann, as well as a larger delegation of Danish business leaders and business organizations.

The trip went on to the opening of the China-Denmark Food and Drug Regulator y Cooperation Center. Here, Danish and Chinese authorities will jointly streamline the approval process for, for example, Danish food and pharmaceutical products in China.

After meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen met Zhang Dejiang, president of the Chinese People’s Congress.

The Prime Minister met with the press in the Forbidden City to discuss his meetings with China’s President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang as well as the proceeds of the many agreements signed during the visit, including The Panda Agreement, the Film Agreement,

Business

the agreement to allow Danish heat-treated pork for China (such as sausages together with a certification scheme for Danish organic products to China), the opening of the DanishChinese Center for Health Cooperation, and the agreement on a new certification scheme for Danish Ecology.

As an end to the trip, Ambassador A. Carsten Damsgaard invited the Prime Minister and those accompanying for an informal buffet in his residence, where there was the opportunity to breathe and celebrate the outcome of three hectic days in Beijing.

Danish exports to China consist of a wide range of goods with the main emphasis on pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical products (26 per cent), foodstuffs (22 per cent), machinery and equipment for industry (22 per cent) and raw materials, predominantly minkskind (18 per cent). ). In 2017, exports growth is expected to grow by almost 10% to China, and in the long run by 2020, exports of goods are expected to increase by about 33 per cent. Compared to 2016, this corresponds to a growth of 10-12 billion Danish Kronor.

Source: Embassy of Denmark in China

June 2017 • ScandAsia.China 9

Sweden in China

Ambassador Anna Lindstedt

H

By Joakim Persson er Excellency Anna Lindstedt is the Swedish Ambassador to China, in charge of Sweden’s largest bilateral foreign mission. The ambassador is in Beijing since September 2016 but Asia is nothing new to her. She has previously worked as the Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam and has been based at the Swedish embassies in Indonesia and Pakistan.

She is also the former Swedish chief negotiator for the climate change agreement in Paris. In that role she was part of landing the unprecedented 2015 Paris agreement.

“We had meetings across the world and only the fortunate few get to be part of decisionmaking on an international agreement of that calibre. So that was very exciting, but very tough work,” the ambassador recalls the six years of negotiations.

“My first meeting was in Mexico in 2010 when I was the Ambassador there. That is how I became involved, and then Mexico managed to gain confidence for the negotiations by doing 10 ScandAsia.China • June 2017

useful diplomatic footwork. The year after my first climate meeting as the climate ambassador in Durban [the 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP17) held in South Africa] we were given a new mandate to negotiate a new agreement.”

“We aimed to conclude the negotiations in Paris 2015 – which we succeed with. The U.S. showed leadership in the bilateral discussions with China – one of the conditions that they would succeed. And China has really taken a constructive, leading role in the post agreement debate. And now China appears to be the sole leader when the U.S is faltering. One could see a large, positive change during the years I worked with these questions. But the EU has also played a large role and Sweden influencing – urging on – within the EU and the world.”

The conversation continues on the topic of the environment, as we happen to talk about the air pollution in ScandAsia’s hometown that is Bangkok, and the Ambassador’s Beijing. Air pollution is a big problem in these cities, and the

ambassador, when asked, confirms a there are Swedish solutions for this strongly tapping into the needs for cleaner in-door air all over China.

“Yes, the need is enormous on bad days, even when having air purifiers indoors we can still feel the pollution when it gets bad; one gets a headache directly,” says Anna Lindstedt.“ She explains that the Embassy of Sweden supports Swedish companies that are providers within this field.

“Overall, Swedish environmental solutions are in big demand. There are so many examples that give significances to this development. For instance Chinese journalists visited Blue air in Sweden less than a year ago, and recently we have seen several new Swedish start-ups within air purification and air filter masks that have entered the market.”

Asked about her new role – six months into the Ambassador posting in China when the interview takes place – she comments: “It’s still very new to me, but a very exciting workplace and country, with many tough challenges, while also very exciting and fun. And we have good, close and deep relations.”

“And as we [Sweden] are now in the Security Council we have a special inroad and follow various conflicts in the world. So there are many things to monitor and keep track of. We follow politics closely.“ “At this embassy I am fortunate to have many skilled locally employed and sent out co-workers and special attaches for agriculture, culture, police and customs co-operations, and defense,” she continues.

