ScandAsia China - June 2016

JUN 2016

New Danish Priest: From Himmelev to Hong Kong ScandAsia.dk

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SAVNER DU OGSÅ DANMARK EN GANG I MELLEM? Oplev ægte dansk filmhygge med Olsen Banden og alle de andre

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JUN 20 16

Coming Events

Breakfast Seminar – Eurocham Business Confidence Survey 2016 Where: KPMG, 23rd Floor, Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong When: Tuesday 14 June, 8 - 10 AM Swedcham and the European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China are delighted to invite you to the launch of the 12th edition of the European Business in China – Business Confidence Survey 2016.

The Business Confidence Survey 2016 brings together the input of over 500 senior representatives of the European Chamber’s member companies to provide an annual overview of their performance and outlook from within the Chinese market. The European Chamber’s South China Board Chair, Mr. Alberto Vettoretti, will lead the launch event and present the key findings of the Business Confidence Survey 2016 in addition to answering any questions that you may have.

Cost: Members: 380 HKD Non-members: 450 HKD

Beijing: Decoding Dress Code Professional Image Building Up Where: Capital Club, 50F Capital Mansion 6 Xin Yuan Nan Road ChaoYang, Beijing When: Tuesday 21 June, 16:00-17:30 You could never imagine how important the first impression is in the business world. Many people wonder if black tie really matters in today’s world?

In the mean time does the business attire have to be boring? With all these questions, welcome to this Chamber Joint Chinese Forum with fashion theme, and get the advice from Caroline Xue, Managing Director of Marja Kurki China.

Price: 100rmb/person (including snacks and drinks)

From H N immeleew Danish P rie v to Ho ng Konst: g ScandAsi

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

We also publish a ScandAsia magazine in Thailand, Singapore and the rest of South East Asia.

Please sign up for your own FREE copy: www. scandasia.com Publisher : 211 Soi Prasert Manukitch 29 Prasert Manukitch Road Chorakae Bua, Lad Prao Bangkok 10230, Thailand Tel. +66 2 943 7166-8, Fax: +66 2 943 7169 E-mail: news@scandasia.com Editor-in-Chief : Gregers A.W. Møller gregers@scandmedia.com

Shanghai KONE Test Tower in Kunshan Where:Venue: KONE Kunshan site, bus will be arranged from Shanghai to Kunshan When: Wednesday 15 June, 08:30 - 13:30 Please join us for an Uplifting Experience at KONE Kunshan - You can Even Visit the Test Tower!

KONE, on of the flagships of Finnish industry, has kindly invited 20 lucky members to visit their testing site in Kunshan.

Agenda: 08:30-10:00 Transfer from Shanghai to Kunshan 10:00-10:10 Welcome words and introductions 10:10-10:30 Introduction of KONE’s business in China 10:30-10:50 KONE China supply line and KONE Park 10:50-11:20 Factory tour 11:20-11:40 Visiting test tower 11:40-12:15 Lunch at the factory 12:15-13:30 Return to Shanghai Price: The event is free of charge. However, please note that there is space only for 20 members, so please book as early as possible. Please note that the visit is limited to two persons per member company.

Registration: Please sign up at KONE visit by the end of business on Friday, 10 of June 2016.

Managing Editor: Joakim Persson Joakim@scandmedia.com Advertising : Finn Balslev finn@scandmedia.com Graphic Designer : Peerapol Meesuwan Peerapol@scandmedia.com Distribution : Wanvisa Rattanaburi wanvisa@scandmedia.com Printing : Siamprint Co., Ltd.

Daily news and features here: www.scandasia.com

June 2016 • ScandAsia.China 3

News Brief

DCC Hong Kong elects new 2016 board

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t the Annual General Meeting for the Danish Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong (held on 17 March) some 30 DCC members and guests attended at Club Lusitano to hear a speech by Keith Chan, General Manager at Bang & Olufsen Ltd. Keith Chan told about Bang & Olufsen’ strategies, current activities and future goals in Hong Kong and Asia.

The AGM elected the new Board, including two new members. The new Board consists of the following DCC Hong Kong members: Re-elected: Frank Jensen, Modern Terminals Thomas Andersen, Hildebrand Travel Poul Soendergaard, A-tex Anita Vogel, Skagen Kenneth Madsen, Pandora Anders Thygesen, Individual Lisa Lindenskov, Individual Camilla Deichmann, Individual New Members: Robbert Jan Van Trooijen, Maersk, replacing Silvia Ding, Maersk Dan Houmann, Young Professional, Replacing Glenn Frommer, Individual.

Source: Danish Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong

FinnCham Hong Kong appoints Anna Räisänen new ED

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New board Norwegian Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong

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ased on the Norwegian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong’s Annual General Meeting held on 21 April a new Board was elected.

The following office bearers were elected or re-elected for the term of 2016-2017: Mr. Kjartan Furset – Chairman (Re-elected) Mr. Tr ygve Nøkleby (New) – Vice-Chairman (Elected) 4 ScandAsia.China • June 2016

Mr. Einar Straume – Treasurer (Re-elected) Mr. Stig Mathisen – Board of Director (Re-elected) Mr. Joshua Miller – Board of Director (Re-elected) Mr. Patrick Fong – Board of Director (Re-elected) Mr. Ove Jöraas – Board of Director (Re-elected) Mr. Martin Garnes (New) – Auditor (Elected)

innish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong has appointed a new Executive Director, replacing Emilia Tavakoli, as the chamber continues celebrating its 30th anniversary during 2016.

FinnCham Hong Kong introduces Anna Räisänen:“FinnCham congratulates Anna Räisänen for being selected as the new Executive Director of FinnCham, starting on 1 August 2016. We had a rigorous selection process for the Executive Director position, and several highly qualified candidates applied both locally and from Finland.

The selection committee conducted interviews and the final FinnCham board selection decision was based on the criteria.”

“As a student, Anna started her own business, Akateemiset Muusikot (Academic Musicians), and over time it has grown into the largest musicianleasing company in Finland with 30 employees and over 1000 musicians. Anna will cer tainly bring her entrepreneurial attitude and infectious energy to FinnCham’s operations. Her goal is to expand FinnCham’s membership base and to keep the chamber active and connected. With her background, Anna is used to creating big things with very few resources – a skill that will come in handy at the chamber!

“Anna wants to be a great advocate for Finnish business and help put them on the map in Asia. She wishes to make Finland an inspirational example by highlighting Finnish ecological values, fashion, lifestyle products, the excellent education system and technical know-how. She is also looking forward to arranging some wonderful and unforgettable events for the Finnish community and our guests.

