ANNUAL REPORT 2017

CONTENT

4 Foreword

German Chamber of Commerce in China Chamber Activities

6 About us 27 Overview of All Events 2017
7 Interviews with the Chairpersons
10 Chamber Boards and Chamber Teams 28 Beijing Event Review 2017
34 Beijing Event Highlights
Membership 36 6th German Soccer Championship in Beijing
14 Membership Statistics 38 20 Years Anniversary Gala
16 Financials 40 20 th German Ball
17 Membership Benefits and Services
19 Publications 45 Tianjin Event Review 2017
20 GCC in the Press 48 Tianjin Event Highlights
49 5th German Chamber Soccer Cup
GCC Surveys
22 Business Confidence Survey 2017/18 51 Shenyang Event Review 2017
23 Labor Market & Salary Report 2017/18 54 Shenyang Event Highlights
24 Innovation Survey 2017 58 Imprint
FOREWORD

Dear members and partners of the

German Chamber of Commerce in China,
The year of the rooster has come to an end, and we would like to
take a moment to highlight the most important projects of the
year 2017. This annual report summarizes the achievements and
accomplishments of the past year, presenting the developments
of the German Chamber of Commerce in China.
2017 was again a year of close Sino-German cooperation in
business as well as politics. In July, Chinese President Xi
Jinping led a high-level delegation to attend the G20 Summit in
Hamburg while German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel visited
Beijing in May.
Following the Chamber’s long-standing tradition of conducting
in-depth annual surveys, for the first time this year, an Innova-
tion Survey of the Greater Shanghai region joined the ranks of
the well-established China wide Business Confidence and Wage
and Salary Surveys. These surveys rely on our members’ support
and contributions and provide unique insights into the current
economic and business trends for German businesses in China.
In 2017, the Chamber offered a wide spectrum of business events
throughout mainland China, informing and supporting members
at workshops, discussion forums, business roundtables, training
sessions and other events designed to directly address the issues
that members identified as most important to them. As German
companies are operating in a great range of cities throughout
China, the German Chamber of Commerce North China further
expanded its regional activities in terms of new members and
events to Jilin and Liaoning.
One highlight of our event calendar was the Industrie 4.0 Forum
in Shanghai at the end of October, which brought together
leaders of the Sino-German business community for a day of
speeches, panel discussions and workshop sessions and a special
visit by the President of the Association of German Chambers of
Commerce and Industry (DIHK), Dr. Eric Schweitzer.
In October, Beijing celebrated its 20-Year Anniversary with an
evening gala attended by about 200 exclusively invited guests.
Besides a delegation from Germany, led by Dr. Eric Schweitzer,
President of the DIHK in Berlin, and representatives of German
member companies in North China, Chinese government repre-
sentatives were also attending the event, such as representatives
of the Ministry of Commerce of the PRC among others.
The 2nd More than a Market Awards Forum and Gala shed a light
on enterprises practicing social responsibility as part of their
business activities. Five projects received awards, showcas-
ing the great variety of CSR and the growing roots of German
companies in the Chinese society.
We also stayed committed to offering plenty of opportunities to
network and mingle: This year’s German Balls were once again
a major highlight of the German business community’s social
agenda: In total, more than 2000 guests attended the balls in
Beijing and Shanghai. The annual German soccer tournaments
in Beijing, Tianjin and Guangzhou offered members the oppor-
tunity to get together outside of their offices.
In South and Southwest China, the Chamber launched the new
event format “Discover Germany” in cooperation with the German
Consulates in Guangzhou and Chengdu to promote Germany’s
business landscape, culture, education, travel destinations and
F&B to Chinese consumers. Oktoberfests were successfully held
in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Chengdu and Chongqing,
attracting thousands of visitors from the Chinese and interna-
tional business community in South and Southwest China.
Overall, 2017 has been a very productive and successful year.
The German Chamber has welcomed over 258 new members and
now offers its services to 2371 members in mainland China.
Looking forward into 2018, we anticipate a year that will offer
opportunities and challenges alike. The German Chamber of
Commerce in China will continue to provide our members with
high-quality services and support. We strive to further cater to
your needs and invite you to also utilize our network to keep
your business in China growing.
Yours truly,

Alexandra Voss Simone Pohl Jens Hildebrandt

Executive Director of the German Chamber of
Commerce in China | North China
Delegation of German Industry & Commerce,
Beijing
Delegate & Chief Representative
Executive Director of the German Chamber of
Commerce in China | Shanghai
Delegation of German Industry & Commerce,
Shanghai
Delegate & Chief Representative
Executive Director of the German Chamber of
Commerce in China | South & Southwest China
Delegation of German Industry & Commerce,
Guangzhou
Delegate & Chief Representative

4
GERMAN CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE IN CHINA
2017 was a dynamic and successful year for the German Chamber of
Commerce in China. The German Chamber team supported its members
with a wide array of services. German and international companies actively
participated in our activities and gained up-to-date and in-depth knowledge
through our publications and events. We have offered a platform for the
Sino-German business community and represented our members’ interests
towards government bodies and the public. We are looking forward to
making the year 2018 even more successful with and for our members.

5

ABOUT US
AHK Greater China is the key supporter of German foreign
business development in China, working on behalf of the
Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. With its five
main offices (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong &
Taipei) and seven supporting offices (Tianjin, Shenyang, Taicang,
Qingdao, Hangzhou, Shenzhen and Chengdu) it represents
German business interests in China and advocates Sino-German
business cooperation. The first office in the Greater China Region
was established in 1981 in Taipei. Since 1994 AHK Greater China
has been active in mainland China.
Official Representation
The Delegations of German Industry and Commerce are the most
important partners of the German Federal Ministry of Economics
and Technology in terms of promotion of German business
in Greater China. Together with Germany’s missions abroad
(embassy and consulates) the Delegations officially represent the
interests of Germany’s industry and commerce towards political
and administrative authorities in China.
6
German Chamber of Commerce in China
Member Organization
The German Chamber of Commerce in China is the official member
organization of German companies in China. By providing up-to-
date market information and practical advice the German Chamber
helps its members to succeed in China. It offers a platform for the
Sino-German business community and represents its members’
interests towards stakeholders including government bodies and
the public. The Chamber was founded in 1999 and currently has
around 2,400 members in mainland China.
Service Provider
The service provider of the network of German Chambers of
Commerce (AHK) in Greater China supports companies with their
market entry and business development in China and Germany.
Under the brand DEinternational, German Industry & Commerce
it provides business services which encompass all aspects of the
market entry process. These include market research and business
partner search, company establishment and patent registration,
recruitment and training, as well as PR and marketing support.
Membership Development of the German Chamber of Commerce
in China (2007-2017)
2,224 2,371
1,469
2007 2012 2017
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 German Chamber of Commerce in China
INTERVIEWS WITH THE CHAIRPERSONS
How would you summarize the year 2017 in a few key words?
Changing – Challenging – Outstanding.
2017 brought again lots of changes in China’s economic envi-
ronment. Significant documents which ref lect the intention of
the Chinese authorities to further open up China’s market and
to improve the investment environment were published, yet
at the same time a tightening of regulations in specific areas
became more evident. A large number of member companies
continued to report a substantial improvement in their respec-
tive business fields.
What developments in your region and in the Chamber have
been the most successful this year?
We successfully expanded our services and activities within
North China’s Jilin and Liaoning provinces. Furthermore, we had
about 180 business events. The most important social events in
2017 were the 6th German Soccer Tournament Beijing, the 5th
German Soccer Tournament Tianjin and the 17th German Ball
Beijing. We successfully published the 10th edition of the Labor
Market & Salary Report. Our annual Business Confidence Survey
was broadly received by the Media. We have started to roll out
the China-wide “More than a Market” initiative with a first time
participation of companies from North China and South China.
But the highlight of the year was the 20-Year Anniversary,
which was attended by a delegation from Germany, led by Dr.
Eric Schweitzer, President of the Association of German Cham-
bers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) in Berlin and high-rank-
ing Chinese government representatives.
Have there been any new challenges and opportunities?
German companies in China face old and new challenges – as the
result of our 2017/18 Business Confidence Survey shows. Finding
qualified staff and increasing labor costs are as challenging as
ever. Slow cross-border internet speed as well as internet access
restrictions have jumped up in significance in 2017: two thirds
of German companies in China struggle with these. There is still
much uncertainty regarding the implications of the Cyber Secu-
rity Law on business activities.
Mr. Lothar Herrmann,
Chairperson GCC | North China
On the other hand China’s fast-paced domestic and international
development and the industrial upgrade also bring along new
opportunities for German companies and for cooperation with
Chinese partners.
What are your expectations for 2018?
2018 will bring some organizational changes to the Chamber.
Throughout 2017 we have been developing a new membership
concept (effective January 1st, 2018). Another change will be
the implementation of a more efficient and easy to use event
announcement & registration tool and a WeChat channel. We
will continue to analyze the 19th CPC Party Congress in October
2017 and the impact on the business activities of our members.
We are certain that a further opening up of the Chinese economy
as well as the implementation of the various reforms will benefit
both German and Chinese companies, and we believe that our
bilateral economic relations are strong enough to solve the prob-
lems that exist in every good relationship.
Your personal remarks for our Chamber members
China`s impact on markets, businesses and regions is obviously
becoming more significant.
This poses additional challenges to businesses regardless of being
a MNC, a SME or an individual business. I see it as a major task
of the Chamber to support our members in better understanding
the opportunities arising from the current development as well
as to mitigate associated risks. We are looking forward in the
upcoming year to continue to offer you the best possible support
and advice in the Chinese market. After serving as Chairman for
four years I have decided to resign from the German Chamber
Board in April 2018 (while continuing my work as CEO Siemens
Greater China).
I want to thank our members for the confidence and trust
shown, the Board members for their cooperation and the Cham-
ber team for their dedicated work. Last but not least I would like
to wish all our members the very best in all their current and
future endeavors.
7