When it comes to trade and exchange the Ambassador states that there are currently about

600 Swedish companies with presence in China, and there are new companies established all the time. But that she has reason to believe that the number in reality probably is much higher than 600 and that there could be locally established start-ups active in the country that the Embassy is not even aware of.

The size of Sweden’s China mission’s is also reflected in Sweden’s China representation also handles most visas for Sweden in the whole world – 52000 in 2016.“Beijing issues most visas and our General Consulate for Hong Kong and Macau is number two,” says the Ambassador.

“And travel from China to Sweden increased every year with 50 percent during the last five years; tourists but also business connections – so all kinds.The visas that our Embassy and consulate issue are also just a fraction, because many [visitors to Sweden] apply to other Schengen countries as well. One can say that it’s more of everything!”

The Ambassador says that trade and investment promotion; CSR, public diplomacy; Sweden promotion; and culture always are important focus areas for the Embassy of Sweden in China. ”The main tasks of the cultural section are to introduce various aspects of Swedish culture into China as well as promoting and facilitating exchanges within the cultural field – with the goal to stimulate long-lasting relations between Sweden and China.

Anna Lindstedt mentions as well that 2017 is a Swedish cultural year in China. Stay tuned for

Sweden in China

Swedish Ambassador Annad Lindstedt (third from right) attended MoU signing between Ericsson and China Mobile’s Government and Enterprise Customers Branch and Mobike, a bike-sharing start up upcoming activities via ScandAsia!

A line-up of Swedish minister visits to China is being carried out during 2017 to Beijing, to Shanghai and other parts of the country.

The Embassy is focusing on innovation during 2017. The Embassy’s vision is to advance, showcase and bring for th oppor tunities for mutual interest within innovation, career and entrepreneurship. There will be efforts in particular within green innovation, life sciences,

sustainable transportation and energy.

In this connection it can also be mentioned that following on the inaugural Sino-Swedish Innovation & Entrepreneurship Forum in 2016, Sweden-China Forum (SCF) will arrange two annually forums in Sweden and China.

Also the Nordic Design and Innovation Week will once again take place in Shanghai, jointly arranged by all the collaborators within Team Sweden.

The little Country

with the BIG Companies

T

By Joakim Persson rade relations and connections between China and Sweden go back centuries and this is now deser vedly highlighted and documented in a new book titled The Little Country with the Big Companies, launched in October 2016.

Direct trade relations were initiated through the Swedish East India Company in the 18th century, while grave finding in Swedish Viking communities show that Chinese textiles made their way to Sweden more than a thousand years ago.

Anders Sjöman, Centre for Business History June 2017 • ScandAsia.China 11

Sweden in China

One of our favourite pictures is of course the one from the Ericsson archive: A delegation from one of Ericsson’s Shanghai-based customers, visiting Ericsson’s headquarters in Stockholm in 1905

The book that was commissioned by the Embassy of Sweden in Beijing celebrates a millennium of Swedish-Chinese commerce.

The Centre for Business History in Stockholm, produced it on assignment Its main purposes are to promote Swedish business presence in China and to highlight the long-term Swedish-Chinese business relationship.

The book was launched with two separate receptions at the Swedish Ambassador’s Residence (for the business community as well as for the Swedish Alumni Network in China (SANC); presented along with a photo exhibition showcasing historical commerce between Sweden and China, and a chance to get 12 ScandAsia.China • June 2017

to meet Sweden’s new Ambassador to China, H.E. Anna Lindstedt.

History tells that already 1000 years ago, Chinese textiles travelled to Sweden on the Silk Road. Today, over 500 Swedish companies run operations in China. Over the centuries, Sweden and China have interacted through culture, ides, products, technology and science.

This book gives an historical overview of this exchange.

Subtitled ‘A millennium of Swedish-Chinese commerce’ the book begins with the Vikings who brought silk from China and ends with how today’s large Swedish companies, like H&M and Volvo, are active in China. The book also highlights several “Did you know that”facts, such as Roxette being the second foreign pop band to perform in China in modern time, and that famed table tennis player Jan-Ove Waldner used to market Electrolux vacuum cleaners in China.

The Centre for Business History in Stockholm, a non-profit association whose customers are its members, preser ves and presents corporate history. It acts as the corporate archivists and as business consultancy the centre empowers companies to discover, access and use their unique heritage.

