*Carlsberg, one of the world's leading beer manufacturers, has invested more than 20 billion yuan (approximately $2.8 billion) in China since entering the country in the early 1990s, making it the fourth largest beer brewer in the Chinese market. grew up in place.
*In 2023, the Chinese government has launched 24 concrete measures in 6 areas to further optimize the foreign investment environment and strengthen efforts to attract investment, including guaranteeing national treatment for foreign companies and expanding fiscal and tax support. .
“We have always felt strong support from the local government and the difficulties and challenges we faced were able to be resolved through our close cooperation,” said Udo von Reinersdorf, Chief Financial Officer of Caen Leavers. He made the remarks at a roundtable discussion hosted by the Ministry of China. A commercial event took place in Stuttgart, Germany last week.
BERLIN, April 10 (Xinhua) — In 1993, the German company Cologne Leavers invested 500,000 Deutsche Marks in the city of Taicang in East China's Jiangsu Province, employing just six people and 400 employees. With this in mind, we began a path of development overseas. square meter factory house.
After 30 years and 11 capital increases, the wire spring provider owns a factory spanning 70,000 square meters in a Chinese city, with an annual production value of 1.5 billion yuan (approximately 207.4 million USD), the largest share in China. occupies . Its global footprint.
“We have always felt strong support from the local government, and the difficulties and challenges we have faced have been closely addressed,” Udo von Reinersdorf, chief financial officer of Kahn Leavers, said at a roundtable hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce. We were able to resolve the issue through cooperation.” Last week in Stuttgart, Germany.
The event is part of the ongoing “Investing in China” roundtable series touring European countries including Denmark, France and Italy. It has attracted many well-known European companies from fields such as green energy, smart manufacturing, biomedicine and high-end equipment manufacturing.
Participants shared stories of important investments in China, recognition of the Chinese government's efforts to encourage foreign companies to operate in China, and a willingness to share the vibrant Chinese market and future opportunities. expressed.
vigorous vitality
Hans-Peter Friedrich, a member of the German Bundestag, said German companies were optimistic about the prospects for the Chinese economy, which was important for Germany.
According to a report by the German Institute for Economic Research, the country's total direct investment in China reached a record high of 11.9 billion euros (approximately $12.9 billion) in 2023, an increase of 4.3% from the previous year. This amount accounted for more than 10% of Germany's total investment abroad and was the highest level since 2014.
The Danish business group GN Store Nord came to China 150 years ago and began close cooperation with China through the telegraph line. The headset maker is currently expanding its operations in China into its three main areas, including hearing aids, corporate communications support and gaming equipment.
“Today's Chinese market is not only of great importance to us, but also to the well-functioning and success of global companies,” said Peter Karlströmer, CEO of the group. Many things are working well and we are grateful for our partnership.”
AP Moller-Maersk, a Danish shipping and logistics company that entered China 100 years ago, just celebrated its 30th anniversary of establishing its first wholly owned subsidiary in China at the end of March. The company has more than 60,500 employees in the Asian country and has expanded its business scope from shipping to various areas such as port investment and management, air cargo, warehousing and container manufacturing.
“China has been part of our history as a company since Maersk began operations in Shanghai in the spring of 1924,” said Camilla Holze, head of public policy and regulation at Maersk.
Holze noted that the company also has a very extensive procurement program in China, with the total value of goods and services reaching up to $4.6 billion in 2023.
Carlsberg, one of the world's leading beer makers, has invested more than 20 billion yuan (approximately $2.8 billion) in China since entering the country in the early 1990s. The number of employees has grown to over 6,000 people, and now it is the fourth largest brewery in the Chinese market.
Anders Kappel, Carlsberg's public relations manager, said the company is benefiting greatly from China's booming economic development.
Government initiatives
Over the years, China has accelerated the implementation of a series of concrete measures, such as reducing the negative list for foreign investment and enforcing foreign investment laws, in order to extend the benefits of its continued opening-up policy to more foreign companies.
In August 2023, the Chinese government announced measures in six areas to further optimize the foreign capital environment and strengthen efforts to attract investment, including guaranteeing national treatment for foreign-funded enterprises, strengthening financial and tax support, and developing the global economy. It set out 24 concrete measures. A market-oriented, law-based, internationalized and first-class business environment.
China's Ministry of Commerce Spokesperson He Yadong said that the 24 foreign investment promotion measures have further strengthened the investment confidence of foreign enterprises.
At a roundtable meeting held in Copenhagen in early April, Lars Sandahl Sørensen, CEO of the Confederation of Danish Industry, cited China's introduction of 24 measures aimed at improving the investment environment for foreign companies. He praised the move as a concrete and reassuring step.
Policies toward foreign-invested companies can have an immediate impact on business confidence. Sorensen said the plan could go a long way toward improving overall business confidence.
According to China's Ministry of Commerce, 60% of the announced measures have already been implemented. The number of items on the foreign investment negative list has been reduced from 93 items in 2017 to 31 items in 2022, and is expected to be further reduced this year. All restrictions on foreign investment's access to manufacturing will also be lifted.
In March, China announced an action plan aimed at attracting and leveraging more foreign investment, with 24 steps across five key dimensions, including expanding market access and aligning domestic regulations with high standards of international economic and trade rules. The measures were outlined. The action plan further emphasizes China's efforts to attract foreign investment and increase confidence in investing in China by strengthening positive interactions with the global economy.
The traveling roundtable in Europe is part of a conference system launched by China's Ministry of Commerce in July 2023, with the aim of holding regular meetings to address issues and collect feedback from foreign companies. There is.
So far, the ministry has held more than a dozen such meetings, resolved more than 300 issues and complaints raised, and instilled optimism in many foreign institutions and enterprises about future investment and development prospects in China. Ta.
sharing opportunities
Mr. Sorensen expressed his desire to further promote investment in the world's second-largest economy and continue to strengthen ties between the two countries by leveraging common interests and common goals.
“Denmark and China are both committed to further expanding our trade relations, exploring new areas of cooperation and embracing the opportunities presented by all industries, including life sciences, biotechnology, green technology and the food industry,” he said. Ta.
In Friedrich's view, it is important to understand China and increase interaction with China, especially for young Germans who do not know about China. “If you look at this country, you look at its vitality, you look at its people's enthusiasm for the future, and you see how important cooperation with China is for the German economy,” he said.
Novo Nordisk, a global pharmaceutical giant, has approximately 65,000 employees in more than 80 countries and territories. Established in 1994, the Chinese subsidiary has expanded its operations across the entire value chain, including production, research and development, and commercial operations.
Catherine Dibona, Novo Nordisk's corporate vice president of global communications and sustainability, said the company currently has an ongoing investment project in Tianjin, a municipality in northern China. Last month, the company announced an additional investment of approximately 4 billion yuan ($553 million) in an expansion project for its Tianjin production site.
“We are very proud to have such a large presence in China and excited that China is our second largest market. We are very encouraged by the ambition and intention of the Chinese government to develop a science and biomanufacturing hub as part of its domestic industry,” said DiBona.
Karlströmer echoed similar expectations, pointing out that GN Group has already invested heavily in China and plans to modernize and invest further in the country.
“We are extremely grateful for our 150 years of cooperation with China and look forward to continuing to work closely together to build a better future,” he said. (Video reporters: Yang Zichun, Cheng Di, Zhu Yunxiong, Guo Jiewen, video editors: Zhang Qiqi, Hui Peipei, Zheng Qingbin, Liu Yutian)■
