dragon news - no. 4, 2011

No.04

M e M b e r M a g a z i n e f o r S w e d i S h C h a M b e r S o f C o M M e r C e i n h o n g K o n g a n d C h i n a

2011 employed by the Chinese

20Executive talk

he will put asia on the art map

28Feature

his passion is creativity

46SwedCham Hong Kong

new chairman elected

As Chinese companies are increasingly goingglobal, more people in the West have to get used to

the fact that their employer could one day be Chinese.

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The Swedish Chambers of Commerce in Hong Kong and China

PublisherSwedish Chambers of Commercein hong Kong and ChinaFor advertising inquiries, please contact respective chamber’s officeThe 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 printingbamboo business Communications LtdTel: +852 2838 4553fax: +852 2873 3329www.bambooinasia.com [email protected] director: Johnny Chandesigner: Victor daienglish editor: Chris Taylor

Cover photo: iStockphoto

INQUIRIESSwedish Chamber of Commerce in hong Kongroom 2503, 25/f, bea harbour View Centre56, gloucester road, wanchai, hong KongTel: +852 2525 0349e-mail: [email protected]: www.swedcham.com.hkgeneral Manager: eva KarlbergMarketing Manager: Märta Langadministration Manager: Maria Tornving

INQUIRIESSwedish Chamber of Commerce in Chinaroom 313, radisson blu hotel6a, east beisanhuan road, Chaoyang districtbeijing 100028, People’s republic of ChinaTel: +86 10 5922 3388, ext 313fax: +86 10 6462 7454e-mail: [email protected]: www.swedishchamber.com.cngeneral Manager: Yvonne ChenMember Service & Sales Manager beijing: Karin rooswebmaster & finance assistant: Jaycee Yangadministration assistant: Vika Jiao

Shanghai ContactMember Service & Sales Manager Shanghai: Johanna PollnowTel: +86 21 6217 1271fax: +86 21 6217 0562Mobile: +86 1368 179 7675e-mail: [email protected] Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong Swedish Chamber of Commerce in China

CONTENTS No.042011

4

8

46

48

50

editorial

Snippets

extra general Meeting in hong Kong

after hours

The chamber and i: Joakim hedhill

Cover story:employed by the Chinese

10

6 opinion: anders wollter

20 executive talk: Lars nittve, M+

28 feature: fredrik härén

Chamber activities in hong Kong30

Chamber activities in beijing34

Chamber activities in Shanghai36

new members38

10

22

22 Young Professional interview: fredrik dahlberg and fredrik Suter

20

28

DRAGONNEWS • NO.04/2011 3

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Dear Reader,

In this magazine we have written many times about Swedish management in China. In this issue, we turn the table around and look at Chinese management through the eyes of Swedes employed within a Chinese company or in a company owned by a Chinese.

It is interesting reading. One thing that stands out is speed. Things move more quickly in a Chinese company and decisions are made swiftly – and as one of our Chinese members said once at a seminar in which we compared management styles, “In the past, the big ate the small – today, the fast eat the slow”.

The pace at which Chinese society and Chinese companies have changed over the past 10 years, since China joined the WTO, is truly breathtaking. There is a drive and a power pro-pelling growth that is hard for a Westerner to relate to, as to a large extent it has its roots in the collective desire of the Chinese to reinstall the position of China in the world after almost two centuries of humiliation.

As China matures, grows larger and gets more powerful, both politically and economi-cally, we will also see a breed of more confi-dent Chinese managers who will deal with

EDITORIAL

China contributes to a more diverse world

Mats HarbornChairman

Swedish Chamber ofCommerce in China

Ulf OhrlingChairman

Swedish Chamber ofCommerce in Hong Kong

foreign acquisitions and with foreign staff in a more natural way. The likely effect will be even more foreigners employed and working inside Chinese companies. It is also likely that foreigners will assume leading roles in Chinese companies as there is a shortage of qualified and experienced Chinese managers capable of running multinational companies. The trend of Chinese companies buying up foreign com-panies has just begun.

Both of these trends are a consequence of Chinas’ economic integration into the world and something that we should take into consideration, embrace and make the most of. Some 40 years ago the West was afraid of Japan and 20 years ago we started worrying about South Korea. Now we can say that the world has become a more diverse place with large global Japanese and South Korean actors contributing to the global economy.

We are quite sure that a decade or two down the line we will conclude that Chinese global players have also contributed to a more diverse and richer world.

We tend to see China coming from isolation onto the world stage as something new and unique. However, as late as between 1911 and 1949, China was an integral part

of the world scene and took an active part in shaping the world at that time. China is now, again, entering this stage, which should be the normal relation between China and the rest of the world. Irrespective of political and other differences a higher degree of economic integration and inter-dependency benefits everyone in the longer perspective. This was, by the way, the very basic idea behind the formation of the European Union.

We are witnessing the emergence of a truly multi-polar world where players, large and small, co-exist on increasingly equal terms. The question of which type of man-agement will be the best suited to deal with these changes cannot be clearly answered. As individuals become increasingly important and the entire world is their market, prob-ably the most important thing is to find a management model that suits the needs of a particular company best creates the best working environment for its staff – because it is motivated individuals, no matter whether Swedish, Chinese or any other nationality, that runs a successful business.

We would also like to wish all our mem-bers a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year!

When it’s time to do business, we’re exceptionally open.

Every business has a different story and a different goal. We understand that. Over many years in this market of unique opportunities, we’ve developed the local knowledge, resources and connections needed to turn ambitions into reality. That’s why we’re one of the most well-established northern European banks in the region. For corporates, financial institutions and private banking clients, we’re ready to listen and cater to your needs – in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and New Delhi. Discover more at www.sebgroup.com/asia

Jon

Hic

ks/C

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ix

4 DRAGONNEWS • NO.04/2011

Anders Wollter is Minister Counsellor and head of the CSr centre at the embassy of Sweden in beijing, as well as being in charge of CenTeC, the embassy’s centre for coop-eration in environmental technology and sustainable urban development.Camilla Goldbeck-Löwe is the project manag-er at the embassy’s CSr centre.

Chinese companies working with corporate social responsibility (CSR) in a systematic and holistic way will gain competitive advantages, according to Anders Wollter and Camilla Goldbeck-Löwe of the Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility at the Embassy of Sweden in China.TExT: Anders Wollter, [email protected] Camilla Goldbeck-Löwe, [email protected] PHOTO: DAN FJELDHEIM-EK

round this time of year, Swedes living abroad inevitably call to mind all the pictures and memories of Swedish Christmas

celebrations. This year adds an extra, bright and positive picture, courtesy of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. This is the picture of how our traditional Christmas decorations are manufactured, not only respon-sibly, but also in a factory looking surprisingly “Swedish”. The study visit to the Shenzhen supplier of Swedish retail group ICA was part of the Hong Kong chamber’s much appreciated 25th anniversary seminar, appropriately themed around corporate social responsibility (CSR).

As we are both relatively new to China and feel that CSR issues should primarily be ”owned” and run by companies themselves, we think it would be presumptuous to try to lecture Swedish companies in China on what to do in their CSR work in China. We have the greatest respect for all the positive work and the efforts put into CSR by Swedish com-panies in China. And for companies looking at developing operations and supply chains in line with CSR, the Swedish Trade Council is running an excellent programme within ”Sustainable Sweden” (contact person: Anita Jonsson, Swedish Trade Council, Shanghai).

Nevertheless, we would like to share with you some observations. The CSR centre is a focal point for CSR efforts initiated by Swedish public organisations in China (we cooperate closely with the Consulates General in Hong Kong and Shanghai, the Swedish Trade Council and the Swedish Institute).

It is actually

not hard to convince Chinese companies and other players that you can build a business case for CSR.”

Continuous CSR improvement is the keyThe centre is also in charge of administering the unique agreement on CSR between the Swedish government and China’s Central Government. Having the privilege of working on CSR issues with Chinese public agencies and industry representatives alike, we feel we can create a connection between practical CSR work and global policy-making.

CSR in China today is actually far more widespread than most people might imag-ine. We are looking at a strong and positive trend in the country in which many Swedish companies are pioneers. But the difficulties and challenges are many, with one specific challenge for Swedish companies being dis-cussion of how far back in the supply chain their responsibility goes. Another challenge is gaining acceptance for and understanding of CSR issues within the local “eco-systems” of industrial development zones and local and regional governments in China.

CSR is not created over night, let alone the fair and sound public governance that is the basic prerequisite for CSR to work. But knowledge and insight into CSR issues is growing in China, creating the critical mass needed for change. We see connections made between CSR issues and traditional Chinese culture and values of responsibility. We are also seeing a growing understanding that CSR can and should go beyond pure philanthropy (for our part we would argue that this is not part of CSR). With the attention CSR issues gets from central government agencies in China today, we believe companies working with CSR in a systematic and holistic way will gain competitive advantages.

Chinese companies see the potential com-petitive edge as well. This is especially true as they venture abroad, finding themselves com-pared to international players, and as China emerges as an active international investor and creator of production. Some Chinese companies are also starting to acknowledge that CSR, if really allowed to permeate the entire organisation, contributes to not only productivity and quality, but also to adapt-ability and predictability.

In this perspective, it is actually not hard to convince Chinese companies and other players that you can build a business case for CSR. Simple improvements in the environ-mental field, for example to reduce emissions,

will mean evident savings in raw materials and energy, and can thus create economies for companies. Swedish experience and knowledge within environmental and process technology has a big role to play here.

But reducing the emissons and raw mate-rial inputs, important as this is, does not alone mean that the full potential of CSR is realised. The breadth and wholeness of CSR is still lack-ing and the next steps will be harder, especially since they are more long term in nature and re-sults. CSR in terms of fair working conditions, fighting corruption and respect for human rights demands that the whole organisation is involved in the CSR work. Often substantial changes in management and corporate culture are needed, but this is a change that is bound to be favourable for the company operation, at least long term. This fact is acknowledged by the Chinese we speak to and we also see how Swedish companies are helping their Chinese partners achieve these changes.

One of today’s mega-trends is the increas-ing cost of labour in China coupled with the growing insight that raw materials and energy are neither unlimited nor cheap anymore. Processed input goods are also getting more expensive and technologically more advanced than before. A major initial way of adapting to this new situation for Chinese companies has been to increasingly have the present workforce work overtime. This is not sustain-able. The pool of cheap labour is decreasing. It is also likely that China’s cheap labour pool will become less relevant. Companies will need

to economise their use of staff, competence, energy and input goods in entirely new ways.

Achieving profitability is an issue that will always be central stage for every company. It is never “finalised”. In the same way, work on sustainability within the organisation can never be finalised or achieved. Continuous improvement with CSR is key, and one exam-ple is how Swedish companies could be much better in reporting how they have dealt with their social and environmental responsibilities.

The professional services company KPMG conducts a review every three years of how large corporations are handling and declaring their CSR commitments. In the latest study of the 100 largest companies in 34 countries Sweden has slipped considerably, from 7th to 13th place. This is despite the fact that the share of Swedish corporations that declare their sustainability commitments actually has increased from 60 per cent to 72 per cent. One reason might be that companies from other countries now are doing more than they used to.