Ms. Bettina Schoen-Behanzin
Chairperson GCC | Shanghai
How would you summarize the year 2017 in a few key words?
Steady growth but quite some concerns and uncertainties and the
big question: what will the “new era” mean for the German indus-
try in China?
What developments in your region and in the Chamber have
been the most successful this year?
2017 was filled with many important events and milestones.
The Chamber organized 189 events such as Chamber meetings,
workshops and special events with more than 9400 participants.
To name a few: The More than a Market initiative has been rolled
out China-wide and we celebrated the second Award ceremony
together with Liz Mohn in May. Roundtables on Industrie 4.0
and the new Cybersecurity Law were launched, as these topics
are of growing importance to our members. Dr. Eric Schweitzer,
President of DIHK was the keynote speaker at our Industrie 4.0
Forum in October. And we celebrated in November the 20th
anniversary of the German Ball in Shanghai with more than
1200 guests. Apart from our many events, we continue to keep
our members informed though our publications and surveys.
Besides the regular insights provided in the German Chamber
Ticker, we published in 2017 our 8th Business Confidence Survey
and the 10th Labor Market and Salary Survey, and released for
the first time, our Greater Shanghai Innovation Survey.
Have there been any new challenges and opportunities?
According to the results of our recent Business Confidence
Survey, German companies were very positive regarding 2017
and have quite positive expectations for 2018. They welcome
government initiatives like Made in China 2025 and their poten-
tial opportunities. Nevertheless, there are also big concerns and
insecurity surrounding the impact of the new Cybersecurity Law
and slow cross border internet speed as well as HR issues consti-
tute the top 5 business challenges.
Considering that 58% of respondents have their businesses in
Shanghai and other Eastern provinces and 35.5% base their
Greater China or Asia headquarters in Shanghai, confirms again
the tremendous potential of the Yangtze-Delta region. Shang-
8
German Chamber of Commerce in China
hai just released a master plan through 2035 to transform the
city into a technology and innovation center, an eco-friendly
metropolis aiming to further improve public transport network
and livability. This lays the path for plenty of opportunities,
especially for industries like transportation, construction and
medical care.
What are your expectations for 2018?
After the Communist Party Congress of October 2017, the goals
and plans announced will be put to the test in 2018. We can
foresee a tight political environment, a strengthened state-sec-
tor under firm party control, increased regulatory attention to
financial and environmental risks and an even stronger state-led
push into strategic areas outlined in plans like Made in China
2025 and the Belt and Road initiative. Still, German companies
can benefit by adjusting to the new investment and technology
interests and the overall commercial and industrial development
goals of the Chinese government. The focus of the government
on innovation sets a new strategic priority and is challenging for
us. Nevertheless, China is not only a serious competitor but also
a market offering opportunities, especially in the Yangtze-Delta
region. Looking at macro-economic indicators, China’s start of
the year was promising, it is difficult to predict if the country is
heading towards a new upswing, a further cooling of the econo-
my, or something in between. But we should not be too distracted
by uncertainties, they have always existed in China.
Your personal remarks for our Chamber members
On behalf of the whole Board of Directors I would like to thank
our members for their support and cooperation. Your active
involvement and engagement in all our surveys, workshops,
round-table discussions and our CSR initiative More than a
Market is highly important to us. We always appreciate your
feedback and comments as we are committed to continuously
improve our services and to support you even better in doing
business in China. With our new office now located in Huangpu
district, we offer our members lots of opportunities to engage
with our staff, partners and clients. Please come and see us!
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 German Chamber of Commerce in China
Chairperson GCC | South & Southwest China
How would you summarize the year 2017 in a few key words?
2017 was again a successful year. The business environment in
China allowed most of the German companies to achieve very
positive results.
But 2017 was also a year of a lot of challenges that might have
significant impact in the future. The global political landscape
is changing, leaving many questions: What will be the role of
the United States in world politics? What will be the devel-
opment of the European Union? What will Germany’s new
government look like and what will be its strategy towards
China? In this environment the role of China is getting increas-
ingly stronger.
What developments in your region and in the Chamber have
been the most successful this year?
In our region, we can see the cutting edge technological devel-
opment of China. From smart mobility using fully electrified
busses, shared bikes to the spread of digital payment systems,
new technologies are being adapted rapidly in South & South-
west China. As for the Chamber, I’m delighted that we have now
completed the setup of our team with our new Executive Cham-
ber Manager und Regional Manager Shenzhen joining during
the year. Furthermore, we have been following our strategy
of establishing new event formats to cater the needs of our
members. We had introduced our new f lagship event “Discover
Germany” in Guangzhou and Chengdu that aims at displaying
German companies, products, and culture to a wider Chinese
consumer audience. The everlasting hot topic of Human
Resources we tackled by conducting our first “HR Summit”.
And in order to keep our members moving and in shape, we had
introduced a “German Chamber Football Tournament”.
Have there been any new challenges and opportunities?
One of the challenges in 2017 was to localize the leadership of
our Chengdu office. Since the majority of German companies
in Southwest China are headed by Chinese citizens the move
proved to be successful and we were able to widen our network
in the region. Opportunities are on the horizon in Shenzhen.
Mr. Stefan Rosenbohm
The city also titled Silicon Valley of China becomes an increas-
ingly important location for innovation. German companies
should closely watch the developments in Shenzhen. To support
our member companies with technology scouting and other
innovation related services, we are enlarging our Shenzhen
office in 2018.
What are your expectations for 2018?
Even though German companies in South & Southwest China
are performing very well business-wise, they feel that the busi-
ness environment gets increasingly complex. To understand
this complexity, following the changes and new regulations
in China will become increasingly important. The Chamber
should play an important part here bringing together informa-
tion and people for implementation strategies.
Internally, we will finally introduce an official German Cham-
ber Wechat account. At the same time, an implementation of
a new CRM system will make it easier for us to improve the
membership and event management and thus also easier for our
members to receive information, sign up for events and arrange
payment online.
Your personal remarks for our Chamber members
I would like to thank all members for their support of the
German Chamber. We are always grateful for feedback that
will help us to improve or services and activities. A chamber
is always only the platform. Without the contribution of our
members it would be impossible to achieve this high level of
quality in our events and activities.
9
 German Chamber of Commerce in China

CHAMBER BOARDS AND CHAMBER TEAMS

North China
Mr. Lothar Herrmann* Mr. Jörg Höhn Mr. Björn Lindemann
Chairperson (until 10/2017) Haver Technologies Tianjin
Siemens Greater China German Centre for Industry and Regional Manager Liaoning & Jilin
CEO Trade Beijing Co. Ltd.
Siemens Ltd., China Managing Director
President and CEO

Mr. Daniel Albrecht Ms. Susanne Rademacher

Ms. Alexandra Voss*
(since 10/2017) Beiten Burkhardt
GCC | North China
Starke Consulting Co. Ltd. Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH
Executive Director
Managing Counsel Partner and Chief Representative
Delegation of German Industry &
Beijing
Commerce Beijing
Delegate and Chief Representative

Mr. Olaf Kastner

Mr. Christoph Kaiser
BMW Group Region China
Vice Chairperson
President and CEO
Turck (Tianjin) Technology Co. Ltd.
Managing Director

Mr. Jörg Müller

Mr. Feng Xingliang
Volkswagen Group China
Treasurer
Executive Vice President
NRW Invest China/Beijing
Chief Representative

*GCC All-China Board Member

Beijing Office
Mr. Sebastian Suciu Ms. Cuiyun Qi
Executive Chamber Manager Project Manager
+86-10-6539-6660 Membership Administration
suciu.sebastian@bj.china.ahk.de +86-10-6539-6662
qi.cuiyun@bj.china.ahk.de

Ms. Jana Kumpf

Deputy Chamber Manager
+86-10-6539-6661
kumpf.jana@bj.china.ahk.de
Tianjin Office Shenyang Office

Ms. Jessica Huang Ms. Xiaolei Zhang Mr. Jan Carl Block
Events Manager Regional Manager Tianjin Regional Manager Shenyang
+86-10-6539-6663 +86-22-8787-9249 +86-24-8111-3996
huang.jessica@bj.china.ahk.de zhang.xiaolei@bj.china.ahk.de block.jan@bj.china.ahk.de

Ms. Johanna Heinzmann Ms. Tong Shan Mr. Ge Wu

Project Manager Project Manager Tianjin Project Manager Liaoning & Jilin
+86-10-6539-6664 +86-22-8787-9249 +86-24-8111-3996
heinzmann.johanna@ shan.tong@bj.china.ahk.de wu.ge@bj.china.ahk.de
bj.china.ahk.de

10
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 German Chamber of Commerce in China

Shanghai
Ms. Bettina Schoen-Behanzin* Mr. Steffan Huber Mr. Marcus Wassmuth
Chairperson Treasurer Corporate & Investment Banking
Asia Freudenberg Group Greater China, Covestro Polymers UniCredit S.p.A
Regional Representative (China) Co., Ltd Chief Representative
Freudenberg Management (Shanghai) Senior Representative
Co., Ltd. | Managing Director

Ms. Simone Pohl* Mr. Sven Becher Ms. Brigitte Wolff

GCC | Shanghai (since 11/2017) EIM Executive Interim
Executive Director P3 Technical and Management Management China Ltd.
Delegation of German Industry & Com- Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. President
merce Shanghai Managing Director
Delegate and Chief Representative

Mr. Lothar Grad Mr. Rolf H. Koehler

Vice-Chairman (since 11/2017) Fiducia Management Consultants
Alfmeier Automotive Systems (Shanghai) Ltd
(Shanghai) Co.,Ltd. Advisory Director
Executive Vice President Automotive
Asia

Mr. Alexander Seitz Mr. Michael Maeder

Vice-Chairman and member of the
board (until 10/2017)
SAIC Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd
First Vice President & Commercial
Executive Vice President
Ward Howell International, Direct HR,
Hidden Champion, IOTOne.com
Co-Founder, Managing Director

* GCC All-China Board Member

Dr. Sigrid Winkler Ms. Ines Sieckmann Ms. Jiaying Qi

Executive Chamber Manager Project Manager Junior Project Manager Events
+86-21-3858-5005 Social Responsibility +86-21-5081-2266-1650
winkler.sigrid@sh.china.ahk.de +86-21-3858-5259 qi.jiaying@sh.china.ahk.de
Sieckmann.ines@sh.china.ahk.de

Ms. Olivia Helvadjian Ms. Johanna Spee Ms. Daisy Zhu

Senior Communications Manager Regional Manager Manager Business Development &
& Chief Editor +86-21-3858-5056 Membership
+86-21-3858-5037 spee.johanna@sh.china.ahk.de +86-21-3858-5030
helvadjian.olivia@sh.china.ahk.de zhu.jing jing@sh.china.ahk.de

Ms. Jessica Downer Ms. Jing Qian Ms. Yan Chen

Junior Editor Project Assistant Regions Junior Project Manager Business
+86-21-3858-5075 +86-21-3858-5256 Development & Membership
downer.jessica@sh.china.ahk.de qian.jing@sh.china.ahk.de +86-21-3858-5009
chen.yan@sh.china.ahk.de

Ms. Josipa Markovic Ms. Jueye Liu Ms. Xiaolin Du

Economic Analyst Project Manager for Special Project Project Manager Membership
+86-21-3858-5047 of Chamber Affairs +86-21-3858-5089
markovic.josipa@sh.china.ahk.de +86-21-3858-5250 du.xiaolin@sh.china.ahk.de
liu.jueye@sh.china.ahk.de

11

South & Southwest China
Mr. Stefan Rosenbohm*
Chairperson
Hamanu (Shenzhen) Trade Co. Ltd.
General Manager
Mr. Jens Hildebrandt*
GCC| South & Southwest China
Executive Director
Delegation of German Industry &
Commerce Guangzhou
Delegate and Chief Representative
Mr. Ulf Reinhardt
Treasurer, ARC Pacific
Chairman
Foshan ARC Industrial Equipment
Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
General Manager
Mr. Marc Piesbergen
Executive Chamber Manager
+86 (0)20 8755 1889
piesbergen.marc@gz.china.ahk.de
Ms. Vanice Du
Membership & Events Manager
+86 20 8755 2353 Ext. 217
du.vanice@gz.china.ahk.de
12
German Chamber of Commerce in China
Dr. Wolfgang Beuck Mr. Rüdiger W. Kümmerle
(Until 5/2017) Lenzkes Clamping Tools
Brose Chongqing Automotive (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd.
Systems Co. Ltd. CEO
General Manager
Mr. Tim Leitschuh
Mr. Gerd Kaarow Bock China Ltd.
(Since 5/2017) General Manager
Metz Connect Zhongshan Ltd.
General Manager Greater China
Ms. Jana Karow
Brema Marketing GmbH & Co. KG
Representative Office Guangzhou
Chief Representative
*GCC All-China Board Member
Ms. Lydia Schulz Mr. Xiaofei Wen
Regional Manager Shenzhen Regional Manager
+ 86 (0)755 8635 0487 Sichuan-Chongqing
schulz.lydia@gz.china.ahk.de +86 (0)28 8533 6840
wen.jfay@gz.ahk.de
Ms. Suzanne Su
Project Manager Events Shenzhen
+86 (0)755 8635 0485
su.suzanne@gz.china.ahk.de
MEMBERSHIP
The German Chamber of Commerce in China aims to provide valuable first-
hand information as well as benefits to support and expand the business of
our member companies. With 2,371 members across China the German
Chamber of Commerce is a trustworthy and reliable partner for German
companies operating in China. Our long-term as well as our newer members
contribute greatly to the success of the GCC.

13
 Membership

MEMBERSHIP STATISTICS

Membership Development 2016-2017

North China 2016 2017

Members 569 567

500

400
343 348

300

200
131 127
100
51 47
27 26 17 19
0
Corporate Corporate Corporate Private Special Total
Small Medium Large Member* Member
Shanghai 2016 2017

Members
1560 1567

1600

1136 1124
1200

800

400
240 245

93 107
60 60 31 31
0
Corporate Corporate Corporate Private Special Total
Small Medium Large Member* Member

South & Southwest China 2016 2017

Members
254
250 237

200
177
152
150

100

50 37 44

17 19 14 14
9 8
0

Corporate Corporate Corporate Private Special Total

Small Medium Large Member* Member
* incl. Young Professionals
14
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Membership

Regional Membership Distribution 2017

North China 2016 2017 17 | Shandong

24 | Others
Beijing 355 343 13 | Jilin
Tianjin 78 80
79 | Liaoning
Hebei 12 11
Liaoning 71 79
11 | Hebei
Jilin
Shandong
11
17
13
17
567
Others 25 24 80 | Tianjin Jilin

Total 569 567 343 | Beijing

Shenyang
Beijing Liaoning

Shanghai 2016 2017

208 | Others Tianjin
12 | Shandong
Shanghai 1074 1061 Hebei
54 | Kunshan
Taicang 87 87 Shanxi Qingdao
61 | Zhejiang Jinan
Suzhou 87 84
Kunshan 56 54 84 | Suzhou Shandong
Zhejiang 64 61 1567
Shandong 9 12 87 | Taicang Jiangsu
Others 183 208 Henan
Kunshan
Suzhou
1061 | Shanghai
Total 1560 1567 Anhui
Taicang
Sichuan Hubei Shanghai
Chengdu Chongqing
Zhejiang
Jiangxi
Hunan
Guizhou Fujian

