SHANGHAI SOUTH CHINA ALL CHINA - AHKs

CHAMBER NEWS 

ALL CHINA 

Membership Directory 2010/11 

The ‘Who is Who’ of the German Chamber 

will be updated in May and June to reflect 

all new and existing member companies in 

the next edition of the annual Membership 

Directory. All members will be contacted by 

their local Chamber teams to update their 

information. If you wish to reserve one of 

the highly sought-after ad spaces or have 

your logo included in your company profile, 

please contact the local project manager at 

the respective Chamber team: 

Beijing: Ms. Wang Miao | wang.miao@bj.china.ahk.de 

Guangzhou: Ms. Esther Hu | hu.esther@gz.china.ahk.de 

Shanghai: Ms. Li Yandi | li.yandi@sh.china.ahk.de 

SHANGHAI 

Shanghai Votes 

34 April - May 2010 

CHAMBER NOTICES 

On 29 th April, the election of the new Board of Directors of the German 

Chamber of Commerce in China • Shanghai will be held. 

Members, who are eligible to vote but cannot attend the General 

Meeting may submit their vote by post. Ballot papers including a 

detailed presentation of all candidates that will be also published on 

the Chamber website, will be mailed to all members at the beginning 

of April. Postal votes have until 26 th April 2010 at 5.00pm to reach 

the German Chamber of Commerce, sent to the attention of Ms. Michaela 

Beck. For further information please contact Ms. Beck at 

' 021 5081-2266 ext.1659 | * beck.michaela @sh.china.ahk.de 

In line with the Chamber’s statute, only principal members (‘Hauptmitglieder’), 

additional members (‘Nebenmitglieder’) and associate 

members (‘individuelle Mitglieder’) of the GCC l Shanghai are 

eligible to vote. Employee members (‘Mitarbeitermitglieder’) cannot 

vote or stand for election. 

Candidates for GCC l Shanghai Board Election 2010: 

Mr. Michael Adick | North Highland 

Mr. Rainer Burkardt | Squire, Sanders & Dempsey 

Mr. Thomas Dorn | Vossloh Fastening Systems 

Dr. Jari Grosse-Ruyken | Chinesisch-Deutsches Hochschulkolleg der 

Tongji-Universität (CDHK) 

Mr. J. Alexandre Gruss | Talent Spheres Group 

Dr. Günter Hermann | SGL Carbon 

Dr. Gerhard Hinterhäuser | MEAG HK Ltd. 

Mr. Rolf Köhler | Freudenberg Management 

Dr. Stefan Lätsch | SCHOTT AG 

Dr. Peter Löffler | Bosch (China) Investment 

Mr. Ulrich Mäder | POLYMAX Group 

Mr. Andreas Odrian | Deutsche Bank 

Mr. Peter Vent | Commerzbank 

Mr. Willi Vett | Beiten Burkhardt 

Mr. Titus von dem Bongart | Ernst & Young 

Mr. Dirk von Wahl | TÜV SÜD China 

Mr. Arved von zur Mühlen | Lufthansa 

Ms. Brigitte Wolff | Management Engineers 

Dr. Fan Zhijian | Nokia Siemens Networks 

Mr. Joachim Zwicky | Weiss-Voetsch 

Joschka Fischer Visited AHK Shanghai 

On 4 th March 2010, a small delegation led by Mr. Joschka Fischer, 

the former Foreign Affairs Minister and Vice-Chancellor of Germany, 

visited the German Chamber at the AHK Shanghai offices. 

After a tour of the whole office, the prominent guest met with board 

members Mr. Manfred Rothgänger, Mr. Arved von zur Mühlen, Ms. 

Brigitte Wolff and Mr. Rainer Burkardt to get an inside view of the 

economic situation of German companies in China. Afterwards Mr. 

Fischer participated in a roundtable discussion with German environment 

companies, moderated by Ms. Magali Menant, Head of the 

Building, Energy and Environment department of German Industry 

and Commerce in Shanghai. 

From left: Mr. Rainer Burkardt, Ms. Brigitte Wolff, Mr. Joschka Fischer, 

Mr. Manfred Rothgänger and Mr. Arved von zur Mühlen 

Changes in the South China Team 

As of 1 st April 2010, Ms. Heidrun Buss has 

taken over the position of Executive Chamber 

Manager of the GCC • South China. 

Ms. Buss previously worked for the GCC • 

Shanghai and the national chamber is glad 

that she remains in the network. The South 

China team welcomes her in the Guangzhou 

office and wishes her utmost success. She is 

following Mr. Kilian Becker who has com- 

Ms. Heidrun Buss 

pleted his two-year assignment and will return 

to Hong Kong. The South China board 

and the GC Ticker editorial team are sad to see Mr. Becker leave and 

express their sincere gratitude for his outstanding contributions. We 

wish Mr. Becker all the best for his future. 

South China Votes 

SOUTH CHINA 

On 15 th April, the election of the new Board of Directors of the German 

Chamber of Commerce • South China will be held. Members, 

who are eligible to vote but cannot attend the General Meeting may 

submit their vote by post. Postal votes have to reach the German 

Chamber of Commerce until 12 th April 2010 at 5.00 pm, sent to the attention 

of Ms. Esther Hu. For further information please contact Ms. 

Hu at ' 020 8755-2353 ext.217 | * hu.esther@gz.china.ahk.de 

In line with the Chamber’s statute, only principal members and additional 

members of the GCC • South China are eligible to vote. Private 

members cannot vote or stand for election.

2010 April - May 35

CHAMBER NEWS ALL CHINA PAGES 

Ambassador Dr. Michael Schaefer sees opportunities 

In times of economic uncertainty, evaluation of the German business 

situation in Greater China serves as an indicator for future development 

in Asia. 250 delegates and 33 China experts from businesses 

and institutions gathered in Dusseldorf (North Rhine-Westphalia) on 

occasion of the Greater China Day to benchmark the current situation 

and discuss future prospects for Sino-German business. 

The annual signature event was jointly organised by the Chambers 

of Industry & Commerce (IHK) in Dusseldorf and Cologne, and by 

the German Chamber of Commerce in China (GCC). The GCC l 

South China took lead of the German Chamber involvement with 

the support of the German-Chinese Business Association (DCW) and 

the German Asia-Pacific Business Association (OAV). The official 

delegates of German Industry & Commerce from Greater China were 

all present to share insights about German business in the region and 

offer consultation for entrepreneurs interested in the Chinese market. 

The event was honoured by an opening speech by the Ambassador 

of Germany in China, Dr. Michael Schaefer who encouraged German 

companies to use the opportunities abroad: “China is one of 

the few countries that emerged with added strength from the global 

crisis and continues its internal development and dynamic rise. This 

is above all an opportunity for German companies, especially from 

the small and medium segment. These companies can leverage their 

technological advantage by selling their innovative products in the 

growing China market”. 

Five Executive Directors of the chamber and trade offices in Beijing, 

Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taiwan made up the first 

panel. While jointly explaining the links between politics and economics, 

the panel focused on current challenges and opportunities such as 

the EXPO in Shanghai and development of the Central China region. 

Furthermore, results from the second survey on business confidence 

in China were presented for the first time. The survey was conducted 

among 150 member companies of the GCC early in 2010 in cooperation 

with Fiducia Management Consultants. Together with panels and 


Nico Beilharz shows optimism 

Rise with the Dragon? 

Greater China Day 2010 

Closing keynote by Johannes Dell (AS&P) 

workshops, the survey gave first answers to the question that served 

as the conference subtitle: (Do we) Rise with the dragon? 

Following the survey findings, German companies in China are generally 

upbeat about their business prospects in the Middle Kingdom. 

An astounding 98% of respondents expect rising profits in 2010. More 

than half of the participating companies have increased their investments 

over the previous year. 60% recorded growth, particularly 

companies from the industrial goods and service sectors. The true 

winner from the downturn, however, is the investment goods sector. 

85% of German companies in this industry benefited from increased 

business as a result of the Chinese government’s stimulus package. 

The automotive industry had an equally satisfying year, in which 

some industry players were able to double their turnover. Slightly 

less positive was the picture for the consumer goods market. Half 

the companies in this segment saw an increase in business after the 

stimulus efforts from Beijing. Nico Beilharz, Chairman of the Board of 

the German Chamber of Commerce in China, summed up the mood 

of his fellow countrymen: “We are confident that in spite of the global 

crisis, at least in China, the ‘economic sun’ will continue to rise”. 

Over six workshops, China experts shared their experiences with 

participants and invited them to contribute to the discussions. All 

workshops had one thing in common: The speakers – senior representatives 

of German companies in China – encouraged entrepreneurs 

interested in China to set up or extend their operations in various 

sectors. Executives of large and small enterprises offered their 

experience to help participants face challenges when entering the 

China market or extending current activities. The financial crisis has 

especially impacted the SME segment. 

Confidence in future development was demonstrated by highranking 

speakers in the closing panel. While looking back on the 

toughest period of operations in China, the China CEOs of BASF, 

Siemens, Jade Cargo and Melchers were positive about the future 

development in their respective industries, though they still cau-

www.china.ahk.de 

Sharing the panel: Matthias Claussen, Jörg Wuttke, Kay Kratky and Dr. GIC experts providing advice to 

Richard Hausmann (from right) delegates at the AHK Lounge 

Participants during networking breaks 

The five Executive Directors of the GCC with the moderator 

tiously observe market developments and work out ways to reduce 

costs. Overall, participants were impressed with the scope of opportunities, 

the velocity in which the Chinese government reacts to 

certain aggravations, and the dimensions of infrastructural projects. 

In a memorable closing keynote, Johannes Dell, Partner of Albert 

Speer & Partner GmbH in Shanghai, visually explained the needs of 

the rapidly developing country and paid special attention to aspects 

of community life, traffic solutions, and environmental protection. 

He encouraged the German industry to actively contribute to sustainable 

urban development by focusing on research and development 

of building technologies and environmental solutions. This 

would not only secure a bright future for German business but for 

the largest population on earth. 

Event: Rise with the Dragon? Greater China Day 2010 

Date: 18 th March 2010 

Venue: Hotel Nikko, Dusseldorf 

Speakers: Prof. Ulrich Lehner | President, IHK Dusseldorf; Mr. Nico 

Beilharz | Chairman of the Board, German Chamber of Commerce in 

China; Dr. Michael Schaefer | Ambassador of Germany in China; Mr. 

Ekkehard Goetting | Chairman, GCC l Hong Kong; Ms. Jutta Ludwig 

| Executive Director, GCC l Beijing; Mr. Manfred Rothgänger | 

Executive Director, GCC l Shanghai; Ms. Alexandra Voss | Executive 

Director, GCC l South China; Dr. Roland Wein | Executive Director, 

German Trade Office Taipei; Mr. Matthias Claussen | Managing 

Partner, Melchers GmbH & Co; Dr. Richard Hausmann | President 

and CEO, Siemens Ltd. China; Mr. Kay Kratky | CEO, Jade Cargo 

International Shenzhen; Mr. Jörg Wuttke | Chief Representative, BASF 

(China); Johannes Dell | Partner, AS&P Albert Speer & Partner GmbH 

Special Ambassador Dr. Wolfgang Röhr, Minister Christa Thoben, Prof. 

Lehner and Nico Beilharz (from left) 

The Workshops 

Besides two major panels the participants were able to join six 

different workshops. Senior executives of German companies offered 

first-hand information in the following areas: 

n Trade Fairs from the Exhibitor’s and Visitor’s Point of View 

n Consumer Goods Market Greater China 

n Investment Goods Market Greater China 

n Human Resources Management 

n Sourcing/Purchasing 

n SMEs in Greater China: Obstacles and Factors of Success 

The GCC thanks the following workshop panellists: Mr. Dornscheidt 

(Messe Düsseldorf), Ms. Hoffmann (Villeroy & Boch), Mr. Kreyenborg 

(Kreyenborg), Mr. Papageorgiou (Rouse), Mr. Henning (Deutsche Bank), 

Mr. Maniatis (MBK), Ms. Steinmeyer (MetaDesign), Mr. Dahmen (SMS 

Siemag), Dr. Hausmann (Siemens), Mr. Sudmann (Commerzbank), Mr. 

Burkardt (Squire, Sanders & Dempsey), Mr. Kolvenbach (Neumann 

Partners), Prof. Rövekamp (FH Ludwigshafen), Mr. Boenisch (Olimex), Mr. 

Frankholz (TÜV Rheinland), Ms. Vogel (Harting), Mr. Dorn (Vossloh), Mr. 

Koeppe (Weiss-Voetsch), Mr. Sänger (Melchers), Mr. Sindemann (MTU). 

Does your consultant 

provide general knowledge? 

您的咨询顾问只提供您些常识? 

Better yet, 

he demonstrates 

expertise 

他最好能具有 

专业知识 

Moving Your Enterprise 

www.ManagementEngineers.com 

2010 April - May 37

CHAMBER NEWS 

GCC BOARD 

BEIJING 


Siemens Ltd. Northeast Asia 

CEO 

Siemens Ltd. China 

CEO and President 

Dr. Richard Hausmann* 

Chairman 

KPMG Huazhen Certified Public 

Accountants 

Partner Audit 

Mr. Andreas Feege 

Treasurer 

German Chamber Beijing 

Executive Director 

Delegation of German Industry & 

Commerce Beijing 

Delegate & Chief Representative 

Ms. Jutta Ludwig* 

Deutsche Bank (China) Co. Ltd. 

Director, Head of Corporate Banking 

Coverage, China 

Mr. Eddy Henning 

Gruner+Jahr (Beijing) 

Advertising Co. Ltd. 

General Manager & President 

Mr. Wolfgang Kohl 

Volkswagen (China) 

Investment Co. Ltd. 

Executive Vice President, 

Finance Department 

Dr. Jörg Mull 

TUI China Travel Co. Ltd. 

CEO 

Mr. Marcel Schneider 

Bayer (China) Ltd. 

Vice President, Corporate Social 

Responsibility Greater China 

Mr. William Valentino 

Daimler AG 

Executive Vice President 

Daimler Northeast Asia Ltd. 

Chairman & CEO 

Mr. Ulrich Walker 

* All-China Board member 

BEIJING PAGES 

The visual experts David Hiebaum and 

Christian Titze… 

“How to make a lasting impression by using 

the right visuals?” was the question to the 

answer found in visual communication, a 

key area of 21 st century communications. Be 

it the adaption of a corporate design to different 

culture-rooted preferences across the 

globe or the usability of a website and other 

digital formats in a range of cultural and 

typographical contexts – visual communication 

makes all the difference in B2B and B2C 

customer interaction. 

David Hiebaum gave an overview on strategies 

for tailoring Western companies’ visual 

appliances to match globally diverse users 

while retaining a viable corporate identity. 

Mr. Hiebaum focused on the special needs 

and preferences of the Chinese web user 

concerning content, design, realisation, consistency, 

animation, interaction, configuration 

and authoring. He showed exemplary 

Fengshui 

in the Showroom 

1 st Communication Roundtable 

case studies of what the ingredients are to 

ensure a successful interaction with China’s 

internet-savvy consumers. Hiebaum appealed 

to the audience to gain a higher 

familiarity with the engrained Chinese user. 

Becoming aware of his/her traits and using 

those consciously – together with the right 

tools and indicators for measuring website 

usability – are key success factors that the 

expert introduced. 

Christian Titze focused on visual communications 

from two-dimensional to graphic usability. 

While demonstrating brand strategy 

in a visual context, Titze showed successful 

examples of German car brands reshaping 

their China outlets with local nuances, as 

well as a Chinese publisher rebranding itself 

to prepare for going global. 

Event: Visual Communications - How to 

make a lasting impression by using the right 

visuals 

Date: 26 th January 2010 

Speakers: Mr. David Hiebaum | Managing 

Director of mediaman Beijing; Mr. Christian 

Titze | Senior Account Manager with 

MetaDesign Beijing 

…in discussion with audience member Andreas Laimboeck

Balancing Expatriate Rewards 

Expatriates continue to be needed in China 

in years of financial crisis. In new corporate 

entrants, expatriates are typically managers in 

senior level positions, implying high costs to 

the company. In the growing business – foreign 

companies in the growth stage – there is still a 

need for technical skill transfer. In the ‘old China 

Hand’ business – foreign companies in the 

mature stage – more expats are from the surrounding 

Asia-Pacific region and/or on openended 

contracts with China-hire cash packages. 

