China 2010

We are back for a very exiting week in China. We used this blog to report on our experiences in China. During the preparation we had some very interesting guest posts, on Guan Xi, table manners and the car industry. During the actual trip we visited companies in the textile and car industry like Lectra and Ricardo. Also a post on the Worldexpo and on Bang&Olufsen. Or check our photoalbum.

We hope you enjoy our blog!

Alex Otto and Angus Steel

When we started this blog almost two weeks ago, I looked back at the time I lived in China and considered the great challenges China was facing. Now it is clear China has succeeded in meeting these challenges. One of my questions before this journey was to discover the current challenges.

Stability
For the government of China, stability in the country still is the number one challenge. China needs to keep its population satisfied by offering progress and opportunities to the poorest. The government pushes up minimal wages to enlarge the domestic market. more…

Bang&Olufsen, one of the companies of the Delta Lloyd Participation Fund, just announced a partnership with BMW for high-end audio systems. In China, sales in the luxury car segment are currently skyrocketing. Especially for BMW. As we learned last week, the brand that promises the “ultimate driving experience” is the top preferred car brand in China, rather than Audi and Mercedes (although they perform also very well). So this deal can help to open the Chinese market for Bang&Olufsen. This partnership provides B&O distribution through the Chinese BMW dealer network, access to a targeted audience of high net worth individuals, improves awareness and associates B&O with the widely recognised BMW brand.


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We have had the pleasure to talk with Mr. Willie Fung, chairman of Top Form Bras. As he also holds the position of chairman of the Hong Kong Textile and Garment Association, you can imagine he is very well informed on the current situation on the textile market. I summarised three important issues of our conversation.


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When I lived in Hong Kong, the property market was quite obscure and shadowy. So, I was interested to know how the property market is organised these days. During a lunch with an investor I asked about the current situation.
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During our last evening here, I took this picture from the other side of the river. Hong Kong Island, it is really stunning.

Charles Taylor Consulting (CTC), a service provider for insurers of the Delta Lloyd Participation Fund, has an important regional office in Hong Kong. The aviation division is even headquartered in Asia. Why? Simple. Because this region is already the most important area for aviation.

Avation
3 out of the top 10 airline companies worldwide are from China. Airliner Southern China alone, transported 66 million people last year. Whilst the European market is weak, Asia-Pacific carriers recorded a 13.2 percent increase in demand. CTC showed us these two pictures of the airport in Beijing.

Not so long ago
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Finally, after 15 years I’ve returned to Hong Kong. Wow. I love the place!