On the occasion of the largest trade mission ever sent to any country – headed by HRH Prince Philippe – and on the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Belgium and China, the Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce (FCCC) publishes a book with interviews of famous Flemish, Chinese and other personalities covering a wide range of topics related to China.

The Chamber asks them how many times they have visited China and what major changes they have witnessed in that emerging Asian power. Some have visited China only a couple a times and are amazed at what they have discovered, eager to visit the country again at the earliest opportunity. Others lost count as the number of visits runs into the hundreds, and they still can’t get enough. One thing everybody agrees on is that China is changing at an extraordinary speed and to keep up with it one cannot postpone the next visit for too long.

Following a foreword by Steven Vanackere, Vice Premier of the Belgian federal government and Minister of Foreign Affairs; and an introduction by Bert De Graeve, Chairman of the Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce and CEO of Bekaert, famous  personalities talk about their experiences in China, the successes and pitfalls of doing business there and what we could learn from the Chinese. The “Voices on China” presented here are diverse: from Chairman of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht to CEOs of Flemish companies who have proven to be successful in China. Bert De Graeve, CEO of Bekaert; Christian Reinaudo, CEO of Agfa-Gevaert Group; Marc Van Sande, Executive Vice-President Energy Materials of Umicore; and Wim Buyens, Senior Vice-President Entertainment Division at Barco; talk about the differences in business culture between Belgium and China, about measures to further improve trade and investment between the two countries; and about what it takes to be successful in China.

Jonathan Holslag, Research Director at the Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies, in a wide-ranging interview, covers China’s rise as a world power and the challenges it faces to become No 1. He also gives his informed insights into the next generation of Chinese leaders, which will assume office following next year’s 18th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.

Chinese investments in Flanders are increasingly important. Li Shufu, Chairman of Geely Holding, which recently took over Volvo, talks about the future of green cars and how to solve China’s traffic problems. Liao Liqiang, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Belgium, who only took up his post a few months ago, covers all aspects of the relations between the two countries. He recalls the visit to Beijing by Queen Elisabeth in 1961, a decade before the establishment of diplomatic relations. Two Chinese captains of industry, Chairman Jiang Jianqing of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and Chairman Chen Feng of Hainan Airlines, talk about the financial and aviation industries respectively.

Rounding out the book, Belgian Ambassador to China Patrick Nijs, says in his afterword: “Concluding such an impressive compilation of highly informed comments on China is a great honour.” The Ambassador points out that Belgium was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China following the first unofficial visit to China by then U.S. National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger. Ambassador Nijs notes that “We have been at the forefront, setting up joint ventures with a genuine commitment to their ‘joint’ nature.”

The “voices” assembled in this book shed a new light on China. “We hope you enjoy listening to them,” concludes FCCC Chairman De Graeve.

The book is bilingual English-Chinese.

Members can obtain a copy of the presentation by sending an e-mail to info@flanders-china.be.

The publications “Meeting the Challenges of Human Resources Management in China”, “A Guide to Doing Business with China” and “FCCC Members’ Portraits in China” are available at the FCCC. More information at www.flanders-china.be

The publications “Meeting the Challenges of Human Resources Management in China”, “A Guide to Doing Business with China” and “FCCC Members’ Portraits in China” are available at the FCCC. More information at www.flanders-china.be

The Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce (FCCC) has published a brochure on “Meeting the Challenges of Human Resources Management in China”. Investing in China has virtually become a necessity for keeping ahead of the competition on a global scale. While expanding into China entails numerous difficulties, as attested by the many management books on working there, maybe one of the most problematic aspects of investing in China is the management of human resources (HR). Whether newcomers opt to set up a small representative office or launch a huge manufacturing plant, the key element that will decide success or failure is the resulting entity’s human capital, i.e. the (Chinese) employees who will be running the respective operation on the ground. Experienced expatriate managers can certainly provide guidance and leadership, but it is the Chinese staff and managers – ranging
from the security guard at the gate to the general manager in the Board room – who will determine the success of your Chinese adventure. With a population of 1.34 billion, China does not exactly lack willing hands and brains, but this sheer abundance of people makes it no easier to find the right recruits for your office or plant. At a time when more and more foreign investors opt to set up wholly-owned foreign enterprises, the job of attracting talented employees falls – at least initially – to the foreign investor.

