JUN 2011
China
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Coming Events Learn how to cook Swedish meatballs Date: 11 June 2011 Location: The Grill, Radisson BLU Hotel Beijing
Your FREE ScandAsia Magazine in China
The Swedish Chamber of Commerce is very happy to invite you and your Chinese colleagues to attend our coming event under the theme of “This is Sweden!” This time we will learn how to make a typical and wellknown Swedish food - Swedish meatballs! Price is RMB 500/person (including cooking course and lunch). Please note the course is only open to member limited seats up to 20 persons and it will be presented in Chinese. Please register online at http://www.swedishchamber.com.cn. felicekitchen.blogspot.com
Kylie Minogue Aphrodite Tour 2011
ScandAsia is the only magazine that covers all the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish residents in China.
Date: 1 July 2011 Location: Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong The World’s Dancing Queen - Kylie Minogue will perform for her Aphrodite Tour 2011 in Hong Kong on 1 July 2011 at Convention & Exhibition Centre. Kylie is the best entertainer ever and her concert is beyond expectation of performance, costume, light & sound! This is your chance to sense the world’s best concert by Kylie Minogue. Her fans around the world look forward to this concert. For more information, please visit www.hkticketing.com.
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Les Grands Ballets
Better Living Expo
Date: 15 July - 1 August 2011
Date: 22 - 24 July 2011 Location: AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong International Airport
50 years young... And still going strong. As illustrated throughout its history, Les Grand Ballets has remained loyal to the very essence of classical ballet since it was founded in 1957, and will continue exploring new territory for dance lovers both near and far. Les Grand Ballets will perform in China during 15 July to 1 August 2011. Tickets and schedule will be announced at www.wupromotion.com.
Organised by the HKTDC and Paper Communication Exhibition Services, Better Living Expo is an exciting new show covering different aspects of lifestyle products and services: Beauty & Well-Being, Hobbies & Learning, Back-to-School, and Value Shopping. Better Living Expo - Hobbies & Learning is an exciting new show that makes its debut on 22-24 July 2011 at AsiaWorld-Expo.
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ScandAsia News Brief Danish Embassy Celebrated the Danish National Day
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he Danish Embassy celebrated the Danish National Day on Friday, 3 June, in Beijing with a reception at the residence of the Danish Ambassador to China, Friis Arne Petersen. Around 300 business associates of the Embassy and other invited guests attended the event, including Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Fu Ying and Deputy Administrator of State Administration of Taxation Mr. Wang Li. The official Danish National Day is Sunday 5 June and on that day the signing of the Danish Constitution in 1849 will be celebrated.
Chinese Beer Drinkers Push Carlsberg Forward
T Norwegian Consul General Visits University in Shanghai
6 ScandAsia.China • June 2011
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orwegian Consul General in Shanghai Bjørn Blokhus met with Zhang Wenjun, vice principal of Shanghai Jiaotong University, at the university’s Minhang Campus. During the meeting, the two men discussed possible avenues for Sino-Norwegian cooperation in the educational sector. Zhang offered a warm welcome to the Consul General, after which he gave a detailed introduction to the university’s rich history. He also pointed out that Shanghai Jiaotong University considers internationalisation as one of its development strategies. “It has established partnerships with many famous universities around the world, including the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU),” he says. Zhang further stated that the visit by the Consul General would facilitate cooperation and exchange between Jiaotong and Norwegian institutions of research and higher learning. Consul General Blokhus expressed his sincere thanks to Zhang for his warm reception. The Consul General then praised Jiaotong University as being both a university of international renown and one of China’s foremost institutions of higher learning. After the meeting, Consul General Blokhus visited the Research Senter of Solar Power & Refrigeration at Jiaotong University, and attended a lecture by famous Norwegian-based architect Robert Greenwood for a crowd of students and teachers at the Jiaotong School of Naval Architecture.
he Danish brewer Carlsberg Group, one of the world’s premium beer makers, plans to double its global profits by 2015 in part with its expansion in the Chinese market, senior company officials said. The brewing company registered profits of $1 billion in 2010, an increase of 49 percent year-on-year. To cater to the increasingly expanding Chinese market, it recently introduced the Carlsberg Light brand in the Chinese market, part of its repositioning plan announced in April. “The launch of Carlsberg Light is an important part of our new global market strategy, and it heralded our expansion in China’s food and beverage market,” said Stephen Maher, chief executive officer of Carlsberg China. China’s beer production rose by 6.28 percent year-on-year in 2010 to reach 45 million kiloliters thanks to the robust economic growth and the increasing popularity of beer in the world’s most populous nation, according to the China Alcoholic Drinks Industry Association (CADIA). However, beer consumption stands at only 33 liters a person annually, far from that of the United States and Europe, which points to the great potential of the already big market, analysts said. In line with its repositioning strategy, the Danish brewer will roll out its new packaging across more than 140 markets worldwide. Its new strategy in China has been spurred by the steady growth of the beer industry in the country in recent years.
