China. Country factsheets. May Mattias DEBROYER Economic and commercial attaché.

Transcription

1 China Mattias DEBROYER Economic and commercial attaché Country factsheets May

2 Facts and Figures China Capital: Beijing President: Xi Jinping Population: 1,3 billion Area: 9,6 million km² Major language: Mandarin Chinese Major religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism, Islam Time zone: UTC + 8 (Beijing time). China spans 3 time zones, but Beijing time is applied in the whole territory of China. In summertime, time difference with Belgium is ECT + 6, in wintertime is ECT + 7 hours. Currency: Renminbi or Yuan (EUR/RMB = 7,7 as per 26 May 2017) Economic indicators GDP = billion USD (Belgium = 410 billion EUR ; USA = billion USD ) GDP growth (2016) = 6,7% GDP pro capita = USD (Belgium = EUR; USA = USD) Inflation rate = 1,2% year-on-year (April 2017) Gini coefficient = 46,5 (Belgium = 27,5; USA = 41) Life expectancy: 72 years (men); 76 years (women) Population: 24 million Area: km² Major language: Mandarin Chinese, with a strong presence of the local Chinese dialect Life expectancy: 80 years (men); 85 years (women) GDP = 380 billion USD (3% of total China GDP) GDP growth = 6,8% in 2016 (above national average) GDP pro capita = USD (2014) Municipality, with 16 districts and one county (Chongming Island) Shenzhen Population: 12 million Average age: 34 years

3 Area: km² Major language: Mandarin Chinese, with a presence of Cantonese Chinese Life expectancy: 80 years (men); 85 years (women) GDP = 300 billion USD GDP growth = NA GDP pro capita = USD (2014) City in the Province of Guangdong Government All power within the government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies: the Communist Party of the People's Republic of China the State Council, and the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Power is concentrated in President Xi Jinping, who heads all three bodies: he is Secretary General of the Communist Party and of the Central Committee, President of the People's Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission. The primary organs of state power are the National People's Congress (NPC), the President, and the State Council. Members of the State Council include the Premier, currently Li Keqiang, a variable number of Vice Premiers, five State Councilors, and 29 ministers and heads of State Council commissions. Under the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, the NPC is the highest organ of state power in China. It meets annually for about two weeks to review and approve major new policy directions, laws, the budget, and major personnel changes. Most national legislation in the PRC is adopted by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Most initiatives are presented to the NPCSC for consideration by the State Council after previous endorsement by the Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee. Economy GDP China s GDP amounts to billion USD and represents 16.71% of the world economy. China is the world s biggest manufacturer and the world s biggest economy in purchase-powerparity terms. China is poised to surpass the USA in GDP, and become the world's largest economy by around 2020.

4 Trade China accounts for 12% of global trade volume and is the largest trading partner of 128 countries by the end of China is Belgium s 9 th client and is Belgium s 6 th supplier. Imports from China amounted to 13,5 million EUR and exports to China amounted to 7,5 million EUR. The trade balance with China amounts to minus 6 million EUR (2014). The port of has been number 1 in the world in terms of contains throughout for 5 consecutive years. Inflation Inflation Rate in China averaged 5.37 percent from 1986 until 2017, reaching an all-time high of percent in February of 1989 and a record low of percent in April of In the past decade, wages have seen an average increase of an annual 10%. You should take these expectations into account in your business plan. Foreign direct investment United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) World Investment Report 2015 revealed that China became the world s largest recipient of FDI in 2014, with inflows reaching $ 129 billion, a 3.7 percent increase compared to The report indicated that European Union investment in China registered a slight increase. Though inferior to FDI inflows, China s 2014 FDI outflows grew faster (up 15 percent), reaching $ 116 billion in UNCTAD reported that foreign acquisitions have become key for a number of Chinese financial institutions, as indicated by a series of cross-border merger and acquisitions in the US, Belgium, the Netherlands and South Korea between October 2014 and February hosts foreign invested companies, representing a total of 333 billion USD of contracted foreign investment, and 190 billion USD paid-in foreign investment. has 535 regional HQ and multinational companies, and 400 foreign R&D centers. is the top 1 destination for foreign investment in China. Shift towards innovation It is to be expected that China will move to a more "smart" economic growth, which seeks to reduce reliance on energy-intensive and high-polluting industries and rely more on high technology, green energy, and services. China has also indicated that it wants to obtain more balanced economic growth, which requires China to turn its growth model away from current reliance on investment towards greater domestic consumption.