“Anna is also personable and easy to connect with – skills that are mandatory as the Executive Director. Anna will move to Hong Kong from Finland at the end of July 2016 to take up the position.”

Source: Finnish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong

News Brief

Chinese State Counsellor Yang Jiechi visits Denmark

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ver the weekend 16 – 17 April China’s State Counsellor Yang Jiechi was on official visit to Denmark.

On Sunday 17 April, he was received in audience by Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II at Fredensborg Castle.

The same day Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen met with the State Counsellor.

This was only 2½ weeks after Prime Minister Rasmussen met with President Xi Jinping in Washington DC, and this sequence of high-level contacts is a testament to the importance of the bilateral Danish-Chinese relationship.

A meeting between Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen and the State Counsellor was held on Saturday 16 April to discuss the par tnership between Denmark and China, human rights, the regional situation in Asia as well as the development in Ukraine, Syria and Afghanistan.

Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen emphasized the strong ties between Denmark and China, and noted the potential for future collaboration between the two countries.

“China was one of the first countries I visited as new Foreign Minister, and State Counsellor Yang’s visit in Copenhagen is another strong testimony of the good and close collaboration between Denmark and China. We must continue to build and develop this collaboration, which

is why we have taken stock on our strategic partnership from 2008 today. We have discussed how to work even closer within the areas of energy, innovation and food safety, where Danish companies and authorities have expertise, which is sought after by Chinese par ties,” Minister Kristian Jensen said.

“Naturally, we discussed the development in Syria, North Korea and Afghanistan, for instance, and we have had an honest dialogue on the development in China, including human rights.

Our meeting confirmed that Denmark and China have a special relationship and I will work actively to build on our common interests.”

Source: Embassy of Denmark China

Bangkok, Thailand

June 2016 • ScandAsia.China 5

News Brief

Finns in Beijing AGM elects new Board

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innish Business Council Beijing’s (FBCB) Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on 20 April; a great evening with some 20 member representatives in attendance.

The meeting was led by Chairman Mrs. Erika Gronroos, who went over the activities of the last term. The meeting was delighted to hear that FBCB activities had increased from the previous term and especially events together with other Nordic Chambers had brought more activities to FBCB members.

Also, the number of member s grew during last term: FBCB currently has a total of 33 Corporate Members. In order to fur ther increase the member base the AGM approved a new member category, a Joint Membership for Large Companies together with Finnish Business Council Shanghai.

Despite growing activities, financially FBCB continues on a good path with the term 20152016 ending up with slightly positive result.

By far the most financial funding comes from membership fees, which is suppor ted by the large number of hours the Board of Directors members invest in planning and executing FBCB activities. While Ms. Nina Ping has been doing a superb work as the Coordinator of FBCB, during the AGM it was announced that former Board Member, Mr. Juha Tuominen, will take the

role of Executive Director, and together with Ms. Ping work to continue further developing FBCB activities.

Also, Ms Tarja Kangaskorte, Deputy Head of Mission from Finnish Embassy in Beijing brought greetings from the Ambassador and the whole Embassy for the FBCB members. FBCB members received thanks for their active participation in the Team Finland activities as well as a welcome to approach the Embassy either with faced challenges or with stories of success.

The new Board for 2016-2017 was selected by the AGM to include the following five members: Erika Gronroos (Vaisala), Juha Kolmonen (Nokia), Yuan Xiaoyu (UPM), Caroline Xue (Marja Kurki) and Arto Mustikkaniemi (Tekes/Team Finland).

The last two are new members for the FBCB board. The division of work inside BoD will be decided when the new BoD convenes for the first time.

Finally, at the end of the AGM FBCB rewarded Mr. Seppo Selkala with a Certificate of Appreciation for his long-standing support for FBCB and its member companies both as Head of Finpro Beijing and as former FBCB Board Member.

Source: Finnish Business Council Beijing

Hong Kong says yes to Swedish premium chicken and turkey

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ong Kong has said yes to imports and sales of chicken and turkey from Swedish farmers and companies. Demand for the Swedish premium chicken is great in Asia and this industry therefore believes that the export could have a value of 100 million SEK, to begin with.

“It’s great that Hong Kong now provides authorization for a trial period for the marketing and sales of our Swedish chicken and turkey. Our member companies are in the starting blocks and will quickly be able to deliver what the Chinese demand,” says Maria Donis CEO of Svensk Fågel (Swedish Bird).

The breakthrough came after the industry and Swedish authorities together have demonstrated the Swedish production process, and based on a delegation trip to Hong Kong in the autumn of 2015 with included the rural minister Sven-Erik Bucht.

“Asia and Hong Kong demand details that contribute to better demand for the whole chicken. In China chicken feet is considered a delicacy and used in anything from soups to deep frying, in order to promote better health and rejuvenate the skin. For us at Svensk Fågel this will be an important part of our sustainability efforts as we can utilize a larger part of the chicken. In addition, the Swedish industry offers a high quality product that is salmonella free and with good animal health.”

A unique animal health program and a very low antibiotic consumption means that Swedish

6 ScandAsia.China • June 2016

chicken feet and turkey meat is seen as a premium product in Hong Kong.The inspection program by Svensk Fågel for foot health have meant that the industry received an animal welfare indicator but also an opportunity to sell and export a premium product.

“The interest in the Swedish model with a focus on animal health and disease control is great.

We have had visits from Chinese delegations who want to learn more about how Sweden is able to keep antibiotics consumption so low in animal production, while having a relatively good position illness among farm animals.”

Sales of chicken from the Swedish Poultry (Svensk Fågel) members increased by 13 percent in 2014 and all indications are that this increase will continue in 2015. As production increases in Sweden the need to export will also go up. The rest of China may be next.

The four abattoirs authorized to export to try are: Kronfågel AB, Guldfågeln AB, Tor ridge Bird AB, Ingelsta Turkey AB Svensk Fågel is the trade organization for Swedish chicken and turkey. It represents the entire chain; from breeding companies, hatcheries and feed producers to farmers and slaughterhouses.

Member companies are: Kronfågel, Guldfågeln, Lagersbergs Chicken, Chicken Knäreds, Bjäre Bird and Ingelsta Turkey. All are working toward the same goal - to develop the world’s best chicken and turkey.

News Brief

Swedcham Hong Kong AGM and Annual Awards

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he Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Swedcham, has announced its new Board of Directors, elected at the Annual General Meeting on 29 April, at Club Lusitano. Swedcham also welcomed its newest Director Anders Bergkvist, SVP Head of Controlling China Market Unit at Stora Enso

Hong Kong!