Swedish Vasa Cross-country Run Visits China Aker Solutions Clinches Rig Duo to China
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he fifth China Changchun Summer Relaxation Festival will give the people of the Northeast China city a bustling and joyful summer this year. The government of Changchun, the capital of Jilin province, has 74 events planned for this year’s summer festival, which runs from June 22 to Sept 27. The most eye-catching parts of the summer festival will mostly likely be the international contests - the Vasa Cross-country Run and Vasa Orienteering. The two races, which bear the same name, originated in Sweden, as a way to commemorate a 16th century king and national hero, Gustav Vasa. The Cross-country Race is expected to be held on June 25, and is expecting 30,000 competitors, according to its organizers. It will contain separate adult and children’s groups. There will also be a Swedish-style midsummer party, from June 24 to 26, at the Jingyuetan National Forest Park, where the locals will be able to join the tourists in picnicking and dancing with foreign competitors. The Nordic sports are part of a series of celebrations that run from May to next February. Next year is the 10th year of the Vasa sports after they were introduced from Sweden. The anniversary celebration will include the opening ceremony for a Vasa museum, as well as an international marathon in the urban area, outdoor concerts, and cultural exchanges, such as traditional Swedish handicrafts and photo exhibits. The other events at this year’s summer festival will cover fashion, countryside tourism, business, and conventions. There will also be a beer festival, night fairs, a tour guide contest, and a weekend tourism promotion.
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orwegian oilfield services player Aker Solutions said today it has won contracts to supply complete drilling equipment packages for two new deepwater drilling rigs being built by China’s Cosco shipyard. The combined value of the contracts is $195 million, and includes options for a further two units, said Aker Solutions. The equipment is due to be delivered to both units during 2012 and 2013. Earlier today, Cosco announced that it has firmed up an order with Norway’s Sevan Drilling for two newbuild cylindrical ultra-deep water drilling rigs valued at $525 million each. “Project management of the work will be carried out in Norway, with global procurement and final delivery in China.”
Danish Embassy Held Summer Party
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t was a bright and sunny day last Saturday as 350 summer-clad Danes turned up for the annual summer festival organized by the Embassy and DCCC. While the children amused themselves on the lawn with sækkeløb, fishing pond and much more, there was barbecue buffet and cold beer for the adults. Cathrine Legardh Quartet supported the perfect summer mood by filling the evening with soft jazz tones.
June 2011 • ScandAsia.China 7
How Much Better
Norwegian Camilla did not have a smooth start in Hong Kong. She arrived in 2003 in the middle of the SARS disaster and worked for four years in a job she didn’t really like. But then things changed. A friend introduced her to an Italian man, whom she is today married to. At the same time she quit and found her current job as a Marketing Manager. Today, life is almost too good to be true. By Bjarne Wildau
8 ScandAsia.China • June 2011
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t was in 2003. Camilla Mjelde finally got her Master degree in Sidney. During her studies in Sidney she had been working part time for a Hong Kong company called Golden Bright. “They offered me a full time job in Hong Kong and everything was fine.” At least that was what she thought while she was driving towards the airport in Sidney with a ticket to Hong Kong. “I saw people in the Airport. Surely I did,” Camilla recalls while she start laughing. “But when I came to check-inn I was alone. Same when I walked into the cabin. I was almost alone. During the entire stretch of packing, saying good bye to all my friends and all that I had not heard about SARS!” Camilla laughs. “When I came to Hong Kong and switched on my TV I saw them counting the dead. People everywhere wore masks. If we had a party
everyone would wear a mask. When I check my old pictures from that time I can only see people’s eyes. They are clearly laughing and smiling, but their masks cover all the faces except their eyes”.