Yunnan Guangzhou
Guangxi Dongguan
Shenzhen
West Pearl Foshan
River Delta
12 | Others
22 | West-PRD South & Southwest China 2016 2017
85 | Guangzhou Region
Guangzhou Region (Guangzhou, Foshan etc.) 92 85
26 | Southwest China
Dongguan 19 18
Shenzhen Region (Shenzhen, Hong Kong etc.) 70 74
237 Southwest China (Chengdu, Chongqing)
West-PRD
25
23
26
22
Others 25 12
18 | Dongguan
74 | Shenzhen Region Total 254 237

15
 Membership

FINANCIALS

Allocation of Expenses 2017

General Expenses and Administration ¥ 15.005.804,25

5%
Publications ¥ 1.034.051,34

66%
Events ¥ 5.739.007,48 25%

Other ¥ 1.013.609,59 4%

Total ¥ 22.792.472,66

Revenue Distribution 2017

Publications ¥ 1.641.371,37

7%
Yearly Sponsorships ¥ 2.498.900,59
11%

Membership Fee ¥ 9.672.128,88 44%

Events ¥ 7.999.133,14 36%
Other ¥ 326.063,68

Total ¥ 22.137.597,66 2%

16
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Membership

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS AND SERVICES

Membership Benefits

� Free delivery of the member magazine “German Chamber
Ticker” and the possibility to publish “member news” in the
magazine free of charge
� Free posting of your company details under the “New
Member’s Ticker” section of our website for three months
� Reduced member rates for our events in North China,
Shanghai and the neighboring provinces as well as South &
Southwest China
� Reduced member rates for training courses offered by the GIC
training departments
� Up to 10% discount for advertisement in the “German
Chamber Ticker” magazine
� Up to 35% discount for advertisement on the AHK Greater
China homepage and online job market postings
� Access to our benefit program "GC Deals" that grants
discounted rates when you present your membership card at
partner hotels, restaurants, hospitals etc. all over China
� Advantages for German Business Visa Applications

Services for Members

Events
The German Chamber of Commerce in China hosts a huge variety
of business and social events every year to provide our members
with the opportunity to meet potential business partners and
to exchange first-hand professional information. Our focus is
on seminars, roundtables, chamber meetings and conferences
as well as networking and other social events. German Cham-
ber members benefit from discounts at these various Chamber
events. Using the new tool “Eventbank” will help to give inter-
ested parties the opportunity to get more information on speak-
ers, location and agenda as well as the option to register online.
Membership Card & GC DEALS
Our Benefit Program “GC Deals“ provides membership card hold-
ers with discounts of at least 10% at many hotels, restaurants,
hospitals and other businesses across mainland China.
Newsletter & Mailings
The regular Newsletter of the GCC provides its members with the
latest news about the Chamber, its partners and the market. In
addition, regular mailings update the recipients with an event
guide for the region.
H CHIN
A GHAI
SHAN
Visa Benefits
Chamber members enjoy advantages in German business visa
application for Chinese employees.
Surveys
Preferential access to the results of our annual surveys: Our
business confidence survey, wage & salary survey and the inno-
vation survey of the Greater Shanghai region.
Homepage (www.china.ahk.de)
Counting 60,000 visits and around 80,000 page views per month,
our homepage is the largest Sino-German online business plat-
form. It offers up-to-date market information and facts about
the membership as well as events in the Greater China region.
Furthermore, it provides access to our publications. In addition,
the website functions as an extensive database delivering infor-
mation about German companies and China’s investment zones.
In 2018, our new homepage will be launched with a responsive
web design to increase the accessibility on mobile devices, an
improved navigation and user-friendliness as well as the oppor-
tunity to register for events.
Job Market (www.jobmarket.china.ahk.de)
DE Job Market Platform is an efficient source for domestic as well
as international talent and the preeminent platform for reaching

2018
NORT

2018 erce
professionals with a German background. More than 2,000 compa-
name Co mmerce name Comm
Firmen Chamber of
Firmen Chamber of
German Shanghai
a
in Chin ustermann
German Shanghai
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in Chin ustermann
nies have successfully utilized the DE Job Market to fill perma-
zM zM
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nent or temporary (internship) occupational vacancies efficiently.
M r. Xy
1234 1234
. SH E . SH E
SHIP NO RPORAT SHIP NO RPORAT
MEMBER IUM CO MEMBER IUM CO
E MED E MED

Furthermore, more than 13,000 professional candidates are regis-

SHIP TYP SHIP TYP
MEMBER MEMBER . 2019
. 2018
IL FEB IL FEB
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tered in the resume database of the platform. German Chamber

members benefit from reduced rates for job advertisements.

17
 Membership

NEW MEMBERSHIP FEES FOR 2018

NEW MEMBERSHIP STRUCTURE 2018

n For companies with more than 1,000 employees in their legal business entity in China
Corporate Member RMB 11,500
n Membership benefits for all employees of the business entity
"Large" annual fee
n 20 membership cards

n For companies with 251 to 1,000 employees in their legal business entity in China
Corporate Member RMB 7,500
n Membership benefits for all employees of the business entity
"Medium" annual fee
n 15 membership cards

n For companies with 11 to 250 employees in their legal business entity in China
Corporate Member RMB 4,800
n Membership benefits for all employees of the business entity
"Small" annual fee
n 10 membership cards

Corporate Member n For companies with up to 10 employees in their legal business entity in China
RMB 4,000
"Micro" n Membership benefits for all employees of the business entity
annual fee
(new in 2018) n Membership cards equals to the number of employees, up to10 cards

RMB 1,800 annual fee

Private Member* n Individual membership for non-Chinese citizen
for private member
Young n Private member over 30 years old*
RMB 1,300 annual fee
Professionals** n Private member under 30 years old**
for young professional

As our member you can bring the awareness of your brand to the next level and make your company visible to the large German business
community by becoming a member of the German Chamber of Commerce in China.

YOU CAN ENJOY EXCLUSIVE ACCESS OR MEMBER PRICE FOR THE KEY BENEFITS BELOW*

Stay Connected Stay Visible Stay Efficient Stay Informed

n German Ball
n Business Events
n Workshop Series
n Social Events
n CSR: More than a Market
n Access to Directories
n Summits & Forums
n Roundtable Events
n Sponsorship Opportunities
n Member News
n New Members List
n Advertisement Opportunities
n Profile in Directories
n Profile in Publications
n Website Relaunch New in 2018
n Online German Business
Directory New in 2018
n Fast Track for Visa to
Germany
n Online Job Market
n Corporate Design Services
n Website Setup and Hosting
n German Pavilion at Trade
Fairs
n Job Fairs
n Credit Reports
n Marketing Reports
n Event Registration Tool New
n Annual Surveys
n Benefit Program-GC Deals
n Newsletter
n Press Monitoring
n Training Programs
n Business Magazine (German
Chamber Ticker)
n Economic Outlooks
n WeChat Platform New in 2018

* Membership benefits may vary slightly throughout the regions

Contact Person for Membership and Marketing:

Shanghai | Ms. Daisy Zhu | Manager Business Development | Tel. +86 21 5081 2266 ext. 1630 | zhu.jingjing@sh.china.ahk.de
North | Ms. Jana Kumpf | Deputy Chamber Manager | Tel. +86 10 6539 6661 | kumpf.jana@bj.china.ahk.de
18
South & Southwest | Ms. Vanice Du | Membership & Events Manager | Tel. +86 20 8755 2353 ext. 217 | du.vanice@gz.china.ahk.de
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 GCC in the Press

PUBLICATIONS

German Chamber Ticker

German Chamber Ticker is the free quarterly business magazine
published by the German Chamber of Commerce in mainland
China. Its cover stories and business articles explore current
economic and social topics and trends and provide a deeper look
into German key industries in China. German Chamber Ticker
features interviews with high-ranking business professionals
and reveals the latest news about the German and international
business community in mainland China. Regular economic
updates inform about market developments and trends in the
region. The magazine is distributed to all members and partners
of the German Chamber of Commerce in China and is available
online on www.china.ahk.de/gc-ticker.

Distribution
Our main distribution channel is direct mailing to senior
executives and decision makers with 6,300 mailed copies
across China. Around 4,000 copies are additionally displayed at
Chamber event venues and key locations throughout North China,
Shanghai & Neighboring Provinces and South & Southwest China
on a regular basis. Furthermore, around 6,000 of each German
Chamber Ticker issue can be found on Lufthansa flights from
China to Germany.

Readership
With a total circulation of its printed version of around 16,500
copies as well as the frequent monthly downloads of its online
version, each issue reaches over 26,000 readers.

19

GCC IN THE PRESS
Extensive press work is one of the German Chamber
of Commerce’s methods to advocate the interests
of German business in China. We put effort into
increasing awareness of Chamber’s activities, support
our members in the development of their businesses
and to help reveal challenges and concerns of German
enterprises in China and further fostering a positive
image of German companies in China.
Last year was marked by a number of important events.
With a majestic evening gala attended by about 200
exclusively invited guests, the AHK Greater China
Beijing celebrated its 20-Year Anniversary, on the
26th October 2017. Then in November, the 19th National
Congress of the Communist Party of China was held in
Beijing, where President Xi Jinping presented China's
road map for future development.
Also in November the German Chamber of Commerce
presented the findings of its yearly Business
20
GCC Surveys
Confidence Survey to journalists at press conferences
in Beijing and Shanghai. The survey is one of the
most relevant tools we use to examine the pressing
concerns of German enterprises in China, which
we communicate to stakeholders and the media. As
every year, the outcome of the survey was highly
anticipated and well received.
In 2017, we once again successfully leveraged local
and international media in order to increase and
strengthen the public voice of German business in
China. During 2017 we generated more than 200
pieces of news about Sino-German events and their
impact on the economic relationship between the two
countries that were published and broadcasted on
international and local media platforms.
We will continue spreading key messages for maximum
impact within the media also in 2018!
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 GCC Surveys

GCC SURVEYS
In 2017, the German Chamber of Commerce in China conducted
several targeted surveys among members to offer an up-to-date
assessment of the current business climate for German enterprises in
China. Thanks to the active participation of our members, the annual
Labor Market & Salary Report, Business Confidence Survey and for the
first time the Innovation Survey of the Greater Shanghai Region were
published, widely quoted in the press, distributed to key stakeholders
and introduced at a series of events across China.

21

BUSINESS CONFIDENCE SURVEY 2017/2018
The full report is available for download from our website www.china.ahk.de
The German Chamber of Commerce in China’s annual Business
Confidence Survey is a key gauge for measuring the business senti-
ment of German companies operating in China. This year’s survey
was conducted between 21st August and 29th September 2017 and
collected 423 responses from member companies. The representa-
tive sample allows for a comprehensive overview on developments
and business sentiments of German companies in China.
Economic and Business Outlook
German companies’ economic outlook has recovered from the low
forecasted in 2016. Especially machinery/industrial equipment,
as the largest German industry in China, evaluates 2017 as posi-
tive for the own industry and significantly better than the previ-
ous year. This is in line with a positive development of China’s
machinery industry in 2017 and also with a steep rise of German
machinery exports to China. Automotive and business services
keep up the previous year’s level with optimism for 2018.
Nearly two thirds of German companies in China expect to exceed
or achieve their business targets in 2017. 75% of the companies
expect their turnover to increase in 2018. However, companies
remain cautious regarding investment and employment.
Business Challenges
Finding and retaining qualified staff as well as increasing labor
costs have consistently been among the Top 5 challenges. Nearly
four out of five companies find these issues to be a problem or a
major problem.
Two thirds of the respondents struggle with slow cross-border
internet speed and internet access restrictions – a significant
increase compared to previous years. German companies also
report a great deal of uncertainty regarding the new Cybersecuri-
ty Law: one in three companies is unsure about the impact on their
Please evaluate your current business challenges.*
79.1% Finding qualified staff
78.1% Increasing labor costs
67.2% Slow cross-border internet speed
65.8% Retaining qualified staff
64.7% Internet access restrictions
61.5% Domestic competition
56.6% Preferential treatment of local companies/Protectionism
55.7% Protection of intellectual property
54.6% Bureaucracy/Administrative hurdles
54.5% Legal uncertainty and unclear regulatory frameworks
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
* Share of respondents regarding each item as a problem or major problem.
Arrows refer to changes compared to 2016 ranking.
22
GCC Surveys
business activities in China. Before taking effect on 1st June 2017,
the law was widely anticipated among German companies along
with concerns about possible implications for business activities.
Domestic competition ranks 6th among the business challeng-
es which is underlined by the increasing innovation capacity of
Chinese companies. More than 40% of respondents expect Chinese
competitors to become innovation leaders within five years. For
the first time, this share is higher than the share of respondents
who think this scenario is unlikely.
Investment Prospects
A quarter of German companies in China plans to invest at new
locations within the next two years, with Jiangsu, Guangdong
and Sichuan/Chongqing as the most frequently named locations.
However, the share of those not planning investment at new loca-
tions has reached more than half.
The main sources of financing are reinvestments of earnings
from the Chinese market. Of new investments in 2018, more
than half will be in new manufacturing facilities as well as in
staff development and training. While market growth expecta-
tions and strategic business considerations are key reasons to not
invest, one in four companies names regulatory reasons for not
increasing investment.
More than half of German companies have little or no confidence
regarding the further opening of China’s market, while over 40%
feel optimistic about the opening up in the medium term. The State
Council’s Document No. 5 which was published in January 2017 is
not very well-known given that it is one of the major recent docu-
ments introducing reform measures to further promote foreign
investment. In August 2017, the State Council’s Document No. 39
introduced further measures to facilitate foreign investment.
Belt and Road Initiative
An extra part to the survey contains an assessment of German
companies’ views of and engagement in the Belt and Road Initia-
tive (BRI), along with a closer look at projects as well as benefits
and challenges.
More than one third see a positive effect of BRI on their future
business, while more than half of respondents report no signifi-
cant effect or no opinion about BRI. 30% of German companies are
active in or considering to engage in BRI projects. For those who
are not, a low relevance to their own industry or business model
is the most frequently stated reason to not engage, followed by
a lack of suitable projects and insufficient information. German
companies’ involvement in BRI covers a broad range of areas,
with automotive, construction and logistics together accounting
70 80
for more than 50%.
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 GCC Surveys