Accounting and declaring CSR commitments is a first vital step to strengthening sustainability. But the step to actual change in sustainability issues is a lot bigger. This is a picture supported by, for in-stance, a study from Uppsala University of the consequences of new guidelines for sustain-ability reporting by Swedish state-owned com-panies. The report was commissioned from the Swedish Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications and it was published in September 2010.

The CSR centre at the Embassy of Swe-den has recently, together with the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), a key Chinese part-

A

450The number of strategically placed Chinese officials that have received CSr training from the Swedish CSr cen-tre in beijing in co-operation with the Chinese Ministry of

Commerce (MofCoM).

ner, presented its joint programme for 2012. We will continue the CSR training we are doing throughout China. So far, 450 strategi-cally placed officials have received the training in eight different training sessions. We will also increase our communications activities, presenting media seminars and working on improving our Swedish-Chinese website.

Furthermore, the coming year will see not only policy dialogues but also a Swedish-Chi-nese high-level meeting for business leaders and government authority heads. Another project we will initiate in 2012 is an alumni network for the Chinese officials who have completed our CSR training, and work together with the Swedish Institute’s master CSR management programme for young Chinese executives. It is our hope that this will further spread knowledge

about important CSR issues as well as enabling our Chinese training participants to build their networks and exchange practical experiences from their work within the CSR field.

We will also work to strengthen the connection be-tween the international policy work taking place within, for instance, the OECD and the United Nations and our CSR

work and activities on the ground in China. One example is the recent appearance by Swe-den’s CSR Ambassador Lisa Emelia Svensson at the 25th anniversary conference of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.

This is all a way of saying that a light can be seen at the end of the tunnel. We are really looking forward to a strengthened dialogue with people from the business world and the members of the Swedish Chambers of Com-merce. And during the Christmas holidays we will especially enjoy those Christmas decora-tions from Shenzhen. b

Traditional Swedish holiday decorations are manufactured in South China in factories that

have learnt much about CSR.

6 DRAGONNEWS • NO.04/2011 DRAGONNEWS • NO.04/2011 7

“I don’t think China is coming in here as a Trojan horse.” haris Pamboukis, former Minister of State in greece, who describes China’s investment strategy in europe as “discreet and well thought-out”.

QU

OTE

G lO ba l S N i p p E TS

n China’s central authorities have set down a more open policy to attract top-notch foreign talents to help promote the economic and so-cial development and global competitiveness of the nation.

Did you know … n … that the struggling Swedish and former general Motors-owned carmaker Saab is not the only company trying to sell stakes to Chi-nese firms to secure its future? Victor Meijers, a dutchman who is the only foreign global partner in deheng Law offices, one of China’s big law firms, says to The economist that he gets several inquiries a month from struggling european firms looking for a Chinese so-called white knight to save their companies.

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iceland rejects Chinese tycoon’s land purchase n The Chinese zhongkun group, led by the wealthy entrepreneur huang nubo, made a bid to buy a vast piece of land on the north shore of iceland, in a deal that would have been worth some US$8.5 million.

however, iceland’s interior Ministry rejected the application, in part because no foreign buyer had ever bought so much land in the country.

huang had sought to buy 30,639 hectares of land and create a coastal nature retreat that should attract some 10,000 visitors per year and create jobs for iceland, according to the South China Morning Post.

The country is recovering from the collapse of its banking industry in 2008.

Some critics expressed concern that allowing huang to purchase the land could give China a strategic toehold in the arctic Circle.

Wen pushed the button n in late 2004, Premier wen Jiabao formally announced, “The Chinese government en-courages more enterprises to go global.”

Then, the race to buy companies overseas began in earnest. The number of foreign ac-quisitions made by Chinese companies rose rapidly: They doubled from 40 in 2003 to 82 in 2006 and reached a peak of 298 in 2008.

in 2010, China’s outward foreign direct investment (fdi) reached US$57.9 billion, nearly 20 times 2003 levels, and accounted for over 5 per cent of global fdi. Since 2007, australia has become one of the world’s largest destinations for Chinese fdi.

Where to invest? n Chinese outward investment has a short his-tory, but the timeline also points to the major role the Chinese state has played. Until late 2004, outward investment was confined to a few friendly countries, such as Sudan and Paki-stan. Then Lenovo’s purchase of ibM’s personal computer unit seemed to indicate it was pos-sible to purchase american non-bond assets on a large scale. The rejection of a bid for the US oil company Unocal by the China national offshore oil Corporation (CnooC) in mid-2005 almost immediately closed that door.

as an investment target for the People’s republic of China, australia is quite similar to america, and after a major Chinese state firm had been blocked by the US government, oth-ers shifted their attention to australia.

Less than two years later, attention shifted to sub-Saharan africa. by 2009, the primary focus was South america, which has now drawn over US$60 billion in Chinese non-bond investment. it is entirely possible that north america will be next: There is a herd mentality among large state investors, according to a report by The heritage foundation.

The countries attracting the most Chinese investment are australia, the US and brazil, in descending order, with argentina the most popular recent destination. in brazil, China is now the no 1 trading partner.

in terms of the sectors that draw the most interest, energy is the clear leader.

according to the newly unveiled national Medium and Long-term Talent development Plan (2010-2020), the government will work out favourable policies in terms of taxation, in-surance, housing, children and spouse settle-ment, career development, research projects, and government awards for high-calibre over-seas talents who are willing to work in China.

furthermore, the government will also improve the system for giving permanent residence rights to foreigners, explore the potential of a skilled migration program, and work out measures to ensure a talent supply, discovery and appraisal system.

The national plan, a blueprint for creating a highly skilled national workforce over the next decade, aims to transform the country from being “labour-rich to talent-intensive.”

China opens up for foreigners


TExT: Jan Hökerberg, Bamboo, [email protected]

Employed by the Chinese

As Chinese companies are increasingly going global, more people in the West

have to get used to the fact that their employer could one day be Chinese.

nly a decade ago, China joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and many analysts asked if China was really ready

for it and whether it would adhere to inter-national norms.

At that time, nobody could ever have foreseen that China, 10 years later, would be asked to help bail out Europe from a finan-cial crisis that is threatening the future of the euro and the global economy.

Yet that is precisely what has hap-pened. Since its WTO accession, China has witnessed a massive economic boom, thanks to domestic reforms and the opening up of certain industries for foreign investors. There has been a shift of economic power in the world and today, China with its vast capital reserves, has become a very important player in the global economy.

China’s move into the WTO has re-sulted in a world significantly different from the one that was dominated by developed economies, led by the United States.

An important part of China’s strategy is encouraging companies to go global and acquire assets overseas. China has learnt the production process very well, but is now on the hunt for technology and brands.

Following the financial crisis in 2008-2009, China has become more active in terms of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) abroad. The current crisis in Europe could provide more opportunities.

In recent years, there have been a number of Chinese takeovers of Western companies. Examples include:• In2008,Changsha-based

Zoomlion, a construction equipment manufacturer, acquired a com-petitor, Italy’s Compagnia Italiana Forme Acciaio SpA (CIFA).

• Goldwind,aChinesewind-turbinemanu-facturer, bought the German wind-turbine designer Vensys in 2008.

• ChineseautomakerGeelyacquired

Volvo Car Corporation from Ford Motor in 2010.

• ChinaNationalBluestarboughtthepoly-silicon company Elkem from the Norwe-gian conglomerate Orkla in January 2011.

It is likely that this trend will continue. So whether you like it or not,

you had better get used to the fact that your employer in the near future could be Chinese ...

Dragon News has talked to some people who already work for Chinese-owned companies to hear about their experiences.

In 2008, Anders Karlborg and Mikael Malm both decided

to leave Ericsson and start working for Eric-sson’s competitor Huawei Technologies in Shenzhen. They were headhunted and were among the first Westerners to be employed by Huawei in China. They joined after three months.

“It was of course a big step to take,”

O

10China’s accession to the world Trade organisation (wTo) 10 years ago has

changed the world.

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recalls Karlborg who is vice president at Hua-wei. “At that time I was stationed in Dubai, but I had worked six years for Ericsson in China before. My family liked it there and supported the move.”

Malm, who is director at Huawei’s delivery planning and management department, had also dealt with China for many years while working for Ericsson and other employers. “China felt like the right choice for me and my

Capital and companies from China are going global in a way never seen before.

China’s first wave of takeovers included many failures, such as the consumer elec-tronics manufacturer TCL’s acquisition of france’s Thomson electronics (see separate article), the Shanghai automobile indus-try Corporation’s (SaiC) takeover of South Korea’s Ssangyong, the insurance company Ping an’s investment in the belgian-dutch fi-nancial services group fortis and the mobile phone maker ningbo bird’s strategic part-nership with france’s Sagem. The Chinese companies either had to pull out of or sell off their acquisitions.

however, Chinese companies have learned from their mistakes and fine-tuned their strategies for foreign direct investment.

“instead of buying global brands, sales networks, or goodwill, Chinese companies now mainly try to acquire concrete assets, such as mineral deposits, or state-of-the-art technologies and r&d facilities. in addi-tion, Chinese companies no longer use their overseas takeovers to gain market share abroad; they deploy them to strengthen their positions in the Chinese market,”

writes Peter J williamson and anand P ra-man in the Harvard Business Review.

“it’s too soon to say whether the new approach is working, but the initial results are encouraging. wisdom comes from good judgment; good judgment comes from experience, and – say the Chinese – experi-ence comes from all the times you use bad judgment. by failing spectacularly and early, China’s takeover artists could well have discovered how to succeed in the future,” says williamson and raman.

Some Chinese investments could, however, become extra-sensitive, especially if they are visible to a broader audience – for example the classic black cabs in London, a symbol for britain. They are made by Manganese bronze, which is today partly owned by geely, the Chinese carmaker that also owns Volvo.

This development is not dissimilar to when Japanese firms entered the american market in the 1980s. when Mitsubishi’s real estate company in 1989 acquired the entire rockefeller Centre complex in new York – a strong symbol of america – it caused a widespread Japan-bashing in the US.

Rising concern over Chinese takeovers

Increasing Chinese foreign investments are starting to worry governments and public opinion in the West.

By failing spectacularly and early, China’s takeover artists

could well have discovered how to succeed in the future.”Peter J williamson/anand P raman

There is an extreme loyalty with the

company among the staff.”anders Karlborg, huawei

Members of Congress, union leaders and business executives expressed worries that growing Japanese economic influence might seriously threaten the future wealth and power of the United States.

Similar concerns are likely to intensify, both in europe and the US, over the next few years as Chinese firms continue their shopping spree.

while Chinese foreign direct investment in europe is still small compared with its investments in other regions, it has grown quickly over the past couple of years. and in 2010 europe overtook the United States as China’s largest trading partner.

A poll conducted for the bbC world Service in March 2011 found rising concern about the eastward shift in economic power: a majority of germans, italians and french view China’s rise negatively. americans and Canadians feel similarly. These proportions have gone up since a similar survey in 2005.