In the past three years, the pace of localisation 

has increased, and after the financial crisis, premiums 

and allowances for many expats were 

reduced or completely eliminated. Locally 

hired foreigners were situated between locals 

Built for Business 

It was a full house for another popular ‘Baustammtisch’ 

session, whose diverse audience 

was drawn to the topic by professional and 

personal interest. Presenting her recent study 

findings, Corinne Abele highlighted indicators 

for the demand of German architecture services 

in China, how German architects in particular 

could contribute, and the highly specific operational 

but also attitudinal challenges they face 

in China. 

The figures made it clear that the Chinese 

architecture and building sectors were not a 

market in crisis. Although not every foreign architecture 

studio will be able to secure a ‘dream 

project’ as the now legendary Olympic landmarks, 

the National Library or the troubled 

CCTV tower, Abele showed that there was still 

plenty of opportunity and profit to seize for 

foreign architects. Abele identified and broke 

down the common discrepancies of expectations 

and experiences between foreign architects 

and Chinese project owners – and gave an 

outright look at what could be done in avoidance 

of the resulting pitfalls and in preparation 

for a hopefully successful China venture. 

Ashley Howlett added his expansive insights 

from 23 years in international construction law. 

Although, as he pointed out, the WTO didn’t 

necessarily improve the situation, he granted 

that the industry was rapidly changing for the 

better. Foreign-Chinese construction JVs proved 

highly problematic and barely successful. More 

or less sporadically enforced laws with a lot of 

room for interpretation would leave any construction 

lawyer frustrated. Developing regulations 

remain rather experimental, in favour 

of domestic businesses and unpredictable for 

foreign players. 

and ‘true’ expats, and complaints from Chinese 

managers about inequity increased. In fact, 

long-term expats feel comfortable with local 

packages. Therefore, only 13% of the foreign 

companies in China do not have any plan for 

expatriate localisation. 

China’s social security for expatriates is a hot 

topic and new regulations have created the following 

development: Foreigners and overseas 

Chinese working in Shanghai can now participate 

in the city’s social security insurance 

scheme. In brief, specified in the employment 

contract upon mutual agreement by company 

and employee on an individual basis, eligibility 

and payment method for the social security 

pension follow the same rules that apply to lo- 

Construction Roundtable 

Howlett vividly illustrated how crucial it was 

for foreign architects to pinpoint their niche 

on the market, particularly when it came to 

new technology they could contribute – one 

of the general strengths of foreign designers 

and builders. “If you come here to build highrise 

apartment blocks, forget it. The Chinese 

can build them cheaper, quicker and, well, on 

the quality side it’s improving.” His advice 

for a successful architecture project in China: 

“Be innovative, be valuable, be prepared to 

take risks.” 

In the architectural loop: Corinne Abele… 

…and Ashley Howlett. 

Event: Architecture Services and Construction 

Law in the PRC 


Speaker: Ms. Corinne Abele | Beijing 

Correspondent, Germany Trade and Invest; 

Mr. Ashley M. Howlett | Partner, Jones Day 

Event: 2009 Hewitt Expatriate, China Hire 

and Returnee Compensation and Benefits 

Study Results Presentation 

Date: 2 nd February 2010 


Study Results Presentation 

cal Shanghai employees, as do medical and jobrelated 

insurance. If the employees leave China 

before retirement, they are only entitled to their 

individual account balance – they will not benefit 

from the social pooling account in which 

most employer contributions are deposited. 

Speaker: Mr. Fan Sun | Retirement and 

Benefits Director North China, Hewitt Talent 

and Organisation Consulting 

NEW 

MEMBERS 

BEIJING 

For full contact information and company profiles 

of our new and existing members please visit www. 

german-company-directory.com 

Mr. Holger Hanisch 

Beijing 

' 139 1078-7469 

* holger_hanisch@yahoo.com 

Mr. David Hiebaum 

Managing Director 

Mediaman Beijing 

Beijing 

' 010 8451-3651 ext.878 

* david.hiebaum@mediaman.com.cn 

www.mediaman.com.cn 

Mr. Michael Jaehrling 

General Manager 

Oakwood Residence Chaoyang Beijing 

Beijing 

' 010 5995-2862 

* michael.jaehrling@oakwoodasia.com 

www.oakwoodasia.com 

Mr. David Stegnitz 

Beijing 

' 010 5881-6391 ext.1008 

* david.stegnitz@tech-sonic.net 

www.tech-sonic.net 

Mr. Tan Wee Liat 

Chief Representative 

SAP Beijing Software System Co. Ltd. Dalian Branch 

Dalian, Liaoning 

' 0411 8483-6356 

* wee.liat.tan@sap.com 

2010 April - May 39

CHAMBER NEWS 

BEIJING AROUND TOWN 

Karneval 

6 th February 2010 | Der Landgraf Restaurant 

“Mer losse d’r Dom en Kölle” was one of the many tunes sung 

in the good old Cologne tradition of the Karnevalslied. In the 

midst of the Cologne Cathedral, an authentic imported “Jecken” 

joined the Landgraf Restaurant team at the official Centre for the 

Adequate Commemoration of Carnival in China to ensure the 

festivity did not fall short of fresh Kölsch or the turbulent spirit 

marking the Fifth Season in Germany. 


New Year Inter-Chamber 

Networking 

13 th January 2010 | Zeta Bar, Hilton Beijing Hotel 

One benefit of living in Beijing is the western-Chinese advantage 

of ringing in the New Year twice – an opportunity that the 

German and partnering chambers did not hesitate to participate 

in. The two jointly-organised New Years events took place in 

January at the Hilton Beijing Zeta Bar, then in February at the 

Raffles Beijing. Both events provided a welcoming platform 

to reunite after a long stretch of Holidays, extending from the 

Christmas season in December to the Lantern Festival on the last 

day of February.

2010 April - May 41

CHAMBER NEWS TIANJIN PAGE 

The Tianjin Board: Zhong Wanli, Uwe Birnbaum, Jutta 

Ludwig, Christoph Kaiser and Martin Miller (from left) 

Mr. Uwe Birnbaum 

General Manager, Jean Müller Electrical Systems 

(Tianjin) Co., Ltd. 

Mr. Christoph Kaiser 

General Manager, Turck (Tianjin) Technology Co., Ltd. 

Ms. Jutta Ludwig 

Delegate and Chief Representative, Delegation of 

German Industry & Commerce, Beijing 

Mr. Martin Miller 

General Manager, Commerzbank AG, Tianjin Branch 

Mr. Zhong Wanli 

General Manager, Würth (Tianjin) International Trading 

Co., Ltd. 

NEW MEMBERS 

TIANJIN 

Mr. Sunny Heng 


The Westin Tianjin 

Tianjin 

' 022 2389-0088 

* sunny.heng@westin.com 

www.westin.com/tianjin 

Mr. Juergen Hua 


GMC-Instruments (Tianjin) Co., Ltd 

Tianjin 

' 022 8372-6250 

* j.hua@gmci-china.cn 

www.gmci-china.cn 

Ms. Qin Zhiyan 


TUEV NORD Certification (Tianjin) Co., Ltd 

Tianjin 

' 022 2314-0016 

* zqin@tuev-nord.de 

www.tuev-nord.cn 

Mr. Tang Yi 


Zollern (Tianjin) Machinery Co., Ltd 

Tianjin 

' 022 6623-1860 

* tang.yi@zollern.cn 

www.zollern.com.cn 


Tianjin starts a Tradition 

1 st Kammerstammtisch 

Tianjin has now started its very own Kammerstammtisch 

tradition. The location for 

the kick-off meeting had also just opened the 

doors to its Tianjin branch a week prior – the 

Bavarian Brewery Drei Kronen 1308. More 

than 20 representatives of German companies 

in Tianjin took the chance to meet other 

Chamber members and exchange news, 

ideas and information while enjoying food 

and drinks in a casual setting. 

The regular gathering will be held every last 

Wednesday of the month. To make sure everyone 

gets a chance to attend, the Kammerstammtisch 

will be organised at two different 

locations that rotate each month – the Drei 

Kronen 1308 at Jinwan Plaza right across the 

Tianjin Railway Station, and Euro Place at 

Meijing, Hexi District. 

A New Look at Tianjin Binhai New Area 

On 8 th February, the Tianjin Board of the German 

Chamber held talks with high-ranking 

officials from the newly restructured Tianjin 

Binhai New Area (TBNA). He Lifeng, Secretary 

of CPC Tianjin Binhai New Area Committee 

and Deputy Secretary of CPC Tianjin Committee, 

along with Zong Guoying, newly appointed 

director of Tianjin Binhai New Area 

and Deputy Secretary of Party Committee of 

TBNA, welcomed the board members at their 

office. 

The Tianjin Binhai New Area experienced 

major streamlining efforts within a three 

month period between November 2009 and 

January of this year. The three former Tianjin 

municipal districts Tanggu, Hangu and 

Dagang are now integrated to form the new 

Binhai district covering an area of 2,000km² 

and with a population of 1.47mn. Important 

projects in Binhai district will no longer be 

supervised by the Tianjin municipality but 

the central government 

directly. 

Before, the three 

districts were under 

control of the Tianjin 

municipality as well 

as the Tianjin Binhai 

New Area Committee, 

which proved 

an inefficient administrative 

structure. 

Ongoing developments 

in the Tianjin 

Binhai New Area focus 

on the aerospace, 

The board members of the German Chamber 

of Commerce in Tianjin will regulary attend 

the Kammerstammtisch and be available for 

questions and suggestions. Don’t miss it! 

Event: Kammerstammtisch 


electronics, new material/new energy, petrochemical, 

biopharmaceutical, heavy equipment 

and light textile industries. In their already 

highly diversified industry structure, which 

provided Tianjin and the TBNA an impressive 

resilience to the financial crisis that had a much 

more apparent impact in other regions across 

China, an independent innovative industry 

campaign was launched to develop more modern 

and high-end industries 

Tianjin Binhai New Area will invest USD 

200bn, of which 10% will be covered by the 

local government and the remainder by enterprises. 

Mr. He Lifeng stressed that the TBNA 

has set out to become the area with the largest 

investment and fastest growth pace in China 

within the next five to ten years. 

With 18 companies located in the TBNA, German 

investment in this area is still comparatively 

small. 

Chamber Executive Jutta Ludwig and CPC Secretary He Lifeng look ahead 

at future common grounds in the Tianjin Binhai New Area

Kammerstammtisch Kick-off 

27 th February 2010 | Tianjin Drei Kronen 

1308 Bierhaus 

TIANJIN AROUND TOWN 


2010 April - May 43

CHAMBER NEWS SHANGHAI PAGES 

GCC BOARD 

SHANGHAI 


Lufthansa German Airlines 

Managing Director Greater China 

Mr. Arved von zur Mühlen * 

Chairman 

Vossloh Fastening Systems 

(China) Co. Ltd. 

CEO 

Mr. Thomas Dorn 

Treasurer 

German Chamber Shanghai 



Commerce Shanghai 


Mr. Manfred Rothgänger* 

Squire, Sanders & Dempsey 

L.L.P. 

Partner, Head of German Desk 

Mr. Rainer Burkardt 

Analogic Corporation 

CEO 

Dr. Rolf Hupke 

POLYMAX (Shanghai) Trading 

Co. Ltd. 

Chairman of the Board 

Mr. Ulrich Mäder 

Management Engineers 

China Ltd. 

Managing Director 

Ms. Brigitte Wolff 


Speaker Dr. Werner Breuers with Mr. Arved von zur Mühlen Mr. Daniel Heusser (virtuarch) 

In Times of Crisis: 

Chamber Meeting February 

Leaping forward through innovation, especially 

in difficult economic times, was the timely 

theme of the first Chamber Meeting in the Year 

of the Tiger. 160 members and guests of the 

GCC l Shanghai attended the evening to get 

prepped on the topic and find out what an innovative 

German specialty chemicals producer 

is doing to stay ahead of the competitive game. 

Before diving into innovation, the audience 

was updated on an equally sustainable issue 

– education. Architect Daniel Heusser of 

virtuarch reported on the current status of the 

Taicang Roundtable’s School rebuilding project 

that will be completed by the end of April. 

While classes have already started in the new 

earthquake-ready building, the dormitory is 

still undergoing final works. Special thanks 

were extended to the German Chamber Shanghai 

as the Lead Sponsor of the project. 

Opening his presentation, Lanxess Board 

Member Dr. Werner Breuers referred to the 

luxury brand Shanghai Tang as a rare Chinese 

trade name that has accomplished innovation 

by combining tradition with contemporary. 

The idea of second guessing the familiar is a 

key concept of innovation that is too often neglected 

in education. Schools and universities 

are preaching to stand by accepted facts and 

avoid errors. It is exactly these ‘mistakes’ however 

that can lay the foundation for innovative 

achievements, such as the classic example of 

3M’s ‘Post-it notes’. Initially perceived as a 

failed result of a new adhesive, the unique feature 

of the removable and re-attachable sticky 

notes made them a global bestseller. 

The Post-it story is therefore exemplary for 

the speaker’s belief and company’s mission: 

To become a global player, a company must 

be innovative in order to remain a ‘future 

player’. Lanxess, the world’s largest public 

listed specialty chemicals producer and former 

Bayer spin-off, is therefore following a clear innovation 

path. Especially in an industry where 

innovativeness reigns over pricing decisions 

and profit margins, it is key to offer premium 

products that the competition cannot produce. 

This is the best recipe for weathering a crisis. 

Quoting Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Dr. Breuer 

followed “There’s no bad time to innovate. 

You should be doing it when times are good 

and when times are tough”. Many companies 

often forget this core belief and rather focus on 

stabilising liquidity by freezing R&D spending. 

A recent study by Booz&Co however proved 

the opposite. Creativity and innovation are important 

especially in hard times. A company’s 

innovativeness is only marginally correlated 

to its research spending; however, a result of 

many factors will ultimately foster a culture of 

innovation. 

Creating such a fostering corporate environment 

is a dedicated mission of Lanxess. Accepting 

failures – the unavoidable and necessary 

side-products of any research – and defining 

standards while continuously scrutinising 

them, are just some of the measures taken. Yet 

these efforts must not be confined to the R&D 

function, but rather span the whole organisational 

culture. Adopting a corporate structure 

that allows fast decisions and transparent processes 

is helpful, but needs to go with the understanding 

that creativity cannot be ordered 

from above. 

Lanxess tried to establish a climate of innova-

Mr. Detlef Britzke (Medela) with Mr. Marc Dawson and Mr. J. Alexandre Gruss (both Talent 

Spheres) 

Innovate 

tion by reducing hierarchies and establishing 

close cooperation between R&D and business 

units to be closer to market needs. Drawing on 

a global innovation network and consequently 

reviewing research projects according to appropriate 

criteria are further pillars of the success 

strategy. The company sees its future growth 

primarily in the emerging markets and BRIC 

countries, whereas China shows by far the fastest 

growth in the chemicals market. To further 

solidify its position and innovative strength, 

Lanxess plans to increase its R&D budget 

by 10% every year. The aim of each research 

process is the development of a marketable 

product with a healthy margin. A new department 

will have the function of identifying patents 

and research results that don’t fit into the 

company’s product portfolio but can be sold to 

other businesses. 

A strong turnout of closing questions from the 

floor gave proof that the speaker had managed 

to encourage the audience in critically questioning 

the accepted facts. Whether his wish for 

more courage in breaking new grounds will be 

answered remains to be seen in future successful 

innovations. 

Event: Innovation als treibende Kraft 

Date: 25 th February 2010 

Speaker: Dr. Werner Breuers | Member of 

the Board, LANXESS AG 

Chair: Mr. Arved von zur Mühlen | Chairman 

of the Board of GCC l Shanghai & 

Managing Director Greater China, Lufthansa 

German Airlines 

Mr. Siegfried Gillich (Interpolymer) 

11 th GCC Trade Fair 


As every spring and autumn, the Trade Fair before the Chamber Meeting gave exhibitors 

the opportunity to promote their services and match business opportunities. Among the 18 

represented companies this time were Talent Spheres, Deutsche Leasing, HRO Consulting, 

arvato Services and ECOVIS Ruide. 

