H&M launch Shanghai
Pics from the H&M launch at Science & Technology musuem are available here
Source:H&M, smartshanghai.com
H&M to open soon in Shanghai
H&M has during several years had the majority of the production located in China. But finally ! H&M will open a flagship store on 12th April. The store will be located in the old Benetton store on Huai Hai Middle Road, in the the corner of Huaihai and Sinan Road, next to Sephora.
Luodian, a Swedish town in Shanghai
China has imported Swedish sustainable development to one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. Shanghai has now it's own Sigtuna and a “Lake Meilan” a copy of lake Mälaren (the third-largest lake in Sweden) Luodian was ready in 2004 and is a fully fledged copy of a Scandinavian town. The city took six years to build and belongs to Baoshan, one of the 16 districts in Shanghai.
Sweco a Swedish architecture firm was involved in the planning of Luodian, the company describes the project as an export of sustainable urban development to China. The light, pastel houses in Scandinavian Cultural Street are based on those in historic Sigtuna, a small town north of Stockholm. And close to Citizen Square there is a square-shaped church-like tower overlooking Lake Meilan.
Spread over 6,8 square kilometers, Luodian is a gated community built for between 30,000 and 50,000 people, with luxury villas, a Nobel Science and Technology Park, a five-star hotel and nine-hole PGA-approved golf course. It follows the pattern of new urbanism with a traditional form without the traditional function. The center of Luodian has its own bell-tower that belongs to a building with the appearance of a 1950ies modernist church. But the planned function of the building is to congregate people for shopping instead of the Sunday mass.
The question is whether the outcome lives up to this. The attempts in this direction with green corridors and bicycle lanes do not alone imply sustainability. As long as Luodian remains an isolated island without any connections to the rest of the city, people who choose to move there will have to rely on their own cars. Well-functioning infrastructure and public transport must be considered crucial aspects of a sustainable development, not only of Luodian, but of the whole region of Shanghai.
Sources and photos: sweco.se, luodian.com, sweden.se, sinocities.net
Chinese automaker in talks with Volvo to make trucks
Photo:volvo.com
Chinese automaker Dongfeng Motor Group is considering selling a stake in a commercial vehicle unit to Volvo. The unit is part of Dongfeng's joint venture with Japan's Nissan Motor Co. The three parties were discussing whether Volvo would replace the Japanese company as Dongfeng's partner in the medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicles arm, the Chinese automaker said in a statement, The Associated Press reported today.
Nissan would then focus on just the passenger car and light commercial vehicle unit, said Dongfeng, which is listed in Hong Kong. Dongfeng said the companies have not entered any binding agreements that will require the approval by the relevant authorities of Beijing.
Dongfeng Motor is owned equally by Nissan and Dongfeng. Under the joint venture, passenger cars are produced under the Nissan brand, while trucks under the Dongfeng name.
Volvo, the world's second-biggest truck maker by sales, has said it was interested in taking over Nissan's stake in Dongfeng's truck unit. Volvo draws most of its truck sales from Europe and North America, and has a market share of just 0.7 percent in Asia, according to the company.
Source:www.shanghaidaily.com
The Embassy's Sweden in China calender January 2007
BEIJING
18 January
Seminar of Mergers and Acquisitions in China with Christina Wu
Time: 09.00 – 11.00
Venue: Radisson SAS Hotel Beijing, Ballroom 1Information: All members free of charge, non members – 150 RMB /person.
25 January
Breakfast meeting with Mr Long YongtuSecretary-General of Boao Forum for Asia, former Vice Minister of MOFCOM and Chief Negotiator to bring China to WTO.
Swedish Chamber of Commerce
Time: 09.00 – 11. 00
Venue: Radisson SAS Hotel Beijing, Ballroom 1
Information: One member free of charge, member price 150 RMB /person, nonmember 200 RMB /person.
SHANGHAI
Conducting Effective Sales MeetingsSeminar with Per Dahl from Communication Consulting Swedish Chamber of Commerce
Time: 09.00 – 11.00
Venue: Radisson Hotel Shanghai
Information: All members free of charge, non members 150 RMB/person.
25 January
Chamber Light with Ola Wong
Topic – Working as a journalist in ChinaTime: 19.00 –21.00
Venue: To be confirmed
Information: For registration and information please contact Anette Smedberg.