“The Swedish embassy in Beijing contacted us at the Centre for Business Histor y in Stockholm. We have worked with Swedish embassies before, helping them bring out the history of business relationships between Sweden and the host countr y. In this case, the Swedish embassy wanted to highlight the centuries-long tradition of Swedish-Chinese trade. Our two countries have continued to trade and do business, regardless of global politics and political systems, for over a millennia,” Anders Sjöman, Centre for Business History, tells ScandAsia.

This assignment constitutes a typical example of where they highlight the untold stories from Swedish corporate history “In the archives we manage, there was lots of documentation on Swedish-Chinese business. So we did research in our own archives, and added to that interviews with business professionals who themselves had done trade between the two countries.”

Being one of the world’s leading business archives, there are over 70,000 shelf meters of photographs, adver tisements, prototypes, company magazines, packaging, board notes, project plans, design sketches, films and audio tapes stored in Bromma, Stockholm.

“While working on the book, the richness of the picture banks astounded the embassy, as well as ourselves. So the embassy asked us to pick out the most telling pictures, the ones that combined could tell the story of Swedish-Chinese business relationships over time, so they could build an exhibition around it.The book and the exhibition are sister-products in that way.”

“One of our favourite pictures is of course the one from the Ericsson archive: A delegation from one of Ericsson’s Shanghai-based customers, visiting Ericsson’s headquarters in Stockholm in 1905,” continues Anders.

“The Centre for Business Histor y was founded in 1974. We help companies manage their historical material, so it doesn’t get lost.

Over 350 of Sweden’s largest companies keep their archives with us; which in practice means records from over 7000 companies (many now defunct). By keeping the material organized, sorted and easily accessible, we can also help them ‘activate their history’, so to speak. Stories from before often show the way forward, and so we help the companies put into stories their own unique – and verifiable! – history.”

The spirit of

Business

co-operation and continuity Private Banking at SEB strengthens its team and underlines long-term commitment in Singapore

R

olf Fus, General Manager of SEB’s private banking branch in Singapore, looks out on the Marina Bay from the office on the 12th floor at 50, Collyer Quay. “It is an amazing view, no doubt, and in a way it reflects the drive and energy of this exceptional place in Asia,” he says leaning forward in his chair.“But what really impressed me when I started to work with the private banking colleagues here in Singapore was the unique team spirit. This spirit is present in everything we do at SEB, and it is a great benefit for our clients.”

SEB has recently strengthened its private banking team in Singapore by appointing Rolf Fus as new General Manager and Jonas Bergqvist as

Head of Private Banking. Furthermore, two more colleagues with special competencies have been employed to complement the existing team with additional knowledge in the area of investment strategy, portfolio management as well as wealth planning.

“The team is now well staffed ensuring a broad knowledge base and a higher level of pro-activity in order to suppor t clients with international private banking needs,” says Rolf.

“I myself have been in the financial industry for more than 30 years and I’m very happy that I can support the team with my long and deep experience. We will strengthen the ties between the Singapore and the Luxembourg operation,

Pictured are (from left): Jonas Bergqvist, Head of Private Banking; Rolf Fus, General Manager of SEB’s private banking branch in Singapore

our hub in Europe, where I have been heading the Private Clients team before.”

SEB has been present in Singapore since 1979, starting with services for large corporates and financial institutions, and later adding private banking ser vices to its por tfolio. The latter developed so well that SEB upgraded the representative office to a fully fledged private banking branch in 2005.

“Among our Nordic private banking peers we are the ones with the longest presence in Singapore,” says Jonas Bergqvist, who looks back on many years of experience with international private banking in Asia as well as in Europe. “Longterm relationships are an important part of SEB’s strategy.Therefore, our commitment in Singapore has always been long-term and continues to be.

We are here today, and will be here tomorrow.”

The newly enforced team is highly motivated to serve present and future clients. “Our aim is to become the preferred private bank for Nordic and German high-net-worth-individuals in our core markets Singapore and Hong Kong, as well as suppor ting our SEB home market clients moving to other jurisdictions across Asia,” says Rolf.

SEB offers a broad platform of competencies and investment oppor tunities to Nordic and German private banking clients living in the AsiaPacific region. High ethical and moral standards as well as compliance with the regulator y requirements are a natural part of the holistic approach in order to ensure a secure investment environment for the customer.