The new Board consists in: Per Ågren, Pontus Karlsson, Patrik Lindvall, Katarina Ivarsson, Ulf Ohrling (Chairman), Paul Bergström, Anders Bergkvist (Absent: Karine Hirn, Jimmy Bjennmyr).

SverigeShoppen was appointed winner of the 2016 Swedcham Annual Award.

“There were many interesting candidates for the award but with the motivation submitted with the nomination of SverigeShoppen it became clear that they were the winner,” stated Swedcham Hong Kong.

From the motivation ScandAsia quotes: “SverigeShoppen is the Hong Kong Swedes’ own fairy godmother. They work in their own little way to both support Sweden and Swedes by bringing all the things we like the most to Hong Kong, but also devote much time and effort to show everybody else out here what Sweden, our culture and traditions are about by for instance participating in different fairs and other events.

“Given their size, SverigeShoppen, suffices, with almost magical powers to put Sweden on the map in an efficient and effective way. Even if their effor ts seem small to the naked eye they are impor tant as small streams make a great river. SverigShoppen is one of these small streams. Their protégé is Sweden, a place dear to many of us, and SverigeShoppen makes sure that others too understand what Sweden has to bring by spreading fairy dust here and there. To further foster initiatives like these, to make people understand that all ways to support Sweden are good ways, even the small ones, SverigeShoppen deserves to be the winner of this year’s Annual Award.”

PostNord Denmark enters new Alibaba collaboration

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new collaboration, announced in January 2016, between PostNord Denmark and Alibaba Group will make it easier and cheaper for Danish and Nordic e-retailers to reach affluent Chinese consumers. In turn, parcel volumes from the Nordic region to China will increase.

The agreement gives PostNord the right to establish a Nordic platform on the shopping portal Tmall Global.

“China has about 350 million consumers who shop online, and Alibaba Group is the biggest e-commerce player. So we are thrilled about this collaboration, which makes it possible for us to help Danish and Nordic businesses sell their products in China, while we handle shipping,” says PostNord’s Head of business area eCommerce & Logistics, Peter Kjær Jensen.

Alibaba Group sees the collaboration as a central partnership that gives Chinese consumers access to high-quality products.

“Danish and Nordic brands will now be exposed to the more than one hundred million Chinese consumers who visit our platform in search of unique, international products. We see the collaboration with PostNord as a central partnership in Europe that gives Chinese consumers access to high-quality products,” says Alibaba Group’s country manager for the UK/ Ireland and the Nordic region, Amee Chande.

The Nordic platform is particularly suited to

companies who are not yet established in China or that want to broaden their e-commerce target group to include Chinese consumers as well.

PostNord Denmark has been working for

some time with China Post, whose portal ule. com served as a gateway for numerous Danish e-retailers who wanted to enter the Chinese market.

June 2016 • ScandAsia.China 7

News Brief

Chinese firm bids on Finnish Okmetic

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inland’s Okmetic, a maker of silicon wafers used in semiconductors and analog circuits, announced on 1 April that it has received a takeover offer from China’s National Silicon Industry Group (NSIG).

“Okmetic has undergone a successful transformation over the last few years and has been able to deliver outstanding total shareholder returns during times of high price pressure in the industry. Having carefully assessed the terms and conditions of the Tender Offer, the Board of Directors has concluded that entering into the Combination Agreement is in the interest of the shareholders and holders of option rights of Okmetic,” said Jan Lång, Chairman of the Board of Okmetic.

Lång furthermore said they were confident that NSIG’s position in the semiconductor industry would provide Okmetic with strengthened resources for growth and, thus, suppor t the Finnish firm’s role as one of the key players within the silicon wafer industry.

“Okmetic has exceptional knowhow and high-class technical expertise, which will continue to carry its future development.”

NSIG is an industr y holding company in China focusing on investment and development of semiconductor equipment and materials.

NSIG is owned by five shareholders: National Integrated Circuit Industr y Investment Fund Co., Ltd., Shanghai Guosheng (Group) Limited, Shanghai SummitView Integrated Circuit Equity Investment Partnership, Shanghai SIMIC Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Jiading Industrial Development Zone (Group) Co., Ltd. NSIG’s target is to establish a major industrial player in the global semiconductor sector (especially silicon and its ecosystems) through both the PRC domestic investments and outbound mergers and acquisitions.

Chinese factories use over 60 per cent of the world’s chips annually, and in 2013 imported more chips by value than crude oil. To promote domestic development, China’s government has

tasked chip firms with raising revenue by more than 20 per cent annually and building “a group of world-class companies” by 2030.

Established in 1985, Okmetic is one of the leading specialty silicon wafers producers and suppliers globally with a production plant in Vantaa, Finland, and contract manufacturers in China and Japan.

Okmetic specializes in product development, production and trade of materials in the electronics industry both in Finland and abroad as well as consulting, service and design activities relating to the above operations and materials used in the field of business.

It is NSIG’s intention to strongly suppor t Okmetic’s growth and the future of the Vantaa plant. NSIG also aims to retain the existing management team and employees of Okmetic on their current employment terms in order to ensure that the Finnish producer will continue on its current development path also post-Tender Offer.

NSIG believes that the acquisition will further strengthen Okmetic’s worldwide distribution platform, especially in the rapidly growing Chinese semiconductor market. Okmetic’s unique technological capabilities combined with NSIG’s local market knowledge and access to funding will significantly accelerate Okmetic’s development. In addition, NSIG believes that the proven expertise and experience of the Finnish company’s management and its excellent financial performance in a tough industry will continue to be major growth drivers and success factors of the company.

Silvent sees great demand in China

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wedish Silvent, one of the world’s leading manufacturer of products for compressed air, is continuing its expansion in China, now doubling the number of employees after just three months in the country. The interest for a better working environment in the major production facilities in China and Asia is large, and to meet the demand Silvent increases workforce by four people within sales side, to a total of eight based in China.

“We have for several years been active in the Asian market through dealers but quickly saw that it required an own organization in place in order to be able to lift properly,” says Anders Erlandsson, CEO of Silvent.

In January 2016 Silvent opened an office and can already say that the interest in the company’s knowledge of the wor k environment and energy optimization is huge. Many multinational companies have their production in China and the work environment is a red-hot issue, not least from company owners in the United States and Europe.¨ Within three years Silvent expects to once again have at least doubled the number of employees and Anders Erlandsson sees that China will account for at least 30 percent of sales by 2020. By then, the US, European and Chinese 8 ScandAsia.China • June 2016

markets will be approximately equal in size for Silvent.