There is also an increasing fear also among governments in the west that politics, not profit, might drive state-owned Chinese companies’ decisions. for example, in the US there is a widespread opinion that Chinese telecommunication equipment firms pose a threat to its national secu-rity. australia and Canada used to be open markets for foreign acquisitions but are now creating hurdles for China’s state-backed firms, particularly in natural resources.

The magazine The Economist opposes such kinds of reactions. “China is miles away from posing this kind of threat: most of its firms are only just finding their feet abroad. even in natural resources, where it has been most active in deal-making, it is not close to control-ling enough supply to rig the market for most commodities,” the magazine concludes.

family,” he says.Huawei was founded in 1988 and has

grown rapidly since then. Today, it has a global workforce of some 120,000 people. “The corporate culture here is very strong and there is an extreme loyalty with the company among the staff. Without this loyalty the company couldn’t have grown so fast,” says Karlborg.

When he joined Huawei he noted that

the level of English was low, so he imple-mented a programme to improve English skills. “Our objective was that between 80 and 90 per cent would pass the final test, which they did. It boosted the competence level in the company.”

Both Karlborg and Malm enjoy work-ing in a fast-growing company where decision-making is just as fast. “You get more involved. If you are part of a decision

The classic black taxis in London are now partly owned by Volvo’s owner Geely.

here you will also be part of carrying out what you have decided. It was not always like that in Sweden,” says Karlborg.

Much of the information-sharing and communications in the company are carried

out through meetings. “If a manager invites people to meetings

they all come but many also bring other col-

leagues who were


In November 2001, trade ministers of the world Trade organisation (wTo) ap-proved China’s entry after many years of negotiations. for China, it was a big gamble involving all its 1.3 billion people, its companies and the ruling Communist Party – and it worked.

“China made a ‘brave and tough’ choice when it joined the wTo back then. it was also the ‘correct’ choice as the pay-off is great,” Commerce Minister Chen deming recently said at a world economic forum meeting in dalian, according to the South China Morning Post.

Since the wTo accession, the central government has rewritten more than 2,300 regulations to ensure compliance with wTo commitments.

The government has also abolished most import permits and export quotas and cut import tariffs from 15 per cent in 2001 to 9.8 per cent in 2010.

in 2001, the value of China’s imports and exports of goods totalled US$510

billion – in 2010 the amount was US$2.97 trillion.

China’s per capita gross domestic product has increased from US$800 to US$4,000 over the past decade, which means that the living standard of the average Chinese has been significantly improved.

in 2001, China was the seventh largest economy in the world. Ten years later China is no 2.

China is also the world’s largest automotive market. in 2000, just over a million cars or light vehicles were sold. in 2010, that number hit 16.6 mil-lion, surpassing the 11.6 million in the United States.

in the financial market, China’s four big banks – the industrial and Commercial bank of China (iCbC), China Construction bank, bank of China and the agricultural bank of China – have become the world’s largest financial institutions, surpassing their US peers.

WTO changed everything

China is a totally different country today compared to 2001 when the country entered the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

It is a great

benefit to get to know Chinese management from the inside.”Mikael Malm, huawei

downsizing much due to the financial situ-ation in the market,” says Bjarneberg. “For me, with 25 years at Volvo, it feels very good at the moment.”

Peter Sahlström is another Volvo veteran who started to work for the company in 1985. He has mostly worked

in purchasing and has seven years with Ford in Detroit and two years with Mazda in Hiroshima, Japan. He is now vice presi-dent for purchasing at Volvo Cars China’s technology centre in Jiading, north-west of Shanghai.

Sahlström agrees with Bjarneberg that decision-making is much faster today than

not invited,” says Malm.He thinks that meetings in a Chi-

nese company are more to the point, compared to Sweden. In China, people can have opinions but in the end it is the boss who decides.”

For Karlborg and Malm succeeding as a non-Chinese manager in a Chinese company means making adjustments, be-ing perceptive and willing to compromise if you want to get things done.

“In many ways it is easier to be a man-ager here than in Sweden. Here, people come to work every day and they never refuse to work overtime or attend a meet-ing in the evening,” says Karlborg.

Team-building activities are also im-portant in a Chinese company, whether it is football, badminton or joint dinners.

“Not many Swedes are working in Chinese-owned companies today,” says Malm. “I feel it is a great benefit to get to know Chinese management from the in-side. Chinese companies have a lot to offer the world. Perhaps Western leadership is not always the best? Perhaps Chinese lead-ership or a mix of Chinese and Western leadership is better?”

One of China’s high-profile acquisi-tions so far is Geely’s takeover of Volvo Car Corporation from Ford Motor in August 2010. The deal was in general regarded as positive for Volvo and it was supported by the trade unions and by a former chief executive, Hans-Olov Olsson.

Per Bjarneberg has worked at Volvo since 1986. Over the years he has worked under Swedish, American and now Chinese owners. Today, Bjarneberg is responsible for customer service at Volvo Cars China in Shanghai.

“We don’t really notice the change of ownership in our daily work. However, everything goes faster today. There is a clear ambition from our management to increase the speed of change, sim-plify things and delegate decisions,” says Bjarneberg.

He sees it as an advantage that Volvo now is a smaller company than its main competitors.

“Since Ford is a big company, deci-sions took longer. Even when Volvo was Swedish-owned, decisions took longer than today,” he says.

“We work more long-term today and it is a difference compared to the last years with Ford, when we were more


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Everything goes faster

today.”Per bjarneberg, Volvo Cars China

There are fewer levels in the company now.”

Peter Sahlström, Volvo Cars China

ever before in the Volvo organisation.“There are fewer levels in the company now,

so decisions can be made faster and informal dia-logues go smoother. It also feels good that we have a clear plan of how to move forward until 2020,” he says.

Even if some of the time that Ford was owner was rather turbulent for Volvo, Sahlström says that they learnt a lot from Ford that now is very useful in the new organisation.

For example, he recalls that at Ford they could have meetings scheduled for 30 minutes, which took the Swedes by surprise. “At Volvo in Sweden, you never had a meeting that lasted less than an hour,” he says. This more efficient meeting structure has now been brought to China as well.

The traditional Swedish fikapaus, or coffee break, was not possible to implement in the Ford organisation, but Sahlström says it is now a part of Friday afternoons at Volvo in China.

“It was a new concept for our Chinese col-leagues. They came to the coffee break but they wanted to know what we should talk about. We had to explain that at a coffee break we do not have an agenda, we can talk about everything,” says Sahlström.

Volvo has implemented a programme of so-called matched pairs, which means that at manage-ment levels there is both a Chinese manager and an expatriate.


SIGTUNASKOLAN HUMANISTISKA LÄROVERKETTelephone: +46 8 592 571 00

www.sshl.se

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Come and visit SSHL, an international version of Sweden. We are happy to show you the school and our activities at any time. We also offer a trial period, giving you the opportunity to experience school and boarding life.

During the summer we offer summer courses in Swedish and Mathematics and a confirmation camp.

When it all went wrong …

Li Dongsheng comes from a small vil-lage in guangdong in southern China. Li founded his company, Telephone Com-munication Ltd (TCL), in the early 1980s, originally by making cassette tapes and then later on TVs and telephones.

in 2002, TCL was one of the first Chinese companies making acquisitions abroad by purchasing a bankrupt ger-man television manufacturer, Schneider Technologies.

Two years later, TCL acquired the ma-jority of the french consumer products company Thomson, which owned the US electronics brand rCa. TCL also went into a mobile phone joint venture with the french company alcatel.

Li was at the top of his career and was so proud when President hu Jintao came to the signing ceremony of the Thom-son deal and when the french president Jacques Chirac made Li an officer of the Legion of honour, a french civil and mili-tary honour.

Coincidentally, Li had also for decades used the name Tomson as his english first name.

“The chance to become a global televi-sion company just doesn’t come along every day. we checked the risks, but it seemed to me that this was a unique opportunity,” Li recently told the South China Morning Post.

However, the joint venture TCL Thom-son electronics (TTe) lost 143 million yuan by the end of 2004. in 2005, it lost another 820 million yuan and in 2006 the company suffered a loss of 1.93 billion yuan.

The main problem was that Thomson had focused on traditional cathode-ray-tube TVs at a time when the market had shifted to liquid crystal display TVs, that is flat-panel screens.

TCL has admitted that the company didn’t know much, at that time, about the european market. none of the employees from TCL could speak french and the local employees in france did not trust the Chinese.

from 2007, TCL started to restructure its business which meant lay-offs of staff and shut-downs of factories in europe. The Chinese company also changed its management style. now, they wanted the foreigners to work in their way.

“when we first started to work with foreign companies, i looked up to them,” says Li. “now, after years of internation-alisation, i still think they’re big, but i can at least tell how big they are. My com-pany is now able to compete with them

in some fields, and the gap between us is getting smaller.”

Since 2007, TCL has made a remarkable turnaround and for the first half of 2011, the company earned 539 million yuan, a 241 per cent increase from the year before.

TCL is today the seventh-largest TV brand according to the market research firm displaySearch.

he zhiyi, a business professor at the beijing University, told the South China Morning Post that the early losses were a price TCL had to pay.

“in the early days of globalisation, the lack of knowledge of the culture, sys-tems and the laws in foreign countries caused problems and took a long time to overcome. after the company learned of the problems, adapted to the local environment and reconstructed the company, the benefits of globalisation gradually emerged.”

he added: “TCL shouldn’t give up their globalisation. what they have done so far is only a start. i think TCL’s globalisation is a symbolic event for Chinese enterprises.”

Li Dongsheng was one of the pioneers when Chinese com-panies started to go global. His company TCL took over the French company Thom-son in 2004, but then things started to go wrong. Today, TCL has recovered and is one of the world’s largest makers of TV screens.

“We have to be humble and admit that we do not know China as well as they do. At the same time, our Chinese colleagues do not know Volvo as well as we do. We simply have to help each other,” says Sahlström. b


TExT: Jan Hökerberg, Bamboo, [email protected]

Asia does not have a leading contemporary art museum. Lars Nittve, former director of Tate Modern in London and Moderna Museet in Stockholm, has started to create one in Hong Kong.

A few days later Nittve said yes. Impor-tant for his decision was also that his wife, Shideh, before they met, had visited Hong Kong regularly and loved the city.

Nittve admits he is not an expert on Asia, but he has been a board director of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan – “one of the best art museums in Asia”.

Nittve was born in 1953 in Stockholm, where he studied at the Adolf Fredrik music school. He learnt at an early age how to play flute and piano as well as to sing, both solo and in choirs.

“I was not bad at singing and playing, but I realised I would not really be a star so I quit,” he says. He then tried other professions such as being a photographer, a librarian and a ski instructor, before taking up studies at the Stockholm School of Economics.

There, he met David Neuman, who later became the founder of the art gallery Ma-gasin 3 in Stockholm. Neuman spent much of his time visiting art exhibitions. Nittve joined him, learnt a lot about art and became increasingly interested. After some time, Nit-tve decided to interrupt his economic studies.

fter nine successful years as director at Moderna Museet in Stockholm – one of the world’s leading museums for

contemporary art – Lars Nittve was forced to step down due to regulations for Swed-ish government-employed directors. He had spent more than 20 years directing museums in various countries, and he decided it was time to start teaching and do some writing.