LABOR MARKET & SALARY REPORT 2017/2018

The full report is available for download from our website www.china.ahk.de

This report was conducted in partnership with

Further Downturn in Wage Growth at German Companies in

Wage Growth Indicators (%)
China
Expected wage growth at German companies in China continues Minimum Wage Growth 20%
to slow down. German companies in China expect to increase
17,5%
wages in 2018 by an average of 5.90%, 0.33 percentage points
(p.p.) down compared to last year, showing the lowest growth Wage Guidelines 15%
expectations since the Chamber started collecting data at China
12,5%
level in 2012. However, it should be noted that this is the lowest
year-on-year decrease since 2015. 10%
NBS Average
Expected Wage Growth Development at German Companies in Wage Growth 7,5%

China (%) Nominal Growth

10 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
10,2
8 8,9 8,8 higher than average expected increase in the previous edition. In
8,1 particular, companies with less than 50 employees expect to put
6 7,1
6,23 5,9 forward an increase of 5.74% – 0.78 p.p. below last year’s figure.
4
By city tiers, there is a similar pattern to last year’s results, with
2 tier-2 cities putting forward the highest wage increases (6.02%)
and tier-3 cities presenting the lowest increase (5.74%).
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Because of the correlation between GDP and salary growth rates,
the lower decrease of wage growth rates might indicate an expec-
tation of a more moderate decrease of economic growth. While
the evolution of wage increases in German companies follows a
similar pattern as the wage increases on a national level, wage
growth is higher in the latter (on average 1.7 p.p. higher since
2012), partially due the fact that wages at German companies are
already at a considerably higher level.
GDP, Consumer Price Index and Wage Growth (%)
NBS Average
Wage Growth
GDP Growth
AHK SURVEY
Inflation
Narrowing gap between salaries and productivity
When evaluating salaries while taking productivity and qualifica-
tions into account, 21.7% of respondents consider wages to be low
whereas 28.9% of the companies surveyed consider salaries to be
high. No significant changes in comparison with last year results in
this regard at China level. Looking in more detail, at tier-1 locations
– i.e. the highest paying area – 36.3% of respondents in Shanghai
consider wages as high whereas Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Beijing
show a lesser tendency to rate their compensation levels as high:
28.0%, 25.0% and 21.3%, respectively – a particularly interesting
pattern, given that wages (median value for total cost per employee)
15% in Beijing are 1.17 times higher than those of Shanghai.
However, as German companies continue to put forward lower
10% wage increases, the gap between salaries and productivity
narrows, 64.0% of the respondents declare productivity gains
have been similar to wage increases (+15.5 p.p. over last year’s),
5%
while 22.5% finds productivity gains did not make up for the wage
increases, 6.3 p.p. down from last year’s mark.

2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018

Productivity Increase Compared to Wage Increases
The salary survey evaluates in detail how wage increases in 60
64,0
specific functions and regions contributed to the overall expected 50

5.90% wage increase, the key statements being the following: 48,5 40
Only a few industries – automotive, consulting/legal services, 30
medical supplies and construction – expect to put forward higher 28,8 20
wage increases than the overall China average of 5.90%. 22,5 22,6 10
By company size the slowdown in wage growth is most notable 13,4
at smaller companies (less than 50 employees), balancing out a Lower Similar Higher

23
 GCC Surveys

INNOVATION SURVEY 2017

The full report is available for download from our website www.china.ahk.de

This report was conducted in partnership with

With more than 5,000 German companies active in China for

To what extent are the following issues barriers to innovation for
decades, China’s focus on innovation offers untapped potential
you in China?
for Sino-German cooperation but also, naturally, for competi-
tion. Beyond buzzwords such as “Industry 4.0” and “Made in Human resources
19% 40% 30% 11%
China 2025”, the German Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, in
cooperation with Tongji University and goetzpartners Manage- IP concerns
14% 32% 29% 18%
ment Consultants, decided to shed light on how German compa-
Headquarter influence
nies are coping in the Chinese innovation ecosystem and how
13% 24% 34% 14%
they are measuring up with their Chinese counterparts – in other
Lack of market insight
words, to what extent are German businesses in China ready to
6% 21% 31% 28%
innovate with, for and in China?
Lack of suitable external partners
4% 18% 32% 32%
Innovation a top priority and growth driver for German Economic turbulence
companies 4% 17% 32% 28%
Within the next three years, over 80% of surveyed companies Financial resources
expect an increase in their innovation output. 67% of German 6% 11% 32% 36%
manufacturing companies in China see innovation as one of the Insufficient government support
top three priorities for their business activities in the Chinese 2% 9% 30% 32%
market. Meeting customer needs, differentiating from competi-
tors, as well as attracting new customers are the main reasons for Very large extent Large extent Moderate extent Small extent Not at all
enhanced innovation activities. However, only 41% of compa-
nies have a well-defined innovation strategy. Inspired by the Chinese model, German companies shift from
product to business model innovation
Besides human resources, IP concerns are among the main The increasingly more innovative Chinese approach to busi-
barriers to innovation ness has led to a transformation of China’s competition strat-
Human resources (59%) and IP concerns (46%) were identified as egy – rather than competing on costs, Chinese companies are
the top two barriers to innovation among surveyed companies. disrupting markets by focusing their efforts on business model
The protection of intellectual property (IP) rights is the second innovation. This trend impacts German Companies in China:
most important concern, and impacts how German companies Within the next three years, companies are expected to shift
are tapping into local know-how: While almost half of surveyed from product to business model innovation. While most compa-
companies could imagine acquiring a local company to drive inno- nies still limit their R&D activities to Global-to-Local/Local-
vation, merging is a less attractive option, potentially due to the to-Local innovation, Local-to-Global innovation could be the
legal uncertainty surrounding unwanted technology transfers. next strategic priority for companies – a quarter of companies
Beyond these two major concerns the third largest barrier already engages in relevant research. In order to drive innova-
perceived by companies might also be the most surprising: Influ- tion further, significantly more firms intend to collaborate with
ence from headquarters in Germany is identified as a significant start-ups and competitors over the next three years.
barrier to innovation, with 71% of respondents indicating it to
be a barrier to a very large, large or moderate extent. Only 14% German companies need an innovation ecosystem to thrive
do not perceive headquarter influence as an impediment to inno- Looking beyond the data, to truly flourish, innovative compa-
vation. Headquarter influence as a barrier to innovation may nies in China- need to be placed in a wide-ranging innovation
be rooted in a lack of autonomy for the China-based subsidiary. ecosystem that supports innovation in all its forms. An innova-
When it comes to market and product range decisions, 33% and tion ecosystem necessitates structural and institutional support
42% of surveyed companies respectively report to have relative- through reliable cross-border internet services and quick data
ly little autonomy. Around 20% of respondents claim to have transfers as well as through companies, research organizations,
high autonomy, i.e. freedom to make decisions about the market universities, start-ups, investment funds or government grants,
they serve and the product range they supply without consulting and an innovation culture that fosters respect for intellectual
with headquarters. These companies also show higher innova- property and promotes cooperation and skills critical for inno-
tiveness than their less autonomous peers. vative thinking.
24
CHAMBER ACTIVITIES IN
NORTH CHINA
In 2017 the German Chamber of Commerce North China hosted a variety
of business as well as social events. Our seminars, roundtables and work-
shops, focused on current changes in the Chinese business environment, sup-
port our members by offering up-to-date market information and in-depth
knowledge about the Chinese business practice. Our social events provide
the opportunity to get connected with like-minded company representatives
and potential business partners and to expand business networks.

GERMAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
NORTH CHINA EVENTS 2017
Throughout North China 181 business as well as social events
were organized by the German Chamber of Commerce in 2017.
With topics in the fields of compliance, CSR, Industry 4.0, tax
and law, change management and global leadership among
others, we keep our members informed about latest economic
trends, business developments and updated regulations in China.
At the same time these events offer our 567 member companies a
platform for sharing firsthand professional information and best
practice as well as for expanding business networks. The total
number of event attendees in North China increased from 7,500
in 2016 up to 8,300 in 2017.
Besides the major business communities of Beijing, Tianjin and
Shenyang, the chamber network of professionals and business
leaders also includes the neighboring provinces Jilin, Liaoning
and Shandong. Regularly business and social events are held in
Shenyang, Changchun, Dalian and Qingdao. In 2017, the Cham-
ber’s activities in Dalian and Changchun in particular were
further increased, with special focus on Industry 4.0 and auto-
mation. New event formats such as the Smart Factory Day and IT
Security Day were successfully implemented in Shenyang.
Thanks to Our Yearly Sponsors North China 2017/18
Beijing Office
Tianjin Office
Shenyang Office
26
German Chamber of Commerce in China
In addition to business events, the Chamber also organizes a
variety of social and special events, such as interchamber
networking events, monthly Kammerstammtische as well as the
annual German Ball and the German Soccer Championship, to
strengthen the network among the international community in
North China.
The 20-Year Anniversary was one of the outstanding events in
2017. The event was attended by a delegation of the Association
of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry from Germa-
ny as well as high-ranking Chinese government representatives
of the Ministry of Commerce of the PRC. This has shown, how
highly valued the Chamber’s events are within the Sino-German
business community in China.
Furthermore, the Chamber organizes a Young Professional
event series, including social and professional events, such as
seminars, company visits, networking events and the month-
ly Interns Regular Table. These events provide a platform for
personal and professional development as well as networking for
students, interns and young professionals in Beijing.
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Chamber Activities

OVERVIEW OF ALL EVENTS 2017

Events Participants
Beijing 2016 2017 2016 2017
Business Events 41 31 769 704
Kammerdinner 1 4 91 205
Social Events* 30 27 1322 1220
YP Events** 22 19 426 588
AGM 1 1 88 67
Soccer Tournament 1 1 1300 1500
German Ball 1 1 746 750

Total 97 84 4742 5034

Tianjin
Business Events 26 15 316 194
Kammerstammtisch 11 12 190 126
Soccer Tournament 1 1 500 460
Other Events*** 21 20 386 846

Total 59 48 1392 1626

Shenyang
Business Events 27 19 603 483
Kammerstammtisch 11 10 306 221
Social Events 3 10 364 682
Other Events**** 1 10 93 257

Total 42 49 1366 1643

Total 198 181 7500 8303

* Social Events inkl. Kammerstammtisch and Alumnistammtisch, Networking Events, New Year’s
Reception, Oktoberfest and Christmas Charity Event
** inkl. Praktikantenstammtisch
***Social Events, SME Roundtable, Factory Visits
****Automotive Roundtable, Member Training

27
 German Chamber of Commerce in China

BEIJING
EVENT REVIEW 2017

Business Events The Impact of the New Revenue and

Lease Standards and the Impact and Trends of VAT
10.11.2017

Speaker: Ms. Susan Liu, Tax Partner of EY; Mr. Aaron Li, Senior Manager of EY

Tax & Finance

Legal & Compliance
Seminar: Challenges and Opportunities 13.04.2017
Under the New Sino-German Tax Treaty Business Lunch: China‘s Anti-corruption 27.04.2017

Speakers: Ms. Huiying Li, Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers Beijing Office; Ms. Ye He,
Campaign and its Effects on your China Business
Manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers Beijing Office Speakers: Dr. Martin Seybold, Attorney-at-Law and Partner, Rödl & Partner Beijing;
Mr. Yuanlei Tao, Head of Internal Auditing, ThyssenKrupp
Seminar: Effectively managing VAT audits, 24.08.2017
risks and opportunities Seminar: “Law – Made in Germany” – 10.05.2017