“The market in China is huge. Most US and European companies have substantial parts of their production in China and with the will to do the right thing. If there is anything one can do for the work environment, then one does it. Bad publicity around the production is a danger that most companies are aware of and many work hard to ensure that all production is done in a way that is satisfactory based on US and European standards. Therefore, we see Asia, and especially China, as a market that will grow very quickly for us, says Anders Erlandsson.

Silvent places great emphasis on maintaining and developing the corporate culture that have been built up over many years. Therefore, the company chooses to let as many people as possible from the Swedish office to go to China, partly to spread the Swedish work methods, and partly to create a greater understanding between colleagues.

“It’s amazing to see how we all developed thanks to this exchange. It’s an exciting journey for us to come to China and see how everything works there and it is useful for our employees in China to see how we work at Silvent. We view the Chinese we now have employed as potential

managers of the future as we continue to expand in China and Asia,” says Anders Erlandsson.

Silvent assists manufacturing companies with energy optimization and improving the working environment. Silvent is headquartered in Borås, where all research and development takes place.

The company has unique expertise in the field of compressed air dynamics. Silvent products and customized solutions for compressed air blowing is used by leading manufacturers and brands worldwide. Today Silvent is represented in nearly 50 countries and had sales in 2015 of about 125 million SEK.

News Brief

Finnish Minister of Agriculture on China visit

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inister of Agriculture and the Environment Kimmo Tiilikainen visited China on 20 – 25 March 2016, accompanied by a business delegation of 60 persons, mainly representing the forest, food and cleantech sectors. The main purpose of the visit was to promote the Finnish-Chinese trade relations and a visit to the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was also on the agenda.

China’s rapid urbanization has brought with it enormous environmental challenges.The Chinese do take Tiilikainen Minister of the Environment issues seriously, which is reflected, inter alia, the recent, in the 2020 five-year plan.

Over the decades, China has been able to double the forest field battle against erosion.

Now, recognizing the importance of forests for the mitigation of climate change.

China offers Finnish companies a huge amount of business opportunities in the forestry sector, food exports, as well as a provider of energy efficiency and emissions-reducing solutions. The hard work is paying off; for example, the export of sawn timber here has doubled over the last couple of years, reminiscent of Agriculture and Minister of the Environment Kimmo Tiilikainen export promotion trip to Beijing.

Multiple official meetings and business seminars took place, including meeting the Chinese Minister of Forestry, Minister of Water Resources, Minister of Environmental Protection, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and Vice-Minister of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

The other official meetings and business events, included ‘Sino-Finland Wood Summit’ (a Finnish-Chinese meeting on forest affairs), ‘Finland-China District Heating and Waste to Energy Technical Seminar’, and a ‘Food from Finland’ reception.

Topics included the development of agricultural and food trade between Finland and China, cooperation in forest and water resources affairs, and opportunities for Finnish cleantech exports arising from climate change and urbanization.

“We have a long history of very good and productive cooperation with China. I believe that this visit will further consolidate our bilateral relations as we look into the future with an open mind and search for new partnerships,” commented Minister Tiilikainen ahead of the China visit aimed at further reinforcing the good cooperative relations between Finland and China.

“During the meetings with Chinese ministers confirmed that China wants to increase cooperation between our two countries, for example in sustainable forestry,“ said Minister Tiilikainen.

In addition to Finnish forests known as a clean environment, China is struggling with the sufficiency of clean water, so the water offers good opportunities for cooperation in Finland.

“Our reputation as an environmental expert should now take advantage of even more, because the competition is fierce, inter alia, with other European countries.”

Finnish foods arouse interest in Beijing. The image of pure, fresh Nordic and safe food is an

asset. This was revealed at the Finnish Embassy in Food from Finland event, where Finnish companies offered tastings to potential buyers.

“Crucial to an individual company, it is the discovery of a reliable partner in China. I believe that with the food companies have been received during the trip paved the way for a future shops,” Minister Tiilikainen continued.

A concrete step forward in the Finnish food exports to China is to have increased cooperation with authorities in the field, moving from the electronic information system. This will greatly facilitate communication on issues such as export permits.

“I hope that the remaining details for the exports of Finnish meat and fish resolved soon.

In these negotiations, we were able to move forward, but a breakthrough is still awaited,” Minister Tiilikainen says. ”We have now opened the doors together.

However, the success of the visit is measured in terms of expor t enterprises,” the Minister Tiilikainen summed up the results of the trip.

Secretary for the Environment, Mr. K.S. Wong, also welcomed his Finnish colleague, Minister of Agriculture and the Environment, Mr. Kimmo Tiilikainen to Hong Kong on March 24.

The visit by the Minister of Agriculture and the Environment, Mr. Kimmo Tiilikainen, gave a good opportunity to mingle with specialists of sustainable technology as well as clean and delicious food.

Sources: Embassy of Finland, Beijing and Consulate General of Finland in Hong Kong and Macao June 2016 • ScandAsia.China 9

New Danish Priest:

From Himmelev to Hong Kong

By Frederik Sonne

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wo near-death exper iences in four weeks pushed him into the world of theology. Only 34-years old he’s now the new priest at Hong Kong’s Danish Seamen’s Church. Meet Ander s Skaaning Ander sen the young pr iest that got the job of his dreams.

T-shirt, jeans, Nike-sneakers, a sports cap and a fashionable nordic beard. Anders is nothing like the picture your biased brain paints when you’re going to meet the new Danish priest in Hong Kong for an interview.

Anders leisurely displays his vicarage on the 13th floor of the Mariners Club building overlooking the Victorian Harbour and the Hong Kong Island where mountains and skyscrapers poke the grey skies.

A new Dane has just arrived in Hong Kong and he contacted Anders for some guidance. As they say goodbye Anders keeps the backdoor open - unconsciously it seems.

“Is water okay with you? I actually don’t have anything else to offer. I would love to offer you a beer, but I had some exchange students visiting the other day”, he says.

10 ScandAsia.China • June 2016

“Water is fine”, I say, as I glimpse a cold champagne in the fridge but let it slide.

Military, death and theology How does a young man like Anders end up as the Danish priest in Hong Kong? And why? That’s the immediate curiosity I need to get appeased. We’ll have to turn 14 years back for that.

“I was twenty and a cadet in the military. We had an exercise and I fell in a dunghill. It was winter and I was freezing and undercooled. The morning after I fainted, fell to the ground and woke up as my comrades was trying to revive me.Then I was hospitalized”.