2010 April - May 45


Back It Up Workshop IT 

Moderator of the evening, Mr. Jörg Heil 

from Hartung Consult opened the floor for 

this recent edition of the GCC l Shanghai’s 

event series for IT professionals. ‘Backup 

Solutions’ were the discussion topic, with 

Mr. Rey Yue Chien and Mr. Sudin Shrestha 

giving the first presentation. 

The presentation by two SSBG IT representatives 

covered four main topics: What is data 

backup, reasons to backup your data, backup 

options, and backup solutions. The first 

section made sure that everyone was on the 

same page by covering ideas and terminology. 

Then the aforementioned topics were 

explained in detail with specific options 

provided for each one. One important point 

of the presentation was that there are many 

backup options and one should be suitable 

for every situation – some sort of back up is 

always necessary to keep files secure. 

While the first presentation focused more 

on the ‘what’ of information backup, GRM’s 

Mr. James Liang talked about the ‘why’: “Information 

is one of the few corporate assets 

that cannot be easily replaced and, in many 

6 th Kunshan Roundtable 


cases, may be in impractical to replace.... 

[this] loss or corruption of corporate information 

can mean business failure.” Because 

of this, Mr. Liang that managing data is essential 

– no exceptions. Next, he presented 

on what to look for in an offsite storage 

location. Some of the essentials in a storage 

facility are proper temperature and humidity 

control, an FM200 fire prevention system, 

barcode tracking system, CCTV surveillance 

plus a round-the-clock security guard 

and 24/7 retrieval capability. Case studies 

on good results from using and bad results 

from not using storage facilities illustrated 

the necessity of these systems. 

An engaging Q&A session followed that 

covered small company and personal back 

up solutions with special attention to internet 

back-up solutions. Internet solutions seem 

particularly well suited to companies dealing 

in sales, where employees may not return 

to the HQ regularly. All parties encouraged 

the internet solutions to be complimented by 

something local, as they are far more reliable. 

Localisation – What’s Behind It? 

Localisation raises many questions: What 

does it stand for? What consequences should 

be expected? Which is the better choice? Defining 

the topic of localisation, Mr. Felix Hess 

of Salans, firstly divided it into two areas: 

The engagement of Chinese personnel in the 

Chinese job market, or even local hiring of 

expats, and the conversion from deployment 

contracts to local labour contracts. 

Local labour contracts reduce administrative 

costs as well as financial expenses. In this 

instance, there is often an agreement between 

the company and the jobholder, while the contractual 

connection to Germany still exists. A 

mixed contract configuration should be avoid- 

Working as a General Manager in China brings 

a fair amount of challenges and requires important 

legal advice. Therefore, Mr. Senff of SJ Berwin 

held a presentation to define and explain 

the common problems caused by the Company 

Law in China. 

Corporate structures in China highly contrast 

from those in Germany. Structural functions 

differ such as roles of the board of supervisors 

and the general manager. According to Mr. 

Senff, the problem lies in the Chinese Company 

Law, which is not stipulated clearly and 

ed because the rights and duties are arranged 

indistinctively. In lieu of this type of contract, 

there is a changeover of connection to the Chinese 

subsidiary and the Chinese labour law is 

applied. Based on the Chinese labour law, it is 

advisable to agree upon certain issues in ad- 

Workshop Tax, Finance and Law 

Sailing Close to the Wind - Managers in China 

precisely in many circumstances. Hence, public 

authority is able to use a wide scope of interpretation. 

Some lawyers and advisors have difficulty 

with transparency due to a lack of notification. 

In this grey area, a general manager can 

easily infringe on his or her rights and be faced 

with legal consequences such as fines, custody 

or deportation. 

Mr. Senff advises all general managers to seek 

preventative legal counseling. He notes the importance 

of maintaining open discussion and 

regular communication with the public authorities 

to stay clear of common pitfalls. Another 

important pre-emptive measure is to keep 

Event: Home & Office – Backup Solutions 


Speakers: Mr. Sudin Shrestha | IT Manager 

& Mr. Rey Yue Chien | Sales Associate, both 

SSBG IT Solutions; Mr. James Liang | Director 

of Sales and Development & Ms. Lynn 

Qiu | GRM China 

Chair: Mr. Jörg Heil | General Manager, 

hartung:consult 

vance such as dismissals protection, vacation 

time, compensation and work time. 

Event: Der Trend zu lokalen Arbeitsvertraegen 

- Was es aus arbeitsrechtlicher und 

steuerlicher Sicht zu beachten gilt 


Speakers: Mr. Felix Hess | Attorney at Law; 

Dr. Iris Duchetsmann | Attorney at Law, both 

Salans LLP 

Chair: Mr. Titus von dem Bongart | Partner, 

Ernst & Young (China) Advisory Limited 

good records. When more company records 

are kept, the burden of proof can guide the GM 

when sailing through stormy weathers. 

Event: Haftung von Managern und Direktoren 

in China 


Speaker: Mr. Philipp Senff | German Attorney-at-Law, 

SJ Berwin LLP 

Chair: Mr. Sebastian Wegner | Reginal 

Manger Jiangsu & Zhejiang Province, German 

Chamber of Commerce l Shanghai

2010 April - May 47


Save Some for Me 

A special in-house workshop held at the AHK 

office in Shanghai recently discussed the topics 

of Social Security and Tax Deductions/ 

Structures for expats. Mr. Ralph Koppitz of 

Taylor Wessing presented the first part of the 

event in three main topics: mandatory Chinese 

social security for expatriates in the future, 

recent developments in Chinese labour 

laws, and trends for future developments. 

Since 10 th October 2009, expats in Shanghai 

have been able to voluntarily participate in 

selected aspects of the Chinese Social Security 

System. Mr. Koppitz noted the voluntary 

programme’s resemblance to a test run, indicating 

that participation may become mandatory 

in the future. Another important point 

of Mr. Koppitz’ presentation focused on local 

courts following their own interpretations 

of laws. Because legalities of business practices 

vary across China, there is no assurance 

that social security will be the same across 

different regions. The final section included 

analysis on work related injury insurance 

law, labour dispatch and PRC Social Security 

Law, which are all in the process of being examined 

and re-written. 

GC Roundtable 

A collaborative presentation from representatives 

of the investment, electrical and 

automotive industries in China outlined increasing 

business concerns surrounding consequences 

of Chinese development. Starting 

with a historical introduction of the JV 

Roundtable, Mr. Kurt Fasser presented the 

event under a new name: GC Roundtable. 

An overview of the automotive industry and 

its current difficulties were presented to the 

table by Mr. Dirk Landgrebe of Hirschvogel 

Automotive Components. He explained that 

the industry seems to be problem free, other 

than the issue of finding qualified personnel 

in China. The future development of China 


Special Seminar 

Event: Social Security issues and challenges 

for expatriates in China 


Speakers: Mr. Ralph Koppitz | Partner & 

Chief Representative, Taylor Wessing; Mr. 

Gerald Neumann | Senior Partner, WOTAX 

Chair: Mr. Jan Höpper | Regional Manager 

Shanghai, German Chamber of Commerce l 

Shanghai 

One-on-One Lesson in Times of Insecurity 

Mr. Kurt Fasser (CON MOTO) 

Moving to the fiscal part of the workshop, 

Mr. Gerald Neumann of Wotax laid out two 

important questions: “What tax deductions 

are currently possible for expats in China?” 

and “How can companies benefit from 

related tax structures?” Underneath these 

overarching questions, Mr. Neumann discussed 

employee and employer viewpoints. 

Within the employee section, scope of tax 

liability, Chinese particular characteristics of 

tax appraisal and tax benefits, details for tax 

structuring, and tax imposition were examined, 

for the employer section, allowances 

for operating expenditures, cost transfer and 

consequences of non-transfer, permanent establishment 

of the mother company in China, 

and so called “effective executive board” of 

the Chinese subsidiary. Importance was emphasised 

on unlimited income tax liability for 

expats residing in China for over five years, 

expenses of company pension schemes and 

where they are deductible. 

Participants learned from each other as they 

discussed personal experiences regarding 

the five-year timeline of unlimited income 

tax liability. Many other topics worked their 

marks an insecure situation. The speaker 

metaphorically explained this concern and 

others as diverse bubbles that are fragile and 

waiting to burst into an economic crisis. 

Talking about insecurity, two other issues 

were forecasted by the next two speakers. 

Mr. Hermann Bohle of RA Dragon Invest 

noted the increasing wages in China and 

Mr. Walter Michel of E.G.O. commented the 

transfer of German development. With numerous 

taxes and other side costs in China, 

how can one ensure financial safety? 

The panel concludes that increasing wages 

can be avoided by signing net contracts 

way into the discussion, with the consistent 

advice from all participants being: negotiate 

as much as you can, as early as you can, to 

avoid problems down the road. 

Mr. Ralph Koppitz (Taylor Wessing) 

that include side costs, while the human resources 

are continuously observed. Product 

protection can be maintained via software 

programmes that the presenters claim to be 

significant for all future development. The 

financial crisis also opened eyes to the current 

trend of expanding and pushing organisations 

into new fields – something many 

companies are now considering. 

Event: War die Talfahrt ein Gesundungsprozess? 


Speakers: Mr. Dirk Landgrebe | General 

Manager, Hirschvogel Automotive 

Components; Mr. Hermann Bohle | General 

Manager, Dragon Invest co. Ltd. Shanghai; 

Mr. Walter Michel | General Manager, 

E.G.O. Electrical Components 

Chair: Mr. Kurt Fasser | General Manager, 

CON MOTO Consulting Group Shanghai 

Office & Senior Advisor AHK Shanghai

Bishop Visits Shanghai 

The AHK invited Martin Schindehütte, Bishop for Foreign Relations 

of the Evangelical Church in Germany, for a special chamber breakfast 

accompanied by chief consistories Ms. Dine Fecht and Mr. Paul 

Oppenheim. The Bishop was in Shanghai on a visit to the Germanspeaking 

Christian community – the largest expat community of the 

Evangelical Church of Germany (EKD) that distinguishes itself also 

through its ecumenical cooperation. 

On Sunday 10 th January, Bishop Schindehütte had welcomed the community 

on the occasion of their New Year reception, hosting more than 

300 guests at the Longemont Hotel. During the chamber breakfast, 15 

participants discussed the purpose of overseas (expatriate) congregation. 

As Christian communities gain in importance abroad, oftentimes 

they provide a home in the foreign country. Especially among a different 

culture group, one can clearly identify with the basis of a western 

set of values. 

The attending company representatives supported the idea of integrating 

ethical values in daily work, family lives and future planning. 

German industry representatives appreciated the engagement of the 

EKD and are looking forward to an extension and enlargement of 

pastoral supply, and are offering the necessary support. Cooperation 

among the community, between Pastor Peter Kruse and Catholic Reverend 

Michael Bauer was described as procreative and enriching. The 

delegation also visited the Christian Amity Foundation in Nanjing 

that houses the world’s largest bible printing plant. 

Event: Chamber Breakfast 


Speaker: Bishop Martin Schindehütte | Head of the EKD’s department 

of ecumenical and international relations 

Chair: Mr. Peter Kruse | Protestant Pastor, DCGS 

2010 April - May 49

CHAMBER NEWS 

From Kyoto via Kopenhagen 

to...? Workshop Environmental Protection 


SHANGHAI PAGES 

A Fast Ride for the Premium 

Segment Workshop Automotive 

After a struggling first half year in 2009, the 

second half set the record straight with 45% 

growth in the luxury car segment in China. 

With this enormous boost, many challenges 

occurred for some automotive manufactures 

that had no profound experience in the 

emerging market of China. 

Consumer trends and preferences are changing 

rapidly, forcing manufacturers to get hold 

of the latest trends as quickly as possible. 

Contrary to traditional markets like North 

America and Europe, the average Mercedes 

consumer in China is under 40 years with a 

strong focus on new technical accessories. 

This requires a mind shift of the engineers 

and researchers. It is not easy to assure the 

specific requirements of the market. According 

to speaker Mr. Björn Hauber of Mercedes- 

Benz, the main focus in the future will be to 

further define the brand and give the consumer 

a clear picture of what it stands for. 

2010 has less money in the market and the 

government reduced the financial advantages 

for luxury cars. Nevertheless the market is 

still growing and, following the speaker’s assessment, 

will continue to do so in the future. 

While established markets have a ratio of 1: 

5 of luxury cars to used cars, in China this 

ratio is still only at 1:10. Also, the number of 

cars in proportion to inhabitants is expected 

The Rio Summit in 1992 was the origin of 

climate policy development, establishing the 

concept of sustainability for the first time. 

Thereby, the awareness to make a significant 

change in regards to climate was given; however, 

a concrete target was still missing. 

Five years later in Kyoto, the United Nations 

Framework Convention on Climate Change 

(UNFCCC) finally set precise numbers of 

a 5.2% emission ceiling between 2008 and 

2012. To assist in reaching this target, a group 

of scientists established themselves as the 

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 

(IPCC) to research sustainability risks. 

Last year in Copenhagen the result was disillusioning; 

none of the preset targets, timing 

schedules or financial resources had been 

reached. The industrialised countries seek 

to bond and take responsibility in a combined 

effort, while developing countries and 

emerging markets - including China and In- 

to dramatically grow in the future. Currently, 

every 1,000 Chinese owns around 25 cars, in 

the developed markets this number is around 

500–600 cars. With the continuing growth of 

the Chinese economy, this gap will narrow. 

Event: Growth Development & Consequences 

for the Luxury Car Segment in 

China 


Speaker: Mr. Björn Hauber | Vice President 

Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz 

China 

Chair: Dr. Marcus Hoffmann | Principal, 

Roland Berger Strategy Consultants 

(Shanghai) 

dia - remain more concerned about priorities 

of economic growth and poverty reduction. 

From an optimistic point of view, the attendance 

of the U.S. in Kyoto was a significant 

symbol. Although China will most likely 

continue to grow without many emission 

limitations, it will also strive to develop as an 

energy-efficient country. 

Event: Nachschau auf die UN Klimakonferenz 

in Kopenhagen 

Date: 2 nd February 2010 

Speaker: Mr. Jan-Uwe Kluessendorf 

Department Manager, Climate Protection 

Project, BASF (China) Co. Ltd. 

Chair: Mr. Daniel Tweer | Business Development 

Manager, REMONDIS 

Financial Cri 

Mr. Georg Hofäcker (PWO) 

A prominent speaker and highly relevant 

theme drew more than 180 members and 

guests to the GCC l Shanghai’s monthly 

Chamber Meeting in January, held again at 

the Grand Hyatt in Pudong. Chairman of 

the evening, Mr. Arved von zur Mühlen, 

welcomed the audience and the particularly 

strong turnout of newcomers, who got the 

chance to introduce themselves to the assembled 

community. 

The worldwide financial crisis turned out 

to be not just a caesura but also a changing 

epoch that influenced the understanding of 

the market and globalisation. During this 

change, the banking community as well as 

the economy and society lost their confidence 

in each other. How could it have come so far? 

Keynote speaker, Dr. Hannes Rehm, illustrated 

a combination of the policy of cheap 

money, the paradigm of deregulation and an 

excessive chase for fast returns as the reasons 

for the financial crisis. 

What are the consequences? First and foremost, 

there must be a sooner intervention 

by the state as well as a closer supervision of 

the banking sector. Second, there has to be an 

equitable balance between liability and responsibility. 

It is not about detailing but more 

about basic principles. 

(left to right) Mr. Bernd Schmitt, Mr. Rolf Köhler 

(both Freundenberg), and Mr. Andreas Wöstmann 

(Hahne Becker Partner)

sis: Risk and Chance 

In October 2009, an institute for stabilising 

the financial market as well as the so 

called ‘SoFFin’ - the German Special Fund 

for Financial Market Stabilisation – was established. 

The fund had an initial volume of 

almost EUR 500bn. An amount that, according 

to the speaker, can only be justified when 

used to create a sustainable banking system. 

Hence, the support of SoFFin is merely support 

for self-help. In the long term, the state 

does not want to get involved. Therefore, it 

is important that the instruments are neutral 

in terms of effect on competition and they are 

only used for relevant banks. 

We provide solutions. 