Life went on But for Camilla, life went on. She took care of her work at Golden Bright and established a life with friends, workmates and duties. One of them was that she had to go by train to Guangzhou in the mainland. “Every week I sat three hours in the train from Hong Kong to Guangzhou in China. When I arrived to the factories nobody spoke English. I never managed picking up Chinese. It was simply too hard, too tough. After almost four year I also discovered that I earned much lesser money than my friends. And even worse: It was clear to me that I would never be able to get a bright salary at Golden Bright”.
Can it Get?
Goodbye and hallo Around the same time Camilla’s best friend was preparing to leave Hong Kong. “I was 28 and still single. My friend told me that she simply could not leave before I had found a boyfriend. She was so sure that I couldn’t manage that alone” Camilla remembers. Her friend had a friend. A man from Italy that her friend said was “fantastic”. Mostly to please her departing friend Camilla finally gave in and showed up for an informal introduction. “My friend was right. Davide was wonderful. And he still is. We have been together almost four years now” and everything is fine.
New and better job With davide came good luck. She quit her job and found her current job as a Marketing Manager at Clotex, a company producing labels to super
brands like Niké, Adidas and Puma. “It worked almost from the very first day. I became responsible for the sale in USA and Europe, plus during my time we have developed new markets in countries like Turkey, Thailand, India and Singapore, where we have salespeople which I am responsible for,” the Norwegian Marketing Managers says. “It’s totally different. No more weekly trips by train to some people that I couldn’t understand. Now my travels are like three weeks four times a year to US and Europe. And when I engage in negations with our costumers I am in control in a proper manner. I know my costumers, I know my company and our products, and when I am here at the office at the top of the production facilities I am among people who are with me. No fights, no problems that will never be solved. This is so good for me!” Clearly Clotex is also pleased with her. Camilla’s salary is not a pub-
lic matter for sure but she was right, she would never ever have been able to make that sort of money at her former company.
Walking dogs Apart from her job, her Italian Davide, and their friends, Camilla has a passion for dogs. “Here in Hong Kong, people’s relations to dogs are different compared to Scandinavia,” she explains. “Here, people often get a small puppy as a present for their birthday or Christmas. When it grows up, it’s not that funny to have a dog anymore. So they bring them to the council’s office for dogs. If the dog hasn’t found a new home after four days they are taken away and killed.” Camilla supports an organization called HKDR.org.hk which works at finding new home for as many dogs as possible. While the dogs are waiting Camilla and other people who feel sorry for the dogs take
care of them. “Before the dogs were closer to my home but now I have to sit in the MRT one hour each way. But I do it one time every weekend. They are wild and eager to run and play. I am walking the dogs three or four at the time. I can normally handle 15 to 20 dogs before I get too tired and exhausted.
Rock to climb Another interest is indoor rock climbing. “Its wonderful and tough hat the same time”, says Camilla who doesn’t need to think of the same routines at home as it’s normal in the western world. “Here I can afford to take a helper who makes the shopping, cleaning and ironing of close. I work hard like my boyfriend Davide but when we are of we only have to think of how to spend our spare time as nice and relaxing as possible”. June 2011 • ScandAsia.China 9
Swedish Whisky Strivi Well established Mackmyra Svensk Whisky is now striving to get into the fast growing single malt whisky market in China. “We believe that Swedish whisky is too good to just be appreciated in Sweden. We want, together with our Chinese costumers, to create something that appeals to the Chinese palette,” says Rikard Lundborg, Vice president and Co-founder for Mackmyra Svensk Whisky. By Alexandra Leyton Espinoza
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ackmyra Svensk Whisky is the first single malt distillery in Sweden and the only whisky makers in the country. The success saga started 1998 on a cold evening in one of Swedish many winter resorts where eights friends met for a skiing trip and noticed that all of them had brought a bottle of whisky for the host. “We thought it was an interesting coincidence and of course we ended up discussing how you actually make whisky, and why we don’t we have Swedish malt whisky,” Lundborg said. That became the start of the company and the following year the company was set up. After years of experimenting and 170 different recipes later trying to find the perfect malt whisky, they decided which two recipes they were going to use. The name, Mackmyra is the name from the place where their distillery is situated. “We had visited distilleries in Scotland, but we wanted to create something new and unique for Sweden. We wanted to produce the very first Swedish single malt recipe, and not just copy from other countries, Lundborg said. According to Lundborg, what makes Swedish whisky unique is the hint of new Swedish oak that gives the whisky an exciting flavor that you can’t find anywhere else. It’s not too smokey, and the flavors of peat and juniper are very appreciated tastes and belongs to Swedish tradition. 10 ScandAsia.China • June 2011