The accident frightened him. But he eventually got back in shape, dressed in his uniform, ready for the challenges to come.

“Only four weeks went by and we were out on another exercise when a tree toppled over my bivouac. There might have been some higher powers that didn’t want me to be a soldier”, Anders recalls. The dramatic events changed his life.

“The accidents of course got my thoughts running and in the age of twenty a lot happens in your head. I had a lot of reflections about

existence and the meaning of it all and in my opinion the Church offered the best answers to this. Eventually I ended up abandoning the military and my idea of a glorious career as an officer and I started studying theology instead”, he explains.

A dream come through Since faith brought him to the study of theology, he’s been living in Cairo working with interreligious dialogue, been a verger in the Danish Seamen’s Church in Algeciras in Spain, a supervisor in a research institute, more recently priest in Himmelev in Denmark for 2 years and volunteering bartender at the local Gimle Bar and Venue in Roskilde, and since the beginning of this year the new priest at Hong Kong’s Danish Seamen’s Church - a position he’s been dreaming about for years.

“I always knew that I wanted to live and work abroad for a longer time. Since I’ve learned about the Seaman’s Church I’ve hoped for this position in Hong Kong or New York. I’ve always had this fascination for Asian metropolitan cities, so it has always been a dream that I kept in the back of my head.” “ S o I p r o m i s e d my s e l f t h a t i f t h e opportunity to go to Hong Kong ever came, I would pursue it”.

And luckily for Anders the position opened last year. He applied and got it.

The eagerness to explore and live and working abroad was fostered in his childhood, he tells. As a child in the ages of 9 to 11 he lived

in Greenland with his parents, and those years formed an openness and curiosity to explore and experiences as much of the world as possible.

Another reason behind the priesthood in Hong Kong was appealing to Anders, was the complicated organization behind a Seaman’s Church, which he experienced in his eight months in Spain: joggling with the traditional and theological Church ventures like sermons, the heavier work in raising funds for the Church’s sustainable operatino and the Church being the center of the social life all appealed to Anders.

Baptism of fire When he landed as the descendant the 1 January 2016, he overtook the legacy of two predecessors that held the position in a total of 30 years - in respectively 17 and 13 years. Anders is only the third priest in Hong Kong’s Seaman’s Church’s history.

He entered the short line of priests with a baptism of fire, he tells, planning the annual and very traditional New Year’s Party.

“There are a lot of expectations to such an event. There is a way that it’s used to be done, people expect that to follow. So that was a great test for me and interesting beginning of it all”, he says.

Now he’s more settled and he enjoys taking the responsibility for Danes to meet in Hong Kong, contacting the Commerce, the Consulate, the Seafarers and so on.

The next big event to come, when ScandAsia

visited, was the Pentecost Bazaar, which was very apparent, as the vicarage was filled with stacked cardboard boxes and toys for the Bazaar.

Leaving Himmelev for Hong Kong When Anders decided to leave Denmark for Hong Kong, he left two years as a priest in Himmelev in Roskilde. Two good years, he says.

“I’m very happy about my time in Himmelev.

I was busy and had around 75 confirmands and 3 funerals a week, so there was a lot of work to do. I feel like I’ve learned the fundamental craft during those years.”

However: “The provincial life didn’t work for me. I’ve always been around many people and always liked to be social, so I felt there was a confusion in my identity”.

Hong Kong, as a city, is much more well-suited for Anders, and he hasn’t had any challenges in adapting to the vivid metropolitan. Life was also “pretty hectic life in Cairo”, as he says.

“I appreciate the diversity in Hong Kong.

People in Denmark often say that Denmark is turning multicultural, but it isn’t really. Denmark’s very monocultural, especially compared to Hong Kong. When you experience diversity, you get an experience for how people are different and this makes you acknowledge that the world really isn’t that simple”.

Keeping theology in focus Churches abroad often have the position as the single or one of the few social institutions for expats longing for home. This means that people doesn’t necessarily visit the church for religious reasons. The church’s role can be downgraded to simply being a social club. Anders is aware, that there’s a risk of that.

“I’m not one to judge over how the church has been run before. But I’ll do a big effort to keep the theological base and the ecclesiastical in focus”, he says and mentions that he has already insisted on writing “something with relevance to christianity” in the church magazine, renamed the annual Spring Bazaar to the Pentecost Bazaar and reintegrated supper in the service.

He is not blind about the social responsibility that the Seamen’s Church, like any other church, bears. As he says: “Seen in an ecclesiastical light, the lunch after the service is as important as the service itself ”.

Actually it seems like social engagement is more than normally important for Anders. As mentioned he volunteered as a bar tender in a local bar in Roskilde and he volunteered for Roskilde Festival for many years.

In Hong Kong his urge to be social made him invite 20 Danish exchange students for beers in the vicarage and moreover made him visit the annual Scandinavian football cup in the SEAregion, that took place in Hong Kong this year.

“I think Danish churches can learn a lot from engaging more in the local community on the local communities terms”, he says.

Positively surprised Focusing more on religion is just a minor addition, he says; he’s not here to revamp anything. All in all he is positively surprised of the church and the congregation.

“I’m really positive in many aspects. I mean June 2016 • ScandAsia.China 11

this church is spoiled. The congregation is so enterprising, there’s a strong fellowship. The church only exists because of its congregation, so it’s confirming with such an suppor tive congregation”, Anders tells and emphasizes how the financial support for the church also took him by surprise.

“The financial suppor t is overwhelming. I was on guard, when I found out that private and company funding was a big part of the church’s economy. It’s important to be aware of one’s integrity, because when people throw money in something, they are likely to have an interest in what they are used for, but there has been none of that”, he says.

Working as a counterpoint That the Seaman’s Church in Hong Kong is financially fine might just be a secondary effect of being positioned in one of the world’s leading international financial centres. Part of this is also navigating in a city and an extreme performative society where everything is about money.A society that Anders wishes to be a counterpoint to.

“Hong Kong is an extremely fast-paced society. I figure it’s important to have a space where you don’t have to perform or make results, a space where you can just be yourself and relax, a space where everyone is equal. I hope the Seaman’s Church offers a space where you feel comfortable to come dressed in shorts and eating a hot dog.”

Anders laughs as he mentions the United

Kingdom’s church in Hong Kong that arrange Charity Balls, where seats can be bought for enormous sums, as everything the Danish church shouldn’t be: “Danes are more grounded I guess”.