That was until he got a phone call from Henry Tang, Hong Kong’s then Chief Sec-retary and chairman of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, who asked if Nittve was interested in being the director of the contemporary art museum to be built in the city.

Tang and Victor Lo, chairman of the museum’s advisory committee, told Nittve: “We want you to build the museum that Asia does not have.”

“During the first part of our conversa-tion I just said no,” Nittve recalls. “But then I started to understand the ambitions behind the museum and thought that here was a chance to do something that will not only affect Hong Kong but also Asia and even the whole world.”

A 5 million

The number of annual visitors to

the Tate Modern in London. Lars nittve had expected one-and-a-half million.

“I came to a point where I realised I was spending all my free time on art, but my economic studies would lead me in a totally different direction,” says Nittve.

That was a turning point. He left the Stockholm School of Economics and chose to study art history at Stockholm University instead. “It was great,” he says. “It felt like I had finally had come home.”

It did not take long before he was also teaching at the university. At the same time he was an art critic at the daily news-paper Svenska Dagbladet. After graduation, he moved to New York, where he spent two years as an art critic at the inf luential Artforum magazine.

Back in Sweden in 1985, Nittve applied for and got a job as chief curator at Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden’s leading contemporary art museum. As a curator he learnt how to combine different skills such as project management, communi-cations and knowledge about art.

When Olle Granath was about to resign as director, Nittve thought he had a chance to get the job. But he didn’t and instead he moved to Malmö in southern Sweden, where he helped the financier and art collector Fredrik Roos set up and run the Rooseum Centre for Contemporary Art, a job he did for five years.

In 1995, Nittve was ap-pointed director of the Louisi-ana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark, where he became the first director after the legendary founder Knud W Jensen. After three years at Louisiana, he accepted an offer to be director and build London’s first contemporary art museum, the Tate Modern.

“I had a fantastic time in London. I was there two years before the museum opened in May 2000 and stayed one-and-a-half years after that. The Tate Modern became a great success. We had hoped to get one-and-a-half million visitors per year but we got more than five million. Today it is ranked as one of the world’s top three or four contemporary art museums,” says Nittve.

In London, he met Shideh Shaygan who had come from Iran to Sweden when she was 18 and after finishing her architect studies had moved to London. They got married in 2004. Nittve has a son, 23, from a previous marriage.

Moderna Museet in Stockholm had now decided that they really wanted Nittve as director and managed to convince him to

The lack of a leading contemporary art museum in

Asia has created opportunities for us.”

move back to Sweden in 2001. However, the museum’s building had to be renovated after problems with mould and damp. During the renovation, which took two years, Nittve had to run a museum without home.

“We arranged exhibitions at a lot of dif-ferent places, from Riddarhuset [The House of Nobility] to construction sites. We also had an exhibition bus that toured around the country,” says Nittve.

That experience is standing him in good stead in his new job. Since the Hong Kong museum, which is called M+, will not have a building until 2017, Nittve has initiated something he calls Mobile M+, which means that the museum can launch next year on a small scale, with events in different loca-tions. The first one will be the “M+ Bamboo Theatre Exhibition” at the location of the forthcoming Xiqu Centre on Canton Road during the Chinese New Year festivities in January 2012.

Nittve has a budget of HK$1.5 billion for the art collec-tion. So far, not a single piece has been acquired, but Nittve is in continuous discussions with art-ists, galleries, auction companies and private collectors.

“The lack of a leading con-temporary art museum in Asia has created opportunities for us,” he says. “Many collectors have problems with what to do with collections as they grow older. Often their families cannot, or

do not want, to take over and the collectors are also reluctant to sell something they have built for decades. A museum can offer them a long-term home for their collections.”

Asian art will play a dominant role in the museum. Nittve aims to build a collec-tion in which the core of the art is repre-sented by Hong Kong, China and the rest of Asia. Chinese contemporary art will have a prominent place.

“If you visit [the contemporary art museum] Centre Pompidou in Paris, there is no doubt that you are in France. I want to create the same feeling here with M+, You should immediately know that you are in Asia,” says Nittve.

He will not hesitate to show controversial art in the museum. “You cannot get respect for running a contemporary art museum if you don’t dare to be controversial. Our mis-sion is to show the most important, the best and the ‘hottest’ visual contemporary art in this part of the world,” says Nittve. b

In conjunction with the Chinese New Year, Lars Nittve will launch his first event in Hong Kong, which is called “M+ Bamboo Theatre Exhibition”.

on the art mapHe will put asia


TExT: Katrin Vervoort Hansson, [email protected] PHOTO: Tyra Dahlberg

redrik Dahlberg and Fredrik Suter initially met in Stockholm in 2010 during an intercultural training in order to prepare them for their respective spouses’ new assignments in Hong Kong. They realised early on that

they were both planning on using the opportunity given to them to take a step out of their daily work routines to find new opportunities to broaden their professional experiences.

F

problem solving via digital means

Fredrik Dahlberg and Fredrik Suter are the founders of an

e-publishing agency called Triple Happiness. Last summer, the duo

released their first product, an iPhone app called Hong Kong Taxi Translator, and they are eager to make reality of their many more

ideas in the near future.

Marketing is necessary if you want your business to grow. But marketing is like planting bamboo. In the first six years, the seedlings only grow about 12 inches high. Then suddenly in the seventh year the bamboo sprouts to six feet tall.

In marketing, it also takes time for results to appear. Prospects need to see your name many times before they remember you and recognise your value.*

Our company, Bamboo, can help you with that. It is our business is to help our clients build long-term relationships with their customers, staff and other stakeholders.

* The similarity between marketing and planting bamboo was originally conceptualised by George Torok, a marketing expert and co-author of the book Secrets of Power Marketing.

Bamboo Business Communications Ltd (Hong Kong) +852 2838 4553Bamboo Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co, Ltd +86 21 6472 9173Jan Hökerbergmanaging [email protected] Olaussonsales and marketing [email protected]

Marketing is likeplanting bamboo

Hong Kong is truly an entrepreneurial haven

where everything is possible.”fredrik dahlberg

Fredrik Suter (left) and Fredrik Dahlberg are used

to a deadline-driven flexible working style.


Name: fredrik dahlbergOccupation: Triple happiness founderLocation: hong KongIn Hong Kong since: 2010Best thing about my job: “That it’s giv-ing me the right new experiences at the right time.”Best thing about Hong Kong: Cheung Chau islandWhat I sometimes miss in Hong Kong: “i always yearn for cleaner air!”

Fredrik Dahlberg in brief

Before moving to Hong Kong, Suter spent the majority of his professional life working for digital agencies focusing on user experiences across media platforms, while Dahlberg continues to run an advertising and branding agency called R-B-K, Rek-lambyrån Kamraterna.

After moving to Hong Kong, the pair continued to meet and decided to work together as partners in a new venture. In order to get started, Suter and Dahlberg set up companies in Hong Kong, which proved to be much easier than either ever thought it would be.

“We can honestly say that it was nearly more difficult to open the necessary bank ac-count and even that took less than an hour. Hong Kong is truly an entrepreneurial haven where everything is possible,” Dahlberg says. In the beginning of their cooperation, the pair spent time brainstorming, which led to business ideas that they would pursue.

“From the start, we definitely had no shortage of ideas. Even today, we might be tied up with the production phase of a new project but somehow, we can’t seem to stop generating new areas and at times end up apologising to each other for doing so,” says Suter.

In the end, the focus of their company, called Triple Happiness, became e-publish-ing that focused on solving everyday prob-lems related to travel, cultural experiences and learning.

As such they have also defined their pri-mary target consumer group as Westerners in Asia.

Their first product was the Hong Kong Taxi Translator, an Apple and Android app that offers visitors to Hong Kong the op-

portunity to type in an address and find the phonetic Cantonese pronunciation as well as a flashcard to show to a taxi driver.

An additional benefit to visitors from abroad is that, under most circumstances, the app does not require any additional data fees, which can be very expensive. The app has been downloaded from iTunes accounts from all over the world, and since Dahlberg and Suter have not put any PR into their product, they know that word of mouth has been the primary driver behind their sales.

The duo is fully supportive of the business model provided by Apple and Google to sup-

port the app markets, feeling that the 30 per cent fee to the parent companies is truly a fair price to pay for access to a broad consumer base.

Following on Hong Kong Taxi Translator, Triple Hap-piness is now working on releases for Macau, Beijing

and Shanghai. While the idea behind the app is very

simple, each object in the app has up to 10 data sources – for example, map location, ad-dress and phonetic Cantonese pronunciation – so the actual creation is a laborious process, for which the company uses a production crew in India.

After these planned releases, additional products that are on their roadmap will be brought to the same channels.

Dahlberg and Suter have a flexible work-ing style, meeting up most days in their of-fice of choice - Cafe O on Caine Road – to align on their daily and weekly targets. Some days they only spend moments together; on other days they may spend 10 hours or more. The duo credits their previous experi-ence in agencies for their goal orientation and drive to deliver even internal milestones exactly as planned.

Name: fredrik SuterOccupation: Triple happiness founderLocation: hong KongIn Hong Kong since: 2010Best thing about my job: “i feel like a prob-lem solver, adding value to people’s lives.”Best thing about Hong Kong: “walking around the streets of Sheung wan.” What I sometimes miss in Hong Kong: “Vivid subculture music scene, and a somewhat difficult to define lack of ‘cool stuff’ …”

Fredrik Suter in brief

In this field, it’s

having a critical mass of apps that leads to success.”fredrik Suter

30%The fee apple and

google are charging developers of apps.

“Sometimes it may seem strange that we drive ourselves like this, but with both of us being deadline-driven and happy with the ap-proach, we take it as a given,” Dahlberg says.

An additional benefit to Dahlberg, father of two, is that he can spend more quality time with his children by working in this manner.

Given the plethora of apps, the pair knows that there are competitive offerings in the market already and that it is likely that more will come.

“In this field, it’s having a critical mass of apps that leads to success – you seldom see a one-app company unless it’s in the gaming segment,” says Suter. “One of our competi-tors in Hong Kong is a more expensive app, which is further sponsored by paid addresses, especially luxury shopping malls.”

Dahlberg concludes, “We want to keep our app at US$0.99 yet find more creative ways of generating interest from end users. We are for example now in the process of getting all Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce offices and Consulate General offices visible in our app. Some of them are now adding that Taxi Translator is a simple method of taking a taxi to come to their respective offices and we can’t be more pleased …” b

This is how the app looks on an iPhone.


Swedish banking in ChinaWe feel at home in the Chinese market and want you to feel the same. It’s a large and fast-growing 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 – bring-ing our 20 years of experience of business in China. If you have the opportunity, please visit us in Shanghai where we’ve been located since 2001.