Beijing 2008 Olympic Games 

VW Showcase, 2100 sqm 

Shanghai Motor Show 2009 

Mercedes-Benz, 3000 sqm 

Being asked about the global imbalances 

between the West and Asia, the speaker attributed 

the temporary slow down of the occident 

not to the strength of China, but rather 

to homemade erroneous trends concerning 

policy, economics and the society. The Western 

world must not lose time in identifying 

and correcting these mistakes as they can 

undo valuable achievements such as the societal 

constitution or the political order. For 

this reason, Dr. Rehm appealed to the audience’s 

aspiration of restoring confidence in 

the economic system and credit economy of 

Germany. 

Chamber Meeting January 

Event: Die Finanzkrise: Ursachen – Probleme 

– Lösungen 



Ms. Nora Sun (German Dalli-Werke) GCC l Shanghai Board Members with Dr. Rehm Speaker Dr. Hannes Rehm (SoFFin) 

Speaker: Dr. Hannes Rehm | Chairman 

of the German Special Fund for Financial 

Market Stabilisation (SoFFin) 

Chair: Mr. Arved von zur Mühlen | Chairman 

of the GCC l Shanghai & Managing 

Director Greater China, Lufthansa German 

Airlines 

Quality is our business. 德国品质中国制造. 

More than 5 years experience in Asia and more than 

130 years experience in Germany make us your best 

partner for your next 

EXHIBITION, EVENT, INTERIOR, MUSEUM, ENGINEERING. 

Ambrosius Exhibition Design and Building (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. 

Suite 2504 / Sheng Gao International Mansion No. 137 / Xian Xia 

Road 200051 Shanghai / ph. +86(21)62285533 / m. +86 18601790188 

info@ambrosius-china.com 

2010 April - May 51


Expo Impacts on Local Business 

Special Seminar 

The GCC l Shanghai was pleased to attend 

and co-host a seminar at the meeting centre 

of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative 

Conference Shanghai Committee (CP- 

PCC), along with representatives of 40 organisations 

and member companies. 

Several speeches by representatives of the 

CPPCC outlined specific restrictions that 

should be expected during the 2010 World 

Expo. Presenters addressed limitations surrounding 

customs, electricity and traffic, 

but explained that the increase of controls is 

merely to assure high safety standards during 

the hectic Expo months. 

No restrictions will be placed on normal 

or fair goods, but explosive and dangerous 

commodities will succumb to stricter regulation. 

Companies should inform the government 

24 hours in advance of the exact declaration 

before expecting such shipped goods 

as they will otherwise not be allowed into 

the deepwater harbour. A list of all goods 

placed under new restrictive measures will 

be published online before the Expo. 

Buildings that Last 

Workshop Energy Saving/Construction 

A case study from Suzhou by GPM and 

PWO guided Mr. Jan Willem Tak of Deerns 

Consulting Engineers through his presentation 

titled “The Sustainable Facility”. He 

spoke about the importance of consistency of 

information by stating that all project members 

must be involved from the early stages 

of planning. The client, of course, is particularly 

important. Therefore, sharing energy 

consumption information can help in project 

budgeting, which is good for the client and 

in turn saves energy. Mr. Tak introduced his 

motto, “What you don’t spend, you don’t 

have to save” - meaning proper planning 

results in less spending. The project lighting 

system, which featured motion sensor lights 

and dimmers that fade according to a room’s 

natural light, illustrated how spending extra 

money early into a project saves costs in the 

long term. 

The speaker then described the concept 

of energy balance, i.e. looking at hot and 

cold areas in a building and trying to balance 

them using Long Term Energy Storage 

(LTES). LTES was explained in layman’s 

terms as aquifers that hold water underground, 

storing heat from the summer and 


The area surrounding the Expo grounds now 

encompasses around 38 new roads and four 

new ship lines. Shanghai will be divided 

into traffic zones to handle the rush hours, 

but all drivers should expect an increase in 

taxis and buses near the city core. The traffic 

zone inside the Middle Ring Road will be 

under strict supervision and is to be avoided 

whenever possible. Moreover, vehicles with 

out-of-province licence plates will not be 

allowed in the inner city. Construction will 

no longer be permitted within 25km 2 of the 

Expo area. A hotline and a pre-warning system 

will be set up to inform the public of the 

latest traffic news. No electrical shortages 

are expected, but they cannot be fully ruled 

out during peak times. 

Further questions regarding restrictions can 

be sent by GCC members to the Chamber at 

heck.christian@sh.china.ahk.de. Legitimate 

questions and concerns will be compiled and 

forwarded to the CPPCC. 

cold from the winter. The water is cycled 

throughout the seasons and whatever is 

stored gets used to heat or cool during the 

appropriate season. As techniques improve, 

companies can now replace parts for these 

systems, whether or not they have run their 

full life-span. With Mr. Tak’s final comment 

on the surprising longevity of the storage 

system, PWO took floor to discuss their decision 

to design their newest factory to ‘green’ 

standards. 

The idea came to PWO as they heard news 

from the Chinese Government about environmental 

safety standards. The company 

then decided to directly implement systems 

to ensure stable, energy efficient practice in 

the future. Shortly after their decision, several 

laws regarding environmental construction 

were changed, but PWO did not fret as 

they had already implemented procedures 

that meet the new environmental standards. 

During Q&A, the room discussed specifics of 

the facilities and issues that had risen since 

the building completion. 

Event: Expo 2010 – Welche Restriktionen 

sind zu erwarten? 


Speakers: Mr. Manfred Rothgänger | 

Delegate & Chief Representative, Delegation 

of German Industry and Commerce in 

Shanghai; Dr. Albrecht von der Heyden | 

Consul General of Germany in Shanghai; 

Senior Representatives of CPPCC 

Chair: Mr. Wang Xiaoshu | Vice General 

Director of the CPPCC Shanghai Committee 

Mr. Jan Willem Tak (Deerns) 

Event: How to Design a Sustainable Building: 

The Teamwork Approach to Sustainability 

Date: 3 rd February 2010 

Speaker: Mr. Jan Willem Tak | Design 

Team Leader, Deerns Consulting Engineers 

Chair: Ms. Magali Menant | Head of the 

Building, Enery & Environment department 

of German Industry & Commerce in 

Shanghai

Welcome to visit us in the 15th Beijing Essen 

Welding & Cutting Fair, from 2010.05.27 to 30 

in China International Exhibition Center, 

Beijing, China 

EWM焊接技术扎根中国 

以德国最先进的技术服务于中国和亚洲 

EWM WELDING TECHNOLOGY MADE IN CHINA 

GERMAN STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY FOR CHINA AND ASIA 

手弧焊钨极氩弧焊熔化极气体保护焊等离子焊 

MMA welding TIG welding MIG/MAG welding PLASMA welding 

最领先的焊接技术,最佳的焊接效果,最可靠的设备和最高的质量是我们 

在焊机研发和生产中的指导思想。 

我们的产品已遍布全球,包括世界上所有工业行业中的众多著名企业都信 

赖和使用我们的产品。EWM在中国以伊达高科焊接(昆山)有限公司为生产 

和服务基地,用德国领先的焊接技术来服务于中国各领域的高速发展: 

从汽车工业,到船舶工业直至航空航天工业。 

无论是手弧焊,钨极氩弧焊,熔化极气体保护焊还是等离子焊, 

EWM的技术和产品是完成您的焊接任务的最佳选择。 

The best possible welding results thanks to hightech and maximum quality and reliability are the 

guiding principles in the development and production of our machines. 

Well-known companies from all sectors of industry around the world rely on our products. From its 

location in Kunshan, China, EWM ships welding technology in German state-of-the-art quality in 

many different growth areas: from the car industry to shipbuilding right through to air and space 

travel. Whether EWM MMA, TIG, MIG/MAG or Plasma technology - always the best solutions for 

your welding tasks. 

EWM HIGHTEC WELDING (Kunshan) Ltd. 

10 Yuanshan Road, Kunshan New & High-Tech Industry Development Zone, 

Kunshan, Jiangsu, 215300 P.R.China 

伊达高科焊接(昆山)有限公司 

江苏省昆山市昆山高新技术产业开发区圆山路10号 

邮编: 215300 

Phone: +86(0) 512 57867188 · Fax: +86(0)512 57867182 

www.ewm.cn · info@ewm.cn 

伊达高科焊接 (昆山)有限公司 

EWM Kunshan, China 

伊达高科焊接德国总部 

EWM Mündersbach, Germany 

2010 April - May 53

2010 April - May 55

CHAMBER NEWS 

SHANGHAI AROUND TOWN 

Paulaner Fasching 

23 rd January 2010 | Paulaner Bräuhaus Shanghai 

Among more than 660 Fasching fans in costume, awards went 

to a ‘Hello Kitty Man’ and ‘Village People’ group, while the liveband 

stirred up excitement on the dance floor with some German 

Schlager music. 

56 February April - May - March 2010 2010 

Kohlfahrt-Cabbage Tour 2010 

23 rd January 2010 | Hofbräuhaus Pudong 

This German tradition survived the crisis and – with 150 participants 

– the movers of the ‘Bollerwagen’ (a wooden carriage filled 

with the essential beer, schnapps and pretzels) were stronger 

than ever before. A tour through Century Park and an obligatory 

tea-bag throwing contest were followed by a feast and dancing 

at Hofbräuhaus. 

German Book Fair 

12 th –14 th January 2010 | German Centre Shanghai 

A special exhibition of over 260 books on China by Germanspeaking 

authors drew a good crowd of bookworms to Pudong. 

Readings by authors like Marcus Hernig and Frank Sieren complemented 

the programme.

German Chamber Stammtisch 

9 th February 2010 | Paulaner @ Fenyang Road 

Many regulars and newcomers met at the February edition of the 

popular informal evening that will also be held in on the second 

Tuesday of each month in 2010 at Paulaner’s Fenyan Road 

branch. 

Shanghai Beauty 

9 th –10 th February 2010 | Shanghai Centre Theatre 

Berlin-based Rubato and Jin Xing Dance Theatre Shanghai took 

stage to express cross-cultural beauty within individuals and masses. 

A performance highlight conceptualised the vast Shanghai 

population through the collaborative movement of many dancers 

as one unit. 

Spring Inter-Chamber 

Mixer 

10 th March 2010 | InterContinental Puxi 

A delicious buffet and glasses of wine proved no 

distraction to the guests who showed up to mingle 

and enjoy leisurely conversation. 


57 

2010 2010 February April - March May 57

CHAMBER NEWS 

GCC BOARD 



Lufthansa German Airlines 

General Manager, Southern China 

Mr. Nico Beilharz* 

Chairman 

German Chamber South China 



Commerce South China 


Ms. Alexandra Voss* 

TCA Ltd. The Cable Assembler 

Dongguan 

CEO/President 

Mr. Frank Jaeger 

Siemens Ltd. China 

Energy Sector - Power Transmission 

Transformer | VA TECH Elin 

Transformer Guangzhou Co. Ltd. 


Mr. Dirk Soete 

C. Melchers GmbH & Co. KG 

Guangzhou & Chongqing 

Representative Offices 

Inspirion GmbH Guangzhou 

Representative Office 


Ms. Renate Tietjen 


NEW MEMBERS 

Mr. Hans-Joachim Bertram 


Jaeger Rubber & Plastics (Shenzhen) Ltd. 

Shenzhen 

' 0755 2983-2412 

* info@jaeger-shenzhen.cn 

Mr. Peter Hourle 

Owner 

Bellavista Restaurant and Alex’ Bar 

Zhongshan 

' 0760 8881-2988 

* info@bellavista.cn 

Mr. Peter Hourle 

President 

Delta Bridges Ltd. | Zhuhai 

SOUTH CHINA PAGES 

' 0756 8811-701 

* peter@deltabridges.com 

Ms. Eilieen Huang 

Terr 

Admatec GmbH | Hamburg 

' +49 40-238-533-0 

* huang@admatec.de 

On the Agenda in 

Shenzhen 1 st GM Roundtable 

The GCC’s Shenzhen office invited General 

Managers of member companies to their office 

for a morning discussion. Providing a 

platform for high level exchange, the GCC 

provided an overview of its plans in Shenzhen 

and how it can support companies’ 

business interests. After exchanging company 

specific information, the roundtable 

went on to discuss, among other things, HR 

issues and how the Chamber can support the 

recruitment of recent graduates and interns. 

The roundtable was also used to discuss a 

statement issued to the local Shenzhen Foreign 

Affairs Office communicating issues that 

Mr Gerd Knaust 


Mandarin Oriental | Sanya 

' 0898 8820-9999 

* mosau-reservations@mohg.com 

Ms. Li Ling 

Branch Manager 

Event: GM Roundtable Shenzhen 


An Evergreen Topic 

Tax Seminars Guangzhou & Shenzhen 

Speaker Ingrid Qin of 

PwC 


Ever changing taxation 

rules require 

regular updates on 

the topic. Working 

together with experts 

from PricewaterhousCoopers, 

the 

GCC invited finance 

managers to two 

events in Guangzhou 

and Shenzhen. 

Focusing on taxation 

of non-tax resident 

enterprises (Non- 

TRE) and Foreign 

Invested Partnerships 

(i.e. Limited 

Liability Partnerships), 

the experts 

from PwC provided 

valuable insights on 

German companies are facing. Since the initial 

event was well perceived by participating 

companies, it is planned to hold this forum 

on a monthly basis in the future. Guidelines 

and ideas were exchanged to make this first 

regular roundtable efficient and useful. 

Chair: Mr. Max J. Zenglein | Regional 

Manager, GCC l South China 

recent developments in the respective fields. 

The speakers gave further information on indirect 

tax but, given the large scope of taxation 

issues, kept the presentation focused 

on the core points. After the presentation 

senior partners of PwC joined the discussion 

and shared their knowledge with the participants. 

Experts were able to address the 

participants’ specific concerns and finance 

managers from various industries exchanged 

their views and experience. 

Event: Tax Update 

Date: 19 th January 2010 in Shenzhen and 

21 st January in Guangzhou 

Speakers: Cindy Li, Ingrid Qin and 

Charles Leung | PricewaterhouseCoopers 

For full contact information and company profiles of our new and existing members please 

visit www.german-company-directory.com 

Hörmann Beijing Door Production 

Co. Ltd. Shenzhen Branch 

Shenzhen 

' 0755 2515-4046 

* sales.sz@hoermann.cn 

Ms. Li Weiwei 


UMR Environmental and Risk-Service 

Co. Ltd. | Guangzhou 

' 020 3846-1606 

* china@umr-gmbh.com 

Mr. Theodor Pauly 

Shenzhen 

' 0755 8619-3999 

* theo.pauly@ihg.com 

Mr. Christian Schneider 

Executive Chef 

JW Marriott Hotel Shenzhen 

' 0755 2269-8888 

* christian.schneider@marriott.com 

Mr. Klaus Schricker 

President 

DARW Deutsch-Asiatische 

Rostwarenfabrik Co. Ltd. | Lianzhou 

' 0763 6661-970 

* klaus@deyalun.com 

Mr. Jörg Schulz 

Finance Director 

Thyssen Krupp Escalator Co. (China) Ltd. 

Zhongshan

Entering for the Games 

Speaker Zach Wortham discussing case studies with the audience 

As visa regulations have become stricter in recent times, obtaining 

relevant visas for China can be a major challenge. Speaker Mr. Zach 

Wortham provided an overview of current immigration policies and 

gave insights on recent policy changes including visa quotas, country 

Just in Case 

Insurance Workshop Guangzhou 

Already a tradition, Mr. Sven Janssen of Germany-based Hofmann 

insurance brokerage visited Guangzhou after the Chinese New Year 

holidays to update the local German community on insurance options. 

The expert provided information on the most important kinds 

of insurance including health, disability, pension funds, personal 

liability, and accident. Mr. Janssen emphasised that the optimum insurance 

package for an expatriate depends on the personal situation. 

Whether one has family or not, sent on an expat package or locally 

hired, staying short-term or for the long run - all these circumstances 

have an impact on the best choice. 

Workshop participants were able to draw on the speaker’s decadelong 

experience in consulting German expatriates in Asia during the 

following Q&A session. In general, a comprehensive health insurance 

package tends to be much more affordable abroad than at home 

due to the lower risk the insurance providers take. Expatriates simply 

seek medical advice less frequently when living abroad. 