“We appreciate the stable political climate in Singapore, and the regulatory and legal systems which are regarded among the best in the world,” Jonas adds. “They are one of the reasons why SEB chose the island state as its private banking hub in Asia.”

One of the main projects during the year is to further develop the digital banking experience for private banking customers. “Everybody is going digital, and tablets and smartphones have become an integral part of our life,” Rolf comments. “An enhanced online banking platform is a natural complement to our sophisticated offering, and we are working full speed on the developments in order to introduce the upgrade to our customers in the months to come.”

With a sparkle in his eyes he continues: “I’m convinced that we have the right team with the right mix of competences in order to support our customer’s growth ambitions. Our aim is to enable them to achieve their aspirations and succeed in a cross-border environment – through SEB’s professional and personal client experience.”

June 2017 • ScandAsia.China 13

Business

Swedish minister Bucht’s Hong Kong food export promotion trip

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Text: Joakim Persson

weden’s Minister of Agriculture, SvenErik Bucht visited Hong Kong on 8 - 10 May 2017, in connect with Asia’s leading food fair Hofex, and as an expor t promotion follow-up to his previous visit in 2015.

The purpose of the minister’s Hong Kong trip was to promote Swedish food exports and make more people want to buy Swedish food. 95 percent of all food consumed in Hong Kong today is imported. Sweden’s export opportunities are also good because the Hong Kong farmers value food security in particular and Swedish food is well known for its high quality. Also, in both Hong Kong and Mainland China, demand for safe and sustainable food is increasing, which creates good conditions for Swedish exports to the region.

On 8 May Sven-Erik Bucht attended the opening ceremony of Hofex, as the kick-off activity for his visit, which was characterized by meetings to raise Swedish food, businesses and products. The minister met with stakeholders with food production and monitored Swedish export interests in bilateral talks.

At Hofex the Swedish minister visited the Swedish pavilion for meetings with Swedish entrepreneurs and important stakeholders from Hong Kong. He also had a lunch meeting with representatives of the Global Food Safety & Technology Forum. After he paid a visit to a laboratory at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

On 9 May he held at bilateral meeting with Dr. Ko Wing-man, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Food 14 ScandAsia.China • June 2017

and Health, as a follow-up to previous visits in November 2015, focusing on issues concerning exports of Swedish foodstuffs to Hong Kong.

“I offered Dr. Ko Wing-man reindeer meet from Tornedalen, which he appreciated ver y much.The efforts to get to export reindeer meet to Hong Kong continues and we are close to get the approval,” reported Sven-Erik Bucht.

Then followed a lunch meeting with stakeholders from restaurant Bija’s rooftop farm for knowledge acquisition about organic farming in the city environment and the restaurant’s experience in efforts to reduce food waste.

Sven-Erik Bucht also made a study visit to a rooftop farm at the University of Hong Kong.

There, university students manage the cultivation as part of their education.

A dinner was then held at the Swedish chef Björn Franzén’s restaurant, Franzén’s Kitchen, along with important stakeholders in Hong Kong.

On 10 May a breakfast meeting with the Swedish Chamber of Commerce’s food group followed. And the minister also made a study visit to Moreganic Showroom, a shop that shows and sells Swedish KRAV-labeled products.

There, Bucht found everything from blueberry powder and blackcurrant drink to tomato puree and crispbread. ”The demand for ecologic food has increased in both Hong Kong and China in recent years.The interest in Swedish food is big since it has a good reputation and is seen to be of good quality,” the minister reported.

“It has been very inspiring to meet everyone that works so hard to make more people discovering Swedish food,” he concluded his trip.

“I am truly impressed by all the Swedish companies I have met working not only here in Hong Kong but all over Asia. It has been a jampacked programme, very intense. And I have had very good contacts with my minister colleagues here, both within finance and food – important contacts that can enable us smooth and efficient export permissions of our food into Hong Kong.

It is my second trip to Hong Kong and I am met by the warm hospitality. And I now hope for fast results so that we quite soon will be able to see more top class Swedish food products on the food plates here in Hong Kong but also in the rest of Asia.”

In January the Swedish government submitted the bill ‘A national food strategy for Sweden – more jobs and sustainable growth throughout the country’ to parliament. The strategy will form the basis of Sweden’s food policy up to 2030.

“Swedish food creates jobs, sustainable growth and values for society as a whole. In addition to meeting the demand for food, we gain open landscapes and lively rural communities.