Swedbank ShanghaiCitigroup Tower 601,

33 Huayuanshiqiao Rd. Shanghai, China

+ 86 21 386 126 00

www.mannheimerswartling.se

at an event in Stockholm organized by Dagens Industri, the Swedish daily business newspaper, where approximately 150 pe-ople attended a panel discussion about China’s culture and busi-ness environment – and learned that understanding the cultural differences and knowing how to deal with them is one of the keys to business success in China.

pilot tax scheme in shanghaiAs As of January 1 2012, a pilot scheme on tax reform will enter into force in Shanghai. Instead of Business Tax (BT), Value Added Tax (VAT) shall be imposed in certain industries: the transport sector and certain modern service industries such as R&D and technology , information technology, culture inno-vation, logistics assistance, tangible movable property leasing, and attestation and consultation. The scheme also introduces new VAT rates in addition to the existing rates: 11% for the transport sector and 6% for the modern services (except for tangible movable property leasing, which is subject to the exis-ting VAT rate at 17%).

It is one of the structural tax deduction measures in China with the purpose to support the development of the service indu-stries. It aims to resolve, inter alia, the double taxation issues in the service sector. The Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation will closely monitor the imple-mentation of the scheme in Shanghai and strive to expand it nationwide gradually during the 12th Five-Year Plan period. Businesses covered by the pilot scheme can expect certain extent of cost decrease in tax. with christmas and the western new year rapidly

approaching, we would like to express our sincerest season’s greetings!

33/f, jardine house1 connaught placecentral, hong kong, chinatelephone: +852 2526 4868 telefax: +852 2526 6568

25/f, platinum no. 233 taicang road, luwan district, shanghai 200020, chinatelephone: +86 21 6141 0980telefax: +86 21 6141 0983

what’s new?launch of banking of finance practice With the legal environment for financing in China under-going constant change, our recent launch of a Banking and Finance practice in China has been well-received. On the lending side, our team has been engaged as legal counsel by both Nordic and Chinese banks on a number of financing transactions where the banks have acted as lenders. On the borrowing side, our practitioners are advising more and more companies on legal matters and documentation concerning local financing – both interpreting the framework of rules for financing in China, that in some aspects are very strict by European standards, and in ensuring that local financing in China is compliant with parent company financing in the Nordics. Transparent and properly documented financing arrangements become increasingly important as companies’ operations in China grow and the scope and scale of local financing increases. awardsmannheimer swartling named “clients’ choice” for eighth consecutive yearFor the eighth year in a row, Mannheimer Swartling has been selected “Clients’ Choice” in business law in the annual client survey “Klientbarometern”. The independent survey, con-ducted by BG Research, polls approximately 1,300 corporate lawyers, CEOs, CFOs and HR managers in Sweden at com-panies with annual turnover exceeding SEK 100 million.

mannheimer swartling ranked in legal 500 asia pacificOnce again, Mannheimer Swartling has been ranked as a “Recommended” firm by Legal 500 Asia Pacific for Corporate & M&A and Dispute Resolution in The Clients’ Guide To The Asia Pacific Legal Profession.

what’s up strong interest in our “little red book” on chinese business culture ”Quotations from a China Practice”, a book about Chinese bu-siness culture, was recently released at events and seminars held throughout Sweden and in Hong Kong and Shanghai. In their book, Thomas Lagerqvist and Ulf Ohrling, co-authors and lawyers at Mannheimer Swartling, draw on years of expe-rience advising and working with leading Nordic companies in the Chinese market to outline how the art of doing business in China begins with understanding its culture and being able to relate to its effects in a relevant and effective way.

Interest in the book and doing business in China was evident

Nordic touch with a Chinese edge

The speaker

The speaker and author Fredrik Härén has held seminars and lectures all over the world and written seven books. His passion is creativity and he has even bought an island - where people can create new ideas - in the Philippines.TExT: Erik Hellstam, [email protected]/Torun Öhman, [email protected]

Making the world a more creative place

Fredrik Härén recently spoke at a Swedish Chamber of Commerce seminar.

he speaker and author Fredrik Härén leads an interesting life. So far, he has written seven books. The Idea Book has sold

more than 200,000 copies in 40 countries. He has held more than 1,500 seminars and lectures all over the world and is currently working on various projects while continuing to travel the world, speaking and interview-ing people. His work has resulted in him being awarded the “Swedish Speaker of the Year” in 2007.

On the question of how he got where he is today he answers, “I love creativity, I love to know what is happening in the world and I love to travel. So I made that my job. Many young people today are looking for a job they enjoy and in which they can succeed. My ad-vice to them is: Choose three things you like, and combine them into a career.”

Härén also thinks that most people set their goals too low. “A goal is not something

Tthat should ever be accomplished. Rather, it should be something to strive for. If you reach your goals, then you have set the bar too low. “

His own goal for the future is very ambi-tious: to make the world a more creative place.

One of his big passions in life is creativ-ity, but he also has thoughts on what kind of creativity the world needs.

“Creativity needs to be channelled to be useful. A lot of crea-tivity counteracts productivity. For example, some-body was creative in inventing all the games people play on their smart-phones – creations that do not improve the world we live in. Creativity should be encouraged, but within specified limits. The art of managing this aspect is one of the key challenges in working with creativity,” he says.

After months of travelling around the world to research his books, Härén has a broad understanding of global developments. In his view, there are challenges for Chinese companies when going global.

“Coming from a huge national market, it is sometimes hard to grasp the concept of what global means. Most Swedish companies looking for aggressive growth have a global

perspective in their business plan right from the start, whereas Chinese companies can grow huge before they ever have to consider go-ing abroad.

“Global compa-nies with a strongly emphasised nationality often have the problem of employees feeling marginalised because they are not of the right nationality. I tell them: ‘Don’t be a Chinese or Swedish company. Be a company.’”

But if being global means losing one’s nationality, doesn’t that mean losing the com-pany’s roots?

“One cannot only use one part of the metaphor. Yes, roots are where a company comes from, but without branches it will never grow. In order to be successful in many

countries with employees of different nation-alities, companies need to take a step away from national identification,” says Härén.

“However, do not confuse company iden-tity with that of the company’s products. Take IKEA for example. It is a company whose products are branded as Swedish, but whose culture is truly global. In China, IKEA is a Chinese company. In France, it is a French company. This is a policy that pervades the entire company, and is reflected in the at-titudes of the employees.

“A ‘national’ company automatically divides its employees into nationals and non-nationals. With globalisation, companies are stretching over borders and continents with both ownership and employees in different parts of the world. All multinational compa-nies will need to address this issue, not only the Chinese.”

Recently, Härén, who now lives in Singapore, spoke for the Swedish Cham-ber of Commerce in China on the topic of what Sweden could learn from China about creativity (and vice versa). Many people may wonder, is China really creative?

“Yes, creativity is basically change, and the Chinese are very good at rapid change and development,” says Härén. But he can also see a potential drawback that can come

If you reach your goals, then you have set the bar too low.”

Don’t be a Chinese

or Swedish company. Be a company.”

with tremendously fast change and high risk acceptance. He uses the example of orienteer-ing. “It’s not the fastest runner that wins – it’s the one who also looks at the map and runs the right way.”

Härén observes that the Chinese top-down management style might need some adjustments when taking business global. He suggests they borrow some aspects of the Swedish management style, which is good at encouraging an open and friendly atmosphere in which new ideas can become reality. Never-theless, he thinks Chinese management can be very efficient.

“When a Chinese CEO says ‘We will increase creativity’, that is what happens. The words of Chinese leaders bring massive action, and change happens faster than we could ever dream in Sweden.”

Härén has just released his first novel in Swedish called De Ickesynliga (The Unvisible). He has also bought an island in the Philip-pines that is open for a lucky few to work on evolving good ideas while contributing to the local community. Read more at www.ideasis-land.com.

Härén is indeed taking huge steps towards delivering on his goal – making the world a more creative place. b

200,000The number of copies that The Idea Book has

sold in 40 countries.

“Creativity is basically change, and the Chinese are very good at rapid change and development,” says Fredrik Härén.


n as part of the 25th anniversary of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in hong Kong, a high-profile seminar on corporate social responsibility (CSr) in asia was arranged on 2 november, followed by a full-day fac-tory visit to factories in the Pearl river delta.

about 70 people attended the seminar which included speeches, a panel discussion and, in the afternoon, 10 different workshops.

Sweden is in the forefront when it comes to CSr. it is one of only three countries in the world that has an official CSr ambassador. it is also the only country that has signed a Memorandum of Understanding on CSr with China.

in 1970, the late american economist and nobel Prize laureate Milton friedman said in the New York Times that “the social responsibility of business is to increase its profits”.

Since then, much has happened and the business leaders around the world have realised that they need to take CSr very seriously. The trend has also reached China, especially in the business sector, where PetroChina as early as in 2000 published a report on health, safety and environment, and State grid in 2006 was the first Chinese company to publish a full CSr report.

“our national leaders frequently mention CSr but at this moment China does not have a national policy on CSr,” said Liang Xiaohui, chief researcher at the China national Textile and apparel Council. according to a company law from 2005, corporations shall “bear social responsibili-ties”. however, nobody really knows if there are legal obligations, accord-ing to Liang, who brought up China’s dilemma of fully embracing CSr.

Sweden’s CSr ambassador, Lisa emelia Svensson, emphasised that CSr must be business-driven. “a government must have a continuous dialogue with the business community and the non-governmental organi-sations in these aspects,” she said, pointing out that Sweden has high aspirations for building trust and setting an example for other countries.

Moderator Christine Loh, Ceo of the think-tank Civic exchange in hong Kong, said that she admires what Sweden does: “we hold Sweden in high regard. You are the frontrunner and when somebody is trying, then it will push others.”

The seminar was held in collaboration with the Consulate general of Sweden in hong Kong and the Swedish Trade Council and was spon-sored by iCa global Sourcing and the hong Kong Trade development Council (hKTdC). The Swedish Chamber of Commerce thanks them for their generous support.

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Corporate responsibility must be business-driven

The seminar’s moderator Christine Loh says she is impressed by Sweden’s efforts.

Panel discussion with, from left, Liang xiaohui (China National Textile and Apparel Council), Lisa Emelia Svensson (CSR ambassador), Laurence McDonald (president of Ericsson Ltd), Marcus Wilert (CSR programme developer at H&M China) and Thomas Lagerqvist (senior counsel at Mannheimer Swartling).

The seminar attracted some 70 people.

business lunch in TaipeiTove Lifvendahl, director of com-munication at the Confederation of Swedish Enterprises, was speaker at a well-attended lunch with the Swedish business community in Taiwan on 3 November. The topic was Swedish Identity, development and emigration.


Hong Kong

n on friday 4 november 2011 the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in hong Kong celebrated its 25th anniversary with a grand gala dinner at the aberdeen Marina Club.

Thanks to SaS, Swedish chef norbert Lang flew in and prepared a delicious dinner. Maxibit generously sponsored the backdrop and Marie Macdowall of Tindra arranged the elegant decora-tions of the ballroom and the outside balcony. after the dinner, a live performance by the Swed-ish singer eric gadd filled the dance floor, before the band of the evening took to the stage.

SwedCham Hong Kong’s 25th anniversary Gala Dinner


Beijing

powerful women expressing confidencen on 27 october 2011, more than 20 women took part in the Powerful women: expressing Confidence workshop facilitated by emily roblin, managing director of LeaP Training and Consulting Services China.

