Moore Stephens Verschelden, together with the Flemish Chinese Chamber of Commerce (FCCC), Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) and Bencham, is cordially inviting you to fill out the Sino-Belgian Business Survey 2012. It is a very easy and quick process which takes about 3 to 5 minutes.

We all know the Chinese economy outperformed most economies with its 9% growth last year. But how well did our own companies perform in China? Do we enjoy the same staggering growth? What are the drivers behind this growth? And what do we do with the yielded benefits? Secondly, we also look into to what the greatest opportunities and threats are that lie ahead of us. How is the business environment and market environment evolving? Through the results of 15 simple yet crucial questions we take temperature of the Sino-Belgian Business conditions. The results of the survey will be the topic of two panel discussions with a number of industry leaders from Bekaert, Agfa Gevaert, Ahlers, Itinera, Vyncke, and others during our Sino-Belgian Survey Events on March 15 at 8 pm in Brussels and on March 22 at 8pm in Shanghai.

Click here to take the survey

We sincerely thank you in taking the time to participate in this (anonymous) survey. The results will allow us all to understand where we are, and where we are heading with our China business.

The Province of West Flanders is looking for companies which could offer internships in China for students industrial engineer construction. More information is available on the website of the Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce (FCCC) at www.flanders-china.be

FIT Express Newsletter announced the availability of a study of the automobile sector in China.

In the framework of the past mission by HRH Prince Philippe, the technology federation Agoria organized a special automotive trip through China. About ten Belgian suppliers and service providers of the automotive sector visited the headquarters of eight Chinese car manufacturers during the trip. The only one in South China was BYD in Shenzhen.

This sector, which is a priority sector for the local authorities, showed an extraordinary growth in the past months. Some multinationals are building very modern plants in the region, which will soon produce a series of new car models. This includes “European” luxury cars (Audi), which will be manufactured in China for exports to the Middle East.

The purpose of the paper by the Consulate General in Guangzhou is to give the Belgian automobile sector – one of the pillars of our national industry – a more complete picture of what is happening in the field in China to offer them as much information as possible to be able to react to the recent trends.

The paper can be downloaded at the website of the Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce at www.flanders-china.be under the category Useful Info > Documents > Flanders Investment and Trade – Paper “De automobielsector in China”.

The European Council on Foreign Relations and Asia Centre have published China Analysis: Facing the Risks of the ‘Going Out Strategy’, the latest edition of China Analysis. China is transforming itself from a major exporter of goods to a major exporter of capital. By 2009, Chinese investors had established more than 13,000 companies abroad, and China was one of the world’s leading global investors. But China’s external financial flows are often opaque: the three main global destinations for Chinese FDI are the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and Luxembourg. “Facing the risks of the “going out strategy””, the latest edition of ‘China Analysis’, explores Beijing’s foreign financial footprint and highlights the concerns of Chinese investors and political analysts. Click here for a pdf copy of China Analysis: Facing the Risks of the ‘Going Out Strategy’

In-house experts of the EU SME Center have prepared business-focussed reports, guidelines and case studies that are freely accessible on the Center’s website upon registration. They are a must read for any company currently engaged in business with China or looking to the Chinese market for commercial development.

• At a time when employers are seeking to recruit and retain staff more effectively and better understand the latest regulations, the EU SME Centre has just published a report on Labor Laws in China
• Online selling, or E-commerce, has developed at an incredible rate in China. Online selling market in China highlights in-roads and opportunities for European SMEs to sell their products in the local market.

• As China faces huge and growing energy needs and environmental challenges, the Center’s latest sector report focusses on the Green tech market in China . While state owned enterprises and large corporations remain the main actors of the market, the report highlights where European SMEs can leverage their know-how and technologies.

www.eusmecentre.org.cn