Speaker: Ms. Amy Mu, Senior Tax Manager for Indirect Tax at KPMG Beijing
Arbitration in international business transactions
Speakers: Mr. RA Ekkehart Schäfer, President of the German Federal Bar; Dr. Christian
Seminar: Cash Repatriation Strategies: 12.10.2017 Groß, Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK); Mr. Wang

From China to Germany – Tax, Foreign Zhengzhi, Partner of Beijing Globe-Law Law Firm

Exchange and Regulatory Issues

Speaker: Ms. Hannah Feng, Senior Manager of Corporate Accounting Services at
Dezan Shira & Associates
Seminar: Cyber Security Law and Data Security 20.06.2017
Speakers: Ms. Amanda Ge, Associate of CMS; Dr. Falk Lichtenstein, Partner of CMS;
Mr. Guenther Kreuzpaintner, COO of MCON Group and Managing Director of
MCON China and MCON Germany

28
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Chamber Activities

Seminar: Cyber Security Law Updates 02.11.2017

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Speakers: Ms. Amanda Ge, Associate of CMS, China; Guenther Kreuzpaintner, Mana-
ging Director of MCON China Ltd. and MCON Germany GmbH Roundtable CSR: Looking Ahead – 21.02.2017
2017 Top 10 CSR Trends China
HR & Leadership Speaker: Dr. Guo Peiyuan, Co-founder and General Manager of SynTao

Workshop: What does successful 09.02.2017 Roundtable CSR: Policies and Practices 04.07.2017
Global Leadership really look like? towards Workplace Disability Inclusion
Speaker: Ms. Elisa Mallis, China’s Country Director at MDS Speakers: Mr. ZHOU Haibin, a consultant for United Nations and International
Labor Organization; Ms. WU Di, National Consultant on Equality for United Nations
Seminar: Sozialversicherung, persönliche 22.03.2017 Development Program
Vorsorge und Steueroptimierung
Speakers: Herr Klaus Peter von der Eltz, Versicherungsexperte und Geschäftsführer Other Business Events
der Expatriate Care Consult GmbH; Frau Manuela Reintgen, Manager Business
Development ECOVIS R&G Consulting Ltd Beijing
Workshop: Agile Project Management 14.03.2017

Seminar: China Employment, Compliance 30.03.2017 Speakers: Mr. Michael Teubenbacher, Partner, CPC Unternehmensmanagement AG;
Ms. Karina Hilbrecht, Senior Consultant, CPC Unternehmensmanagement AG
and Visa Updates: Trends & Developments for 2017
Speaker: Mr. Ralph Vigo Koppitz, Managing Director, Taylor Wessing Shanghai Office Seminar with the Beijing Municipal 07.04.2017
Center of Foreign Expert Affairs
Roundtable HR: Presentation of the 20.09.2017
Speaker: Mr. Rong Duan, Section Chief of Beijing Municipal Center of Foreign Experts
10th Labor Market & Salary Report 2017/2018
Affairs
Speaker: Mr. Juanjo Cardona, Marketing and Information Manager at Direct HR
Group Seminar: Wasser- und Umweltmanagement – 21.04.2017
Eine Chance zur Renaturierung auch in China
Seminar: How to apply for visa to Germany 19.10.2017
Speaker: Dipl.- Ing. Peter Drecker, Founder and Head of Buero Drecker
Speakers: Ms. Patricia van de Water, Deputy Head of the Visa Section, German
Embassy Beijing; Ms. Li Nan, Visa Service Manager, German Industry & Commerce
Roundtable: Industry 4.0 – The Digital 07.06.2017
Greater China, Beijing
Transformation is Happening – Disruptive
Seminar: International Assignments to China 30.10.2017
IT Innovations for Industry 4.0
Speaker: Mr. Joseph C. Campbell, CTO of T-Systems Americas, Asia and Global
Speaker: Mr. Kai Mütze, Managing Director of IAC Unternehmensberatung GmbH
Accounts

Corporate Real Estate Seminar: Benefits and Challenges in the 14.06.2017

Process of Automation
Roundtable: Corporate Real Estate 24.02.2017
Speakers: Dr. Peter Mertens, Head of Research, Siemens Corporate Technology
Speaker: Herr Markus Lauber, Leiter der Projektsteuerung bei Capital Land Develope- China; Ms. Wenny Wang, Bigdata Research Director, NeuCloud; Mr. Zhang Ji, Board
ment, Beijing Director, FalconTech

Roundtable: Corporate Real Estate Roundtable 09.06.2017 Seminar: B2B Premium Brand’s Growth 30.06.2017
Speaker: Herr Ingo Vinck, Rechtsanwalt in der China Group von Taylor Wessing Strategy in China – Stay Premium or Tap into Mid-Market
Speaker: Ms. Pilar Dieter, Chief Representative and Managing Partner for Solidiance
Roundtable Corporate Real Estate – 23.11.2017
Neue Arbeitswelten Workshop: Change Management 06.11.2017
Speaker: Herr Matthias Lassen, Architekt und Partner des Pekinger Architektenbüros HENN
Speaker: Mrs. Babilon-Teubenbacher, Manager of CPC Consulting (Beijing) Ltd.

29
 German Chamber of Commerce in China

Kammerdinner Chamber Breakfast

Kammerdinner – Asian Infrastructure 11.01.2017 Breakfast Seminar – How the Cyber Security 13.01.2017
Investment Bank (AIIB): What does it mean for the Interna- Law will affect foreign companies in China
tional Financial Architecture and German business? Speakers: Ms. Anne Lambert, Intellectual Property lawyer at DS Advocats; Ms. Philippa
Speaker: Mr. Nikolai Putscher, Executive Director at AIIB Jones, Managing Director of Beijing China Policy company; Mr. Ben Dooley, China
Correspondent for AFP

Kammerdinner – Digital Age: Implication 23.05.2017

Breakfast Seminar – Think Global, 09.03.2017
to Leadership and Workforce
Act Chinese: Keys to Communications
Speaker: Ms. Janina Kugel, Chief Human Resources Officer and Member of the Mana-
Success for German Companies in China
ging Board at Siemens AG
Speakers: Ms. Agnes Zhao, Head of Finsbury’s Beijing Office; Ms. Claudia Kosser,
Kammerdinner – Mit Werten wirtschaften 30.08.2017 Associate Director at Hering Schuppener

Speakers: Herr Franz Herz, Pfarrer, Mitentwickler und Aufsichtsratsvorsitzender der

Breakfast Seminar – How to fight air 18.04.2017
St.-Nikolaus- Stiftung und Landeskurat der Wiener Pfadfinder; Herr Ralf Richter, Pfarrer
in Hessen sowie Organisationsberater (IPOS)
pollution in business environment?
Speakers: Mr. Yann Boquillod, Founder, AirVisual; Dr. Tian
Kammerdinner – Wie geht es weiter in den 11.12.2017 Yuan, CEO, Beijing Keller Century Building Technologies Ltd
deutsch-chinesischen Beziehungen?
Breakfast Seminar – Current Challenges for 25.05.2017
Speaker: Mr. Michael Clauss, German Ambassador to China
European Economy and International Trade
Speaker: Dr. Andreas Dombret, Member of the Executive Board of the Deutsche
Bundesbank

30
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Chamber Activities

Special Events
German Chamber New Year’s 18.01.2017 | Kempinski Hotel
Reception 2017

6th German Soccer Championship 2017 20.05.2017 | Si‘de Park

20 Years Anniversary Gala 26.10.2017| The Peninsula Beijing

German Ball 2017 (Casino Night) 18.11.2017 | Kempinski Hotel

Annual General Meeting 27.11.2017 | Kempinski Hotel

Doing business in China after the party congress:
What to expect for foreign companies
Speaker: Prof. Dr. Sebastian Heilmann, Founding president of the Mercator Institute for
China Studies (MERICS) in Berlin

Social & Networking Events

All-Chamber 23.02.2017 | Marriott Hotel Northeast All-Chamber 22.08.2017 | Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel
Welcome Back Networking Networking

Interchamber Wine-Tasting 29.03.2017 | Cheers Gulou Oktoberfest 2017 14.09.2017 | Crown Plaza Beijing Sun Palace

Interchamber Networking 26.04.2017 | Swissotel Beer Garden Oktoberfest 2017 18.10.2017 | Kempinski Hotel

Interchamber Networking: Summer BBQ 28.06.2017 | Park Square Marketing & Communications 22.11.2017 | Mesh Bar, Sanlitun
Professional Interchamber Networking
Interchamber Networking 25.07.2017 | Hilton Hotel
Christmas Charity Event 07.12.2017 | German Center

31
 German Chamber of Commerce in China

Alumnistammtische 2017 Kammerstammtische 2017

Degas 06.01.2017 Paulaner Bräuhaus 16.01.2017

Hacker Pschorr Brauhaus 10.03.2017 Schindler’s Anlegestelle 20.02.2017

Zeit Berlin 12.05.2017 Hacker Pschorr Brauhaus 20.03.2017

Hacker Pschorr Brauhaus 07.07.2017 Drei Kronen 1308 17.04.2017

Pizza Marzano (Solana) 08.09.2017 Zeit Berlin 15.05.2017

Schindlers Anlegestelle 10.11.2017 Paulaner Bräuhaus 19.06.2017

Hacker Pschorr Brauhaus 17.07.2017

Paulaner Bräuhaus 21.08.2017

Brotzeit 18.09.2017

Schindler’s Anlegestelle 16.10.2017

Hacker Pschorr Brauhaus 20.11.2017

32
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Chamber Activities

Young Professional Events Young Professional Event –

Ameco Company Visit
01.12.2017

Young Professional Event – 01.03.2017 Young Professional Event – 13.12.2017

How to thrive in 2017: Mindful Goal Setting Interchamber Holiday Mixer
Speakers: Ms. Dalida Turkovic, Master Coach and Founder of the Mindfulness Center
Beijing; Martin Barnes, Presentation Trainer & Conference Speaker, Founder of Moun-
tains of Imagination

Young Professional Mini Workshop – 30.03.2017 Praktikantenstammtische 2017

How to Sell Yourself: Success in Career and Life
Schindler’s Anlegestelle 10.01.2017
Speakers: Martin Barnes, Presentation Trainer & Conference Speaker, Founder of Moun-
tains of Imagination; Ms. Francesca Hanshing Urra, Co-founder, Velveteen’s Secret Potions
Schindler’s Anlegestelle 14.02.2017

Young Professional Event | 03.05.2017

Durty Nellie’s – Irish Pub 14.03.2017
Interchamber Spring Mixer
Schillers 11.04.2017
Young Professional Event - 22.05.2017
Leaders of Tomorrow Schillers 09.05.2017
Speaker: Mr. Tristan Roquette, Founder and CEO of Teamacting
Durty Nellie’s – Irish Pub 13.06.2017
Young Professional Event | 17.07.2017
Summer Networking Arrow Factory Brewing 11.07.2017

Young Professional Event – 26.09.2017 Luga’s Little Italy 08.08.2017

How to Negotiate Your Salary?

Arrow Factory Brewing 12.09.2017
Speaker: Mike Gropp, Partner & Facilitator at Lead with Words

Tubestation Gong Ti Branch 10.10.2017

Young Professional Event – 11.10.2017
Present with Confidence Luga’s Little Italy 14.11.2017

Speaker: Martin Barnes, Presentation Trainer & Conference Speaker, Founder of

Mountains of Imagination

33
 German Chamber of Commerce in China

BEIJING
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

German Christmas Market

02.12.2017

At the traditional German Christmas Market at the German

Embassy on 2nd December 2017, the German Chamber raised
around RMB 5,000 through selling handmade Gingerbread
Houses, which are traditionally crafted by the employees and
family members of the German Chamber. The Christmas Market
is organized by volunteers of the German Community in Beijing.
That day, the 6,500 visitors donated more than RMB 730,000. The
money will be distributed among various charity organizations.

Charity Christmas Party

07.12.2017

The German Chamber of Commerce North China together with

the German Centre for Industry and Trade Beijing Co. Ltd. invit-
ed their members and tenants to the annual Charity Christmas
Event on 7th December 2017 to celebrate the Christmas season.
At this annual event colleagues, business partners and friends
are invited to mingle while having snacks and various Christ-
mas drinks. An eyecatcher was the “Feuerzangenbowle” which
was prepared while the 1944 classic movie of the same name
was shown as one of the evening’s highlights. The collected
donations from this charity event are going to a charity project
that supports migrant workers´ children at the Hong Qi primary
school. The total donation amount of this year was 6,195 RMB.

34
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Chamber Activities

New Year’s Reception 2017

18.01.2017

The German Chamber of Commerce in North China invited its

members and partners to the traditional New Year’s Reception on
January 18th, 2017 to welcome the new and promising Chinese
New Year of the rooster. More than 80 guests joined the celebra-
tion which started with a reception, followed by the welcom-
ing address of Mr. Lothar Herrmann, Chairman of the German
Chamber of Commerce in North China.