“Juniper gives a smokey whisky a crispy touch. Roasted Swedish oak gets rid of the sweetness that other whiskies may have,” Lundborg said. Well establish in Sweden, their attention is now on China. For the past five years the single malt Scotch whisky has witnesses the strongest growth in China, with 140 percent growth. Among all the spirits categories both in value and volume - whisky is expecting to continue this growth trend over the coming years. Still, to become a mass producer of whisky is not their premium goal, instead they want to build a network of clients whom themselves decide what tastes will appeal. Where quality instead of quantity is the main goal. In Sweden the company has grown thanks to its whisky enthusiasts according to Lundborg. Mackmyra Reserve offer customers the opportunity to have their own 30 liter cask from production through maturation to final bottling. “Whisky it’s not a mass produced product,” adds Mikael Mosswall, Mackmyra’s Sales Manager. “It takes at least five years to age a whisky. It’s the experience of our customers to have their own cask and be able to follow and learn about whisky that they appreciate,” he adds. According to Lundborg this is what distinguishes Mackmyra from other whisky producers. They work not just big barrels, but with also small barrels that will be stored for a short period of time due to the intensity from small barrels. The company is trying to find its special niche in China and
ing to Enter China
are thinking about one day bringing the Swedish model to the middle kingdom. “All the big whisky companies are already here. We are looking into a group of consumers that want to experience something new. We are arriving with something fresh and fruity, something for an age group around 30-40,” explains Sanna Danell, communications manager of Mackmyra. “Our product is for the ones that appreciate innovation, traceability and local ingredients,” Lundberg adds. Mackmyra has grown from a micro whisky brewery to a mini whisky brewery. In the Chinese market they want their clients to say whisky is all about taste. “We are working hard for quality, Sweden is trendy, we want to put a personal stamp on the final product, it’s not up to us to tell our Chinese clients what they want, we want to work with them and create something unique for their taste buds,” Lundborg says. Back in Sweden, the company is building a whisky village just outside Gävle, in the north part of Sweden. The thought behind the development is too be able to provide an experience behind the whole business idea. “We want our customers to be able to visit and get both innovation and tradition from our products. And of course it’s also exciting to build the first whisky village in the world,” he says. June 2011 • ScandAsia.China 11
Norway’s First Counsel “I love it when things are difficult,” says Norway’s first Counsellor for Science in China, Dr. Kari Kveseth. By Alexandra Leyton Espinoza
Dr. Kari Kveseth during one of her many visits to key Chinese institutions. Here, she meets with Wu Xiaolin, deputy secretary of China University of Petroleum.
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r. Kari Kveseth could be enjoying a peaceful retirement in Norway after years on key positions in the Science community. Instead she is embarking on a new project becoming Norway’s first Counsellor for Science in China. “I can’t retire, I feel too young for that,” she says. “Besides, I have been waiting for this opportunity and I am very enthusiastic to embark on this project,” she adds. China and Norway made an agreement on the political level that was signed in 2008 to increase cooperation with the ministries of research and higher education. “My job is to be a bridge builder between science in Norway and science in China. To follow up on that agreement into daily workable actions,” she said.
Need for more research consulting It was no coincidence that it was Dr. Kari Kveseth who got the opportunity to develop the scientific relationship with China. In her former role as the International Director at the Norwegian Research Council, Dr. Kveseth had within the international cooperation noticed an increasing interest for research consulting. Her role there was to strengthen the cooperation in Europe to the European research program as well as the traditionally 12 ScandAsia.China • June 2011
ties to North America. “In Europe, research consulting related to international cooperation is more systematic and well established,. In China we saw the opportunity and the importance to establish new contacts and networks,” she says. Dr. Kvesth will cooperate with ministries in China and in Norway through the various ministries’ office for international cooperation as well as with other importants agencies and institutions within science and higher education in China. “We have similar areas of priority like energy research, different energy systems for the future, as well as in general to establish cooperation with different strong research groups in our universities,” she says.
CO2 issues
According to Kveseth the carbon capture storage (CCS) constitutes a big challenge. Both China and Norway are investing heavily in this area and will both benefit from the close cooperation now being established. “We have to do something with the CO2 emissions globally. Norway doesn’t have this problem, since our electricity production comes from hydro power plants. But globally we have a responsibility to contribute to the development of more environmentally friendly ways of producing energy. We have to work together internationally on this issues and find solutions, the future has to build on
modern systems that makes energy production more efficient and more sustainable. Cooperation with China in this area is a very promising step,” she says.