5 General data The Chinese population China is the world's most populous country with a population of close to 1.4 billion. In October 2015, China announced the end of the one-child policy. China might get old before it gets rich. By 2050, one in every three Chinese is forecast to be aged over 60. China s labor force reached a peak of 940 million in 2012, and decreased to 930 million in 2014, and is expected to decrease by 16% by China s geography The East Asian state covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometers in total area and is the world's second-largest country by land area. China's landscape is vast and diverse, with forest steppes and the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts occupying the arid north and northwest near Mongolia and Central Asia, and subtropical forests being prevalent in the wetter south near Southeast Asia. The Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, the third- and sixth-longest in the world, have their sources in the Tibetan Plateau and continue to the densely populated eastern seaboard. China's coastline along the Pacific Ocean is 14,500 kilometers (9,000 mi) long (the 11th-longest in the world), and is bounded by the Bohai, Yellow, East and South China Seas. Weather in China China's climate is mainly dominated by dry seasons and wet monsoons, which lead to a pronounced temperature differences between winter and summer. In the winter, northern winds coming from high-latitude areas are cold and dry; in summer, southern winds from coastal areas at lower latitudes are warm and moist. The climate in China differs from region to region because of the country's extensive and complex topography. : (very) wet climate. Winters are cold and summers are hot. Autumn and Spring last only for a few weeks. Bring an umbrella. Shenzhen: Wet climate. Winters are soft, summers are very hot. Bring an umbrella. Languages, use of English, and need for interpreters The official language and the language used in business is Mandarin. English is commonly considered as the most important foreign language, and many of your business partners will be able to communicate with you in English, sometimes up to an astonishingly high level. Nevertheless, it remains important to be assisted by an interpreter that you can trust.

6 National holidays In planning your business trips to China, please verify whether your trip does not coincide with national holidays. During national holidays no business meetings are possible. A national holiday may last a few days. During the Chinese Lunar New Year (Spring Festival) businesses can be closed one to two weeks prior and after the day of the New Year. Same for the 1 st of May and the 1 st of October. These holidays are called the 3 Golden weeks. National holidays are: 1 January (New Year's Day) Golden Week: Chinese Lunar New Year/Spring Festival: Subject to lunation 4 or 5 April (Qingming Festival) (Chinese All Saints Days) Golden Week: 1 May 5th day of the 5th lunar month, mostly in May (Dragon Boat Festival, a Chinese traditional holiday celebrated with a special dish of glutinous rice) 15th day of the 8th lunar month, mostly mid of September (Mid-Autumn Day, a Chinese traditional holiday celebrated with a special kind of cake) Golden Week: 1 October (China s National Day) In order to make up for the days off, government imposes to work during the weekend on Saturdays or Sundays prior to the national holidays. On such days business meetings are possible. is an international megacity. Public transport is well organised and abundant taxis guarantee a smooth transportation both from airport to city centre and for transfers in the city. The total number of registered foreigners in is , of which in Changning District where one third of all consulates are based. The local Belgian community is vibrant and welcoming for newcomers. The climate is humid: cold in wintertime and hot in summertime. It often rains in, always bring an umbrella. Digital revolution Use of Wechat The use of Wechat, a chat application, has become an essential condition for social and business communication. It boasts more than 600 million users. It will be necessary for you to create a wechat account before going to China. Try to add your business contacts to your contacts and stay in touch. Wechat is a application hub hosting several applications such as a payment solution app, a taxihailing app, etc.

7 Setting up a company There are several ways to legally set up a company in China. The existing options range from a relatively small investment with no business autorisation (representation office), to a JV with a Chinese partner, to a fully owned company (WOFE). The option chosen can vary and depends upon the development of your business, market access restrictions, and your business plan. Abundant information on all legal structures can be provided upon request. How to get to China? Visa You need a visa to enter China. Apply well in advance. Make sure you have a passport that is valid for more than 6 months. Try to receive an invitation letter from your business partner. Airports has got two airports: Pudong International Airport (with 2 terminals), and Hongqiao Airport (with 2 airports). All flights from Europe land in Pudong International Airport, which is 50 to 60 km from the city center. To get to the airport you can take the subway (up to 2 hours travel time), or the Maglev high speed train (1 hour and a half) or the taxi (1 hour). When you are carrying a lot of luggage it is advised to go by taxi. A trip to downtown should be around 200 RMB. Hainan Airlines now operates a direct flight from Brussels to Beijing. When travelling with Hainan Airlines, bear in mind that, once arrived in Beijing, you need to pick up your luggage, change terminal, and check in before taking the connecting flight to. Train has got 4 train stations. The station for high speed trains is Hongqiao. You need to bring your passport to book a ticket. The queue can be long, up to 1 hour waiting line. The train stations are enormous. Be ready for boarding 15 minutes in advance of the scheduled time of departures. Shenzhen Shenzhen Bao An Airport International airport. Connection to city center both by subway or by taxi (1 hour).