Mr. Herrmann reviewed 2016 as a relatively challenging year.

However, German companies maintain a mostly positive outlook
into the near future as China remains one of the most important
markets for German companies and still enjoys high potential
in sustainable growth and development. He also reported on
the positive development of the German Chamber’s activities in
North China with a new office that opened in Shenyang in the
summer of 2016.

Following the address, the guests enjoyed an exclusive dinner

buffet. This first high-level get-together of the year was a
successful start to a promising new year full of interesting
events and new services and projects for members of the German
Chamber of Commerce.

35

6th German Soccer Championship in Beijing
20.05.2017
On 20 th May, 2017, twelve teams from different companies came
together at the Si’de Park in Beijing to compete for the title of the
6th German Soccer Champion in Beijing. The tournament, with
its teams and about 1000 spectators, already became tradition
for the Sino-German business community.
The weather conditions were extremely challenging for the
players, vendors but also guests. With temperature rising to 38
degrees Celsius and no breeze stirring it must have been the
hottest Soccer Championship so far. Despite the bursting heat,
players and visitors enjoyed the day at Si’de Park, with its great
location and beautiful scenery it gave visitors time to relax,
enjoy delicious food and refreshments, participate in fun activ-
ities, and watch exciting soccer games.
Kicked off by Minister of German Embassy, supervised by
League Referees
The opening ceremony was held at 8:30 am with a speech by
Minister of German Embassy in China, Dr. Christophe Eick,
wishing for sportsmanship and fair competition. After the team
captains were introduced on stage, the teams of Audi, Aichelin,
Ameco, BMW, Daimler, German Embassy, International SOS,
PwC, Siemens, Volkswagen Group, Volkswagen Transmission
Tianjin and Westin-Astos-Sheraton Tianjin proceeded to the two
pitches. At 9 am, Minister Dr. Eick kicked off the games.
Lukas Länge and BAO Tianqi provided German and Chinese
commentary with riveting play-by-play coverage of the entire
championship. Professional referees of the Chinese Soccer
League supervised each game, and medical assistance was
provided by the team of Raffles Medical Group.
Teams
36
German Chamber of Commerce in China
Daimler wins the final
After a great day with many games, Ameco and Daimler fought
for the trophy. In the end, Daimler defeated Ameco 1:0 in a thrill-
ing final. Daimler demonstrated just a tad more composure under
pressure to win the trophy.
Award ceremony
An exhilarating and tantalizing day full of gripping games came
to a close with the award ceremony presented by Ms. Alexandra
Voss, Executive Director of the German Chamber of Commerce
North China and Mr. Lothar Herrmann, Chairman of the Board
of the German Chamber and Commerce North China. The award
for the Most Valuable Player on the field went to Liu Hailiang
from BMW, Ma Kun from Ameco received the award for the Best
Goalkeeper and Nils John from Volkswagen finished the day as
the Top Scorer. For the second time we also awarded the team who
played the fairest. This year’s Fair Play Award was handed to the
team of Aichelin.
Entertainment for kids, guests and spectators
The children had a great time at the kids’ entertainment provided by
Eduwings Kindergarten, Western Academy Beijing and Yew Chung
International School of Beijing. The kid’s area included activities
such as face painting, arts and crafts corner, football tables, fishing
games as well as the bouncy castle from Crown Relocations. ReFoX
Relocation once again provided sunscreen for all guests, teams, and
volunteers to protect everyone from the blazing sun.
All guests had the chance to try their luck at Beijing kicker shot
challenge and in the soccer goal wall contest (Torwandschießen).
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Chamber Activities

In order to win the main prize, a SVU Kodiaq provided by Skoda,

competitors had to score six successive goals. Even though no one
won the car, the participants had a good time improving their
kicking skills. For 5 out of 6 goals, participants could win an over-
night stay at Kempinksi Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center in one of
their new suits for two persons. For one to four scores, the German
Chamber Benefit Partners and other participating companies
provided giveaways and vouchers.
Throughout the day, delicious German BBQ, Chinese food, and
refreshments were served by “Der Landgraf” as well as deserts,
sandwiches, fresh juice and ice cream by “Kempinski Hotel Beijing
Lufthansa Center”. After the Soccer Championship, many specta-
tors, volunteers, and players celebrated this successful event at the
after party which was held at the Park Square Restaurant & Lounge.
Delicious finger food and drinks were offered to all guests.
A grateful thank you goes out to all teams, sponsors, volunteers
from participating companies and organizations as well as the
Soccer committee who made this tournament a memorable and
enjoyable day.

The final table of results of the

6th German Soccer Championship in Beijing Sponsors
1 Daimler
2 Ameco
3 BMW

4 VW Transmission
5 Volkswagen
6 International SOS
7 German Embassy
8 Siemens
9 PwC
10 Audi
11 Westin-Astor-Sheraton Tianjin
12 Aichelin

37

20 Years Anniversary Gala
26.10.2017
With a majestic evening gala attended by about 200 exclusively
invited guests, the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry
in Beijing has celebrated its 20 Years Anniversary.
Besides a delegation from Germany, led by Dr. Eric Schweitzer,
President of the Association of German Chambers of Commerce
and Industry (DIHK) in Berlin, and representatives of German
member companies in North China, Chinese government repre-
sentatives were also attending the event, such as representatives
of the ministry of trade, of the civil ministry, of the State Admin-
istration for Industry and Commerce and China Investment
Promotion Agency, as well as important cooperation partners.
The Gala evening in Peninsula Hotel, located in the heart of
Beijing, started off with a Sand Painting artistically illustrating
the 20-Year History of the German Chamber in Beijing. There-
after, the guests were welcomed by the President of the Asso-
ciation of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Dr.
Schweitzer, and Dr. Wang Qinmin, Deputy Chairman of the 12th
National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consulta-
tive Conference and Chairman of the All-China Federation of
Industry and Commerce.
Within their welcoming words, both emphasized the importance
of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in promoting
the German-Chinese economic relations and supporting German
and Chinese companies with their respective market entries.
38
German Chamber of Commerce in China
The following Panel Discussion constituted the highlight of
the Anniversary celebration: Mr. Lothar Herrmann, Chair-
man of the German Chamber of Commerce in North China,
Mr. Michael Clauss, Ambassador of Germany to China and Ms.
Susanne Rademacher, Board Member of the German Cham-
ber of Commerce – North China discussed the German-Chi-
nese economic relations and their development throughout
the past 20 years. The panel, moderated Ms. Alexandra Voss,
Chief Representative of the Delegation of German Industry and
Commerce Beijing, examined not only the ongoing situation of
German companies in China, but also upcoming trends in the
Chinese market plus the cooperation potential regarding trade
with China.
After dinner had been served, numerous guests revived their
memories of the past years with colleagues and partners.
Within the next twenty years, the Chinese market will remain
one of the world’s leading and most exciting markets. In the
future, the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in
China will keep on supporting its members in their China busi-
ness, will accompany market entry, business development and
further fostering German-Chinese economic relations.
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Chamber Activities

39
 German Chamber of Commerce in China

18.11.2017

Experiencing a magical night in the atmosphere of rolling dices, enchanting

acts and thrilling tricks until the sun rises again – the 17th German Ball, hosted
in good old tradition by the German Chamber of Commerce in North China at
the Kempinski Hotel Beijing attracted about 750 guests with its ‘Casino Night’
theme.
This year’s German Ball, organized only shortly after our 20 Year’s Anniver-
sary, constituted a second highlight of a vivid year for the German Chamber of
Commerce in Beijing.
The ballroom’s graceful atmosphere on 18th November 2017 was accompanied by
mingling show girls, fascinating magicians and marvelous musical entertain-
ment, rounding off an exciting setting.
Las Vegas-alike looking show girls welcomed and entertained the ball guests
during the reception, as they enjoyed their first cocktails and canapes. A fasci-
nating Couple-Burlesque show opened the ball’s entertainment program, taking
the audience back into the 20 st century.
After that atmospheric opening, the welcome speeches given by Ms. Alexandra
Voss, Executive Director of the German Chamber of Commerce in China | North
China and Delegate & Chief Representative of the Delegation of German Indus-
try and Commerce Beijing, and Mr. Lothar Herrmann, Chairman of the German
Chamber of Commerce in China | North China and CEO Siemens Greater China,
President and CEO of Siemens Ltd., China officially commenced the German
Ball 2017.
While the guests enjoyed the exclusive gala dinner by Kempinski Executive
Chef Michael Kreiling, the Dunshan Symphonic Wind Orchestra enchanted the
audience with their harmonic classical sounds and the dance floor was filled
with dancing couples.
As the “Casino Night” progressed, the audience was thrilled by the Magician’s
grand illusions and mind-blowing effects.
The wide variety of drinks offered at the open bars and the sophisticated and
extraordinary dessert buffet in the foyer invited the guests to mingle together
with colleagues and friends, while the midnight buffet and the coffee bar were
much appreciated by all those, who had needed a break before they danced the
night away with the passionate and outstanding Band “Lounge Society” from
Germany and the vibrant beats of the DJ “Jean-Marc”.
The German Chamber of Commerce in North China would like to thank all of
the guests for this magnificient evening and want to welcome you all again to
the next German Ball 2018!

40
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Chamber Activities

41

Seminar with the Beijing Municipal Center of Foreign Experts Affairs
07.04.2017
The German Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with the
British Chamber, French Chamber, Swiss Chamber and Europe-
an Chamber invited around 150 guests for a briefing on the new
regulations for foreigner working permits in Chinese. Mr. Rong
Duan, Section Chief of the Beijing Municipal Center of Foreign
Experts Affairs, gave an overview about the new regulations.
Kammerdinner with the German Ambassador Mr. Michael Clauss
11.12.2017
The German Chamber of Commerce North China invited Members
and guests to the last Kammerdinner of the year on 11th Decem-
ber, 2017, at Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center. Follow-
ing a tradition of many years the German Chamber was delight-
ed to welcome the German Ambassador Mr. Michael Clauss as
guest of honor. Mr. Lothar Herrmann, chairman of the German
Chamber of Commerce North China welcomed the members and
42
German Chamber of Commerce in China
Such regulations include the classification of workers into three
categories, which aims to streamline work permit applications
for foreign workers. After the presentation attendees had the
opportunity to consult with governmental officials during the
Q&A session.
guests and opened the evening. The ambassador reviewed 2017
and gave an outlook for 2018 assessing the current political and
economical situation in China as well as the developments in
German-Chinese relations. Following the speech with questions
by the audience and an update about upcoming events of the
German Chamber of Commerce, the guests had the opportunity
for networking during a buffet reception.
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Chamber Activities

Annual General Meeting

27.11.2017

On 27th November 2017, the 17th Annual General Meeting of Following this, Sebastian Suciu, Executive Chamber Manag-
the German Chamber of Commerce – North China took place at er, presented the new membership structure for 2018 and the
Kempinski Hotel Beijing. Mr. Lothar Herrmann, Chairman of the More Than A Market initiative, that was rolled-out chinawide in
German Chamber of Commerce – North China, welcomed over 2017. The More Than A Market initiative is the corporate social
80 guests and provided a brief review of the German Business engagement initiative of the German Chambers of Commerce in
activities in China 2017. He especially referred to the results of China together with Bertelsmann Stiftung with strong support
the latest Business Confidence Survey, which shows that nearly by the German Consulate General. It aims to promote and create
two thirds of German companies evaluated the current econom- visibility for corporate social engagement by German companies
ic situation in China more positively than in 2016 and have quite in China.
positive expectations for 2018. The official part of the evening closed with the treasurer’s report
Afterwards, the German Chamber of Commerce North China 2016 and the budget overview for 2017 by Feng Xingliang, Chief
was very delighted to welcome Mr. Sebastian Heilmann, the Representative NRW Invest China, Beijing.
founding president of the Mercator Institute for China Stud- The official meeting was followed by a buffet reception.
ies (MERICS) in Berlin and professor for the political economy
of China at the University of Trier as Key Note Speaker of the
evening. Mr. Heilmann provided an outlook on political and
economic developments and reforms, which will follow the 19th
National Communist Party Congress of October 2017, and how
these might influence foreign companies in China.
The evening continued with the presentation of the Annu-
al Report of the German Chamber North China 2017 by Ms.
Alexandra Voss, Executive Director of the German Chamber of
Commerce – North China. She outlined the positive develop-
ments of the Chamber in 2017 with a stable membership base in
North China. With regard to 2018, the target remains to further
strengthen the membership base, increasingly engage Chinese
employees of member companies by offering certain events in
Chinese, developing the roundtable event series and the visa
events at all locations and to increase the Chamber´s visibility
on social media.