The workshop presented some practical tips for women to use to be more convincing and influential. roblin looked at a variety of observable behaviours that are keys to expressing confidence in english – including how to present opinions, the choice of the words to use, the tone of the voice and the overall body language.

The women, both Swedish and Chinese, came from a variety of industries and backgrounds, from general managers to interns. Many stepped out of their comfort zones and put their skills to work in front of the group. a similar session was held on 16 no-vember in Shanghai.

roblin talked about the benefit of using what she called the “headline structure” when communicating an idea, just as in a newspaper where a headline is designed to present a clear idea of the topic and attract attention.

“when you want to be convincing, take the time to develop a headline,” she said. “while this may sound obvious or easy, most women use communication as a way to think through something. but, when we express confidence we need to flip that, to start with a well-thought idea that is attractive to listeners and that is easy to get the key point.”

roblin concluded that “it’s not about what you say – it’s about what the people you are talking to think about what you are say-ing, and perhaps more importantly, what they remember about what you said.”

Social media and innovation in Chinan on 29 november an interesting breakfast meeting was held in beijing about the emergence of social media and the rise of entrepreneurial in-novation. a similar meeting was held in Shanghai on 1 december. Speak-ers were Mats Lindgren and Tomas Larsson from Kairos future.

China is today in the midst of enormous changes driven partly by the new social media landscape and the innovation revolution. Social media have in a few years opened up new public arenas where private and public issues are discussed in new ways. but the social media do not only provide a way to communicate with the rapidly growing Chinese middle class, where several hundred million Chinese are already active social media users. They also provide a way of understanding the Chi-nese consumer – since much of identity formation and discussions on social change are taking place there.

influential bloggers such as the Tiny Chilis impact the lives of millions of young Chinese women.

following the social media landscape systematically gives companies and organisations a deeper understanding of the changing middle class as well as how specific topics or brands are discussed.

in a similar way, the Chinese patenting pattern gives an indication as to where China’s business is heading. Since the year 2000 the number of companies receiving invention patents has increased from 1,000 to 35,000. during that period the character of the patenting bodies has shifted towards the long tail of small and medium-sized entrepreneurial

“It’s not about what you say – it’s about what the people you are talking to think about what you are saying,” said Emily Roblin.

companies. China is in the early stage of a third wave of innovation where soon not only the large state-owned or prioritised companies, but also an increasing number of smaller entrepreneurial companies, will compete successfully in the global market.

Mats Lindgren and Tomas

Larsson from Kairos Future talked about

the social me-dia revolution

in China.


STOCKHOLM GOTHENBURG MALMO HELSINGBORG BRUSSELS HONG KONG SHANGHAI

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Vinge has Swedish lawyers and Chinese legal consultants based in Shanghai, Hong Kong and in Vinge’s offices in Sweden. For more than 20 years Vinge has assisted clients in their business activities in China and has advised foreign clients in all matters regarding trade and investments between Sweden and China.

Shanghai

n This lunch seminar focused on the role of research and development (r&d) in China. björn boström, senior advisor at ericsson, is well-known in the Swedish business communi-ty as he has successfully expanded ericsson’s r&d department in China from 1,000 to 4,000 people in just two years.

besides being an experienced industrial leader he has in-depth experience of dealing with Chinese authorities as well as in union

Successful R&D in China

From left, Björn Boström (Ericsson), Fredrik Hörstedt (Chalmers) and Van Hoang (Swedish Trade Council)

DragonNews_version 2011.indd 4 2011-04-04 10:12:13

n featuring two experts from the frontlines, this seminar put the spotlight on the views of the talent pool.

Tero Kosonen, managing director of MPS China, highlighted strengths and weaknesses in nordic companies’ image, why Chinese top talents would want to work for nordic compa-nies and what is it about our companies that attract those scarce talents. These factors include stability, freedom and work ethic.

he also outlined some of the things about Swedish companies that frustrate ambitious Chinese employees, such as long vacations and a slower pace of adaptation and change.

Charlotta Lagerdahl, asia leader of the MSL group, then outlined the changes that are hap-

pening in the new generation of Chinese to hit the workforce in coming years. her research is based on 50 in-depth interviews with Chinese students who will graduate 2012-2014.

Lagerdahl revealed some surprising at-titudes in the “me generation”, big changes compared to the students who graduated only five years ago. The new generation tends to be self-centred and overconfident, but has great potential to any employer that knows how to attract and retain them.

a long and lively Q&a session resulted in mutual sharing of experiences, and showed that the chamber’s members are facing and overcoming similar problems in their day-to-day business.

The Chinese workforce today and tomorrow

relations. boström shared his best practices when it comes to staffing and running an r&d operation in China as well as communicating why headquarters needs r&d. he promotes locating r&d departments in China, as the country has relatively low salaries coupled with high productivity. he sees investments in innovation going up, making China one of the most attractive r&d hotspots in the world.

experienced, practical and sometimes pro-vocative, boström provided many insights and useful tips.

fredrik hörstedt, deputy managing direc-tor of Chalmers Professional education, has carried out a large number of management development assignments for companies such as alfa Laval, ericsson China, nokia networks, Sony ericsson, Tetra Pak and SKf. he illustrated the growing presence of r&d by this example: if China continues to increase its r&d expenditures at the same rate as it has grown over the past 20 years, China will surpass the US level of 2010 in 2020.

Charlotta Lagerdahl talked about attitude changes among young Chinese.


HONG KONG ORDiNaRY MEMbERS >>>

Helen Lindman Design11a Stanley beach road Stanleyhong KongTel: +852 9097 0099e-mail: [email protected]: www.helenlindman.com

Activitieshelen Lindman design redevelops Chinese traditional apart-ments and buildings in the hong Kong areas of Soho and Sheung wan for rental or sale.

Chamber representativehelen Lindman, director

Yourlink2asia Sourcing Company Ltdroom 93, 9/f, Yau fung buildingno 93-95 Lai Chi Kok roadMong Kokhong KongTel. +852 2393 0885e-mail: [email protected]: www.yourlink2asia.com

Activitiesfounded in 2006 in Södertälje, Sweden, Yourlink2asia quickly expanded and now also has a presence in hong Kong, guangzhou and Taipei. we specialise in asia-based outsourced production management and provide our clients with the expertise and contacts needed to design and manufacture custom-made, high-quality and ethically produced products. our clients cover a diverse range of industries and markets. we aim to be the leading choice for companies seeking an easier and more cost-effective way to produce products in asia. our services include prod-uct development, production management and logistics management combined with a strong social, ethical and environmental commitment.

Chamber representativesMikael hansson, Chief operations officerJohannes Landström, Chief Sales officer

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Damco Hong Kong Limited39/f, one Kowloon1 wang Yuen StreetKowloon bayhong KongTel. +852 3765 2312e-mail: [email protected]: www.damco.com

Activitiesdamco is one of the world’s leading third-party logistics providers specialising in customised freight forwarding and supply chain solutions, offering a broad range of services to customers all over the world. damco has 9,500 employees in over 280 offices across 90 countries and representation in 120 countries. in 2010, the company had a net turnover of over US$2.7 billion, managed more than 2.4 million TeU of ocean freight and supply chain management volumes and air freighted more than 75,000 tons. damco is an inde-pendent business unit within the aP Møller-Maersk group.

Chamber representativefredrik nyberg, nordic Tradelane Manager north asia region

Stadium (HK) Ltdc/o Mantura, 5/f bamboos building52 hung To road, Kwun TongKowloonhong KongTel. +852 3520 0727e-mail: [email protected]: www.stadium.se

ActivitiesStadium is the biggest sports retailer in Sweden, inspiring an active lifestyle by offering sporting goods and sporty fashion. Stadium is also represented in finland and den-mark. altogether it has 114 stores and approximately 3,000 employees. The concepts Stadium Ski, which focuses on winter sports, and Stadium Plus, with larger stores at about 3,000 m², and Stadium outlet are also part of the Stadium group. The product range consists of 50 per cent own brands, such as everest, warp, race Marine and four d. The remaining 50 per cent are brands such as adidas, nike, Puma, Peak Performance, among others.

Chamber representativegöran Larsén, director

World Smart Accounting Service Ltdd79, 1/f, block 2, Camelpoint building 62 hoi Yuen roadKwun Tong, Kowloonhong KongTel. +852 2345 2683e-mail: [email protected]: www.worldsmartacc.com

Activitiesour staff come from a wide spectrum of professions and formerly worked in different business segments, ensuring they have excellent insight into the needs of foreign enter-prises and companies set up by foreigners in hong Kong. our mission is the provision of one-stop professional serv-ices for accounting, taxation and company secretaries for our clients, providing peace of mind and allowing them to stay focused on their business development. our company was established by several professional accountants with an aim to provide professional services at highly competi-tive rates.

Chamber representativeSteven ho, accountant

Troy Solutions Ltd1701 Tai Yau building181 Johnston roadwanchaihong KongTel. +852 9105 9035e-mail: [email protected]: www.troy-solutions.com

ActivitiesTroy Solutions Ltd is a provider of innovative engineering solutions for heavy process industries.

Chamber representativegunnar Mansfeld, Ceo


Eurway International Co, Ltd3f, no 159, Jinzhou Street104 TaipeiTaiwanTel: +886 2 2563 7597e-mail: [email protected]

Activitieseurway international Co, Ltd, incorporated in 2002 by Swiss and Taiwanese investors, is regarded as a prudent and well-managed distributor of cigars and tobacco products in Taiwan. we concentrate on importing and distributing high-quality cigars and other tobacco products, representing several famous european tobacco manufacturers.The com-pany focuses on sustainable brand management through a professional team of young, dedicated and dynamic staff. we also provide consulting and marketing services for the international food and beverage business.

Chamber representativeSylvia Munzhuber, Managing director

HONG KONG OVERSEaS MEMbERS >>>

HONG KONG iNDiViDUal MEMbERS >>>

Örjan FeldtTel: +852 9770 5121e-mail: [email protected]

Peter WilhelmssonTel: +86 136 0019 4535e-mail: [email protected]

Eva HedbergTel: +852 9105 7331e-mail: [email protected]

CHiNa ORDiNaRY MEMbERS >>>

Bonnier Chinaroom 901, Tower a Sanlitun Sohono 8, gongrentiyuchang north road, Chaoyang districtbeijing 100027Tel: +86 10 6113 6500 fax: +86 10 6113 6505 web: www.bonnier.com.cn

Activitiesbonnier China provides professional knowledge and informa-tion to executives in various industries. bonnier’s annual subscription service includes loose-leaf publications, webi-nars and live events. The service connects executives with professional expertise and keeps clients updated on the latest information in their respective businesses.

Chamber representativesJoen bonnier, President e-mail: [email protected] Mobile: +86 139 1187 5817 Jakob Lönnborg, Vice President e-mail: [email protected] Mobile: +86 138 1195 5320

Huitong International ABa-610, free Townno. 58, east Third ring road Chaoyang districtbeijing 100022Tel: +86 10 5867 2606/07/08fax: +86 10 5867 2609

Activitiesour business scope encompasses the import and export of large-scale project materials and equipment. over many years, we have developed long-term relationships with major shipping companies and airlines, enabling us to provide customers with more convenient and favourable logistics solutions.