Event: Insurance Workshop for German Expatriates 


Speakers: Mr. Sven Janssen | General Manager and Owner, Hofmann 

Versicherungsvermittlung GmbH 

' 0760 8816-5706 

* joergschulz@teczs.com 

Mr. Giff Searls 

Associate Director 

Student Career Development 

United International College | Zhuhai 

' 0756 3620-041 

* giffsearls@uic.edu.hk 

Mr. Sy Wong 


Buehler Motor (Zhuhai) Co. Ltd. | Zhuhai 

' 0756 3866-710 

* sy.wong@buehlermotor.com.hk 

Mr. Sascha Telen 

Guangzhou 

' 13802521990 

* sascha@saschatelen.com 

Ms. Zheng Chao 

Marketing Specialist 

Bosch Automotive Diagnostics 

(Shenzhen) Ltd. | Shenzhen 

' 0755 8347-6767 

* chao.zheng@cn.bosch.com 

Event: Visa Update 


Visa Seminars Guangzhou, Shenzhen & Zhuhai 

restrictions and regional policy changes. These changes have come 

into effect in the PRD due to the upcoming Asian Games in Guangzhou 

(November 2010) and the Universiade in Shenzhen (August 

2011). In a hands-on presentation, current case studies were given as 

examples. Following the presentation, participants in Guangzhou, 

Shenzhen and Zhuhai were eager to ask individual questions. The 

topic will remain an important issue in the future and the GCC will 

continue to provide regular updates. 

Date: 20 th January 2010 in Shenzhen, 25 th January in Zhuhai and 

28 th January in Guangzhou 

Speaker: Mr. Zach Wortham | Senior Manager, Wang Jing & Co. 

Speaker Mr. Janssen with participants 

Events 

Networking Drinks 

Exhibitions 

Business Roundtables 

Interchamber Events 

Conferences 

Sporting Competitions 

Oktoberfest 

Special Events 

Publications 

All China website 

GC Ticker 

BusinessForum China 

Monthly Newsletter 

Surveys and Studies 

Analysis 

Membership Directory 

Online Directory 

Services 

Market Research 

Mediation and Legal Advice 

Office in Office 

Business Partner Search 

Interpreter Services 

Address Research 

Trade Fairs 

Management and Vocational Training 

German Chamber of Commerce · South China 

中国德国商会·华南区 

YOUR BUSINESS PARTNER IN SOUTH CHINA 

YEARLY PARTNERS 

Benefits 

Consulting and Support 

Lobbying 

Dialogue with German and Chinese Officials 

Cooperation with Trade Associatons 

Web Information Portal 

Preferential Fees for Events 

Discount on Publications and Advertisements 

Promotion of New Members 


2915 Metro Plaza, 183 Tianhe Road (N), Guangzhou 510620, P.R. China 

T: +86-20-8755 2353 | F: +86-20-8755 1889 | E: chamber@gz.china.ahk.de 

217 Chinese Overseas Scholars Venture Building, 

Shenzhen Hi-Tech Industry Park, Shenzhen 

2010 April - May 59

COMMUNITY 

Training Calendar 

Beijing 


TRAINING & EDUCATION 

Date Title 

1 st -2 nd April Customer Service Excellence 

10 th -11 th April Crashkurs Nordchina 

12 th April -10 th September Business German A1- C1 

15 th -16 th April Effective Selling Skills 

23 rd April Effective Time Management 

29 th -30 th April Executive Assistant Training 

10 th May - 28 th June Speaking Better English 

10 th May - 28 th June Advanced Business Writing (English) 

10 th May - 4 th August English Communication in a Multi-National Company 

13 th -14 th May Delivering Winning Presentations 

20 th -21 th May Effective Project Management 

20 th -21 st May Finance Course for Non-Financial Managers 

21 st May Six Thinking Hats 

26 th May Mind Mapping Techniques – Solving Problems Creatively 

27 th May Effective Sales Negotiation 

27 th -28 th May Lateral Thinking 

Shanghai 

1 st -2 nd April Negotiation Skills 

8 th April Interpretation of the Latest SAFE Rules 

9 th April Competency Management - Awareness Training 

12 th -13 th April Working Smart with MS Excel 

13 th -14 th April Customer Service Excellence 

16 th April Successful Design with MS PowerPoint 

16 th April Interpretation of the Latest Labour Policies 

20 th -21 st April Management of Customs’ Commodity 

Classifications on Import and Export Cargo, 

and Analysing Technical Processing Skills 

22 nd -23 rd April Procurement Executives 

23 rd April Transfer Pricing in China 

27 th April Effective Time Management 

27 th -28 th April Controlling for Controllers 

7 th May Working Smart with Lotus Notes 

11 th -12 th May Motivate Yourself and Your Team 

13 th -14 th May Basic Management Skills 

18 th -19 th May Effective Project Management 

19 th -20 th May Working Smart with MS PowerPoint 

20 th May Labour Law in China 

21 st May International Procurement, Forwarding & Customs Clearance 

25 th -26 th May Train the Trainer 

27 th -28 th May Business Presentation Skills 

South China 

Until 11 th May Basic German Language Communication Skills 

8 th April Competency Management- Awareness Training 

14 th April Stress & EQ Management 

16 th April Influential Communication 

19 th -20 th April Key Account Management Skills 

22 nd April Creative Problem Solving & Decision Making 

23 rd -24 th April Introduction to Leadership (for Emerging Leaders) 

14 th -15 th May Leading Change 

19 th -20 th May Project Management Essentials 

24 th -25 th May Management Transition from Engineer to Manager 

25 th -26 th May Deliver Winning Presentation 

27 th May Professional Receptionist Training 

GCC members receive discounted rates on training courses. For further 

information please contact: 

Beijing 

Ms. Zhang Hong 

' 010 6539-6681 

6 010 6539-6689 

* training@bj.china.ahk.de 

Shanghai 

Ms. Britta Buschfeld 

' 021 5081-2266 ext.1820 

Mr. Ma Zhichao 

' 021 5081-2266 ext.1638 

training@sh.china.ahk.de 

South China 

Ms. Xenia Deng 

' 020 8755-8206 

6 020 8755-1889 

* deng.xenia@ 

gz.china.ahk.de 

Beijing Training Highlights 

German Courses A1 – C1 

These four courses are designed for energetic and young professionals 

wishing to challenge themselves by learning a new language or 

already have a conversational grasp of German, but require it in a 

professional context. Participants will practice listening, speaking, 

reading and writing from the basics to a high level of proficiency. 

Effective Selling Skills 

Your selling skills have a direct impact on your career and your company’s 

bottom line. This course addresses all sales functions and sales 

oriented employees and equips the participants with consultative 

selling skills that can be put into action immediately. Skills to conduct 

a result-oriented approach to customers and methodologies for winning 

complex and competitive sales opportunities will be taught. 

Shanghai Training Highlights 

Customer Service Excellence 

The customer is the person who pays salaries and decides if a business 

will succeed or fail. Every concept conceived, technology developed 

and associate employed, should be carried out with the customer 

in mind. This course offers practical concepts and ideas of how 

to improve the service offered to customers. 

Labour Law in China, geared towards a German Background 

If you are a foreign manager in China and want to learn about the 

structure and requirements of Chinese Labour Law, this course is ideal 

for you. A profound knowledge of Chinese labour regulations, knowing 

what is the same, what is similar and what is different in Germany, 

enables you to ensure the legal feasibility of your HR decisions. 

South China Training Highlights 

Competency Management- Awareness Training 

In this awareness workshop you will get to know competency-based 

management (CBM) and its benefits as well as technical terms. The 

training will show you how CBM supports HR practices and processes. 

Then you will be able to estimate what level of competencybased 

Management can be implemented in your organisation. 

Introduction to Leadership (for Emerging Leaders) 

This exciting training programme will create leadership opportunities 

for your self-observation as a leader and therefore increase your 

self-awareness on leadership. You will gain practical skills on situational 

leadership, basic coaching, and conflict management. You can 

apply the leadership theory directly and make your own conclusions 

to link back to the workplace in the experiential learning format. 

Berufskolleg Opens Next Application Round 

For the past two years the AHK Shanghai and the German School 

Shanghai have jointly run the vocational training of Wholesale 

and Foreign Trade Merchants for German students in German 

companies in Shanghai. The training is based on the German dual 

vocational training system. 

The next class of the 22-month programme starts on 1 st September 

2010. Applications for the apprenticeship are accepted with immediate 

effect. German applicants must have passed the German ‘Mittlere 

Reife’ (O levels) with good results or the German ‘Abitur’ (A levels) 

and have a good command of English. For more information please 

refer to the website of the Berufskolleg at www.ds-shanghai.de

A Voice of Success 

Learning German is on the Rise in China 

It is true that English is the language that most employees and managers have 

in common in many German companies in China. In the conference room of a 

German company’s regional branch office in Shanghai, we will most likely listen 

to the German manager flown in from Frankfurt lining out the company’s strategies 

in English. The Japanese head of the Tokyo branch and the Chinese head of the 

Greater China office will join him in confirming that English is language No. 1 

when it comes to business. But is that really the end of the story? 

A Growing Interest at its Roots 

Considering the omnipresence of English 

in international business, it may come as a 

surprise why so many young Chinese are 

still eager to learn German. The number of 

students learning the language for using it 

“on the job” appears to be rising, while the 

number of students signing up for German 

Language and Literature Studies - especially 

with regards to philological contents 

- accounts only for around one fifth of all 

learners. The latest related numbers are dating 

back to 2005, when the Permanent Committee 

for German as a Foreign Language 

(StaDaF) conducted a survey headed by 

the Goethe-Institut. Most of the approximately 

30,000 Chinese learners of German 

language in 2005 did course-related studies 

of German, many of them intending to 

study abroad. The example of the Goethe- 

Jinchuang Language Center Shanghai, 

where the number of course participants 

skyrocketed from 524 in the first year to 1,243 

in the second, shows that a large part of the 

growing interest is related to business. 

It is straightforward to find reasons for this 

trend. Most people only use foreign languages 

when they have to and speak their 

mother tongue whenever they can and think 

it is remotely appropriate. That often leaves 

German as the dominant language within 

German companies abroad, especially when 

it comes to the ‘unofficial’ communication 

called Flurfunk in German that refers to the 

informal flow of information within the office. 

Encounters in the corridor and chats in 

front of the coffee machine are examples of 

talk at work, but not entirely about work. 

There is not much doubt that English is 

sometimes just a much more efficient language 

than German. It has become like a joker 

or – to borrow a comparison from finance 

- a Master Card: accepted everywhere and 

much easier to use than cash. Nevertheless 

German managers still tend to use German 

abroad for the same reasons they use cash 

more often than their credit card: it can be 

faster, more efficient and more secure. 

German as a Strategy Tool 

Understanding the informal communication 

flow among their foreign co-workers is 

only one secondary aspect of how Chinese 

employees benefit from learning German. 

Below are five important business reasons 

why basic knowledge of German among local 

employees can be essential for German 

companies in their success abroad. 

1. Staff Retention 

In China it has become a big issue that 

many employees are leaving their company 

after a very short period of time. While the 

reasons may be complex, all have more in 

common with atmosphere at work than one 

initially might think. Office communication 

consumes more time than communication at 

home - so it is straightforward that it should 

proceed without much barriers. Modern 

language institutes like Goethe-Institut and 

its network focus on the training of communication 

skills in German: The participants 

interact in small groups and practice speaking 

patterns that come right out of real-life 

situations. 

2. Engagement 

More active and engaged employees are 

often those who have a more complete 

knowledge of the company’s whole cycle. 

The better one knows how each work flow is 

integrated into the bigger picture, the more 

likely it is that this person will act with increased 

foresight and initiative. A lot of such 

crucial company information is often available 

only on the German company website 

and documentation in German language, 

making some basic language skills necessary. 


Goethe-Jinchuang Language Center Shanghai 

Goethe-Jinchuang Language Centre offers the courses and 

examinations of the renowned Goethe-Institut in Shanghai. The 

school adopts the principles of communicative teaching and 

small class system; participants learn actively and with fun. 

Class types range from standard intensive to individual and 

company courses and special preparation for TestDaF. The 

school has also established a centre for advanced teacher’s 

education. 

628 Julu Lu, Shanghai 200040 

' 021 3222-0316 | * 021 6289-7762 

www.goethe-slz.sh.cn 

3. Security 

The issue of security is closely connected 

to the subject of staff retention and engagement. 

Employees that are better integrated 

and educated are likely to make fewer mistakes 

and even prevent security threats. 

4. Branding 

German brands in China reflect an image of 

precisely manufactured, innovative goods. 

It pays off to have a company’s goods perceived 

as originating from Germany; in turn 

there is no complete German branding without 

German language. 

5. Cultural Preparation 

The company’s staff abroad – and not only 

its management - frequently face the need 

of getting in touch with German colleagues 

or travel to Germany for business purposes. 

Basic cultural preparation can easily be integrated 

into class hours. 

The five above mentioned aspects - staff retention, 

engagement, security, branding, cultural 

preparation - all make it more likely for 

a company integrating German language in 

its policy and philosophy to become a longterm 

winner abroad. So why shouldn’t it be 

done in China, where the German language 

is already well received and popular? There 

is no need to cancel the seminars in Business 

English of course, or to make it an obligation 

for all staff to sound like they carry a 

German passport. Speaking German is not a 

religion, but is something to believe in, too. 

Mr. Matthias von Gehlen is Director of 

Goethe-Jinchuang Sprachlernzentrum Shanghai. 

For further information, please contact 

him at * direktor@goethe-slz.sh.cn 

2010 April - May 61

COMMUNITY 


ENVIRONMENT 

Sun Shining High on PV Business 

Conference Unveils New Cooperation Models 

and Investment Opportunities in the Solar Sector 

Germany is the world leader in renewable energy. Offering both opportunities 

for investment as well as know-how for project development, 

Germany is an ideal partner for China. There were plenty of 

reasons to launch the 1 st Sino-German Cooperation Conference on 

PV Project Development, System Integration and Investment, that 

was held on 15 th January in Shanghai. 

The event organised by NRW.INVEST, promotion agency for one of 

the most dynamic areas in Germany, in cooperation with the Delegation 

of German Industry and Commerce Shanghai, econet china and 

WOTAX international, offered a glimpse on new opportunities for 

cooperation between China and Germany. 

From Export to Cooperation 

Until now, most of the business between those countries was limited 

to sourcing of the solar modules in China. Around 95% of the Chinese 

production output – the country has become the world’s biggest 

producer of solar modules – was meant for export, heading mostly 

to Europe. With the financial crisis, the export market plummeted 

and the Chinese government started fostering domestic demand. 

Facing this backdrop, new cooperation opportunities are emerging: 

Chinese companies are increasingly interested in buying assets abroad, 

and acquiring know-how and market share. An expansion opportunity 

for them lies in German investing - possibly in NRW - one of the most 

attractive countries due to its high level R&D potential, efficient infrastructure 

and status of an energy and economic centre of Europe. 

Another area for cooperation is the development of projects in 

China. Thanks to an increasingly generous incentive programme, 

projects are springing up across the country. While the cell and 

module manufacturing industry has reached a certain maturity, there 

is still a need for knowledge and experience in the field of project 

design and system integration. This is where cooperating with 

Germany’s leading system integrators can come in handy. 

First Milestone in Green IT 

Mr. Jörg Heil of hartung:consult 

(left) accepting the certification 

from Mr. Frank Quosdorf 

hartung:consult, an SAP consultancy with a 

track record of successfully planning and implementing 

SAP for more than 200 enterprises 

in China, is the first to achieve a 5-star econet 

green IT rating for its Shanghai office. According 

to Frank Quosdorf, co-founder and lead developer 

of the certification system, the hartung 

certification marked an important milestone 

on the road to lowering China’s sky-rocking 

energy consumption. 

The econet Green IT rating and certification 

system has been jointly developed by Mr. 