Acting as a valuational counterpoint to Hong Kong society is part of Anders’ personal set of values.

“Money is an elusive value. When I have talked to old couples about what gave their lives value, not a single one has mentioned money”, he says, before he goes into an analysis of modern society.

“This idea about making it all on you own

and being the world’s greatest that prevails, is not healthy. We need each other. And the absurd idea that happiness is equal to status, consumerism and money is really unsubstantial”, he says.

“I like to think of the church as a sanctuary to those ideas and the brutal life in Hong Kong”.

Anders’ contract runs for the next four years and if he is to follow in the steps of his predecessors, he will likely be there for at least ten years.

However, he responds: “Until now in this position I haven’t been able to predict my future for more than one year ahead”.

Enjoy timeless Danish films all over the globe

D

irch Passer, Olsen Banden, Lille-Per and many more icons from the chest of Danish film history are now on deck for online streaming at every corner of the world.

It’s near to half a century ago since Egon came up with his first genius plan and it’s been more than 80 years since Liva Weel sang “Gå med i lunden”. As times fly Nordisk Film has decided to catch and collect Danish film classics throughout time and connect them to the newly launched streaming service “Dansk Filmskat”.

“Dansk Filmskat” has experienced an enormous interest - also from Danes resided abroad. That’s why Nordisk Film has made the popular Danish films available to watch and enjoy from all over the globe.

Beyond generations and borders “Dansk Filmskat” compiles Danish films from 1931 and for th. The variety of films changes every week, so there’s constantly new cozy movie moments for you to enjoy.

“The classic Danish films are inherited by each generation and loved beyond age groups because they have such a special place in many 12 ScandAsia.China • June 2016

Danes hearts. Now “Dansk Filmskat” goes beyond borders as well, so anyone can benefit from the cozyness of Danish film regardless of where you live”, says Ole Martini, Director at Consumer Channels, Nordisk Film.

A glimpse of Danish lives The streaming service grants not only Danish “hygge”, nostalgia and hear twarming humour for the entire family, but also a sheer insight to Denmark and Danish lives in the past generations.

“There’s some unmistakably Danish about these films, which puts them in a central position in our shared cultural history. Digging into these pieces of history gives a unique glimpse of the progress in Danish society, language, fashion, gender roles, technology and so on”, explains Ole Martini.

“Dansk Filmskat” is available on TV, tablet and laptop. Members of “Dansk Filmskat” moreover gets access to amusing Danish commercials from the 50’s and 60’s and extraordinary interviews with figures as Ghita Nørby, Morten Grunwald, Bent Fabricius-Bjerre and a range of other icons from the history of Danish cinema giving their insights on the stories behind the films.

Saxo Bank bolsters Greater China online trading presence

F

ollowing on Sazo Bank’s China launch in the S h a n g h a i F r e e - Tr a d e Zone back in September 2015 the Danish bank in April 2016 announced a tri-party agreement between Saxo Bank, Wallstreet CN and LeanWork. This step will significantly bolster Saxo Bank’s presence in Greater China.

The users of Wallstreet CN, one of the most popular financial content providers in Greater China, will be able to access global capital markets from WEEX, an online trading service platform created by Wallstreet CN, with trading system developed by LeanWork and Open API powered by Saxo Bank.

“This unique par tner ship underlines the strength of Saxo’s Open API which with limitless customization options will increase the power of trading technology now and in the future. This truly is a win-win for all parties and at Saxo Bank we are excited to be working with two exceptionally successful start-ups which empower Chinese-speaking investors,” said Kim Fournais, co-founder and CEO of Saxo Bank.

Saxo Bank is one of the first financial institutions to give access to its trading infrastructure through the bank’s REST-based API called Open API. The move, which covers

Saxo’s multi-asset trading and back office infrastructure, will allow its par tners, clients and external developers to access over 20 years of trading infrastructure innovation and enable them to customise their trading experience and create new revenue streams.

Wallstreet CN was founded

by Wu Xiaopeng in 2013 and conceived in the form of a personal blog when he was stationed overseas in New York. Upon his return to China in May 2013, the company was registered in Shanghai and received venture capital investment from China Ping An and Hai Tong Securities’ investment funds, along with several other well-known institutions in China.

During the past three years, Wallstreet CN has accumulated 15 million monthly unique visitors from scratch. Today it is the leading financial news source providing the most influential market news and economic data to Chinese-speaking investors.

“I am honoured to partner with Saxo Bank and LeanWork. Saxo Bank is a leader in online trading technology. The global reach of Saxo Bank and the local touch of LeanWork & Wallstreet CN combined will make WEEX, the trading platform, a powerful value proposition for Chinese speaking

investor s,” said Wu Xiaopeng, founder and CEO, Wallstreet CN. LeanWor k is a technology start-up based in Hong Kong, which originally started with the creation of a multiple broker solution and has overtime gained significant market share amongst the Chinese-speaking broker community.Today LeanWork has a sizable IT development team with over 30 IT developers in its offices across Greater China.

“No team is better than Saxo Bank, Wallstreet CN and LeanWork combined. As a leading financial institution in online trading, Saxo Bank provides access to over 30,000 financial instruments. LeanWork’s local understanding and strength in IT development makes the best

local user experience a reality” said Darren Qian, CEO and founder of LeanWork.

The par tnership was sealed at an official ceremony at Danish Consulate in Shanghai on April 13th, 2016 with attendance of Nicolai Prytz, Danish Consul General of Shanghai.

The Saxo Bank Group (Saxo) is an online multi-asset trading and investment specialist, offering a complete set of trading and investment technologies, tools and strategies. A fully licensed and regulated bank, Saxo enables private and institutional clients to easily trade multiple assets from a single margin account on multiple devices seamlessly.

June 2016 • ScandAsia.China 13

Claus Boman

Danish designer bears the key to China

By Frederik Guy Hoff Sonne

You would just never get the chance to design and build a shopping mall in Denmark in a million years, unless you have a highly famous brand.

14 ScandAsia.China • June 2016

D

anish designer Claus Boman has made a trademark out of navigating between the conflicting cultures of Scandinavian high-end design and the Chinese markets demands for efficiency and profit. He calls himself a diplomatic designer building the creative bridge between West and the East. With his one-man company, bomancreatives, he has managed to make it in China.

“A designer in Denmark might have two years to evolve a chair, go through 18 prototypes before it’s done. In China you’ll get two weeks to design a restaurant and that’s including the chairs”, Claus Boman tells, pointing out differences in the two design cultures, in which his is rooted.