43
 German Chamber of Commerce in China

TIANJIN
CHAMBER ACTIVITIES 2017

The Tianjin Office 2017

Since its founding in 2008, the Tianjin Office of the German for the fourth time in Tianjin, several other social events such as
Chamber of Commerce has developed dynamically with mean- the 5th German Chamber Soccer Cup Tianjin, the German Night
while about 80 members. The German Chamber Advisory Coun- and the German Christmas Market were organized. In addition,
cil Tianjin operates as a link between the Board of Directors company visits and monthly gatherings (Kammerstammtisch)
North China and the members in Tianjin in order to represent were regularly held and well attended.
their interests and support the regional Chamber activities.
The Advisory Council Tianjin currently consists of the follow-
ing three members: Mr. Christoph Kaiser (Managing Director, TIANJIN Events Participants
Turck (Tianjin) Technology Co., Ltd.), Mr. Volker Palm (General Business Events 15 194
Manager, WAGO Electronic (Tianjin) Co., Ltd.) and Ms. Sand- Kammerstammtisch 12 126
rina Zurmuehlen (General Manager, Commerzbank AG Tianjin 5th German Chamber Soccer Cup 1 460
Branch). In 2017, the Tianjin Office organized 48 events with Other Social Events 17 798
over 1600 participants. Chamber activities included seminars, SME Roundtable 1 10
workshops and roundtables on various business topics such Factory Visit* 2 38
as tax updates, HR developments, production, and leadership TOTAL 48 1.626
development. Besides the New Year’s Reception that took place *SEW-Eurodrive (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Volkswagen Automatic Transmission Tianjin Co., Ltd.

44
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Chamber Activities

TIANJIN
EVENT REVIEW 2017

Workshops & Seminars

Breakfast Seminar – When a C is Not Enough: 14.03.2017 Learn to Motivate People Effectively to 21.07.2017
China’s New Point System for Work Visas Improve Team Performance
Speaker: Mr. Torsten Weller is a business development associate with ECOVIS Beijing Speaker: Dr. Sun Weijun, is the vice president of Julong Group

HR Workshop – Efficient Recruitment 22.03.2017 A Button Check and Intelligence Monitoring: 28.07.2017
and International Assignment Management Advanced Reporting Design
Speakers: Dr. Oliver Prüfer is the Vice General Manager of German Industry & Com- Speaker: Mr. Pasta Pei, Microsoft Office Professional Trainer and Microsoft Certified
merce (GIC) Greater China, Beijing; Mr. Kai Mütze is the Managing Director of IAC Partner for Learning Solution
Unternehmensberatung GmbH

Breakfast Seminar – Understanding the 15.08.2017

Energy Efficiency 4.0: International 28.03.2017
Fapiao-System and Related Tax Matters
Competitiveness through Customized Efficiency Solutions
Speaker: Ms. Elisabeth Shi is a Senior Tax Manager at Ecovis Beijing.
Speaker: Mr. Marco Abdallah is the Head of MEP Engineering in the Shanghai office
of Drees&Sommer
Agile Project Management 7.09.2017

Interchamber Breakfast Seminar – 19.04.2017 Speakers: Ms. Christina Heinrichs is Senior Consultant at the Chinese branch of .CPC;
Ms. Betty Hou, Consultant of CPC.
Cultural Competence and its Implications for
Cross-Cultural Business
Presentation of the 10th Labor Market 22.09.2017
Speaker: Mr. John Napier is the resident Instructional Manager for Berlitz in Tianjin & Salary Report 2017/2018
Speaker: Mr. Juanjo Cardona:is Marketing and Information Manager at Direct HR
China Transfer Pricing New Landscape 12.05.2017
Group, the cooperation partner of the German Chamber of Commerce in China for
and the Trend of Tax Audit the Labor Market & Salary Report 2017/18.

Speakers: Ms. Winnie Di, Transfer Pricing Partner, PwC China Beijing Branch; Ms.
Eva Wang, Transfer Pricing Manager, PwC China Beijing Branch; Ms. Zhanjun Wang, Flexible Employment Strategies and 12.10.2017
Corporate Tax Senior Manager, PwC China Tianjin Branch; Ms. Jingyun Li, Corporate Action Plans for Enterprises
Tax Manager, PwC China Tianjin Branch
Speaker: Mr. Morgan Shi, Deputy director (Tianjin) of Shanghai River Delta law firm

Joint Chamber Briefing: Demystifying China’s 22.06.2017

German Visa Application Process for 16.11.2017
New Work Permit Policies
Chinese Business Travelers
Speaker: Mr. Li Zongjing from the Foreigners Working in China Division at the
Speaker: Ms. Nan Li, Visa Service Manager at German Industry & Commerce Greater
Tianjin Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs
China – Beijing

45
 German Chamber of Commerce in China

HR Workshop – Employee Relationship Management 22.11.2017

Speakers: Ms. Si Chen, Lawyer of the Department of labor law for Simo-Credit; Ms.
Bavaria Beer Keller (Italian Town) 27.09.2017

Yongge Chen, Managing Partner of Sino-Credit, Director of Tianjin Human Resources

Labor Dispute Mediation Center, Executive Chairman of HRCLUB, Legal Adviser of Tianjin Bavaria Beer Keller (Italian Town) 25.10.2017
Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, Legal Adviser of Tianjin Municipal Bureau
of Sports, Secretary-General of TEDA Labor Relations Guiding Committee of Experts Bavaria Beer Keller (Italian Town) 29.11.2017

2017 Annual Tax and Regulatory Seminar 24.11.2017 Bavaria Beer Keller (Italian Town) 27.12.2017

Speakers: Mr. Bill Bai, Partner, Tianjin, Transfer Pricing Tax Services, Deloitte; Ms.
Christina Li, Senior Manager, Tianjin, Global Employer Services, Deloitte; Ms. Melody 5th German Chamber Soccer Cup 17.09.2017
Ma, Director, Tianjin, Global Employer Services, Deloitte; Mr. Howard Shen, Senior
Manager, Beijing, Business Tax Services, Deloitte; Mr. Edward Tian, Senior Advisor,
Tianjin, Indirect Tax Services, Deloitte; Mr. Wang Xin, Director, Tianjin, International
Tax Services, Deloitte; Ms. Elaine Xing, Senior Manager, Tianjin, International Tax Ser-
vices, Deloitte; Mr. Jack Zang, Senior Manager, Tianjin, Transfer Pricing Tax Services, Other Social Events
Deloitte
Deutscher Filmabend: Colonia 05.01.2017

Kammerstammtisch Biz Socializer –

Interchamber Business Networking
11.01.2017

Drei Kronen 1308 Brauhaus Tianjin 25.01.2017

Interchamber Business Match – Making Evening 16.02.2017

Drei Kronen 1308 Brauhaus Tianjin 22.02.2017 New Year’s Reception 2017 in Tianjin 09.03.2017

Bavaria Beer Keller (Blauer Engel) 29.03.2017 Biz Socializer – 28.03.2017

Interchamber Business Networking
Bavaria Beer Keller (Italian Town) 26.04.2017

Biz Socializer – 14.04.2017

Bavaria Beer Keller (Blauer Engel) 31.05.2017
Interchamber Business Networking

Bavaria Beer Keller (Italian Town) 28.06.2017

Iconic Sites Tour of the Astor Hotel 21.04.2017

Bavaria Beer Keller (Italian Town) 26.07.2017

German Night in Tianjin 2017 13.05.2017

Bavaria Beer Keller (Italian Town) 30.08.2017

46
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Chamber Activities

Interchamber Business Match – 17.05.2017

Making Evening

Biz Socializer – Interchamber Business 23.05.2017

Networking – A Foreigner’s Guide to Medical Care in China

After Work Summer Mixer 09.06.2017

Deutscher Filmabend: Er ist wieder da 16.06.2017

Interchamber Welcome Back BBQ Networking 25.08.2017

Interchamber Executive Dinner – China’s 26.10.2017

Cybersecurity Law: How does it impact your business?
Speaker: Mr. Michael Chang has 15 years of experience in ICT research, innovation,
standardization and technology strategy, holding managerial positions with several
multi-national companies.

German Christmas Market 2017 02.12.2017

Deutscher Filmabend: Last Holiday 08.12.2017

Wine Night in Tianjin 22.12.2017

SME Roundtable
Roundtable Mittelstand 12.12.2017

Factory Visit
Day of Logistics 2017 – 27.04.2017
Visit of SEW-Eurodrive (Tianjin) Co. Ltd.

Exclusive Company Tour to Volkswagen 25.10.2017

Automatic Transmission Tianjin Co., Ltd.

47
 German Chamber of Commerce in China

TIANJIN
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

New Year’s Reception

09.03.2017
On March 9, 2017, the German Chamber of Commerce invit-
ed its members in Tianjin to the New Year’s Reception at the
Ritz-Carlton Hotel Tianjin. The welcoming speech was held by
Ms. Alexandra Voss, Executive Director of the German Cham-
ber of Commerce – North China, and Mr. Christoph Kaiser, Vice
President of the Board of Directors North China and member
of the Advisory Council Tianjin. Both guest speakers reviewed
the successful work of the German Chamber in the past year,
comprising almost 60 organized events with 1400 participants,
and presented an outlook on the projects and activities in 2017.
The well attended reception was the first high-level get-together
of the year along with dinner buffet, drinks, live music, and
networking opportunities.

German Night
13.05.2017
On May 13, 2017, the traditional highlight event of the German
Chamber of Commerce – German Night 2017 was held at the
Bavaria Beer Keller in Italian Town Tianjin. The German Night,
one of the major social event for the German Community in
Tianjin, has already taken place for the sixth time. In a typical
German atmosphere, about 80 participants enjoyed the casual
evening with German buffet, beer and lucky draw.
The purpose of the event is to bring together the German commu-
nity as well as Chinese colleagues and international friends to
contribute to German-Chinese friendship and teambuilding. The
German Chamber thanks all participants, sponsors and helpers
for the memorable night!

German Christmas Market

02.12.2017
On December 2, 2017, the German Chamber of Commerce Tianjin
invited its members and friends to a very special Christmas cele-
bration at the Bavaria Beer Keller, where festive ambience was
offered along with Christmas music, culinary delicacies, and an
exciting lucky draw.
More than 70 guests joined the event for a free flow of Glühwein
(mulled wine) and other beverages as well as specialties like: Home-
made Bread with traditional German Spreals, Breaded Pork Escalope
and Tiramisu. The colorful Christmas selling booths made the event
even more attractive for both young and grown-up visitors.
The German Christmas Market is an annual highlight event of
the German Chamber of Commerce, offering the guests a perfect
opportunity to enjoy the traditional German Christmas atmos-
phere together with their beloved ones, friends and colleagues.

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ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Chamber Activities
5th German Chamber Soccer Cup
17.09.2017
On September 17, 2017, the 5th German Chamber Soccer Cup took
place on the grounds of the International School of Tianjin (IST).
This event, which has been the highlight of the German Chamber
for five years in a row now, brings people from different compa-
nies and different ages together and is overall just a great joy.
Here are some facts:
- 12 teams competing for the German Chamber Trophy
- Additional trophies for best player, keeper and scorer
- Broad kids programme
- “Torwandschiessen” (target shooting) with prizes of over
RMB 50,000 in value
- Food and Drinks including Chinese Food, German BBQ,
beer and much more
It has been the first time that the Soccer Cup was held in Septem-
ber. While there had been struggles with cold weather in the
previous years, this year’s event was shaped by summer clothes
and sun crème.
The tournament started out with a performance by the cheerlead-
ers of Volkswagen. After a quick speech, the tournament began
timely at 10 am. The teams came in well-prepared and motivation
was high.
After the first rounds, a circle of favorites to advance to the
semi-finals slowly took shape. While there were some new faces
to be seen, one thing remained the same: The dominance of team
Volkswagen. They were cruising through the group stage with-
out any problems, going 5 wins and 0 losses. Alongside VW,
Siemens Mechanic United, Airbus and Team IST advanced to the
next round. In the semi-finals, Team IST, a group of IST parents,
put up a good fight against the VW overlords only losing 0-1
through a penalty. Siemens Mechanic United also only barely
won against Airbus, striking in the last minute for a 1-0 victory.
Finally, around 4:30 pm, the final began. Both teams were quite
exhausted but that wouldn’t hinder them to run the extra mile.
VW, as always, played really aggressive and had huge chances.
After 10 minutes, again, a penalty for VW. The top scorer of the
tournament had no difficulties sticking it in, resulting in a lead
for VW. Subsequently, Mechanic United player’s morale went
downhill pretty fast, leading to two more goals for VW. Even
though VW won for the fourth time in a row, one could see clear
improvements from the other teams. As the air blew through
the summer afternoon during the ceremony, one could feel that
tides might very well change next year.
49
 German Chamber of Commerce in China

SHENYANG
CHAMBER ACTIVITIES 2017

The Shenyang Office 2017

Since its opening in June 2016, the Shenyang office has devel-
oped dynamically with meanwhile around 100 members in
Liaoning and Jilin province. In 2017, roughly 50 events with
more than 1,600 participants were organized. Chamber activ-
ities included roundtables, workshops, seminars and member
trainings on various business topics. Especially the Automotive
Roundtable has developed into a successful exchange platform
for managers and decision makers from local suppliers, OEMs
and related industries. But also new event formats such as the
Smart Factory Day and IT Security Day were successfully imple-
mented and organized for the first time in 2017. Besides, several
other social events such as the German May Tree Festival, Okto-
berfest and the German Christmas Market were all well attend-
ed. Since January 2017, the Shenyang office started to further
increase the activities in Dalian and Changchun.
In addition, several meetings with the German Chamber Advisory
Council in Shenyang were held. The council operates as a link
between the Board of Directors North China in Beijing and the
member companies in the Northeast, assisting the Chamber team
by providing valuable input, knowhow and expertise. The Advi-
sory Council in Shenyang consists of the following four compa-
ny representatives: Dr. Robert Engelhorn (Senior Vice President
Technology & Manufacturing, BMW Brilliance Automotive Co.,
Ltd.), Mr. Wolfgang Lamprecht (General Manager, ZF Lemforder
Automotive (Shenyang) Co., Ltd.), Mr. Matthias Scheurich (Gener-
al Manager, OTTO FUCHS Technology (Shenyang) Co., Ltd.) and
Dr. Yubo Wang (General Manager, Dr. Schneider Automotive Parts
(Liaoyang) Co., Ltd.). In 2018, the Shenyang office will further
focus on strengthening the support for the growing local German
business community in the northeastern provinces.