Quosdorf and econet china, an initiative for 

promotion of Sino-German cooperation for sus- 

Support from the 

Top 

Presentation from 

experts on investment 

issues and 

cooperation structuring 

in the solar 

industry enabled 

Ms. Magali Menant (econet china), Mr. Michael Voigt 

(Bayer Technology Services) and Mr. Qing Zhou 周庆, 

Secretary of Party Working Committee of the Investment 

Promotion Bureau of Jiangsu Jintan Economic 

Development Zone 

the forum participants to gather ideas on possible development 

schemes. Panel discussions engaged the participants in the latest development 

issues. Mr. Li Junfeng, Deputy Director of the Energy Research 

Institute of the NDRC and renowned expert of the renewable 

energy scene, depicted the Chinese solar energy market landscape 

and provided insider knowledge on opportunities for Sino-German 

cooperation. A highlight of the event was the panel with Dr. Niels 

Kegel (Monitor Group), a European expert of the solar industry, Mr. 

Zhou Rudong, Head of Chinese corporates at Commerzbank and 

Mr. Xu Dajiang, Strategic Planning Director of Trina Solar. Here, concrete 

ways of potential cooperation were identified and worked out 

together with the panellists. 

Following the conference, members of the German company delegation 

pursued their journey to Changzhou, a hotbed for the solar 

industry in Jiangsu, the Chinese sister province of North Rhine- 

Westphalia. Visits to leading companies in the field such as Trina 

Solar filled the agenda. A dinner hosted by Vice Party Secretary Dai 

underlined the interest and support of the government for an increasing 

Sino-German cooperation in the area of solar PV. 

For further information on projects and investment opportunities in 

the solar sector, please contact Ms. Magali Menant, Head of the 

Building, Energy and Environment department of German Industry 

and Commerce in Shanghai. 

' 021 5081- 2266 ext.1698 | * inquiry@econet-china.com 

tainability under the roof of the German Chamber in China. The econet 

Green IT rating is part of a larger scheme named China Green IT initiative, 

aiming to contribute to lowering IT-driven energy consumption in 

China by 30% within five years. 

Mr. Jörg Heil, General Manager of hartung:consult, reasoned, “We are 

benefiting from the ideas and recommendations the econet Green IT experts 

brought to us covering all segments of IT operations from managing 

our assets to operating our server room.” 

Following this first audit and certification, econet china will promote the 

initiative among the German community and hopes to gather more Best 

Practice examples. Quosdorf advanced by mentioning that “the initiative 

plans to certify up to one enterprise per week and soon result in a larger 

number of companies taking an active role in showing China’s ability to 

contribute to a sustainable society.”

Printing Green Through 

Sino-German Cooperation 

UMR Supports Hengyuan Printing Guangzhou in 

Energy Efficiency Project 

China’s printing industry shows an annual growth of about 15% 

and has formed several industry zones. The Pearl River Delta is one 

of them. Guangzhou is considered the most important hub for the 

sector in China. The annual South China International Exhibition on 

Printing Industry took place this year from 9 th -11 th March for the 17 th 

time. It is one of the major fairs in the industry with more than 800 

exhibitors from 17 countries. 

The printing industry is particularly sensitised to the environmental 

situation. High consumption of resources such as energy and water 

are basics of printing. The use of dyes and cleaning chemicals connected 

with contaminated waste and wastewater means another 

burden for the environment. This represents a major challenge for the 

region and all companies involved in the industry. At the same time, it 

brings opportunities to technology-advanced nations like Germany to 

contribute to environmentally friendly business concepts in this field. 

First Success.. 

The Chinese Hengyuan Printing Co. Ltd. is a modern, medium-sized 

printing company producing with an existing plant in Guangzhou. 

Hengyuan has already been decorated as a demonstration factory 

for Heidelberger printing machines. The company has previously 

expressed its concerns about environmental issues and is highly motivated 

to improve. Based on detailed recording and monitoring of the 

current situation, the responsible persons developed a new strategy 

targeted at providing a transferable, optimised energy and environmental 

design for a new industrial building. The opening ceremony on 

20 th January 2010 was attended by Mr. Christian Rumplecker, Deputy 

Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Guangzhou. 

Based on German energy saving standards, the German project 

partners UMR Gesellschaft für Umweltmanagement und Risiko- 

Service mbh (Environmental and Risk Services Co. Ltd.) and Kunze 

Engineering Ltd. support Hengyuan in its efforts to reach standards 


Mr. Hou Huanchang (President, Hengyuan) and Dr. Christoph Eipper (CEO of UMR, 

left) at the signing ceremony. Second row from left: Ms. Li Weiwei (Chief Representative, 

UMR Guangzhou), Mr. Christian Rumplecker (Deputy Consul General), Mr. Li 

Fuller (CEO of Hengyuan) and Ms. Yang (Hengyuan) 

of environmental friendliness. Assisted by the German partners, local 

architects and authorities will implement an optimised energy 

and building design at the new location. The project is supported by 

the German Investment and Development Company Ltd. (DEG) and 

the German Ministry of Economic Collaboration (BMZ). The aim is 

to strengthen the competitiveness of the printing industry and to 

implement transferable building-environment-concepts and transparent 

assessment criteria. The project refers to the Environmental 

Passport showing the environmental standard of companies. This 

will enable local and international clients to select a supplier based 

on environmental protection criteria. 

..Makes Hope for Followers 

With the development of an energy classification in the form of the 

Building Energy Pass, a new and innovative tool for environmental evaluation 

of industrial buildings will be established in China. Yet fulfilling 

the same purpose as the Environmental Passport, it will help decision 

makers to choose eco-friendly buildings for further investments. With 

this first showcase project, UMR and its partners hope to implement actions 

that improve the economic and ecologic efficiency of enterprises 

in China. Based on the example of Hengyuan Printing Company, the 

partners are keen to establish the new concept by convincing other companies 

and industry associations of the long-term competitiveness and 

sustainable impact of environmentally friendly technology. 

Ms. Li Weiwei is Chief Representative of the UMR Guangzhou Representative 

Office. For further information please contact her at: 

' 020 3846-1606 | * li@umr-gmbh.com 

2010 April - May 63

© stock.xchng 

©stock.xchng 

COMMUNITY 

Whether you are a professional athlete or a 

weekend warrior, it is important to eat well 

as optimal nutrition is essential for peak performance. 

Nutritional misinformation can 

do as much harm to the ambitious athlete as 

good nutrition can help. Read on for a list of 

great nutrition tips, as well as specific suggestions 

for eating right. 

Water, Water, Water 

Water is the most essential nutrient during 

exercise as dehydration leads to muscle 

cramping and fatigue. The more you sweat, 

the more water you need to replace the fluids 

you’ve lost. Drink fluids before, during, 

and after your workout. During continuous 

workouts lasting more than 90 minutes, your 

body will benefit from special sports drinks. 

These normally contain two very important 

ingredients - electrolytes and carbohydrates 

- that will help fuel your body throughout 

the duration of your session. The most effective 

sports drinks contain 15-18g of carbohydrates 

for every 8oz of fluid. 

Rev Up Your Engine 

Carbohydrates are your body’s main source 

of energy. Complex carbohydrates are found 

in bread, pasta, rice, cereals, and other grain 

products. During digestion, your body 

breaks carbohydrates down into glucose 

before storing it in the muscles as glycogen. 

During exercise, glycogen changes back into 

glucose and is used for energy. For health 

and peak performance, more than half of 

your daily calories should come from car- 


HEALTH & SPORTS 

Eat to Beat! 

An Expert’s Advice on Sports Nutrition 

bohydrates. For events lasting 90 minutes 

or less, glycogen stored in your muscles is 

enough to supply the needed energy. However, 

for vigorous activities that last for more 

than 90 minutes, a high-carbohydrate diet 

eaten for the two to three days leading up to 

the event maximises glycogen storage. Additionally, 

a pre-competition meal and fluids 

are needed for extra energy. 

Building Bigger Muscles 

It is a myth that eating lots of protein, taking 

protein supplements and exercising vigorously 

will turn you into a muscular person. 

How much muscle you build depends upon 

your genes, how hard you train, and whether 

you get enough total calories. A wellbalanced, 

varied diet provides more than 

Special Suggestions for Runners 

Spring time is running time and the mild climate 

draws short and long-distance racers to the streets, 

parks and outbacks. Here are some suggestions 

that will help you gain more mileage before 

reaching fatigue. 

Preparation 

Eat a normal-sized meal four hours before a run 

and have a snack two to three hours later. Choose 

low fat foods that are high in carbohydrates in 

order to ensure easy digestion and top up carbohydrate 

fuel supplies. Drink plenty of fluids leading 

up to the event. 

©stock.xchng 

enough protein for muscle building. Protein 

supplements are unnecessary and not recommended. 

Vitamins and Minerals 

It is not necessary to take large doses of vitamins 

and minerals as they will not help your 

performance. They do not supply the body 

with energy and are therefore not a substitute 

for carbohydrates. If your iron level is 

low, you may tire easily. The best sources 

of iron are in animal products, but plant 

products such as fortified cereals, beans, and 

green leafy vegetables also contain some. 

Calcium is essential for healthy bones. A lack 

of calcium can contribute to stress fractures 

and bone diseases, such as osteoporosis. The 

best sources of calcium are dairy products. 

Pre-run meal ideas: 

• Pasta with low fat sauce + juice 

• Rolls/sandwiches + fruit + yoghurt 

• Baked potato with low fat topping + juice 

• Pancakes with syrup and fruits 

Pre-run snack ideas: 

• Cereal bars 

• Fruit 

• Yoghurt 

• Toast 

• Sports drink 

• Fruit buns

Winnie Niou is a registered dietitian at 

Gleneagles Medical & Surgical Center in 

Tomorrow Square, Shanghai. Holding a 

BSc Degree from the Department of Agriculture, 

Food, and Nutritional Science of 

the University of Alberta in Canada, Winnie 

has worked extensively with adults 

and children in university and hospital 

settings. 

MEMBER NEWS HEALTH 

Healthy Run 

On Sunday 21 st March, masses of people 

made their way to Pinghe School in Jinqiao, 

for the annual 8km run through the 

Pudong neighbourhood. Parkway Health, 

Asia’s largest private healthcare provider, 

lent a helping hand and hired 120 local ambulances 

to standby. Members of its own 

medical team onsite ensured the well-being 

of everyone involved in the race. 

The Jinqiao 8K run is one of the top sporting 

events in the Shanghai spring calendar, 

attracting up to 5,000 runners. Participants 

have the option of engaging in the 8km run, 

2km fun run, or corporate relays. Runners 

enjoyed the live entertainment on stage, 

interactive games, fancy dress contest, and 

lucky draws. 10% of proceeds this year 

went to Roots & Shoots, an NGO directing 

environmental preservation programmes in 

China. 


2010 April - May 65

COMMUNITY 

GIVING BACK 

Rebuilding a 

Lost World 

Morning Tears Assists Children from Broken 

Homes: A Volunteer Experience 

It was in the middle of autumn 

when volunteer Morten Bech 

Jensen left for Zhengzhou, the 

capital of Henan Province. He 

had arrived in Shanghai a month 

earlier from his native Denmark, 

and was still coping with the 

city’s bustle and chaotic traffic. 

Heading to the train station with 

another volunteer, Morten’s bags 

were tightly packed with blankets, 

clothes, toys, and crayons - all 

sponsored by private donors and 

companies. 

Morning Tears is almost entirely run by 

volunteers like Morten. These consist mostly 

of professionals from the social sector or 

development aid workers, but also journalists 

and engineers. What connects them is a 

shared dedication to rebuilding the world for 

children who have suffered or are suffering 

emotional pain. Through its volunteerbased 

structure, the running costs of the 

organisation can be kept very low, so that the 

majority of donations can go to the children 

in need. 


Morning Tears provides new homes for 

children in despair. This includes orphans, 

children who have suffered abuse or neglect 

at home, and children whose parents are in 

prison or on death row. The organisation 

also takes care of street children who have 

often not been registered at birth and thus 

have no rights. Morning Tears provides these 

children with all basic needs, psychological 

and judicial support, education and leisure 

activities. Above all, the organisation offers 

a safe, loving and caring environment where 

children can heal from their trauma. 

Three ‘Children Villages’ in Henan, Xi’an and 

Sanyuan allow Morning Tears to assist around 

300 children and offer further support for 

families that take care of a child whose parents 

are in prison. Around another 300 children are 

assisted by sponsoring other organisations. 

Besides providing the caregivers with 

financial and psychological support, Morning 

Tears offers them child development and selfesteem 

workshops. To further raise awareness 

of the emotional consequences that children 

of convicts suffer, Morning Tears successfully 

runs training sessions for organisations and 

government officials. 

Rebuilding a world implies the reconstruction 

of all domains of life and society. Lobbying 

and advising authorities on improving 

the legal 

framework 

is an important 

aspect of charity work in China. Founded 

on an informal basis in 1998, Morning 

Tears was formally registered in China in 

2001 and is now also a registered charity 

in Belgium, Holland, Spain and Denmark. 

Ever since its formation, Morning Tears 

has been cooperating closely with local 

government bodies in China – a fact that 

was acknowledged in 2009 through an 

International Friendship Award from the 

Chinese authorities for the organisation’s 

close cooperation with the government of 

Henan Province. 

Visiting the Children Village in Henan 

Morning Tears Zhengzhou Ai Tong Yuan is 

a Children Village located in Jiulong, a rural 

village of 20,000 residents near Zhengzhou. 

Coming from the road leading past old and 

decrepit village houses, the sight of the complex 

with its shiny new façade, bade a pleasant 

and warm welcome. Upon entering the 

courtyard, a group of children aged from four 

to eleven greeted Morning Tears volunteers 

with waving hands and big smiles. Rather 

than representing a staged welcome committee 

for the visitors, the children were merely 

heading to their nearby primary school.

A tour of the compound revealed two main 

buildings and one office structure with a 

therapy room for relaxation and exercise, a 

telephone room for contacting parents and a 

library for the children to borrow books. The 

children eat, sleep and live together in small 

family units within the main house. One 

such ‘family’ consists of six to eight children 

and two caretakers. The idea is to give the 

children a sense of belonging in a home 

environment, and let them know they have 

each other for support. Older children are 

encouraged to help take care of their younger 

‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’ and thus gain a sense 

of social responsibility that is rare in today’s 

single-child families. 

Weekends allow plenty of time for fun 

activities and the kids made enthusiastic use 

of the crayons brought along by the visiting 

volunteers. It didn’t take long before they had 

painted their creations all over the sidewalk. 

Among the many little ‘street artists’, a little 

girl with a charming smile and heart-melting 

laugh drew colourful flowers on the asphalt. 

Later, when the children were taking their 

nap, her story was told. 

The Story of Yang Rong 

Yang Rong is about eight years old. No one 

knows for sure as she did not have any 

papers when she arrived at the Morning 

Tears Children Village. She comes from a 

family with domestic abuse. One day, when 

her father tried to sell her to pay a gambling 

debt, her mother killed him. Now, Yang 

Rong’s mother is in prison, and the little 

girl is with Morning Tears. Until she can be 

reunited with her mother, Morning Tears 

ensures she receives education in a nearby 

school and provides her with food, clothing 

and shelter – but most importantly, Morning 

Tears fosters a loving environment. Rong 

still suffers from recurring nightmares of her 

traumatic early childhood, but hopefully in 

time her scars will be healed. Sadly, the story 

of Yang Rong is far from being an exception 

to the experiences of other children living in 

the Children Village. 

Help in Many Ways 

To further carry out and develop its mission, 

Morning Tears relies on a network of loyal 

people with relevant knowledge and skills, 

who can contribute in many different ways. 

Volunteers can undertake initiatives to 

collect funds, such as organising concerts, 

a neighbourhood fundraiser or a coffee 

gathering for friends. In order to master 

the daily running of the organisation, a lot 

of paperwork is necessary. Assistance in 

the general administration and marketing 


work is only helpful however if volunteers 

envision a long term engagement. Apart 

from fundraising and administration helpers, 

people with specialised professional skills 

are needed. Morning Tears is grateful to the 

doctors, lawyers, translators and experienced 

social workers who devote their time to 

building new worlds for children. 

Morten Bech Jensen is a volunteer 

with Morning Tears. For further information 

about the organisation’s projects or 

volunteer opportunities, please contact: 

* info@morningtears.com 

www.morningtears.org.cn 

2010 April - May 67

The World 

Chocolate Wonderland 

– or Dreamland 

– exhibition opened its 

doors to the public in 

January and runs until fellow visitors over sour drops that forced us 

April 10 to make funny faces at each other. The ‘Sweet 

Experience Hall’ and with it the last station 

was an estranging assortment of fun fair, arcade 

games, candy dispensers and the crowded ‘D-I-Y 

chocolate’ room in which you could create your own four-piece 

gift box of chocolates to take home. A meagre little Kinder bar was 

handed to me on the way out past the cash registers of the inflated 

souvenir store – my only yield of the day. 

th . 