The national food strategy will help strengthen competitiveness and to ensure the potential of Swedish food production is fully realised to the benefit of actors and stakeholders throughout the entire food supply chain – from primary production all the way to the consumer,” stated the Swedish government.

Business

Geely to become share holder in Danish Saxo Bank

Mr. Kim Fournais serves as the CEO and Member of Management Board at Saxo Bank A/S. Mr. Fournais co-founded Saxo Bank A/s in 1992

O

n 5 May 2017 Saxo Bank Group announced that it as received an offer from Geely International Hong Kong, a subsidiar y of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd (“Geely Group”), to become a key shareholder in Saxo to enable the bank to capitalise on global growth opportunities.

Lars Seier Christensen, co-founder of Saxo, has received an offer and agreed to sell his stake of 25.71 per cent of the bank to Geely pending, among other things, regulatory approvals.

Certain minority shareholders are expected to exercise tag-along rights as par t of the investment offer from Geely, which is expected to own 30 per cent of Saxo on completion.

Financial terms of the transaction, which is expected to be finalised by the fourth quarter of 2017, have not been disclosed.

Kim Fournais, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the a leading Danish multi-asset trading and financial-technology firm said: “Geely Group has shown an impressive ability to foster sharp and solid profitable growth in their por tfolio companies, and it has a deep understanding of Scandinavian business values and culture. Geely is well known for its strong power of execution, compliance awareness and entrepreneurial spirit.

I look forward to taking Saxo Bank to new highs together with our shareholders and employees. I

am confident that partnering with Geely creates an even stronger foundation to capitalise on the many global opportunities and not least in the growing Chinese and Asian markets.”

With a branch also in Singapore, Saxo established a China office in the Shanghai FreeTrade Zone in September 2015, and has since then signed extensive financial technology partnerships as part of its Greater China strategy.

“We look forward to partnering with Saxo Bank through this transaction to expand Geely Group’s activities in the financial services sector.

Saxo Bank is a trusted trading platform with a strong reputation following more than 20 years of successful operations. The bank is a proven leader in Financial and Regulatory technology.

We expect to deliver group synergies from the development of financial services both within Geely Group and the wider Chinese market,” said Daniel Donghui Li, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Geely Group.

Lars Seier Christensen, who served as coCEO of Saxo until year end 2015, said: “I am very proud of Saxo Bank’s achievement and our unique position as one of the strongest facilitators of global capital market access in the financial sector. I want to thank the skilled and talented employees in Saxo and my partner, Kim Fournais, for this amazing journey over the past 25 years.

With a strong track record, healthy long-term

vision and appreciation of our unique strengths, I am confident that Geely is the right business partner for Saxo Bank.”

“I want to thank Lars for his huge contribution to Saxo since we founded the company together in 1992. Even though Lars will no longer have a formal stake in the firm, I know that his passion for the bank lives on and I look forward to continue our friendship,” Kim Fournais added.

As a fully licensed and regulated bank Saxo Bank Group offers a complete set of trading and investment technologies, tools and strategies.

For almost 25 years, Saxo’s mission has been to enable individuals and institutions by facilitating their access to professional trading and investing through technology and expertise.

Saxo enables its private clients to trade multiple asset classes across global financial markets from one single margin account and across multiple devices.Additionally, Saxo provides institutional clients such as banks and brokers with multi-asset execution, prime brokerage services and trading technology.

Zhejiang Geely Group (Geely Group) is a 30 year old Fortune 500 company, with revenue of more than US$ 26 billion and total assets of more than US$ 24 billion in 2016.

Geely Group is a multi-faceted globally focused investment group with its core business assets in the automotive industry. The Group consists of three sub groups and companies: Geely Auto Group, Volvo Cars and Geely Commercial Vehicles. Geely Auto Group operates the Geely Auto and LYNK & CO brands which has delivered record growth for the past three years. Volvo Cars has seen sales rise to record highs under Geely ownership with a revitalized product range.

Geely Commercial Vehicles is focused on the development of alternative energy commercial vehicles and also owns the London Taxi Company, in which Geely has recently invested UK£300 million to construct a new UK factor y and develop next generation zero-emission taxis.

June 2017 • ScandAsia.China 15

Business

Riitta Kuisma

a Finnish Artist in Hong Kong

R

By Colin Rampton. iitta Kuisma admits to being a chatterbox. She is also a very skilled artist who has numerous other talents including the ability to speak fluently in English, Russian and of course her native Finnish.