Social science But modern technology will not make the necessary changes in itself. It will be wise to bring in the social science to analyze the social changes, building of institutions and regulations needed to forward the necessary changes in a national as well as global perspective. . One of the biggest differences according to Kveseth between China and Norway is the tradition in Norway to incorporate social science at an early stage as input to develop social thinking and new political systems in areas needing changes in policy. “When it comes to critical debates in politically difficult areas in Norway the social sciences have proven quite useful, providing analysis and fact findings related to the issue as a base for critical debates.” “Debates generated from and among the scientists have proven important for maturing and developing a modern society that are facing many difficult choices related to common values and what road to choose for the future,” she says.
Top institutions A more strategic cooperation with the biggest universities in China and
the biggest in Norway is according to Kveseth how her field can visualize what is going on and how it’s going to be in the future. And there is no better place to share visions and establish relationships than in the top schools of the country. “In a way it is my duty to advise and listen to the universities and there are many universities in China so is hard to pick the right ones. Our ties go back to 1963 where we began having systematic exchange of students between China and Norway, many of these students today playing important roles at our universities. We have to build on long-term contacts and activities based on mutual interests among scientists.” “Based on my experience up to now, we have established good cooperation with some of the right institutions, and have a potential for more.”
Chemistry and equal opportunities Kveseth has always been fascinated by chemistry from a very early age, mostly according to her by inspirational teachers. Science back in the 1970s was in itself a male dominated sector according to Kvesteh. “When I started, very few women worked in this field. Still it was better than physics were there were no women at all,” she laughs. One incident that Kveseth recalls was when the British Chemist, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin received the
llor for Science in China
The Norwegian Embassy has made a tradition of gathering once a year Norwegians who have been studying Chinese language and culture in China as well as Chinese students studying Norwegian language and culture in China. A NorAlumni China project has now been established, managed by Dr. Kari Kveseth. Nobel prize in Chemistry she was asked by a reporter if the reason for women being interested particularly in Structural Chemistry was because they were fond of embroidery. “She got really insulted by this question and told the reporter it had nothing to do with that. But this was the attitude and misconception that many people had about women in this field,” she says. “In China I notice more and more equal opportunities for women. The challenge in China is for woman to receive the same opportunities of academic achievement as men. In Norway the opportunities are
more equal and we have seen great changes in the last decades, although top leaders are still predominantly men also in academic institutions.”
The road less traveled To be different and engage in something you are really fond of has always been the key for success for Dr Kveseth and is often the advice she gives students. “I try to tell young students to follow their ideas and try to realize them. If they have dreams that are difficult, they have to take the risk to maybe fail. But quite often if it doesn’t happens at once, it will just drive you
further, by not always take the easiest path,” she says. As Norway’s first Counsellor for Science in China she surely didn’t. Her husband is still living in Norway and Dr. Kveseth has moved to Beijing on her own on a two year contract instead of retiring. Her friends and family thought she was crazy. “They wonder why I don’t stay in Norway, lay back, go skiing, sit at home and get my pension. But I can’t, the fact that most of my family is in Norway gives me the opportunity to concentrate on work,” she says. On the other hand Dr. Kveseth
has had time to grasp the Chinese culture, having her son, his Chinese wife and two grand children living in Beijing. She calls herself a Chinese grandmother that prefers jogging in the park instead of doing Tai Chi. The first year into her contract she still finds it very interesting and challenging. “If things are difficult I love it!” she says. “The Chinese sports brand, Li Ning, has a slogan; Anything is Possible. I am a great believer of that. The more difficult, the more challenging, the greater is my drive.”
June 2011 • ScandAsia.China 13
Huge Investment Appeti Labour Shortage The Danish General Consulate in Guangzhou covers an area with a higher population than Brazil in the Southern Part of China. Here, 65 Danish companies operate in four regions and more than 200 companies request to the Consulate’s services every year. By Bjarne Wildau
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homas Højlund Christensen, Consul General at the Consulate General of Denmark in Guangzhou covers four regions in Southern China with a population of more than 182 million people, namely Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan. If the region situated close to Hong Kong was a country it would be the sixth most populated country in the world. If you ad millions and millions of migrant workers the region could overtake the position as the fifth most populated, the Danish Consul General explains. “Thousands of foreign investors have moved their operations to the region, including at least 65 Danish companies, out of which Eccolet in the Fujian Province is the biggest employer with a staff of 2000”, Thomas Højlund Christensen says. How many Danes who live and work in the region is not clear but the Consul General knows of 200 registered Danish citizens in the Guangdong province.