Back outside, young employees dressed up as clowns listlessly 

played catch with each other, and I realised what the Chocolate Wonderland 

was missing – the kind of chocolate that melts in the mouth, 

not the one the Great Wall was made of…and certainly some kids 

to run after the bored clowns and kick them in the behind to cheer 

them up. JNS 


2010 April - May 69

COMMUNITY 

A Ring of Massive Scale 

There is no doubt that Shanghai’s upcoming 

Expo will become a spectacle of state-ofthe-art 

technology, urban trends and nation 

branding. With the city premiere of Richard 

Wagner’s masterpiece, ‘The Ring of the 

Nibelung’, Cologne Opera in collaboration 

with Wu Promotion will bring a unique piece 

of German culture to Chinese audiences in 

what is one of the Expo’s most anticipated 

performances. Led by sought after conductor 

Markus Stenz and award-winning director 

Robert Carsen, the Cologne Opera and its 

Gürzenich Orchester will stage the powerful 

work in its integral cycle of four nights twice 

in September. 

The logistical scale of this event corresponds 

with the superlatives of the Expo 2010; 315 

artists, directors, stage engineers, costume 

makers, make-up artists and technicians will 

relocate to Shanghai for one month while the 

stage scenery - loaded on 30 containers - will 

sail 14,000km in 21 days. The sheer magnitude 

likens ‘The Ring’ to the Olympics of Opera. 

It is a special exception that the colossal 

event can be relocated during the Expo as the 

Cologne Opera House will undergo renovations 

starting this summer. This temporary 

mobility of its ensemble allows for history to 

be made with the first showing in Shanghai. 

Green Ring 

Not only do the impressive dimensions of the 

production match the scale of the Expo, but 


ART & CULTURE 

Guest Performance of ‘The Ring of the Nibelung’ Crowns Shanghai Expo with 

a Cultural Highlight from Germany 

Tour Schedule: 

the opera’s fundamental theme aligns well 

with its sustainability premise and Germany’s 

leading position in this field. Fundamentally, 

Robert Carsen’s production has been 

labelled ‘the green Ring’ as it hovers around 

the environment, change, the destruction 

of civilisation, the value of mankind in the 

natural world as well as hope. Echoing the 

environmental and social impact that characterised 

the ever industrialising landscape 

of 19th century Europe, Wagner painted the 

questions on change raised by intellectuals of 

his day with Germanic mythological colours. 

With the depletion of the Rhine River for 

gold, Wagner symbolically pre-empted the 

demise of ecology and society. The threat towards 

a sustainable balance, social structures 

and emotional attachment – highlighted by 

Erda, the Earth Goddess’ prediction: “All that 

exists will end/ a dark day/ the gods know: 

I suggest you, avoid the ring…” – becomes 

the source of humanity’s dilemmas and forewarns 

the end of the world. 

With vivid scenes, like the one where Wotan 

- King of the gods - harms the ‘World Tree’ 

to gain world power, thunderous lyrics sung 

by Valkyries and apocalyptic backdrops, ‘The 

Ring’ echoes that by breaking the laws of 

nature, mankind destroys its own existence. 

Nevertheless, the opera cycle ends on a positive 

note with the twilight of the gods bringing 

hope that humanity will find the right 

path. It closes with the promise of reconciliation 

with nature. 

16 th -19 th September 2010 Shanghai Grand Theatre Der Ring des Nibelungen 

21 st –24 th September 2010 Shanghai Grand Theatre Der Ring des Nibelungen 

25 th September 2010 Shanghai EXPO Gürzenich Orchester Köln 

29 th September - 1 st October 2010 Beijing - NCPA Don Giovanni 

3 rd October 2010 Macau International Gürzenich Orchester Köln Music Festival 

Scenes of Richard Wagner’s “Götterdämmerung” © Klaus Lefebvre 

Opera and Further Acts 

Wagner conceived ‘The Ring’ as a four day 

stage festival that includes the epic operas ‘The 

Rhine Gold’ (Das Rheingold), ‘The Valkyrie’ 

(Die Walküre), ‘Siegfried’ and ‘Twilight of the 

Gods’ (Götterdämmerung). The very first performance 

of the entire Ring took place in August 

1876 at the Bayreuth festival hall that was 

built specifically for Wagner’s work. Without a 

break, the opera cycle has a length of 16 hours 

and represents a revolutionary artistic attempt 

that - through its mythological and philosophical 

connections – makes it a work of superlative 

in every aspect and a milestone in the musical 

and intellectual history. 

As the officially invited guest of the Expo 

Committee, the Gürzenich Orchester Köln 

will also perform a vibrantly arranged programme 

with some of the best known classical 

pieces on the Expo ground in late September. 

The tour will then bring the Cologne 

Opera to Beijing’s National Centre of Performing 

Arts with three memorable nights 

of Mozart’s legendary ‘Don Giovanni’. A 

concert performance of Gürzenich Orchester 

Köln at the prestigious Macau International 

Music Festival will see the end to this eventful 

month-long visit. 

Wu Promotion is a performing arts promoter, 

organising 300 events per year in 

30 cities across China, while also bringing 

Chinese music and classical interpreters 

to audiences abroad. 

For additional information regarding 

sponsorship opportunities or tickets, 

please contact: 

Ms. Qian Hoehne ' 139 1141-7135 

* qian.hoehne@wupromotion.com 

Ms. Valentina Cecchi ' 139 1057-2881 

* valentina.cecchi@wupromotion.com

Der Kaiser von China 

DUMONT | Tilmann Rammstedt | October 2008 | 192 pages, German | 

ISBN 978-3832180744 

The plot of this fast-moving novel is a bit 

convoluted; multiple threads of a story 

eventually tie together the entire novel. 

Using flashback narration, author Tilman 

Rammstedt methodically unveils how the 

main protagonist, phlegmatic Keith Stapperpfennig, 

ended up hiding from his family 

underneath his desk for some days. 

Keith is the insecure main character who 

is concealing himself. Instead of hiding, he 

should be on a sponsored trip with his grandfather to China. This 

story line tells how Keith squandered the money given to him by his 

siblings for the trip, even before he left. While he hides, more information 

is revealed about the strained relationship with his grandfather: 

the selfish and womanising guardian. 

Another one of these threads consists of letters written by Keith to 

his siblings, in which he pretends to be on tour through China. In an 

attempt to re-create a phantastic journey through the Middle Kingdom, 

Keith extracts hilariously from the Lonely Planet China, which 

will be joyfully recognised by everyone who has been to the People’s 

Republic. In search of additional content for his letters, Keith also 

concocts a lost romance of this Grandfather’s to explain the adventure 

to China, which eventually becomes a storyline all on its own. 

The novel has plenty of surprises, since essential information is unpredictably 

given step by step. The most interesting part is the contraction 

between the cool and distant description of Keith’s relationship 

towards his grandfather in reality and the warm and loving fiction he 

develops in his letters. It shows the deep yearning for his Grandfather’s 

affection and gives a devised explanation for his grandfather’s 

character and cold-heartedness. Light and slightly quirky in content, 

but highly effective in its language – the book won the renowned Ingeborg 

Bachmann Prize in 2009 – Der Kaiser von China is a great read 

for real and imaginary travellers with a good sense of humour. 

China – A History* 

Harper Press | John Keay | 2009 | 578 pages, English | ISBN 978-0007221783 

John Keay, formerly a special correspondent 

for The Economist, sets out to highlight the 

history of China ranging from the early Xia 

dynasty to the year 1950. Keay impresses 

with his ability to illustrate China’s past in 

a fluent and narrative way without sacrificing 

the inherent complexities of the Middle 

Kingdoms’ more turbulent eras. 

While guiding the reader through a long and 

winding road of Chinese places, dynastic 

shifts and cultural developments, Keay refuses to reduce his book to 

a talk of one China or one Chinese history. Despite the fact that the 

20 th century has been referred to in a somewhat rather ‘compact’ way, 

China – A History does have the potential of thoroughly preparing its 

readers to counter any “You don’t understand China attack ” with ease. 

*Easy to confuse: A similarly titled but different book “China: A History of One of 

the World’s Oldest Civilizations” was written by author Harold M. Tanner 

NEW BOOKS 


Product Liability in the People’s 

Republic of China 

Beiten Burkhardt Attorneys-at-Law | 2009 | 64 pages, English and German 

This newly published practical 

guide from the China practice of 

the independent international law 

firm, Beiten Burkhardt, describes 

the current legal framework for 

product liability in China and 

provides a basic understanding 

of issues that manufacturers and 

sellers may face when conducting 

business in China. 

Dr. Björn Etgen, head of the firm’s 

China practice, noted that specific 

knowledge regarding the liability 

of companies to recall products is 

particularly indispensable. 

This version differs from other specific product liability guides by providing 

a general overview of important laws, regulations and interpretations 

for all industries. Beiten Burkhardt was able to compile such a 

comprehensive guide due to their advisory on all aspects of commercial 

law to corporations, banks, various industry groups, and the public 

sector. The Germany-based law firm employs around 370 lawyers 

in 13 offices worldwide, including Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. 

An English and German version of the guide can be downloaded or 

ordered online free of charge by visiting www.bblaw.com. 

2010 April - May 71

COMMUNITY 

Fancy a holiday where people are warmhearted, 

welcoming and appreciating 

tourists? Look no further. China’s southern 

neighbour Vietnam is well worth an escape 

across the border. Vietnam’s tourism is blessed 

with a splendid diversity, offering beaches, 

islands, tropical rain forest, historical cities 

and mountains - just to mention a few of the 

attractions. Since there is so much to see and 

do, it is worth spending more time in one part 

rather than rushing across the country. Why 

not start with the close-by north? 


TRAVEL 

Where Descending Dra 

Meet upon Mystical Tur 

Northern Vietnam’s Sights and Sounds Invite for a Di 

Mountain villagers’ life in Sapa 

Historical St. Joseph’s Cathedral in the Old Quarters of Hanoi 

War memorial in Hanoi 

Sunset over descending dragons 

Witnessing Vietnamese History 

The buzzing capital Hanoi is becoming a haven for tourists. 

Conveniently located only 359km away from the Chinese border, 

it is easy to reach on land ways. Still preserving its colonial charm, 

Hanoi’s old quarters with French houses, temples, markets and 

endless small shops are best discovered by foot. Watch out for 

motorcycles and scooters though, they seem to be the secret rulers of 

the streets and sometimes make crossing a road virtually impossible. 

For those interested in war history, the military museum is a must 

– displaying authentic tanks, helicopters and plenty of information 

on the Vietnam War. For digging deeper into the patriotic heart of 

Vietnam, tourists can pay their respects to ‘Uncle Ho’ as Vietnamese 

amicably call the famous founder of their country. The Ho Chi Minh 

memorial is built with materials gathered from all around Vietnam. 

In its heart - surrounded by a museum and his former living house 

- is the treasure of the nation: Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum. Inside 

one can see the statesman’s preserved body in a glass sarcophagus. 

Besides taking a look at the grey-bearded old man, it is interesting to 

watch the reactions of the Vietnamese visitors paying their respects. 

Mystical Turtle Watching 

One of Hanoi’s most persistently kept alive tourist attractions can be 

visited in the Ngoc Son Temple. The temple is located on an island of 

Lake Hoan Kiem. According to legend, Emperor Le Loi had a magic 

sword given to him by the Golden Turtle God. He successfully used 

it in his revolt against the Chinese Ming Dynasty. Whilst out boating, 

a large turtle surfaced and took the sword before returning to the 

ocean's depths. Le Loi then acknowledged that the sword had gone 

back to the Golden Turtle. Ever since, Hanoi claims to still have softshell 

giant turtles in its city lake. One might wonder how they can 

survive in the green water. 

The last one to be officially seen in 1967 is on display in the temple, 

however, the story is kept alive that every odd couple of years 

one giant turtle reappears. Local sceptics say the turtles might be 

occasionally brought in from other places in Vietnam. Have an eye 

on the water anyway – no one knows when the next one might 

appear. Nevertheless, if you cannot find a turtle in the lake, they are 

surely found at several restaurants as a specialty dish. 

Dining Out 

Hanoi is filled with a great variety of restaurants of all kinds. For 

getting a taste of the local food, grab a stool and share a couple 

of dishes in a street restaurant or food stall. For those who prefer

gons 

tles 

verse Travel Experience 

Idyllic Halong Bay 

international cuisine almost any kind of food can be found with 

new restaurants opening up on a regular basis. After a long and 

exciting day of sightseeing and shopping there is simply nothing 

like a cold beer in one of the numerous bars around the lake and the 

old quarters. Make sure you also try the unique taste of the strong 

Vietnamese coffee, typically served with condensed milk. 

A Stone’s Throw a Bay 

Only 170kms east of Hanoi is Halong Bay - one of UNESCO’s world 

heritage sites. The name itself translates into “Bay of descending 

dragon”. More than 1,900 limestone islands and islets are shaping 

this area. The best way to discover the surroundings is by joining 

one of the numerous cruises. They are ranging from simple day 

tours to pampering all-inclusive three-day cruises, depending on 

one’s time and budget. Besides visiting the famous stalactics grotto 

it is interesting to take a closer look at the so-called floating villages. 

Their houses are virtually built on small swimming isles. They are 

worth a visit to buy fresh seafood, rent a kayak and explore the 

unique lifestyle of the local fisherman. 

Vistas and Villages 

An easy, convenient and surprisingly pleasant night train ride from 

Hanoi will take you up to the northern Vietnamese border city of 

Lao Cai, the gateway to Sapa. Built as a French military sanatorium 

hill station in 1912, Sapa developed into a Mecca for trekking and 

hiking. Located at an altitude of 1,600m it is part of the Hoang Lien 

Son range. This range includes Vietnam’s highest mountain, Fan Si 

Pan, at a height of 3,142m above sea level. Many of the Vietnamese 

minorities such as the Hmong and Yay live here. They are dressed 

in distinguishing clothing. The majority of them are farmers. One of 

the best ways to explore the area is to hire a local guide and go for 

a three- or five-day hiking trip. Staying overnight at the welcoming 

homes of the villagers on the way can be quite an experience. 

Easy In, About and Out 

Hanoi is convenient to reach by plane from all major cities in 

China. Those with more time or less budget can easily access the 

country with an overland bus taking you straight from Nanning 

into Hanoi (approx. eight hours) or from Kunming via night bus 

or train to Lao Cai (nine hours). A tourist visa is required for most 

nationalities and can be obtained through the Vietnamese Embassy 

and Consulates in China, as well as through travel agencies. 

Transportation within Vietnam can easily be arranged at almost any 

accommodation and tourist information at the above mentioned 

destinations. SN 

The giant turtle of Ngoc Son Temple 

A paradise for ladies and shoe lovers 


2010 April - May 73

COMMUNITY 

CITY TOUR 

Talking the Walk 

A New Way to Discover Shanghai on Foot 

All photos by Jan Siefke/Shanghai Flaneure 

“Walk in the world, you can’t see anything from a car”, wrote the American poet 

William Carlos Williams. He wasn’t the only writer to know that to get to the heart 

of a city, you need a good pair of shoes: Charles Baudelaire used the term flâneur 

to describe someone who walks through the city to experience it. And nothing beats 

being shown around by those who’ve been walking the streets themselves for a 

while. With varying backgrounds in history, business, architecture, town planning, 

photography and China studies, the Shanghai Flaneurs represent something like a 

walking think-tank of the city. 

Expo Here We Come 

The world has been coming to Shanghai in 

larger numbers since the early 90s. Now, at 

the coming Expo, not only will the world 

be showing itself to Shanghai, but the city 

will be showing itself to the world. What 

exactly does the Expo mean for Shanghai? 

What is likely to remain of the Expo when 

its finished? What development will come 

of the Expo? Better City, Better Life, goes the 

logo. One of the Shanghai Flaneurs and coordinator 

of the Expo project Urban Planet, 

Götz Lehmann, offers a behind-the-scenes 

glimpse into the workings of the Expo. 