I spent a very pleasant couple of hours in Riitta’s company in her New Territories studio where our conversation flowed easily, and ranged from education, the Hong Kong landscape, her childhood and of course her passion for Art.

A Special Place to Paint

Riitta’s studio did take some finding. At first glance it seems in an unlikely location. It is in an industrial 16 ScandAsia.China • June 2017

building in Fotan, a busy suburb of the satellite town of Shatin. After getting a little disorientated, I made my way past fork lifts and delivery trucks until I finally found the passenger elevator for block D and ascended to the 22nd floor of the multi-utilized, slightly aging building. There I was welcomed by the smiling and charming Riitta in her rooftop studio - a haven of peace and tranquillity which seemed very conductive to allowing creativity to blossom in a way that a gifted artist relishes.

As well as her painting and display sections, Riitta has a lounge area in her studio with easy chairs and books. She has a small kitchen and bathroom and even a sitting out area where she

can gaze upon the hillsides above the factories.

There is in fact an artists’ colony within the industrial estate.There are more than 40 working studios where Hong Kong based artists create their art, taking advantage of reasonable rents in an increasingly expensive city. Riitta has got to know many of her fellow artists during her seven years at the studio, and she appreciates their proximity and mutual support. The group have even had exhibitions together and are collectively known as ‘The Fotanians’. Every January the annual Fotan Open Studios event attracts visitors from all parts of the region.

Over a cup of freshly brewed Finnish coffee, she told me about her bustling and varied life.

A Forest Girl

Nature is very important to Riitta and many of her pictures display her love of it. A beautiful halffinished woodland scene stood on an easel next to an exquisite pen and ink sketch of an owl. She is a versatile artist and numerous portraits adorned another wall, including one of her nineteen year old son. She has painted murals in various Hong Kong venues and exhibited drawings and paintings in numerous locations around the world, including Hong Kong, Finland and India.

Riitta spent the first 20 years of her life in a semi-rural setting near the Southern Finnish

coastal town of Turku. She loved to draw and paint from an early age and cannot remember a time when she was not either coloring, sketching or doodling. At high school she spent a lot of time in the Visual Arts Department and became very interested in theatre design. She later attended the Painting Faculty of Turku Art Academy but the course did not really suit her style. A visit to a friend studying Architecture at Moscow State University gave her a taste of a course that was far more tailored to her needs. The realization that she could enroll as a foreign student was to change the direction of her life dramatically.

A Life–Changing decision

Although she had reservations about leaving her family, Riitta knew that exchanging her life in small town Turku for cosmopolitan Moscow would develop and enhance her drawing and painting skills in the direction she desired. The fact that she spoke no Russian at the time did not deter her. She passed a skills test with flying colors and was accepted on the Bachelor’s course in the Monumental and Decorative Painting Depar tment of Moscow State University of Industrial and Applied Arts - on the understanding that she would learn Russian.

Riitta’s decision to study in Russia did cause her family some concern. Her late father originated from the area of Karelia which was controversially ceded to Russia in the 1940s.

Unsurprisingly he had misgivings when his 20 year old daughter broke the news. He came to accept that Riitta was following her passion however and offered his blessing.

The first six months in Moscow proved

to be amongst the toughest of Riitta’s life. It is testament to her powers of perseverance and her outgoing personality, that she immersed herself in her studies and the acquisition of the Russian language, becoming almost fluent within a year. She completed her degree and decided to stay in Russia to study for a Master’s degree, graduating in 1996.

There were other life changing circumstances in store for Riitta. While studying for her Master’s she met her future husband Gaurang, a native of Mumbai, who was working in Moscow.

A job offer for Gaurang took them to Hong Kong just after the historic handover in July 1997.

Their son Shaan was born a year later and when Sofia came along in 2003, the family was complete.

Hong Kong Life

Without losing her Finnish roots, Riitta has embraced Hong Kong life for almost twenty years and consequently established a reputation as an excellent local artist.

Riitta’s talents are in demand and she has had numerous commissions for portraits, murals, paintings and drawings. She works quite quickly from life and photographs and she is disciplined in balancing her time at the studio with the demands of running a family home. She paints in oil upon canvas and executes elaborate and very detailed line drawings in black ink on high quality paper.