100 cases a year
Danish Consul General Thomas Højlund Christensen covers the four southern provinces of China. For each province the approximate similar popular is indicated compared to other countries. In Guangdong, another 30 million migrant workers - similar to the population of Uganda - also live most of the year in the province.
Thousands of foreign investors have moved their operations to the region, including at least 65 Danish companies, out of which Eccolet in the Fujian Province is the biggest employer with a staff of 2000.
“I would not even try to guess how many Danes we have in the entire region”, the Consul General says. However, he knows what a huge interest Danish companies and investors have in the region. With a staff of 10 plus two interns, the Consulate General helps more than 100 Danish companies every year. “A major part of the requests we get from the clients are about investments and outsourcing. If that is the case we start by telling our clients that they will not be able to run their activities out here through a phone from Denmark.” “If you invest in trade or production you have to be here to control or follow up. Or you most hire trustworthy people who can help you,” the Consul General explains. Thomas Højlund Christensen considers himself and his Consulate as one of the solutions investors can go for, if they aren’t ready to place their own people in China.
Have to improve the quality “We have a considerable experience in guiding and supporting our client’s 14 ScandAsia.China • June 2011
ite Despite through the phases from request to establishing the company in one of the regions we cover”. “Because we charge for our services in direct competition with private consultants we constantly have to work on the quality we provide and improve it all the time”. Several times the consultants from the Consulate General have been hired to run the business they initially just helped the client establish. “Recently we got one of our consultants back after the Danish company she had been working for in Guangzhou was hit by the financial crisis to the extend that they had to cut down on their organisation, and in that case it meant a closure of the daughter company in China”, says the Consul General.
Labour shortages One of the bigger problems the Danish investor has to face in the region is a shortage of staff at all levels. Some Scandinavian employers pay out rewards for supplying staff and some are seriously considering European style automation of their productions. “It can definitely be difficult to find especially unskilled workers. The situation is different from area to area from town to town but in general there is a lack of people”. Large scale investments from especially Hong Kong and Taiwan have also depleted the available workforce. China has passed some of the more polluting industries on to lesser developed countries like Vietnam and Bangladesh, but still there is a scarcity of labour. “The Chinese government has thrown huge financial incentives into almost all levels of the society. Huge investment in the rural areas make it easier for the traditional migrant workers to stay put at home because more and more locals in those areas create productions of their own”, Thomas Højlund Christensen explains.
Kept in the dark Another typical problem that lands on the Consul General’s table is when things go wrong between a Danish company and its Chinese consultant or partner.
“We had a case, where a Danish potential investor hired a local consultant to investigate the conditions for importing and selling medical product from Denmark in our area. The Danes came to us when their project ran into serious problems,” says the General Consul. “We were told by our client that the Chinese consultant had never told them how difficult it could be to get the needed licenses. The consultant kept them in the dark about the obvious difficulties to finish the process and collect his fees.” “The Danish client was also never told by the consultant how difficult the market could be with almost constantly changing regulations,” Thomas Højlund Christensen explains. Fraud is another issue raised by the Danish General Consul. “We have examples where Chinese agents or employees have sold Danish products but then kept the money or part of the money in their own pockets. That kind of cases are definitely difficult to handle from an office back in Denmark”.
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Fast runners “It’s clear that the Chinese businesses are fast runners. In some cases the Chinese companies are getting closer and closer to be a threat to Scandinavian companies.” “Take the telecom giant Huawei who is doing very well in Norway where they have been commissioned by Sweden’s TeliaSonera to modernize and expand Norway’s entire mobile network”, says Thomas Højlund Christensen. He also recalls a case in Denmark, where the Chinese BDI biotechnology has made huge investments almost at the same time as Danish Novozymes invested fortunes in China. His point is: Never underestimating the Chinese! “Take for instance the Chinese car producer BYD,” he says. “Lots of people consider it outright funny and strange when they declare that they one day will be the biggest car producer in the world. I am not sure it will happen but you can never say never!”