He came to Thailand in 2002 to have a break for his interior and commercial design firm in Denmark, Boman Design, that was running smoothly since 1992. Now he’s living through his 13th year as an expat in Thailand.

“I came with a blonde and ended up with a brunette”, as he likes to say.

In 2004, while employed at Concept i Design, he was introduced to the Chinese market for the first time. Since going solo in 2008 he has clinged on to the Chinese market, which forms the majority of his clients.

“The chair you could design in Denmark is

perfect, it’s pure quality, it’s art. In the East and China they don’t need that kind of quality. They want a chair to look new and they want it to be affordable to change them within a couple of years. A Chinese company might have 200 employees one day and in a couple of years that could have grown to 2500. Then there’s no need buying Werner-chairs 20.000 DKK a piece”, he explains.

In spite of his talk about chairs, as a commercial interior designer, Claus mostly manages design tasks of a more sizable proportion on the China market. Currently he has three kids clubs, a mall renovation, a new mall and a wedding platform on the drawing table for China.This is another reason why he personally enjoys working in the East.

“You would just never get the chance to design and build a shopping mall in Denmark in a million years, unless you have a highly famous brand”.

Claus’s pen has been part of the drawing and designing of ten malls, while living in Asia.

“I would never get near that kind of tasks in Denmark. Only the triple-A design offices do”, he tells.

Money counts - make a profit The different demands to quality doesn’t signify that the Chinese “just don’t care”. According to

I always keep in touch with persons in my network, even though some of them might not have had any relevant projects for years.

“It’s funny when I manage some big teams based on my sketches that I very likely did on the corner of an old newspaper while having a noodle soup - it sounds crazy, but that’s actually how it is sometimes. If the project is big the studios provides a team of 50 people with retail experts, engineers and so on. Usually that’s no need for that though.”

Navigating with the Chinese

Claus it’s a matter of priorities. Chinese are, not surprisingly, very fixated on profit and that means that the designer should be as well.

“It’s not adequate to draw something beautiful, someones got to make some money”.

“Commercial interior is not about designing aesthetically correct only. You have to create a profit for the client. When designing a shopping mall for example, if you can succeed in expanding the tenant space with 5 percent without compromising the halls and the public areas, then it means 5 percent more rental income for the owner.”

Another example: “If you reduce the constructing time for a retail store in Hong Kong just by a week, that might mean some million bahts are saved, because the rent is so extreme in Hong Kong. Often I see my design fee recouped for the client before the task is completed. This only happens when you bear the client’s budget in mind.”

He states that such results might eventually make the client come back for more and of course that’s good for his budget.

But how do you reduce constructing time without compromising?

“Well good design is not necessarily expensive or design done over a longer time. Good design just have to be thought through. Here’s an

example: an insurance company demanded one of my clients to change his panes from toughened to laminated glass. This meant he had to close his retail two weeks or so. Then I came up with the idea to put film on the glass and that saved him two weeks constructing and production costs.”

Working a one-man company Cost efficiency is also very clear when you take a closer look at bomancreatives. Claus’ company, as its only employee. That doesn’t imply he throws together a shopping mall alone. The company is driven as a consultant basis, which means he uses different teams depending on the task.

“If I need some extra power, then I’ll hire consultants myself on the same principles as I’m hired on. I usually work with the same teams from Shenzhen and Shanghai in China or Hyderabad in India. So far this way has been sufficient enough to make shopping malls on 100.000 sq.m. or a luxury watch retailer on 350 kvm. Actually the watch retailer took the longest.”

This way of working also means that his company very rarely will be glowing in neon whenever he does a project. Claus often works on “white label”, which means some studios uses him under their name. So instead of selling his design under the own brand it might be as MRD Group or Taipan depending on the collaborators.

As for Claus he got in touch with the market through his employer, but since then he has done his best to hold on to former collaborators and nurse relationships with the clients he met. Many of the tasks he’s assigned to today are linked with his former tasks in that way. But working your network may not be that simple?

“A good idea is learning to understand the different local traditions. When I travel I’ll always bring small but relevant presents”, Claus suggests and adds: “For instance, I’m traveling to Shanghai to present a Kids Club concept for a client and the theme is outer space. So I had eight t-shirt and hats printed with funny monsters on them as a surprise for the clients, when presenting the projects. It’s not about getting the most expensive gifts, but it’s about getting the right ones.”

So one might put down originality, and one might as well add perseverance.

“I always keep in touch with persons in my network, even though some of them might not have had any relevant projects for years.”

Follow your guts Let’s end on with an anecdote: When Claus Boman was attending the Danish Design school back in the eighties, they would get the assignment to “design an armchair”. Two months later there would be 15 different models of armchairs in the room. During his years at Les Ateliers in Paris they would get another assignment to “design an object on which you can rest the body”. Two months later there might be one armchair, eight sculptures, four failures and two impressively innovative genius furniture.

“That’s how I like to work still - I like to work unbiased, from the bottom. You have to take some backlashes now and then, but it also makes it possible to come up with completely new and innovative things. In China they are very bound to their traditions, but as a designer you sometimes has to follow your guts and I’m not afraid of that,” ends Claus.

June 2016 • ScandAsia.China 15

Jan B. Djerf presides over EuroCham Singapore Undoubtedly Swedish banking executive Mr Jan B. Djerf is one of our most well known Scandinavians in Singapore.

I

n Southeast Asia’s undisputed business hub since 2004 Mr Djerf is not only Senior Vice President and General Manager of Handelsbanken Singapore Branch and Head of South Asia and Pacific; he is also the President of Eurocham, European Chamber of Commerce (Singapore), during two years spanning from 2015 – 2017.

Prior to this, Mr. Djerf took on the role as VicePresident for 3 years. Mr. Djerf also represents the Swedish Business Association in Singapore on the EuroCham Board and has been an active Board member since 2005.

ScandAsia finds out more about these, his prestigious additional roles on a European level.

But first, a résumé of his career up to now: In his professional career, Mr. Djerf ’s major step towards senior level management came with his appointment as the Head of the Treasury Department at Ericsson in Stockholm, Sweden.

This sparked his globetrotting career phase, leading him to be headhunted by Alfinad SA in Brussels, Belgium, the Treasury Center of Alfa Laval. Mr. Djerf soon saw his career taking him 16 ScandAsia.China • June 2016

to Lausanne, Switzerland as Director Group Treasury at Tetra Laval. 1994 saw Mr. Djerf ’s entry into one of Scandinavia’s largest banks, Handelsbanken. In 1998, Mr. Djerf was appointed Head of Foreign Exchange Money Markets and Emerging Markets, Europe. This took him to London and then to Stockholm. After that he arrived to Singapore and Handelsbanken.