Riitta is also a dedicated teacher of Art. She runs extra curricula Art classes at two nearby International Schools and she has also taught adults. She is concerned about the emphasis on academic subjects in Hong Kong schools to the detriment of the Arts. She loves to give children

the opportunity to experiment in different media and develop their creative skills. Riitta sees Art as a way of bringing members of the community together and she is cautiously optimistic that attitudes are beginning to slowly change in Hong Kong.

Our conversation moved on to how Riitta adapted to Hong Kong life. Her initial concerns soon diminished when she discovered that there is more to the Territory than the ‘concrete jungle’ of its reputation. Riitta loves the outdoors and was delighted to discover the hills and wild lands of the New Territories and she derived pleasure from being near the sea again (something she had missed in Moscow).

The public transport system in Hong Kong is second to none and Riitta and her young family spent a lot of their spare time in those early years exploring and wandering off the beaten track.

Hong Kong is a highly populated region with some very crowded areas, but it is full of surprises and Riitta discovered that she could easily get close to her beloved nature.

Good schools for the children, the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and a comparatively safe environment with minimal crime, all helped the settling-in process. Riitta’s children are now bilingual. Shaan is also able to speak Cantonese, the street dialect of Hong Kong.

Keeping in touch with Finland

I asked Riitta what she missed most about Finland.

The beautiful unspoiled countryside, long light summer evenings and of course a large extended family scattered in different regions were unsurprising answers. The Finnish community in Hong Kong is not large, numbering somewhere in the region of 200. There are regular social events organized by the Finnish Chamber of Commerce and before she became so busy Riitta was involved in the Finnish Association of Hong Kong. She still has several good friends from her own nation, one or two of long standing. The transient nature of the expatriate population in Hong Kong means that few Finnish families have stayed in the territory as long as Riitta and hers.

Riitta also misses the snow, although not the dark winters’ days and the very low temperatures that the Turku area often experiences. She and her family visit annually but do need to divide vacations between family in Finland and family in India.

Riitta has a happy and fulfilling life in Hong Kong, doing what she loves to do. She will stay for the foreseeable future, and develop her already considerable reputation in Hong Kong’s increasingly thriving Art scene.

I asked her to sum up her feelings about her vocation.

“For me Art is the air that I breathe, I cannot imagine what my life would be without it.”

At the end of our interview I looked at my watch to discover two hours had just flown by.

It was a pleasure to interview Riitta and her enthusiasm for Art in all its forms was contagious.

We continued to talk in the elevator on the way down to the carpark. But that is second nature to Riitta - after all she is a chatterbox!

For more information about Riitta Kuisma visit her website ……www.riittakuisma.com June 2017 • ScandAsia.China 17

Business

Denmark’s Foreign Minister’s visit strengthens China partnership

D

anish Foreign Minister Ander s Samuelsen visited China from 11 - 13 March, during which he had several meetings with highlevel officials in China, including with his Chinese counterparts on foreign affairs and commerce.

The Minister met with Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi and showed great interest in the “Belt and Road Initiative”, and China’s reform agenda after the “Two Sessions” in March and before the 19th Party Congress in autumn this year.

In a meeting hosted by his Chinese counter par t Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the two sides exchanged their opinions on a broad variety of topics from the SinoDanish Comprehensive Strategic Par tnership and the Sino-Danish 18 ScandAsia.China • June 2017

Joint Work Program, and on further bilateral cooperation over regional affairs including EU-China relations and DPRK nuclear resolution.

Wang Yi noted that Denmark was one of the earliest western c o u n t r i e s w h i c h e s t a bl i s h e d diplomatic relations with China. At present, China-Denmark relations are in the best period of history, facing impor tant development oppor tunities, stated Ministr y of Foreign Affairs, the People’s Republic of China. President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen sent congratulator y messages to the opening ceremony o f C h i n a - D e n m a r k To u r i s m Year 2017. And in 2018, the two countries will embrace the 10th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.

“China is willing to, together with Denmark, take this as an opportunity to fur ther align development strategies, deepen cooperation in economy, trade, investment, green development, connectivity, innovation, entrepreneur ship, medical care, elderly care, water resource management, modern agriculture and other fields, and enhance exchanges in culture, tourism, regional affairs and other issues, so as to elevate ChinaDenmark comprehensive strategic par tnership to new highs,” the ministry stated.