31 January
Fraud and Corruption Seminar with Peter Humphrey from China Why´s Swedish Chamber of Commerce
Time: 09.00 – 11.00Venue: IKEA Shanghai Office, KLIPPAN, 128 Cao Xi Road
Information: All members free of charge, non members 150 RMB/person. Forregistration and information please contact Anette Smedberg.
HONG KONG
Equal Opportunities Seminar in Hong Kong
The Consulate of Sweden will work together with Equal Opportunity Commission of
Hong Kong SAR Government and Chinese University of Hong Kong for the Seminar.Information: Boel Evander.
Source:Embassy of Sweden, Beijing
SAS launches a nonstop route between Stockholm and Beijing
SAS will launch a four-times-weekly nonstop route between Stockholm and Beijing in April with the direct route to China from Stockholm, SAS intends to counter the growing success of Finnair's Helsinki-Far East services as well as secure its position in the Swedish market.
"Sweden accounts for about 60% of the Scandinavian long-haul market," Swedish airports operator LVF Group Director-Aviation Marketing Mats Sigurdson said. "We are eager to be flexible and operate flights on routes demanded by customers," said Lars Lindgren, President of Scandinavian Airlines International.
"Since our direct routes to Shanghai and Beijing from Copenhagen are highly appreciated, we see great potential in the Stockholm-Beijing route. SAS will continue to fly from Copenhagen to Beijing and Shanghai.
Source:SAS.se
Vasaloppet in China
Photo:www.pwt-travel.com
Vasaloppet China, "one of the most Swedish events that exists" has become Asia's biggest ski event attracting more participants, audience and media than ever before, the competition take place in Jingyuetan Park of Changchun, Northeast China's Jilin Province. Vasaloppet China is a ski event with races and activities for all levels and ages. During the five days of competitions the highlight of the week is the ultimate endurance test, the 50 km race. It’s the Scandinavian sports marketing company Nordic Ways in cooperation with the Chinese Ski Association, Changchun Municipal Government and the International Ski Federation (FIS) organizing Vasaloppet China.
Photo:www.pwt-travel.com
Vasaloppet China is much more than elite skiers battling it out. Ridderrennet China, X-country skiing for disabled people, is an impressive display in how to overcome personal obstacles. "It is a race with long traditions in Norway," said Eivind S Homme, minister chancellor at the Norwegian Embassy. "Ridderrennet China can show disabled people in China that they can triumph over great obstacles, and it is therefore of great importance for all disabled persons in China." Throughout the week, students and children will also test the tracks, many of them on skis for the first time.
Photo:www.pwt-travel.com
The growth of Vasaloppet China has been developing rapidly. The Three international competitions plus Ridderrennet, Stora Enso Children’s Vasa and a series of other races and activities between December 29 2006 and January 4 2007 saw some 7,400 participants from 23 countries aged 5-86 years old on the ski tracks in Changchun and Beijing.
Sources: China Daily, english.cri.cn, www.nordicways.com, http://www.pwt-travel.com/vasaloppet/china2007/
Articles on the partnership between China and Sweden
A summary of the Götheborg project and the ship's journey
Photo:www.soic.se
History and facts
The 2 of October 2005 Götheborg, one of Sweden's biggest marketing project departed from Göteborg harbour for its two year long journey to China. The East Indiaman Götheborg is a large wooden sailship, a replica of the vessel with the same name. The original sank off Gothenburg on the 12 September 1745 while approaching its home harbour after returning from her third voyage to Asia. All sailors survived, but the ship was lost.
The start of the Götheborg project
When the wreckage of the vessel Götheborg was found in 1985 the idea emerged of making a replica of the vessel. The vessel was built using traditional means and is as close to the original as possible. The vessel was launched 6 June 2003. Ten tons of ropes were to be used in rigging the vessel, together with some 1,000 blocks and 1,800 m² sail, all produced as in the "old days". The first trial under sail was 18 April 2005. The project has so far cost some 250 million SEK.
The journey to China
The voyage is expected to take about two years, with the vessel returning to Sweden in September 2007. Among the harbours to be visited are Cadiz, Recife, Cape Town, Singapore and Shanghai. The total list of legs with cities and distances are listed below.
