Lucky HuaGuang Graphics Co. Ltd. and Agfa Graphics announced today that they have entered into a strategic alliance in the graphics prepress business. The strategic alliance aims to allow both companies to grow their respective businesses by optimizing their respective strengths in manufacturing, technology and distribution of graphic prepress products and services.

Under the intended collaboration, Lucky HuaGuang Graphics Co. Ltd. will provide manufacturing capacity for printing plates in Nanyang, China, with Agfa Graphics’ support and using Agfa Graphics’ high-end technology and intellectual property to manufacture products for Agfa.

Furthermore, both companies intend to join forces to accelerate growth in mainland China, managed through the set-up of a joint venture combining their prepress distribution activities in the country.

Agfa and Lucky HuaGuang Graphics Co. Ltd. plan to expand their cooperation in other areas in the future, allowing both companies to grow their businesses and brand presence internationally.

“Joining forces with Lucky HuaGuang Graphics Co. Ltd., a leading supplier of prepress plates in China, will offer us a unique opportunity to grow our business and to restore our profitability. It is an important step in the further development of our strategy to offer our customers more choice,” says Stefaan Vanhooren, President Agfa Graphics.

“Agfa’s strong reputation and ambition to grow in the prepress industry will accelerate our plans to strengthen the presence of Lucky HuaGuang Graphics Co. Ltd. in the global printing industry,” says Mr. Tao Zhang, President of Lucky HuaGuang Graphics Co., Ltd.

The parties have agreed not to disclose any financial details. The implementation of the transaction is subject to customary regulatory and other conditions.
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About Agfa


The Agfa-Gevaert Group develops, manufactures and distributes an extensive range of analogue and digital imaging systems and IT solutions, mainly for the printing industry and the healthcare sector, as well as for specific industrial applications. Agfa’s headquarters and parent company are located in Mortsel, Belgium. The Agfa-Gevaert Group achieved a turnover of 2,443 million euro in 2017.

About Lucky Huaguang Graphics Co., LTD.

Lucky Huaguang Graphics Co., LTD., founded in 1972, is a state-owned enterprise under China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. It is China’s key printing photosensitive material production and R&D base, advocating the concept of green printing. The main products are Offset printing plate, Graphic-arts film, PCB film, High-barrier film and Flexo plate, etc.. As for offset printing plates, it is a leading manufacturer in the world. “Huaguang” brand is a well-known trademark in China’s printing and photosensitive industry.

On May 12, the first Silk Road train with exclusive destination Antwerp has arrived. The freight train, which had left the Chinese port city of Tangshan on April 26, was welcomed at the Port of Antwerp on May 12. This direct train route between China and Antwerp is part of China’s transnational “Belt and Road Initiative” to revive the ancient trade routes of the Silk Road.

Belt and Road Initiative
The train is part of the “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI), the ambitious development program of Chinese President Xi Jinping. It targets increased Euro-Asian connectivity through large infrastructure investments and restoration of the Silk Road, the historic trade route between Europe and the Far East, including the traditional maritime link and an efficient land bridge.

First direct train link between China and Antwerp
The train left the Chinese port city of Tangshan on April 26 and traveled through the border crossing of Alashankou, Kazakstan, Belarus, Poland and Germany, arriving after 16 days and 11,000 km at its final destination, the Port of Antwerp. It is the first train traveling directly from China to Antwerp.

The service is an initiative of Tangshan City and Tangshan Port, in cooperation with the China state shipping company Cosco Shipping Lines and China Railways (CRCT).

The recipient of the cargo is Cosco Shipping Belgium, which is responsible for transfer of the cargo to the end customer. The train transported a total cargo of 34 containers of industrial minerals which are used in different industries, such as paper and ceramics production, toothpaste and cosmetics. They are unloaded at Euroports, which will transfer them to its bulk terminal and distribute them further in Europe.

Luc Arnouts, Director International Networks, Port of Antwerp: “This direct train link puts our port on the BRI-map and will further strengthen our existing relationship with China. We have been working a long time on this and it is therefore an important milestone in our trade relations with China.”