“Ni hao!” at Stenhus Kostskole
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he Chinese Dragon has come to stay at Stenhus Kostskole in Denmark. The Chinese classes at Stenhus Kostskole work closely with the two sister schools in Tianjin and in Shijiazhuang in the province of Hebei in North China. Stenhus Kostskole aims to strengthen the understanding of crosscultural communication, so the students can understand the world around them, not least understand China today. “The Chinese Dragon is awake and alive, and we have to follow its pace,” the school says. In August 2010 on a study tour to Beijing and Tianjin, students from Stenhus met their Chinese counter parts . In 2012 the first Chinese students will visit Stenhus Kostskole in Denmark. For Danish children to learn and experience the Chinese culture, it gives them respect and a drive for the future.
E-mail: admin@stenhus.dk Website: www.stenhus.dk
June 2011 • ScandAsia.China 15
Chinese Appreciate Good Design Danish designer Thomas Rasmussen says the Chinese are fast closing the style vacuum left by the cultural revolution. By Alexandra Leyton Espinoza
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hen the Swedish furniture giant Ikea first opened its store in Beijing in 1999, it hoped Beijingers would embrace its Scandinavian style of minimalism. It achieved its goal. Danish furniture designer Thomas Rasmussen is one of many Scandinavian designers in China following the trend. “Many Chinese people are keen to learn more about Scandinavian refined lines. They have been used to approach big American furniture styles but that is slowly changing,” the 33 year old Thomas Rasmussen says. Thomas Rasmussen graduated from Aarhus School of Architecture before he got an internship in a design agency in Australia in 2006. In Melbourne he worked with industrial design for a year. When it was time to move back to Denmark he realized he was tired of the same routines as before, he needed a challenge in a different environment. “For me Denmark is like England only the weather is nicer. I wanted to go somewhere more interesting than Denmark. During my year working in Melbourne we made projects with Chinese companies and I felt that was the place to be. I didn’t have any 16 ScandAsia.China • June 2011
obligations at home so I decided to go,” he says.
Appreciating in China The first months in China were spent taking in all the new impressions of a new country. Rasmussen visited the old hutong areas of Beijing and the new skylines of the city to get an appreciation of the design. To try to understand what type of design Chinese people are use to and prefer. He also visited furniture shops to see what furniture style and quality they aim for. “There is a lot of bad quality but it’s improving,” he says. “The pattern is changing from approaching cheap copied items to actually starting to appreciate good quality. Chinese people are willing to pay for the real thing.” “It is not like the design of buildings here. When you see a new apartment block, it looks a couple of decades old - but actually it has been standing only a few years, he says.
The cultural revolution According to Rasmussen the kind of furniture that Chinese people are uses to and like is either new classic style or big American style furniture. Rasmussen believes the reason is the big gap that exists between
Qing Dynasty furniture and modern furniture today in China. It’s is due to the Cultural Revolution. “During this period of time, China was not able to develop thier own style in this area. And when China eventually opened it’s door to the West, they were at first heavily exposed to the American furniture style,” he says. According to Rasmussen there has not been a real appreciation of the basic and natural influences among Chinese. Chinese people tend to look for something that is more elaborate and with more decorative features. But the trend is changing and the younger generation are starting to embrace more classic and modern styles and appreciate simplicity. That is were brands like Danish BoConcept and Swedish Ikea are playing a significant role. “The expression “Scandinavian design” is just a marketing term and it refers to a certain design movement in Scandinavia that started in the 1950s. It is also a kind of democratization of furniture with the aim of making the well-designed furniture available to the masses. Something that Swedish Ikea has adopted extremely well,” he says. “And then you still find some Chinese indulge in the famous Danish
designer Arne Jakobsen’s egg chair at 100,000-120,000 yuan each,” he says.
Good quanxi Today, working as a freelance furniture designer, many of Thomas Rasmussen’s clients are Chinese. In a high risk industry with fierce competition, to build up good guanxi , which means relationship in Chinese, is one of the most important tasks. “That is definitely what I always work to build,” Thomas says. “As a freelancer you get a lot of work through word of mouth. You are also, as a foreigner, more vulnerable in a business situation. You dont know the language or the rules. Sometimes I get worried of making designs for companies that will later just turn around and say no,” he says. Rasmussen is now embarking on new projects and he doesn’t regret for a second relocating to Beijing. “Once you’ve been in China it is difficult to find any other destination as stimulating and exciting. New things happen here all the time, sometimes it feels like time stands still everywhere else, he says.
Finnish Manager Went on Strike in China Jutta Lintunen is an appreciated Costumer Service Manager at a new five star hotel in the Southern China. But she had to go on strike before her employer finally signed the contract.
I am very happy to be here in China. I love my work, my workmates and our guest. I am leaving for a holiday in Finland soon but I will for sure be back.