Photo:www.soic.se
- Leg 1 - Gothenburg to Cadiz - 2,400 nautical miles
- Leg 2 - Cadiz to Recife - 3,100 nm
- Leg 3 - Recife to Cape Town - 4,200 nm
- Leg 4 - Cape Town to Fremantle - 4,900 nm
- Leg 5 - Fremantle to Jakarta - 1,800 nm
- Leg 6 - Jakarta to Guangdong - 2,000 nm and Shanghai - 900 nm
- Leg 7 - Shanghai to Hong Kong - 800 nm and Singapore - 1,800 nm
- Leg 8 - Singapore to Mauritius - 2,900 nm
- Leg 9 - Mauritius to Port Elizabeth and Cape Town - 2,400 nm
- Leg 10 - Cape Town to Ascension Island - 2,500 nm
- Leg 11 - Ascension to Azores - 4,700 nm
- Leg 12 - Azores to London and Gothenburg - 2,600 nm
The ship's present position
You can follow Götheborgs journey and see the ships position at www.soic.se , The captain's (Peter Kaaling) weekly report is also available
Photo:www.soic.se
Sources:http://www.gotheborg.com/project/index.shtml, www.wikipedia.com, www.soic.se
China -Sweden's most important trading partner
China is Sweden's largest trade partner in Asia. In 2005 total trade was more than 5,5 billion US-dollars, which represented 2.5 % of Sweden's total foreign trade. In 2005 exports from Sweden to China reached SEK 18,8 billion. Industrial goods, primarily office and telecom equipment, mechanical equipment, transformers, iron, steel and vehicles, were the most important export products, but paper, chemical products and pharmaceuticals were also large product groups (2005).
In 2005 imports from China to Sweden reached SEK 29,7 billion. Light machinery and consumer goods, such as textiles, clothes, shoes and sporting equipment, dominate imports (2005).
Most large Swedish companies have established themselves in China, but also smaller companies are finding their way here. In total approx. 220 companies have manufacturing facilities or offices on the ground, primarily in or around Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing.
Chinese companies are also finding their way to Sweden. To strengthen the economic relations between Sweden and China is an important issue for the Swedish government.
Source: www.swedenabroad.com
In 2005 imports from China to Sweden reached SEK 29,7 billion. Light machinery and consumer goods, such as textiles, clothes, shoes and sporting equipment, dominate imports (2005).
Most large Swedish companies have established themselves in China, but also smaller companies are finding their way here. In total approx. 220 companies have manufacturing facilities or offices on the ground, primarily in or around Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing.
Chinese companies are also finding their way to Sweden. To strengthen the economic relations between Sweden and China is an important issue for the Swedish government.
Source: www.swedenabroad.com
Wei Wei, Chinas greatest popstar helps Swedish companies establish in China
Photo:Weiweimusic.com
Wei Wei is one of Chinas most popular pop singers ( and one of the most well paid ) After a career in China spanning twenty years Wei Wei is said to be the country's greatest singer in modern times. According to estimates her music has been distributed through more than 200 million units in China , which makes her one of the greatest selling single artists in the world. She sings in Mandarin and English and she is one of the most requested artists for big events, she is also requested as an ambassador for China at international events.
In September 2006 Wei Wei's song "I want to fly" (the mandarin version of "Where we are") was appointed Official Song for the 2008 Olympic Sailing City of Qingdao. This year Wei Wei celebrates 20 years on stage. The anniversary is highlighted by the production of new recordings of her 20 greatest hits. The recordings are being produced (home) in Stockholm, London and Los Angeles.
Since 1999 the superstar has been living in Sweden. Wei Wei is filming the music video for the new recording of her song "It's all different" in Stockholm. Climbing the world's largest spherical building - The Globe (Globen in Swedish) Wei Wei is the world's first Chinese citizen climbing up to the Globe, she is also the worlds first artist performing on top of it (Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Metallica, Tina Turner also made it to the Globe, but only to the floor downstair...)
Wei Wei in Business
Stockholm Business Region and Stockholm Visitors Board have chosen Wei Wei as their spokesperson for the Asian market. In Sweden WeiWei is relatively unknown… Establishing a Chinese artist both on the domestic and international markets requires patience, insight, and external skill in order to get necessary knowledge Catarina Lilliehöök, Peder Bonnier, Joen Bonnier and Peter Rosta (Former Chief for the Swedish Trade Council in China) are handpicked for the Wei Wei International Management advisory board. The Wei Wei International Management AB was established in the spring of 2004 and is responsible for all activity outside of China in close cooperation with Management East in China. One of the Wei Wei International Management main ideas is that Wei Wei should serve as a link between the commercial interests in the West and the market in China and Create opportunities for business interest in the West who want to establish themselves in China, strengthen their establishment or brand in China by using the values of Wei Wei's higly respected name and good reputation.
Sources: wikipedia.org, realtid.se, weiweimusic.com, weiweiint.com