Mr. Jan B. Djerf represents the Swedish Business Association in Singapore on the EuroCham Board and has been an active Board member since 2005, including taking on the role of Vice President since 3 years. In March 2015, Mr. Djerf was unanimously voted to the Presidency of EuroCham for a twoyear term.

EuroCham’s Board of Governors comprises of the Office Bearers, which includes the President, a Patron, Ordinary Corporate Board Members, as well as 14 Representatives from the European National Business Groups (NBGs). EuroCham works very closely with the EU Delegation to Singapore for its events and activities. H.E. Dr. Michael Pulch, Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Singapore sits on the Board as Patron.

Under Mr Djerf ’s leadership, EuroCham has emerged as an instrumental body in the business community, making concrete efforts in enhancing and encouraging a vibrant trade relationship between Singapore and the EU. Locally, EuroCham has had several engagements with a myriad of government agencies and representatives in a bid to foster a conductive business environment. As Singapore continues to develop itself as a regional hub for major industries, EuroCham’s relevance becomes strikingly important to offer a support base for European companies that are looking to Asia to expand their operations.

To date, Singapore plays host to approximately 11,000 European companies and more are expected to arrive in due course.

The EuroCham collection of sector committees has grown from 9 to 11 – Commercial Vehicles, Financial Ser vices, ICT, Internship, Intellectual Proper ty Rights (IPR), Human Resources (HR), Regional Finance & Tax, Regional Trade, Sustainability, Food & Pharma Packaging and Wine & Spirits. Sector committees offer a common European platform

to exchange information, discuss common issues businesses are facing and under take coordinated initiatives.

In line with the wor k of the sector committees, EuroCham has successfully published a number of Position Papers, which summarise policies and trends in Southeast Asia with recommended proposals. Examples are: Traceability: The Cornerstone of Food Safety Policy (introducing new regulations in Singapore’s Food Regulations); Position Paper on Degradable Packaging & Plastic Ban as a Solution to Littering; and HR White Paper (outlining priorities for the development of human capital in ASEAN in lieu of the ASEAN economic integration project).

“EuroCham has been involved in many advocacy initiatives in collaboration with Singaporean authorities, and more projects will follow. We have been active on diverse fields, ranging from tourism to taking actions against counterfeiting, not to mention our engagement on many policy dialogues on HR or FS. As such, our presence and close ties with the Singaporean

Government allows us to be a key interlocutor for European businesses, and we hope to see our voice growing stronger.”

“In addition, as our scope of action is constantly widening, EuroCham now aims to strengthen its collaboration with the Singaporean Government by taking more initiatives based on corporate social responsibility, a key aspect frequently mentioned in the Budget in March,” Mr Djerf comments on the activities going forward.

Fur thermore EuroCham organizes two annual flagship events – Europe Day Luncheon and Schuman Lecture Gala Dinner. During these events, the Chamber has the privilege to host high profile personalities to deliver a keynote speech, sharing their thoughts and views of the global economy and its future implications for businesses. EuroCham also offers a less formal platform for its members and the wider business community to network and access a wide and diversified audience (arranged four times yearly).

For Mr Djerf his experience from being President also for SBAS (Swedish Business Association of Singapore) is significant in his EuroCham role.

“Not only it is possible but I would say essential to apply past experiences to future roles as experience come with knowledge and lessons on how to overcome a challenge. Each National Business Group has its own topics of interest.

However, building an advocacy and lobbying strategy in Singapore is a constant challenge to all. If the issues are different, the approach remains the same, and it is crucial to follow the business environment and culture in place in Singapore.”

And one may also wonder how the head of Handelsbanken in the region can balance his additional President roles also with family life?

“Every day is a challenge with many obstacles to overcome. However, being the President of EuroCham does not mean I have to face them alone. I am blessed to have the support of my family. In addition, I have the great pleasure to work with a dynamic team offering the support I need to carry on the work and responsibilities I hold.“ June 2016 • ScandAsia.China 17

News Brief

Swedish Sustainable Fashion Event in Hong Kong

T

he Swedish Sustainable Fashion Exhibition was held on 9-10 April 2016 at PMQ in Hong Kong where the Secretary for the Environment, the honorable WONG Kam Sing, joining in presenting and also donating to the clothes exchange ‘ShareWare‘ With this initiative citizens of Hong Kong could join in taking a sustainable standpoint with regards to fashion whilst giving someone else the chance to fall in love with their ex-clothes, while at the same time revitalising their closets in a climate-friendly way.

At the launch some “nice new things” were presented and visitors could bring an item they wished to share through ShareWear on Instagram and were helped in sharing it forward at the special Meet-up point. Snap pictures of the visitor and her/his item were taken in the Photobooth that could then be uploaded it to #sharewear for someone nearby to hopefully pick it up.

The launch of ShareWear was a great success, kicking off in Hong Kong with a live share of 26

18 ScandAsia.China • June 2016

designer items that were shared on the day. The Consulate General of Sweden Hong Kong gives a huge thanks to all the companies, designers, celebrities and other individuals that joined in the sharing. VOID Watches had been donated to the initiative.

The other brands were: H&M, Fjällräven Hong Kong, Kapok, Lindex, Squarestreet, Skultuna, Vein, Carin Wester, Rodebjer, and House Of Dagmar.

“The clothes exchange saw over 1000 pieces of fashion find new owners. Swapping clothes is a new idea in Hong Kong but something we really would like to do again. Everyone had great fun!”

Million tons of textiles are thrown away each …year. But instead of tossing your clothes once you’re over them, you could give your exclothes the chance to fall in love with someone new. That’s why Sweden launched ShareWear, a part of the Democreativity initiative, that aims to inspire a sustainable way to be fashionable.

VisitSweden and the Swedish Institute are the initiators of ShareWear.They are both responsible

for promoting and creating interest in Sweden around the world.VisitSweden is Sweden’s official board of tourism, and promotes the brand of Sweden, as well as Swedish destinations and experiences abroad. The Swedish Institute is a public agency that promotes interest and confidence in Sweden through strategic communication, capacity building, cultural cooperation and scholarships.

Representatives from H&M and Fjällräven explained, interacted and demonstrated how they are working with sustainable fashion, share their sustainable standpoints and inventive ideas about recycling.

Source: Consulate General of Sweden Hong Kong

June 2016 • ScandAsia.China 19