By Bjarne Wildau
Despite the conflict about the contract Juttas life goes on at the Ramada Plaza.
“I
n China there is a rapid rotation of management staff, so it’s important to get your employment agreement in writing”, says Jutta, a 23 year old Costumer Service Manager at Hotel Ramada Plaza in Shunde in the Canton province. When Jutta applied for the job she had no prior appointment. She just walked in and knocked on the Managers door and said ´I am Jutta from Finland and I am looking for a job´. A Russian woman had just left the position as the Costumer Service Manager. She could have that. “We agreed on the conditions for the job, but every time I asked a written contract the management was always too busy”, Jutta says. Jutta liked her work instantly. She felt that she was good at taking care of the English speaking guests and the guests liked her. “I made my rounds around the restaurants and the foyer and talked with potential guests in our restaurants.”
Nothing happened and I changed my tactics”, Jutta explains. Jutta told the management that she planned a strike, single-minded and single-handed, if a contract was not provided. “They didn’t believe that I would go on strike. I gave them the final warning the day before the strike. Nothing happened, and I stayed home”. A few hours into her strike, Jutta´s phone started chiming.
Waiting for the contract
The management gave in
But Jutta was still waiting for her contract. “The manager who promised me my contract left and I had to fight the new manager about it. Again and again I asked for my contract.
On the third day the management gave in. “Get into your uniform, come to our office and you will get your contract”, they told her. But it wasn’t that simple. “They were ready to give me a
Jutta, where are you? ´Where are you? We need you here´, they said, as if they never heard about Jutta´s strike warning. ´The guests are asking for you, Jutta we need you to come´, was the call from the Five Star management. But the Finnish girl had taken a decision. She would not return to work without her contract, she told. The calls from the management kept coming but Jutta took a clear stand. “If no contract, no working. Give me my contract and I can be at the hotel within half an hour”, Jutta said.
contract. Now I had to fight again on the conditions. A Chinese employer will in 99% of the cases always try to ignore the agreement if it´s not inked”, Jutta says.
Life goes on Now with the conflict left behind Jutta has a busy schedule at the Ramada Plaza. She attends all meetings for the officers and she feels that her opinion is appreciated. Jutta likes taking care of the costumers and it is not just questions about room service and food she is handling. “Our hotel is placed in a huge industrial area. Most of our guests are single men, and they sometimes ask me to find them a sex companion”, Jutta says. The Five Star hotel has its own karaoke lounge with girls, mama san, and rooms the conduct the service.
Loves China too much “If our guests have a bad experience with the girls or if they feel they paid too much they call me to their table the next day, Jutta explains. She is enjoying her time in China, often together with her Spanish boyfriend working in the furniture business. “I am very happy to be here in China. I love my work, my workmates and our guests.” June 2011 • ScandAsia.China 17
Medium
Potato Salad With this recipe for 4 persons you can easily make one of the most delicious lunch dishes enjoyed by all Scandinavians. 15 egg sized Potatoes
Evil
2 1/2 dl. sour cream 2 1/2 dl. soured milk or yogurt natural - not sweetened! 2 teesp. sweet mustard 2 tablesp. teared shallots 2 teesp. lime 2 teesp. fresh chives 2 teesp. parsley Salt and pepper Tomatoes as garnish- optional
Are you done?
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hen you have completed the above puzzles, please send your solution by fax to +66 2 943 7169 or scan and email to puzzles@ scandasia.com. We will make a lucky draw among the correct answers. Five lucky winners will receive a ScandAsia polo shirt. Name:
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Deadline for submitting your solution is 15 July 2011 18 ScandAsia.China • June 2011
• Boil the potatoes with the skin on and peel the skin of when the potatoes are cooled - that makes the potatoes more firm. • Slice the potatoes, on the long side, into three or four slices, not too small. • Mix the wet ingredients in a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients, taste with salt and pepper to suit your taste and finally add the peeled potatoes. • Turn it all around in the bowl with a big spoon carefully, to preserve the potatoes from breaking. Top with some fresh spices and tomatoes. • Let it calm/cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 min.
Tip: Alternative to sour cream is to use yogurt natural add with a bit of sugar, olive oil and whipped cream. Then you will also get a more calorie reduced salad. Make it your own personal salad! Add other vegetable with the potatoes for instance pineapple, mango or whatever you like. The best fruit or vegetables to add are the hard ones, so they wont get smashed.
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