Marc Van Peel, Vice Mayor for Port Affairs adds: “China occupies the fourth spot as Antwerp’s most important partner country with a yearly traffic of almost 14 million tons of cargo. Antwerp’s location is perfect on the maritime as well as rail link between Europe and China and our port can perfectly act as a transfer port for trade between China and Africa by rail.”

Geert Gekiere, Managing Director Euroports Belgium: “We are proud and honored to unload and handle the biggest cargo on the direct train between China and Antwerp. We encourage our customers to optimize their supply chain. Therefore almost all our terminals support road, rail and water links. Transport from the Tangshan area on traditional container ships takes on average more than 35 days, while on this train it only takes a record time of 16 to 20 days at relatively low cost.

Future cooperation
The local Chinese administration aims to have a direct train to Antwerp once or twice a month. Therefore Tangshan City hopes to have closer cooperation with the Port of Antwerp and wants to sign an MOU/sister relationship agreement with Antwerp. CRCT (China Railways) is examining the feasibility of opening a commercial office in Europe.

David Laurier, former CEO of Applitek, is opening a chain of Belgian bistros in China. The 47-year old entrepreneur from Deinze has opened the first Tapz bistro on Chinese New Year – 16 February 2018 – in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province. Chinese customers will discover typical Belgian specialties such as fresh beef stew with French fries, meat balls in tomato sauce, Ghent waterzooi, steak with bearnaise sauce, and vol-au-vent. Also on offer will be 30 different kinds of beer, including Sint-Canarus from Gottem, says Laurier.

In October 2017, David Laurier sold his family business Applitek to the American listed company Danaher to free up time for new projects. One of them is Tapz, a chain of bistros, which he hopes will conquer the Chinese market. The menu includes specialties well-known in Belgium.

“Wuhan is largely unknown in Belgium,” says Laurier, “but the city has more than 10 million inhabitants. I have visited the city several times when I was with Applitek, including during a state visit of our King and Queen. I know that you can hardly find any of our culinary assets and I would like to change this.” A Belgian cook is training local Chinese chefs.

“The name Tapz refers to about 30 Belgian beers which will be on tap. Besides Duvel and Chimay, I also would like to promote our local brewery Sint-Canarus,” says Laurier. The bistro covers 700 square meters, including a beer shop, a wine bar, cigar corner and a sports corner, where customers can watch important sports events on a large screen. There will also be two billiard tables, an electronic darts board and a beerpong table.”

David Laurier also plans to open a smaller bistro in another part of Wuhan and hopes to set up Tapz bistros in other big cities such as Chengdu. Why China? “After 20 years it has become my second homeland and the opportunities for entrepreneurs are unlimited,” concludes Laurier, as reported by Het Laatste Nieuws.

On 6 February, the Board of Directors nominated Mr. Filip Pintelon, Senior Vice-President, GM Healthcare, Barco; and Mr. Christian Leysen, Executive Chairman, Ahlers, as Board Members of the Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce (FCCC). They replaced Mr. Carl Peeters, Chief Financial Officer, Barco; and Mr. Luc Maton, General Manager Asia Region, Ahlers, respectively.

Hainan Airlines has climbed two notches to reach third place in a global airline safety rating list, the best-ever ranking for a mainland China-based airline, according to a report by the Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Center (JACDEC), a German airline safety institute. The JACDEC report reviewed the performance of more than 60 leading airlines in 2016. Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific ranked No 1 in this year’s assessment. The safety index is based on airlines’ annual revenue, passenger kilometers, International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit membership, and the transparency of its controlling aircraft accident investigation authority. Depending on the age of the airline, the data can reach up to 30 years into the past. Hainan Airlines made the list’s top 10 for a fifth consecutive year. Established in 1993, the airline has been expanding rapidly, now operating 180 aircraft and 700 international and domestic air routes that connect with more than 100 cities. The airline has logged 5 million hours of safe flights and has operated for 23 years without incident. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has also honored the airline with its Five-Star Flight Safety Award. “Safety is the most important factor for the aviation industry,” said Wei Changrong, Safety Director of Hainan Airlines, as reported by the China Daily.