Anders Samuelsen expressed that in attaching great importance to developing its relations with China the Danish government firmly upholds the one-China policy and respects China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Denmark is highly honoured to be the first EU member to co-chair the tourism year activity with China. The Danish side looks forward to taking this as an opportunity to propel DenmarkChina two-way tourism, and is willing to provide more convenience for Chinese citizens to apply for Danish visas. Denmark highly values the “Belt and Road” initiative put forward by China, and hopes to, together with China, make positive contributions to connectivity of the Eurasian continent, reported China’s foreign ministry.

Minister Samuelsen also had a formal meeting with Fu Ziying, Vice Minister of Commerce, on the SinoDanish Joint Economic Committee, in which topics including maritime, bilateral investments and intellectual proper ty rights protection were discussed.

He also unveiled official Danish Pavilions on Alibaba’s Tmall Global and Fliggy platforms, and witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at promoting Chinese tourism to Denmark.

The launch of the two “Danish Pavilions” in Hangzhou on Alibaba’s B2C platform Tmall Global and its travel service platform Fliggy allows 21 Danish brands to offer authentic consumer goods of Danish lifestyle and food as well as getting to Denmark.

“More and more retail sale is today happening online and in China more than anywhere – it is therefore important that the Danish Foreign Ministr y can also help Danish companies’ success in this particular area. With the opening of an official Danish pavilion on China’s leading e-commerce marketplace Tmall Global, we hope to draw attention to Danish products,” said Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen.

In another event, the Minister witnessed the signing of the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) between the Royal Danish Embassy and China’s biggest online review service Meituan-Dianping.

The MoU is the latest move in a series of promotions to attract more Chinese tourists to Denmark in the China-Denmark Tourism Year 2017. According to the MoU, recommended places of interest across Denmark will be listed on the website and mobile App platforms of Meituan-Dianping.

“To better help Chinese tourists enjoy Denmark, we are looking at the consumer habits in China, and it is very important to be on the digital platforms that Chinese citizens use.

Therefore, we have signed this agreement with Meituan-Dianping,” said the Minister.

“We will deliver better content about Denmark as well as Danish places of interests, including restaurants, museums and hotels to Chinese consumers on these platforms.”

Sources: Embassy of Denmark in China, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People’s Republic of China

ScandAsia means Business!

A

re you aware of our steadfast business section in ScandAsia? You may have noticed our strengthened focus - in print and online - on innovations, business solutions, joint ventures, star t-ups, trade etc. This is now further enhanced as Business pages in the magazines and with the dedicated ‘Business in Asia’ channel, along with adding business categories, online!

The digital economy and the start-up scene, with business disruption coming with it, are having significant impact on all business sectors and trade, creating the economies of the future. As part of this, and in parallel, Southeast Asia’s economies are continuing to grow and taking significant steps forward and towards becoming developed countries.

Investors and entrepreneurs from the Nordics are increasingly participating in this, setting up businesses here and targeting the region with their products and services.

The type of businesses the Nordics are involved in now span across the board, much thanks to their innovative spirit and the very strong Scandinavian start-up scene. Also, the Nordic countries are shifting focus from developing projects to commercial support in connection to the Southeast Asian countries they have been active within.

The developments and trends that define and shape the business climate are covered by ScandAsia. We award coverage to all stakeholders; introducing new start-ups and business concepts and portraying how larger corporations are adapting their businesses and preparing for the future, and also how the innovations, solutions and know-how from the Nordic countries can find markets and gain market shares in Asia.

With this brief introduction we want to put the spotlight on the increasing importance of B2B and B2C for ScandAsia!

Build awareness around your brand and product (s) through storytelling and engagement!

And did you know: • That ScandAsia is the only dedicated media reaching out and communicating all things of relevancy in connection to the Nordic countries - SEA/China?

• That ScandAsia can assist your business in various ways by communicating news and events as well as other commercial messages (sharing news and events, republish PR, advertorial, email blast, print and e-magazine marketing, e-marketing…)?

• That you can publish your own content marketing on ScandAsia.com?

• That you can have your complimentar y personal and company profile as one of our members on ScandAsia.com (with high-ranking result on Google) and that our web traffic is close to 100,000 readers monthly!

• That you can get extra print copies of the magazine edition featuring your business for an affordable price?

For further information and prices, contact: Mobile: +66 (0) 89761 6701, Ph: +66 (0) 2943 7166, joakim@scandmedia.com, gregers@scandmedia.com

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