So once staff have been drafted in, how can you keep them happy, or indeed retain them at all? To get rich is glorious, said Deng Xiaoping, so every Chinese man and woman aspires to earn a higher income and lead a better life, at least in material terms. Younger people in particular are not content to earn the same salary year after year, so job hopping is quite a ‘popular’ phenomenon. If a competitor of yours offers an employee of yours a few hundred yuan more per month, how can you prevent them from leaving? Most Chinese are quite happy to work for a foreign company, though that alone will not keep them happy. They want to climb up the career ladder and therefore require constant training. Education does not stop at graduation. So training can be an important way of keeping your employees motivated.

Efficiently tackling HR challenges will mark a huge step forward down the road to success and profits. Benefiting from the experiences of others can guide you along. “Meeting the Challenges of Human Resources Management in China” will provide the help you need. It   covers all the major HR issues: attracting talented employees, managing salary expectations, keeping employees motivated, offering them training, and retaining them in the company. For the purposes of this overview, we interviewed managers and human resources directors from Ahlers, Barco, Bekaert, Competence@, De Wolf & Partners, DND Consulting China, Hudson, InterChina Consulting, Recticel, Umicore and Vyncke, as well as the Chairman of the Human Resources Forum of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC).

FCCC Members can receive a free copy of “Meeting the Challenges of Human Resources Management in China”. Additional copies can be ordered via info@flanders-china.be

In the book “FCCC Members’ Portraits in China”, the Chamber presents the activities of 18 Flemish companies which have already made it in China. The book contains valuable information on how they tackled the highly competitive and difficult Chinese market. The man or woman on the ground in China also reveals tips and tricks about doing business in China, based on his or her experience in China. The managers who pulled of the success story of their companies in China also list their favorite book about China, there favorite restaurant in China and their favorite place in China, presenting the reader a lot of tips on books, restaurants and places.

Managers of member companies of the Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce based in China are doing an excellent job. Unfortunately, not much of their achievements filters through in the mainstream press. Some are responsible for the business of tens of wholly-owned companies and joint ventures. Others founded their own consultancy and have barely a few employees. Some have been in China for more than 20 years, have married Chinese women and have made the Middle Kingdom there second home. Others have done stints of three or four years in the country, coming from another assignment abroad and moving on to the next stage in their expatriate career. Diverse as those managers are, do they have anything in common? The interviews show that they are all very dedicated and hard working. They make it a point of honor to listen to their Chinese colleagues and employees. They don’t come to China with a fixed and arrogant attitude. On the contrary, they are flexible and quickly adapt to
the Chinese business world. That is one of the main reasons why they are successful. Read the book and find out the details. As many of the managers in this book explain, doing business in China is not that different from doing business elsewhere. To be successful and make a profit you have to do your homework. “FCCC Members’ Portraits in China” shows how they did it.
The book – Doing Business in China – provides the contact data of dozens of experienced guides, including European organizations, Chambers of Commerce, and useful websites. The guide contains many leads to get started. Other books and business guides may have longer stories to offer – and that may certainly be valuable – but the VOKA guide brings  so many useful contacts that to explore them all would equal the knowledge and insights gained through dozens of volumes.

A company’s China strategy must be based on a solid foundation. It is not necessarily more difficult to do business in China compared to any other country. It can, however, be quite expensive, especially for small and medium-sized companies that do not have millions of euro to spare to spend on an adventure that may turn out to be a failure. It is therefore very important for a company to do its homework, explore the Chinese market and see where the company and its products can fit in. Once that question has been answered, planning the concrete steps to make the Chinese market a profit driver for the company can start. VOKA and the Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce (FCCC) hope that the guide will be a useful companion to explore the Chinese market and make the Chinese adventures of Flemish companies add euros to their bottomline.

The price of the China Guide is €50, including a complementary copy of FCCC Members’ Portraits. FCCC members can also receive a free copy of FCCC Members’ Portraits separately. The guide to doing business in China and the FCCC Members’ Portraits can be ordered via www.flanders-china.be.