Chamber representativesXiaoling Pei, Managere-mail: [email protected]: +86 138 0132 9190Peng Cheng, Chairman e-mail: [email protected] Mobile: +86 139 1085 3336

Le Pellewg Plein 59a1054 rb amsterdamnetherlandsTel, netherlands: +31 63 2057070Tel, Taiwan: +886 9 8881 6508e-mail: [email protected]: www.lepelle.com

ActivitiesLe Pelle helps small- and medium-sized businesses to build and turn websites and web shops into effective business tools – meeting the demands of today and the future. we build our expertise around open-source software, drupal and Magento, the most powerful open-source packages available for content management and e-commerce. we have been in the web development busi-ness since 2003. Le Pelle also serves major international companies with localisation services, providing transla-tions and preparing software packages for all their mar-kets. Presently headquartered in amsterdam, operations are mainly carried out from Taiwan, where an office will be opened in 2012.

Chamber representativePer Jansson, director

Happy Rabbit Ltd13/f, Tak Cheung building22-24 wing Lok StreetSheung wanhong KongTel: +852 2815 9940e-mail: [email protected]: www.happyrabbit.com

Activitieswe are a sourcing organisation active in the development and production of fabric, apparel, footwear and accessories for high-profile brands in the premium fashion and lifestyle segment. as a strategic partner, we offer holistic sourcing solutions, also including in-house product design, develop-ment and QC services. we consider ourselves a “fashion bureau”. headquartered in hong Kong with a branch in bangkok, we are strategically located in proximity to our extensive network of vendors in China and South east asia.

Chamber representativePontus Karlsson, director

JOHNNY’S PHOTO & VIDEO SUPPLY LTD

• Photographic Equipment• Video/Audio Hi-Fi Equipment

• Home Appliances• Colour Film Processing/Enlargement

• Audio/Video Dubbing Services• Communication Equipment

• Electronic Equipment• Repairing Services

• Mail Order Acceptable

Shop No.65, 1/F, Admiralty Centre, 18 Harcourt Road, Hong KongTel: 852-2877-2227 Fax: 852-2877-2120

Mobile: 9051-9499 E-mail: [email protected]

Opening Hour: Mon – Sat 9:00am – 7:00pm Sunday 2:00pm – 6:00pm

GIA (Shanghai) Trade Co, Ltdroom 1408, dongfang Mansionno 1500, Century avenue, Pudong Shanghai 200122Tel: +86 21 5058 2206fax: +86 21 5058 2205web: www.gia.se

Activitiesgia Shanghai sells, distributes and services machines and components from gia industri ab for the mining and tunnelling industry in China. among our products you will find ventilation systems, locomotives, charging trucks, häggloader and Kiruna trucks, all designed for extreme conditions underground.

Chamber representativePhilip hafstad, Country Managere-mail: [email protected]: +86 135 6439 5045


JP Ping Pong ABdalabergsvägen 13ChalmstadSe-30292 SwedenTel: +46 70 8212 139

ActivitiesJP Ping Pong ab is a company that focuses on events, trading and ping pong development and exchanges. Jör-gen Persson is one of the most successful and respected table tennis players in the world, with great knowledge about his sport.

Chamber representativePeter borggren, Managere-mail: [email protected]: +46 70 5511 698

Karlsson Spools Precision Machining (Kunshan) Co, LtdKunjia road, zhangji road (east) Kunshan developing zone Jiangsu Province 215300Tel: +86 512 5763 0188fax: +86 512 5763 0186web: www.karlssonspools.com

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ActivitiesKarlsson Spools (Kunshan) China was established in June 2005 as a wholly-owned foreign investment and main sup-ply source for the asian market. we manufacture cylindrical parts with narrow tolerances, including semi-assembly, main application: spools for mobile hydraulic valves.

Chamber representativesThomas emilsson, Managing directore-mail: [email protected]: +86 159 2626 2997eve guo, Vice general Managere-mail: [email protected]: +86 137 7312 1370

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Kinabroar ABVäktargatan 6C, 311 Se-75422 Uppsala SwedenTel: +46 709 29 56 63 +86 134 39491 669web: www.kinabroar.se

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ActivitiesKinabroar is a Swedish company that represents other com-panies in China. we help other companies sell their products on the Chinese market. we also work at finding Chinese products for import to the Swedish market.

Chamber representativesJohan Svensson, Ceoe-mail: [email protected] guihong Cai, Managere-mail: [email protected]

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Mackmyra Svensk Whiskywallingatan 2Se-111 60 Stockholm SwedenTel: +46 8 5560 2580fax: +46 8 5560 2581web: www.mackmyra.com

Activitiesit all started in 1998 with eight friends and a simple question: why isn’t there any Swedish whisky? at our distillery at Mackmyra bruk, we have pursued our dreams and created the first Swedish whisky. we make it our own way, using local ingredients and no additives. and we are constantly striving to evolve. The result has put Sweden on the international whisky map.

Chamber representativerikard Lundborg, Vice President and Co-founderemail: [email protected]

Stenvall Sköld & Company (China) Limitedroom 607-608, Jintai buildingno 58 Maoming South roadLuwan districtShanghai 200020Tel: +86 21 5466 9980 fax: +86 21 5466 9970 web: www.stenvall-skoeld.com

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ActivitiesStenvall Skoeld & Company is a strategic advisory firm specialised in supporting corporate and private equity investors in China-related mergers and acquisitions (M&a) and investments. we have special expertise in China market research, growth strategy, acquisition search and commer-cial due diligence.

Chamber representativesPer Stenvall, Managing directore-mail: [email protected] Mobile: +86 136 8181 1313Carl-Johan Sköld, directore-mail: [email protected] Mobile: +86 182 2122 5546

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Euro-Center North Asia Consulting Services (Beijing) Co, Ltdroom 801, 8 floor, building C, east Lake Villasno 35, dongzhimenwai dajie dongcheng districtbeijing 100027Tel: +86 10 8455 9500fax: +86 10 8451 1176e-mail: [email protected]: www.euro-center.com

ActivitiesSince 1971, euro-Center has acted as the extended arm of travel insurers, healthcare insurers and alarm centres to provide local assistance services to tourists, business travellers and expatriates through its worldwide network of offices. we are one of the world’s leading claims handling and cost-containment networks, annually processing ap-proximately 160,000 cases around the globe and generat-ing a total turnover of more than eUr100 million.

Chamber representativeChue Peng Pavie, general Managere-mail: [email protected]

Purple Haze RestaurantsXinfuyicun Lane 55, Chaoyang district(opposite north gate of workers Stadium)beijing 100027Tel: +86 10 6413 0899web: www.purplehaze.com.cn

ActivitiesPurple haze is a partly Swedish owned Thai restaurant & bar at two locations in beijing. with a focus on comfort and value, Purple haze has become one of the capital’s most well-known restaurants since it opened in 2005. it is also a natural meeting point for many Swedes visiting, or living in beijing.

Chamber representativesTobias demkere-mail: [email protected]: +86 139 1013 4369Yu wen e-mail: [email protected]: +86 1350 122 1866

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ActivitiesTobii is the world’s leading vendor of eye tracking and eye control, a technology that makes it possible for computers to know exactly where users are looking. our technology is widely used in various research fields and as a means to control computers. Tobii Suzhou was founded in 2008. Currently we have two offices, one in Suzhou (production, repair centre & r&d, including hw and Sw) and another in Shanghai (sales office).

Chamber representativePeter Sandberg, general Managere-mail: [email protected] Mobile: +86 150 5140 6558

Tobii Electronics Technology (Suzhou) Co, Ltdno 678, fengting avenue, Land industrial Parkbuilding no 3, 2nd floor, Suzhou industrial Park, weitingSuzhou, Jiangsu Province 215122Tel: +86 512-6936 2880fax: +86 512 6936 2881 web: www.tobii.com

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To see how we can help you please visit our website www.pcs.com.hk orwrite to John Barclay at [email protected]

DragonNews_outlined.indd 4 2011-02-24 15:23:37

CHiNa aSSOCiaTE MEMbERS >>>

Gert-Ove Svenssonroom 0909, Kuntai international buildingno 12 Chao wai StreetChaoyang districtbeijing 100020Tel: +86 10 5879 0108 Mobile: +86 137 1791 9724e-mail: [email protected]

Gustav Sjöholmroom 1202, no 11 Lane 88, hailun roadShanghai 200086Mobile: +86 150 2665 2463 +46 76 1711 635 e-mail: [email protected]

Helena Magnussonroom 2203, 22nd floor, Soho nexus Centerno 19, east 3rd ring north road Chaoyang districtbeijing 100020Mobile: +86 182 0120 5505e-mail: [email protected]

Jacob A Bergmanroom 1202, no 11 Lane 88, hailun roadShanghai 200086Mobile: +86 150 2665 2634 +46 70 353 9525e-mail: [email protected]

Kristine Oppelstrupe-mail: [email protected] Mobile: +86 155 1061 1150

Kristoffer Mil13 floor, block e, golden hongqiao Commercial Plazano 686, wuzhong road (at hongxu road)Shanghai 201103Tel: +86 21 6465 0978 ext 8309fax: +86 21 6465 0977e-mail: [email protected]: +86 150 0030 57

Invest Sweden (China) room 2102, South building hong Kong Plaza no 283, huaihai Middle roadShanghai 200021 Tel: +86 21 6390 6598 fax: +86 21 6390 6592

Activitiesinvest Sweden is responsible to the Ministry of for-eign affairs; it works to attract and facilitate foreign direct investment (fdi) to Sweden. invest Sweden China was established in 2002 and currently has offices in Shanghai (head office), beijing and Shenzhen, as well as a presence in hong Kong. invest Sweden China priori-tises the fields of clean technology, iCT, automobile, life sciences and bio-technology, material science and the services industry. invest Sweden China, in accordance with Chinese companies’ interest, also provides detailed information on specific industries and areas of expertise to make it possible to explore investment opportunities for cooperation.

Chamber representativeeddie Chen Vice President & Chief representative for greater China e-mail: [email protected] Mobile: +86 139 1601 3793

Contact personCandy Tangassistant to Chief representative e-mail: [email protected] Mobile: +86 138 1796 0260 web: www.investsweden.se


Executive Homes HK Ltd 1601-02 Universal Trade Centre, 3 Arbuthnot Road, Central, Hong Kong

www.executivehomeshk.com [email protected]

EXECUTIVE HOMES HONG KONG Boutiquemäklaren med fokus på personlig och professionell service

Our international team of residential agents is here to assist corporations seeking advice and assistance with the relocation process of their executives. We are also happy to welcome individual new-comers, and assist with the search for a home here.

Welcome to contact our Swedish consultant Anna-Karin Ernstson Lampou

Office: +852 2537 1177Direct: +852 2537 0554

E-mail: [email protected]

Vi hjälper svenskar med att hitta sitt drömboende i Hongkong

C-042474

188x110_v14.indd 1 2011-04-28 06.01

41/F, China Online Centre, 333 Lockhart Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong. +852 2117 4800.