Just outside the Expo site are areas where 

writers, artists, exiles and businesspeople 

have worked and lived over the years, 

providing an interesting counterpoint to the 

pavilions. In one big outdoor exhibition, the 

city reflects an international past and future. 


Little Vienna 

The process of globalisation, symbolised by 

the Expo, set in long before “globalisation” 

became common as a term. Shanghai offers 

a striking example of this: the former Jewish 

quarter of Hongkou, or Little Vienna as it 

was once known. Fleeing Nazi persecution 

in Europe, 18,000 Jewish refugees made 

use of the relatively open visa policy of 

the International Settlement in the 1930s 

and 40s. They set up temporary home 

in Shanghai with synagogues, schools, 

theatres, hospitals, and even a Viennese 

cafe. This area has preserved part of its 

housing stock from the period, and is great 

for an atmospheric stroll. The flaneurs 

here are two long-term Shanghai residents 

who have made intensive studies of the 

area. Matthias Messmer writes on arts and 

culture for the respected Swiss daily Neue 

Zürcher Zeitung and is author of the book 

Where East meets West: Jewish lives in China 

- Twentieth Centuries Odysseys. Architect 

Fanny Hoffmann-Loss designed a plan for 

a Jewish Centre in Shanghai while studying 

architecture in the city. 

Shanghai Books 

Strolling a little to the north-west, one might 

bump into Marcus Hernig, co-founder of 

the Shanghai Flaneurs and author of China 

Mittendrin – Kultur, Geschichte, Alltag, who 

lives around these parts. The Colonial period 

saw the construction of banks and hotels 

on the Bund that wouldn’t have looked 

out of place in London or New York. But 

residential areas with European style houses 

were also built, such as in the streets around 

Shanyin Road, forming a kind of squeezedtogether 

London suburb, with a dash of 

Japanese architecture thrown in. China’s 

most famous literary son of the twentieth 

century, Lu Xun, lived here. Though you 

won’t find inscriptions on stones honouring 

Tang Dynasty poets– Shanghai was still 

just a provincial town until well into the 

eighteenth century – you will find traces of 

the literary flowering that took place here 

in the early twentieth century. Who needs a

guidebook in an area with so many books 

of its own? Marcus shows you around the 

streets, while reading, and comments on 

brief excerpts from the Chinese writers who 

have lived in this neighbourhood. 

Cameras and Feathers 

The Bund is a visible reminder of the 

business relationship between China and 

the West in the 1920s and 30s, though 

that relationship goes back much further. 

Just as the French Revolution was getting 

underway in 1789, a revolution in world 

trade was beginning in Shanghai. The 

Catharina & Anna, a cargo ship from 

Hamburg, was among the first trading 

ships to arrive on the Huangpu from the 

West. One early trader to establish himself 

in China, with a branch in Shanghai, was 

Richard von Carlowitz of Dresden, in 

1846. By the 1930s Carlowitz’s company 

was trading in Zeiss optical instruments, 

delivering mining equipment to the 

Imperial Government, and representing the 

Krupp holding. Other traders had arrived 

in the meantime, as 1900 saw the founding 

of the German Association, the forerunner 

of today’s German Chamber of Commerce. 

Its members imported German technology, 

were involved in the tea trade, invested in 

what is today the HSBC bank, and exported 

Chinese agricultural products such as goose 

feathers and pig intestines. 

Colourful figures of the Bund’s heyday 

include Du Yuesheng, or ‘big eared Du’, 

who worked his way up through the ranks 

of a secret society called the Green Gang to 

become its boss. He would, however, become 

a respected businessman on the boards of 

40 companies and banks on the Wall Street 

of the East. Hartmut Oertel, who followed a 

banking career himself in Shanghai after first 

visiting the city in 1980, tells these and other 

stories of Shanghai’s trading past, as the city 

moves towards the construction of China’s 

first free port by the year 2020. 

"Beliebteste China- 

Informationsbörse" (ZEIT) 

Urban Trekking 

If Tibet is the Roof of the World, Pudong is 

at least the Roof of Shanghai. Fancy a climb? 

Flaneur Jan Siefke is a photographer who 

has made the giddy ascent up most of the 

city’s skyscrapers. As well as photographing 

the city professionally for the last decade, he 

has explored the city’s architecture and town 

planning. From street level you may only ever 

see a peak or two, but from the heights of 

Lupu Bridge you will be able to take in the full 

panorama of the massive changes that have 

occurred over the past twenty years. Over 

the last decade alone the city’s trademark 

building has changed several times: first the 

Oriental Pearl Tower, then the Jin Mao Tower, 

now the Shanghai World Financial Tower, and 

- from 2014 - we will be marvelling at all 600 

metres of the Shanghai Tower. 

The Kitchen God 

It doesn’t take long for most Westerners 

visiting China to realise that Chinese food 

in the West doesn’t have much to do with 

the reality of cooking in China. From 

Sichuan hotpot to Beijing jiaozi, and a host 

of lesser known regional specialities, food 

is a frequent subject of conversation and an 

important part of Chinese culture. Shanghai, 

as much as any other region, has its own 

distinctive cuisine – including seafood, sweet 

sauces and steamed dumplings. Marcus 

Hernig’s latest book project deals with the 

significance of food and drink in Chinese 

culture. In a new tour to coincide with the 

Expo 2010, he takes his fellow strollers to 

some of the most interesting stoves and 

woks of the city, a gastrosophical excursion 

that is a homage to the Gods of the Kitchen. 

Art and the City 

The Chinese contemporary arts scene has 

become highly visible on the international 

stage over the last two decades. Chinese 

artists are now regularly making it into 

schanghai 


com 

d e u t s c h s p r a c h i g e c h i n a - p l a t t f o r m 

" Deutsche nutzen die Job- und Wohnungsbörse 

von schanghai.com [...] Tendenz: steigend" (ARD) 

"Wichtigste deutschsprachige 

Austauschplattform" (Dt. Club Shanghai) 

the biennales and auction houses. Taking a 

closer look at Shanghai arts, it has certainly 

caught up with Beijing in terms of galleries 

and art institutions. Key figures in the city’s 

art scene today include Li Liang, founder 

of Eastlink Gallery, Zhou Tiehai who 

creates manipulated portraits, and Ding Yi 

with his pattern paintings. The maelstrom 

of globalisation has internationalised 

the arts scene too, with gallerists Lorenz 

Helbling and Davide Quadrio hailing from 

Switzerland and Italy. Thomas Füsser has 

followed the contemporary Chinese arts 

scene since the early 90s, when he made 

portraits of Chinese artists as a photographer 

for the German news magazine ‘Stern’. 

Alistair Noon is a writer and editor and 

Katja Hellkötter is the founder and 

manager of SHANGHAI FLANEUR. 

The organisation runs a number of standard 

walks, lectures and excursions on a 

diversity of themes, as well as tailor-made 

programmes for delegations, companies 

and other groups interested in the city 

and its culture. For further information, 

please contact Katja at: ' 136 0191- 

8128 | * info@shanghai-flaneure.net 

www.shanghai-flaneure.net. 

Stellenanzeigen/Job ads: USD 20.- 

Post vacancies directly at www.schanghai.com/karriere 

Werbebanner/Ad banners: EUR 160.- 

Ask for our media-kit at team@schanghai.com 

2010 April - May 75

COMMUNITY 


THIS & THAT 

How well do you 

know China? 

Sudoku 

Easy 

© Kilian Becker 

7 4 2 3 

3 8 9 

5 8 1 

7 9 2 

5 4 8 3 

8 6 9 

7 9 4 

1 7 5 

6 8 7 3 

SudokuShack.com 

Which building is being 

constructed here and in 

what city? 

Check out our next issue for the answer and send us a photo 

from your own pool of China travel pictures, indicating the 

name and place of the motive. The best entry will be published 

with credits of the photographer in our next issue. Email your 

entry to porpaczy.bernhard@sh.china.ahk.de 

Solution 1/2010: Yurt camp on Karakul Lake, Xinjiang Province. Located ca. 200km 

from Kashgar on the Karakoram Highway, at an altitude of 3,600m, it is the highest 

lake of the Pamir plateau. 

THE GREAT PEOPLE by: PUYE 

Reunion 

http://www.flickr.com/puyecomic 

1 2 

3

German Speaking Christian Community 

Beijing 

Shanghai 

Suzhou 

Date Time Place Service 


2 nd April-Good Friday 7.00 pm German Embassy Protestant 

3 rd April 7.00 pm German Embassy Catholic Easter Night service 

4 th April-Easter Sunday 10.00 am German Embassy Protestant 

10 th April 5.00 pm German Embassy Catholic 

18 th April 10.00 am German Embassy Protestant 

24 th April 5.00 pm German Embassy Catholic 

1 st May 5.00 pm German Embassy Catholic 

9 th May 10.00 am German Embassy Protestant (Introduction of Confirmands) 

16 th May 10.00 am German Embassy Catholic First Communion 

23 rd May-Pentecost 10.00 am German Embassy Protestant Confirmation 

29 th May 5.00 pm German Embassy Catholic 

1 st April-Holy Thursday Evening TBA Catholic 

2 nd April–Good Friday 6.30 pm Lakeside Ville Protestant 

3 rd April 6.30 pm Chrysanthemum Park Pudong Catholic Easter Night service 

4 th April-Easter Sunday 3.30 pm St. Peters Church Catholic 

11 th April 10.30 am Racquet Club Protestant 

18 th April 3.30 pm St. Peters Church Catholic 

25 th April 10.30 am Lakeside Ville Protestant 

2 nd May 3.30 pm St. Peters Church Catholic 

9 th May 10.30 am Hofbräuhaus Pudong Protestant 

15 th May 10.00 am TBA Catholic First Communion 

23 rd May 10.00 am Longemont Hotel Protestant Confirmation 

30 th May 3.30 pm St. Peters Church Catholic 

17 th April 11.00 am TBA (see Website) 

15 th May 11.00 am TBA (see Website) 

Contact: Beijing: 

Shanghai + Suzhou: 

Dr. Karl-Heinz Schell – Protestant Pastor | ' 136 9363-1857 

* dt_gemeinde_peking@hotmail.com | www.egpeking.de 

Catholic Services | * kgds.peking@gmail.com 

Peter Kruse – Protestant Pastor | ' 139 1765-4475 

Michael Bauer – Catholic Priest | ' 137 7431-0216 

* dcgs-gemeindinfo@web.de | www.dcgs.net 

Benefit Partner Updates 

East China | Shanghai East China | Hangzhou 

Munich Beer House 

Room 118, Shanghai Bay, 1138 South 

Pudong Road, Shanghai 

浦东南路1138号上海湾118室 

' 021 5878-7979 

* munichbeerhousesh@gmail.com 

www.munich-bh.com 

Benefit: 10% discount on food, 20% 

discount on beverage (Not applicable for 

special-priced & promotional items) 

AsianBiz Center & 

Consulting 

Sen Ben Plaza 3F/4F, 567 Tian Yao Qiao 

Road, Shanghai 200030 

上海天钥桥路567号森本大楼3楼4楼 

Contact: Amelie Boucher 

' 400 630-2216 

* amelie@asianbizcenter.com.cn 

www.asianbiz.cn 

Benefit: 1 month package A of MOBILE 

OFFICE for free 

10% discount on rental fee (minimum 1 

year rental) 

10% discount on our incorporation services 

Shanghai Suntek Modern 

Door & Window 

Co., Ltd 

1 Tongxie Road, Changning, Shanghai 

200335 | 上海市长宁区通协路1号 

' 021 5176-5888 ext.510 

021 6090-8300 

* skh@suntek.cc 

www.suntek.cc 

Benefit: 15% discount on Schüco premium 

products of windows, doors and winter 

garden systems, for retail market only. 

Pure Thai Chi Club 

402 ,One Lujiazui Building, 68 Yincheng 

Middle Road, Pudong Shanghai 

浦东陆家嘴银城中路68号时代金融中心 402 

' 021 5010-6707 

* Service@puretaichi.com 

www.puretaichi.com 

Benefit: 20% discount on the annual membership 

fee 

50% discount on one class for the first time 

Zhejiang Jiangong 

huanyi Decorative 

Engineering Co., Ltd 

38 Zhijiang Road, Hangzhou 310013 

浙江省杭州市之江路38号,310013 

' 0571 8895-2367 

' 0571 8542-0685 

* pjn126@126.com 

www.zjjghy.com 

Benefit: 15% discount on Schüco premium 

products of windows, doors and winter 

garden systems, for retail market only. 

Present your GC membership cards at these trusted partners and benefit from special discounts and services. For the full list of Benefit Partners, 

please refer to the 2010 Benefit Program Booklet or the German Chamber Website at www.china.ahk.de. 

2010 April - May 77

COMMUNITY CHAMBER EVENTS CALENDAR 

Chamber Calendar Regular Events 

Date Event/Topic 

North China 

8 th April Communication Roundtable “Change Communication” 

14 th April Coface Survey on Corporate Credit Management in China 

15 th April Biz Socializer/Inter-Chamber Networking (Tianjin) 

21 st April German Chamber Dinner 

28 th April Kammerstammtisch (Tianjin) 

13 th May Biz Socializer/Inter-Chamber Networking (Tianjin) 

26 th May Kammerstammtisch (Tianjin) 

South China 

8 th April Impact of Banking Policies (Guangzhou) 

14 th April Finance for SMEs (Shenzhen) 

15 th April AGM / Board Election (Guangzhou) 

29 th April Inter-Chamber Networking (Zhuhai) 

12 th May German Evening with Quatsch Comedy Club (Shenzhen) 

East China 

9 th April Summit with Environment Minister Dr. Röttger (Nanjing) 

13 th April Meet the candidates 

15 th April Inter-Chamber Mixer (Suzhou) 

17 th April Family and Friends Day 

20 th April Expo Roundtable 

21 th April Suzhou Special: Corruption Facts 

22 nd April GC Roundtable 

29 th April Chamber Meeting & Board Election 

14 th May Asparagus Dinner 

17 th May Delegation Atlantikbruecke 

20 th May GC Roundtable 

25 th May Workshop Construction 

26 th May Coface Survey on Corporate Credit Management (Suzhou) 

27 th May Chamber Meeting 


North China 

Kammerstammtisch 

every third Monday of 

the month at Paulaner 

Bräuhaus, 7.00pm 

Praktikantenstammtisch 

every second Tuesday of 

the month at changing 

locations, 7.00pm 

Event Highlights 

North China 

East China 

Deutscher Stammtisch 

every second Tuesday 

of the month at Paulaner 

Bräuhaus Fenyang Road, 

7.00pm 

Praktikantenstammtisch 

every third Wednesday of 

the month at Mural Bar, 

7.30pm 

First Annual Meeting Tianjin 

After the establishment of the Board of Directors of the German 

Chamber of Commerce l Tianjin in September 2009, the 1 st annual 

meeting will be held in April. The board members will be introduced 

and the by-laws of Chamber ratified and presented to the members in 

Tianjin. The exact date is to be announced shortly. For further information 

please consult the Chamber website at www.china.ahk.de. 

South China 

Election Day in the South 

On 15 th April the 

GCC l South China 

will elect its new 

board at The Garden 

Hotel, Guangzhou. 

Since 2008, 

the regional board 

consists of six members. 

The Chamber encourages all members who are entitled to vote 

to participate in the election. The Board represents the GCC l South 

China for the next two years. 

East China 

South China 

German Happy Hour 

Guangzhou – every last 

Tuesday of the month 

German Stammtisch 

Shenzhen – every third Thursday 

of the month at Galleon 

Bar, InterContinental Shenzhen 

Young Professionals 

Stammtisch Guangzhou 

every second Thursday of the 

month at Sleeping Wood 

Decision Day also in Shanghai 

On April 29 th , the German Chamber of Commerce in China l Shanghai 

will elect its new Board of Directors. The Chamber invites and 

encourages all members who are qualified to vote, to take part in 

the elections. The candidates are to represent principal members 

(Hauptmitglieder) or additional 

members (Nebenmitglieder) of the 

GCC l Shanghai. Please refer to the 

Chamber Notices on page 34 for 

the full list of 18 candidates for the 

next two-year term.

2010 April - May 79

COMMUNITY 

80 April - May 2010

SHANGHAI SOUTH CHINA ALL CHINA - AHKs

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?