8 Useful addresses Embassy of the P.R.C. in Belgium be.china-embassy.org/eng/ H.E. Mr. QU XING, Ambassador Ave. de Tervuren, 1150 Woluwe Saint-Pierre, Brussels Tel: Fax: Consular Section 400 Boulevard du Souverain, 1160 Auderghem Tel: Fax: Visa Service Center Brussels Invest & Export (Belgium) Chaussée de Charleroi 112, 1060 Brussels Tel: Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce (BCECC) Avenue Louise 279 Louizalaan B287.2, 1050 Brussels Phone: Fax: Embassy of Belgium in Beijing 6 San Li Tun Lu, Beijing, Tel: or Fax: Customs Attaché Mr. Eddy De CUYPER eddy.decuyper@minfin.fed.be Consulate General of Belgium in 127 Wu Yi Road,, Tel: Fax: shanghai@diplobel.fed.be

9 Consulate General of Belgium in Guangzhou Unit 2, 7F, R&F Center Office, 10 Huaxia Lu, Zhujiang Xin Cheng, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Tel: Fax: Consulate General of Belgium in Hong Kong 9F, St John's Building, 33 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong SAR Tel: Fax: Belgian Office, Taipei Suite 601, Worldwide House, 131, Minsheng E. Rd.,m Sec. 3, Taipei 105 Tel: Fax: Brussels Invest & Export (China) Mr. Mattias DEBROYER, Economic and Commercial Consul C/O Consulate General of Belgium 127 Wu Yi Road,, Tel: Fax: Shenzhen Ms. Crystal HE Rm 1002, Tower 1, Excellence Century Center, Fuhua Third Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, Tel: Fax: Beijing (Invest & Tourism promotion) Mr. Victor LIU C/O Embassy of Belgium 6 San Li Tun Lu, Beijing, Tel: Fax: beijing@sprb.brussels Beijing (Trade) Mrs. Emmanuelle DIENGA, Economic and Commercial Consul

10 AWEX-Brussels Export and Foreign Investment Agency C/O Embassy of Belgium 6 San Li Tun Lu, Beijing, Tel: Fax: awexbrubeijing@188.com Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce (BCECC) Chengdu office Mrs. Eileen WANG, Manager 6F, West Building, La Defense, No Tianfu Avenue, Chengdu, Sichuan, Tel: Fax: Mob: bceccchengdu@foxmail.com Benelux Chamber of Commerce in China (Bencham) Beijing Secretariat of the Benelux Chamber of Commerce in Beijing 1601 Zhongyu Plaza, A6 Gongtibei Road., Chaoyang District, Beijing, Tel: /05 Fax: beijing@bencham.org Secretariat of the Benelux Chamber of Commerce in Room 919, 638 Hengfeng Road, crossing Chang'an Road Zhabei District,, Tel: services-sh@bencham.org Pearl River Delta Secretariat of the Benelux Chamber of Commerce in PRD Teem Tower, 34F, No. 208 Tianhe Road Guangzhou, Tel: (202) prd@bencham.org The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC) Unit 2204, Shui On Plaza, 333 Huai Hai Zhong Road,, Tel: shanghai@europeanchamber.com.cn

11 EU SME Center (Beijing) Chinese police emergency 110 Chinese ambulance 120 Hospitals Gleneagles International Medical and Surgical Center ( Parkway Health) 4th floor, Tomorrow Square,389 Nanjing West Road 上海百汇华鹰门诊部 南京西路 389 号明天广场 4 楼 Guangzhou Clifford Hospital No. 3 Hongfu Road, Panyu District, Guangzhou 广州祈福医院广东省广州市番禺区鸿福路 3 号 Tel Shenzhen Peking University Shenzhen Hospital 1120 Lianhua Road, Futian District, Shenzhen 北大深圳医院国际医疗部特诊门诊广东省深圳市福田区莲花路 1120 号 Tel Hong Kong Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital No.2 Village Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong 香港养和医院香港跑马地山村道二号 Tel

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