“Anybody can move goods from A to B. The difference is how you do it.”

“In addition to shipping goods from A to B, we can handle everything you may need in between: warehousing, quality control, labelling, consolida-tion, customs handling, certificate applications, bonded warehousing, distribution and project logistics. Also, we like to think we are doing it the Scandinavian way–more control and responsibility and less hassle and excuses. Call me or send an email to [email protected] let’s talk some Scandinavian. Welcome!”

Allan Riber Nielsen, Sales Manager Hong Kong and South China.

www.scangl.com

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ScanGlobalAdDragonNews.pdf 7/20/11 12:51:55 PM

n on 30 november 2011 the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in hong Kong held its extra general Meeting (egM) to elect a new chairman and two new directors. we welcome Ulf ohrling, resident partner of Man-nheimer Swartling as the new chairman from now until the chamber’s annual general Meeting in 2014. we also welcome as new directors dan Lindwall, handelsbanken’s head of greater China and general manager hong Kong branch, and Laurence Mcdonald, president of ericsson hong Kong and Macau..

SwedCham sends a sincere thank you to all candidates who ran for the board and to all members present in person and by proxy.

The chamber would also like to take this opportunity to thank the former chairman Stefan rönnquist and former director hans Jarne for the time and effort they have put into chamber work.

The new board of directors (from left): Dan Lindwall, Staffan Löfgren, Kristian Odebjer, Gunnar Mansfeld, Per Ågren, Ulf Ohrling, Eva Henriksson and Laurence McDon-ald. Absent: Niclas Möttus Olsson (inserted photo).

Ulf ohrling is a partner of the Mannheimer Swartling law firm. he has been in China since 2004; he was first in Shanghai for five years and is now on his third year in hong Kong.

he is married to runette and they have a 16-year-old son and a 21-year-old daughter.

ohrling was a director for the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in China for two years and is doing his second year at the board of the chamber in hong Kong. he has been chairman of the chamber’s South China Committee and is cur-rently serving as chair of the edito-rial Committee.

Extra General Meeting in hong Kong

This is Ulf Ohrling

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n Two of the chamber’s most popular events just took place, the Christmas party in beijing on 3 december and the Christmas Cocktail in Shanghai on 9 december. The demand for tickets was strong this year and the parties were fully booked in no time.

in Shanghai, at the cosy hamilton house, 150 Swedes enjoyed their Christmas cocktails accompanied by choir singing, mulled wine (glögg), wine and beer served with finger food and Swedish ginger-bread. To round off the evening, Toby Mac entertained the guests with the best jazz in Shanghai. The Christmas spirit was infectious, with dancing, laughing and singing guests staying on long past nor-mal opening hours.

at the beijing Christmas Party, more than 235 guests enjoyed the traditional Christmas buffet and snaps, and spirits were high when The beijing beatles took to the stage. The dance floor was packed with dancing and clapping people, recalling the excitement of a real beatles show. after the show, our dJ took over and served some great Swedish classic beats and the Mackmyra lounge bar opened up, serving the thirsty guests beatles-inspired whisky drinks.

finally, the Swedish chamber would like to extend a big Thank You to our generous gold Sponsors who made this year’s Christmas par-ties possible: Capacent, ericsson, exportrådet, finnair, handelsbanken, Lind andersson, Mackmyra, Premium finance group, PSU and Vinge.

Merry Christmas and happy new Year!

Christmas time is here again


a f T E R H O U RS

n Books

Little red book about understanding China“The single most important advice one can give to any westerner planning to do business in China is that the Chinese won’t adapt to you, you need to adapt to China and the Chinese,” it says on the back cover of a book called Quotations from a China Practice, recently published by the law firm Mannheimer Swartling.

and giving advice about adapting to and understanding China is exactly what the two authors, Thomas Lagerqvist and Ulf ohrling, have done. Lagerqvist and ohrling have, as lawyers, a lengthy experience working with leading nordic companies in the Chinese market. in their book, they share a wealth of knowledge about the Chinese busi-ness culture and the art of doing business in China.

The 162-page book, written in english, covers everything from the basic Chinese concepts such as trust, hierarchy, reciprocity and harmo-ny, to China’s views on their role in the world, negotiation skills, setting up companies, and the use of translators and lawyers.

The book can be purchased from Mannheimer Swartling for SeK 250. To order the book, please contact: [email protected]

n Shops

Handpicked Scandinavian design in Hong KongVein is a new shop in the heart of the Star Street neighbourhood in wan Chai, hong Kong. it sells and markets Scandinavian-style apparel, accessories, home and interior products. The products from Sweden, finland and denmark are all handpicked and cho-sen for a distinctive cut, an original shape or form, a unique print, an edgy detail, fabulous fabrics or innovative materials. You can find well known brands such as orrefors, Kosta boda, filippa K, Swedish hasbeens and Charlotta Sparre, among others.Address: G/F 2E Star Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

n Bars

Swedish bike bar in Shanghaiin the heart of the french concession you can find bikes & friends – a newly opened bar and café that is a meeting spot for those who love everything about bicycles or just want to enjoy a coffee or a beer. The bar is bicycle-friendly and you can even ride your bike all the way into the bar and the inner patio.

one of the founders is the entrepreneur Mattias erlandsson who is also a dedicated biker. “The place functions as meeting point for many of the local riders and a lot of times we co-host events such as halloween ride or smaller competitions,” says Mattias.

he got the idea on a trip to Japan a couple of years ago when he visited a bicycle bar in nakameguro, Tokyo. he noticed that there was a different vibe since bicycle people are very much like dog owners, they can stop in the street and start to talk to a fellow biker even if they don’t know each other.

“There are also quite a lot of young creative Chinese who have started to ride their bicycles to and from work and it is nice to be able to support and gather them in one spot,” says erlandsson.

he admits that most customers come less for a love of bicycles than the patio and the relaxed atmosphere. “everyone is welcome, but we are extra happy when customers arrive on a bicycle instead of with a cab,” he says.web address: www.bikesandfriends.cc

n Clubs

New underground club and cafe in BeijingThe people behind white rabbit, a former popular underground club in beijing, are back with a new venture called haze, which is located in the basement of on The Corner Café on guanghua Lu. run by Swede Thomas gaestadius and his friends, it is a lounge with a minimalist bar where beers start at 35 yuan. The café serves great coffee, cakes, paninis and a few pasta dishes in a space with high ceiling warehouse atmosphere.Phone: +86 10 5900 6128Address: A101, Guanghua Lu SOHO, 22 Guanghua Lu

48 DRAGONNEWS • NO.04/2011 *Further information about the study can be obtained at www.myprivatebanking.com/category/researchNordea Bank S.A is a part of the leading financial services group in the Nordic and Baltic Sea regions. Being the leading Nordic pan-European banking entity in Luxembourg and Switzerland, Nordea Bank S.A. focuses on interna-tional Wealth Management, Fund Distribution and Fund Management services. Our 360 employees serve a wide spectrum of international clients in more than 125 countries. Some products and services mentioned may, due to local

regulations, not be available to individuals resident in certain countries. Published by Nordea Bank S.A., Luxembourg. Nordea Bank Singapore Branch, 3 Anson Rd #22-01, Springleaf Tower, Singapore 079909 .

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interesting as they present an opportunity to meet members from other chambers in China.

“One event I found especially interesting was Fredrik Härén’s semi-nar on business creativity in China. It was good to have such a famous speaker here, and such a provocative one!

“I also enjoyed the dinner with members of the Swedish parlia-ment. It gave me a chance to have a more intimate discussion with the Swedish decision makers and understand how they view China. They are getting more interested in the world’s second largest economy. Their trip only had two stops: the United States and China.”

Is it hard to take time from work to join the chamber’s events? “I don’t think it is hard to find time to attend, especially as many events are very relevant and scheduled in evenings or during lunch time.”

What kind of events would you like to see more of in the future?

“It would be interesting to see more seminars held by Chinese speakers, such as Chinese business leaders and economists. A good example would be to visit some of the big Chinese banks and listen to their view on the future development of the Chinese economy.”

Finally, what is your opinion of Dragon News? “Dragon News provides a good way to stay updated

with the Swedish business society in China. I enjoy the cover stories; they are well written and have very

interesting topics, such as in the last issue about Hong Kong as a business hub in China. I

usually read Dragon News from first to last page. It is good for business purposes, but also from a personal point of view. I like

the After Hours section, where I get good inspi-ration for new places in Shanghai to visit.” b

T H E C H a M b E R a N D i

Joakim Hedhill of Handelsbanken in Shang-hai is an active member at chamber events. He would like to see more seminars held by Chinese business leaders and economists.

oakim Hedhill works as an account manager at Han-delsbanken’s Shanghai branch. He has worked in Shanghai for almost one year but has previously lived in China when he was studying at university and can speak

Mandarin. Before he came to Shanghai he worked with mergers and acquisitions at Handelsbanken’s investment banking department in Stockholm for three years.

When did your company become a member?“Handelsbanken was one of the founding members of the chamber in China. Before the chamber started there was no formal forum for Swedish companies to meet. Through the chamber we can en-hance interaction and communication among Swedish compa-nies, which is important when the cultural gap is as large as in China. Chamber events are also a great way for us to interact with our clients in a more social setting.”

What value does membership bring to you and your company?“Membership gives us great opportunities to network with both old and new Swedish companies that are doing business in China. The chamber events and activities also keep me updated about the business situation for Swedish companies in China. On the personal side, I think the chamber events are a good way to meet new friends and to stay in touch with old friends that I have come to know during my stay in Shanghai.”

What kind of events are of most value for you?“I enjoy the breakfast seminars, especially events relating to economic devel-opment and the business situation in China. The joint chamber events are also very

Great opportunities to network

J

“Chamber events are a great way for us to interact with our clients in a more social setting,” says Joakim Hedhill.

Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong

DIRECTORS OF THE BOARDUlf Ohrling, Chairman [Mannheimer Swartling]Niclas Möttus Olsson, Vice Chairman [Getinge Infection Control East Asia]Gunnar Mansfeld, Treasurer [Troy Group]Eva Henriksson [Henriksson Consulting]Dan Lindwall [Handelsbanken]Staffan Löfgren [ScanAsia Consulting]Laurence McDonald [Ericsson Ltd]Kristian Odebjer [Advokatfirman Odebjer Fohlin]Per Ågren [APC Asia Pacific Cargo]

Swedish Chamber of Commerce in China

DIRECTORS OF THE BOARDMats Harborn, Chairman [Scania]Katarina Nilsson, Vice Chairman [Advokatfirman Vinge]Fredrik Ektander, Vice Chairman [SEB]Erik Ek, Treasurer [Swedbank]Yvonne Chen [GM, Swedish Chamber of Commerce in China]Pao-Ling Röjdmark [associate member]Birgitta Ed [Springtime]Johan Menckel [ Sapa Group] Tom Nygren [Ericsson]Lars-Åke Severin [PSU]Thomas Sörensson [B&B Tools] Sara Wramner [VisitSweden]


Dragon News provides a good way to stay updated about the Swedish business society in China.”

dragon news - no. 4, 2011

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