Events Participants
Business Event 19 483
Automotive Roundtable 4 123
Member Training 6 134
Kammerstammtisch 10 221
Social Events 10 682
TOTAL 49 1643

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ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Chamber Activities

SHENYANG
EVENT REVIEW 2017

Seminars & Workshops

Seminar: HR Compliance – Payroll and Benefit 21.02.2017 Seminar: New Labor Law Regulations in 18.07.2017

Speakers: Ms. Sheila Zhang, Director of Global Mobility Service, KPMG Beijing office
China and Implications for your Business
Ms. Connie Wang, Assistant Manager of Global Mobility Service, KPMG Beijing office Speakers: Ms. Susanne Rademacher, Partner and Head, BEITEN BURKHARDT Beijing;
Mr. Yongxin Wu, Senior Partner, Liaoning Kaiyu Law Firm Shenyang
Workshop: Efficient Recruitment and 23.03.2017
International Assignment Management Seminar: China Customs Affairs – 15.09.2017

Speakers: Dr. Oliver Pruefer, Vice General Manager, German Industry & Commerce
New Trends & Policies
Greater China – Beijing; Mr. Kai Muetze, Managing Director, IAC Unternehmensbe- Speakers: Mr. Jeffrey Cai, Senior Manager, PwC Beijing office; Mr. Ryan Wu, Senior
ratung GmbH Manager, PwC Beijing office

Special Seminar: Visa Application Process 12.04.2017 Seminar: Presentation of the 21.09.2017
for Chinese Business Travelers 10th Labor Market & Salary Report 2017/2018
Speakers: Mr. Marcus Alexander Lamer, Head of Visa Section and Consular Affairs, Speaker: Mr. Juanjo Cardona, Marketing & Information Manager, Direct HR Group
Consulate General of Germany in Shenyang; Ms. Laura Ren, Team Lead, TLSContact
Visa Center Shenyang; Ms. Marine Wu, Center Manager, TLSContact Visa Center
Shenyang; Ms. Nan Li, Visa Service Manager, German Industry & Commerce Greater
China – Beijing Special Events
Breakfast Seminar: When a C is Not Enough: 18.04.2017 International Job Fair 2017 – 27.03.2017
Chinas New Point System for Work Visa Support your company!
Speaker: Mr. Torsten Weller, Business Development Associate, ECOVIS Beijing
Smart Factory Day – How Industry 4.0 23.05.2017

Webinar: Introducing Manufacturing 26.04.2017 brings benefits to your company

Execution System (MES): Opportunity and Challenge
Speaker: Mr. Jesse Lee, Project Manager, STAUFEN Shanghai
Seminar: Challenges and Opportunities under 09.05.2017
the new Sino-German Tax Treaty
Speakers: Ms. Huiying Li, Director of China Tax and Advisory Service, PwC Beijing
Speakers: Mr. Wolfgang Wiedorn, BD Manager Assembly Technologies, Bosch
Rexroth Shanghai; Mr. Michael Ellenrieder, General Manager, WERMA Shanghai;
Mr. Andreas Fiedler, General Manager, Wuerth Electronics Shenyang; Mr. Michael
Johansen, Head of National Systems, Wuerth (China) Ltd. Shanghai; Mr. Marco
Abdallah, Head of MEP Engineering, Drees & Sommer Shanghai
IT Security Day – New IT Regulations 28.09.2017

office; Ms. Ye He, Manager of China Tax and Advisory Service, PwC Beijing office and their Impact on your Business in China
Speakers: Dr. Falk Lichtenstein, Lawyer & Partner, CMS China; Mr. Carles Costa,
Associate Director, MCON Beijing; Mr. Huaduo Wang, Senior Consultant, NEUSOFT
Corporation; Mr. Richard Tong, Senior Manager, PwC Cyber Security Beijing

51
 German Chamber of Commerce in China

Alumni Business Networking in Shenyang 25.11.2017

Speaker: Dr. Markus Baur, Vice President Research & Development, BMW Brilliance
Kammerstammtisch Shenyang
Automotive
Bacius Restaurant & Bar (Joy City) 12.01.2017

Excursion @ SIASUN Robotics: Intelligent 07.12.2017

Il Forno (Grand Hyatt) 09.02.2017
Manufacturing – Opportunities & Challenges
of Future Automation Graf Zeppelin Restaurant (Maritim Hotel Shenyang) 13.04.2017

Speakers: Ms. Cunyan Fan, CEO, Sino German SIASUN Education Technology
Group; Mr. Daokui Qu, CEO, SIASUN Robot & Automation Co., Ltd.; Mr. Klaus Kerth, Bakery Wempe 08.06.2017
Director BD China, i4.0MC – Industrie 4.0 Maturity Center GmbH
Restaurant Grandma’s Kitchen 13.07.2017

Social Events Maple Tea Café Shenyang 10.08.2017

Inter-Chamber Business Networking 23.02.2017 LENBACH Beer House, Shenyang Tiandi 12.10.2017

Night in Shenyang
Graf Zeppelin Restaurant (Maritim Hotel Shenyang) 16.11.2017

German Classic Movie Night: Almanya 09.03.2017

German “May Tree” Festival 30.04.2017

Maifest in Shenyang – 10.05.2017

German Spring Festival 2017

German Classic Movie Screening: 11.07.2017

Der ganz große Traum

Oktoberfest 2017 in Shenyang 29.08.2017

Bavarian Night 2017 16.09.2017

German Christmas Market 2017 Shenyang 02.12.2017

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ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Chamber Activities

Event Review 2017: Dalian Event Review 2017: Changchun

Inter-Chamber Seminar: Value Added Tax (VAT) 28.02.2017 Special Event: Services and Activities of 13.09.2017
Transition Practice and its Impact on Your Business German Consulate and German Chamber
Speakers: Mr. Robin Zhang, Director of China Tax & Business Advisory Services, PwC
of Commerce in Changchun
Dalian office; Ms. Xinxin Ma, Senior Manager of China Tax & BAS, PwC Dalian office Speakers: Dr. Peter Kreutzberger, Consul General, German Consulate Shenyang;
Ms. Viviane Weyh, Head of Visa Section & Consular Affairs, German Consulate
Inter-Chamber Business Networking Night 27.04.2017 Shenyang; Mr. Jan Block, Regional Manager, German Chamber of Commerce in
North China
Seminar: Challenges and Opportunities 20.06.2017
under the new Sino-German Tax Treaty Seminar: HR Compliance: Payroll and Benefit 15.11.2017

Speaker: Ms. Nina Wang, Senior Tax Manager, PwC Dalian Office Speakers: Ms. Sheila Zhang, Director of Global Mobility Service, KPMG Beijing
office; Ms. Connie Wang, Assistant Manager of Global Mobility Service, KPMG
Beijing office
Kammerstammtisch in Dalian 20.06.2017
Paulaner Brauhaus Dalian (Kempinski Hotel) Kammerstammtisch: Vertragsgestaltung & 15.11.2017
Sozialversicherung
Excursion Automotive @ VW FAW Engine: 18.08.2017
Die Backstube German Kitchen
Smart Factory and Implementation of Industry 4.0
Speakers: Prof. Horst-Kersten Gaudlitz, General Manager, Volkswagen FAW Engine
Dalian; Mr. Izzet Oentas, Project Manager Smart Factory, Volkswagen FAW Engine
Dalian; Mr. Rene Galbavy, Senior Consultant, STAUFEN Shanghai

Inter-Chamber Seminar: Doing Business 20.10.2017

in China – A Brief Introduction to the Most Important
Chinese Regulations for Foreign Managers
Speakers: Dr. Martin Seybold, Head of Roedl & Partner Beijing Office, Roedl & Part-
ner Beijing; Ms. Tanja Fuchs, Head of BPO & Tax, Roedl & Partner Beijing

Practical Workshop @ JUMO Automation Dalian: 21.12.2017

EHS management in line with Chinese EHS laws
Speakers: Mr. Guogang Cao, EHS Manager, JUMO Automation (Dalian) Co., Ltd.;
Ms. Yu Qin, Senior Auditor, TUEV Rheinland Ltd.

53
 German Chamber of Commerce in China

SHENYANG
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Member for Member Training

The Member for Member Trainings in 2017 all took place at local
manufacturing companies such as Mubea Automotive Compo-
nents, Fehrer Automotive Shenyang, Dr. Schneider Automotive
Liaoyang, Brose Automotive Changchun, Liebherr Machinery
Dalian, Neugart Planetary Gearboxes Shenyang and JUMO Auto-
mation Dalian. External trainers were engaged for each occa-
sion to train topics such as Total Productive Maintenance (TPM),
Value Stream Mapping (VSM), LEAN Production Management,
Shop Floor Management, Six Sigma Champion, 5S Management,
IATF16949:2016 (Quality Management) and EHS Management.
The Member for Member Trainings always take place in local
manufacturing companies and provide an exchange plat-
form between member companies in the Northeast to rotate
with professional technical trainings among trainer partners.
Through this, employees of our members will not only be trained
in relevant technical topics, they also have the chance to inter-
act with colleagues from other manufacturing companies to
exchange experience and visit other factories.

Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) 14.04.2017

Mubea Automotive Components (Shenyang) Co., Ltd.
Speaker: Mr. Denzel Fang, Project Manager of Business Unit Lean, STAUFEN Shanghai

Value Stream Mapping – Eliminating waste 21.06.2017

by consequently optimizing the value stream
Liebherr Machinery (Dalian) Co., Ltd.
Speaker: Mr. Feng Lu, Project Manager, STAUFEN Shanghai

LEAN Production 28.07.2017

Neugart Planetary Gearboxes (Shenyang) Co., Ltd.
Speakers: Dr. Frank Henze, CEO, IMIG China; Mr. Jim Fang, Senior Consultant, IMIG
Shanghai

Shop Floor Management 22.08.2017

Dr. Schneider Automotive Parts (Liaoyang) Co., Ltd
Speaker: Ms. Lucia Liu, Associate, STAUFEN Shanghai

Six Sigma Champion 13.09.2017

Brose Changchun Automotive Systems Co., Ltd.
Speaker: Mr. William Guo, Senior Learning Consultant, TÜV SÜD

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ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Chamber Activities
Automotive Roundtable
In 2017, the German Chamber of Commerce in Shenyang contin-
ued to organize regular roundtable events for the Automotive
industry in Northeast China. Our Automotive Roundtable is
designed to provide an exchange platform for managers and
decision makers from local automotive suppliers, OEMs and
related industries to share experiences, information and ideas.
These events are regularly organized at the manufacturing
facilities of a German Chamber Member and usually include a
brief introduction of the host company, a guided factory tour, a
presentation of an external expert, a roundtable discussion and
finally, a relaxed get-together.
The roundtable events in 2017 all took place at local automo-
tive companies such as BMW Brilliance Automotive, Draexl-
maier Automotive Components, Arnold Fasteners and Boysen
Exhaust Systems Shenyang. External experts were invited on
every occasion to give lectures on various current topics such as
opportunities and challenges of E-Mobility, new requirements
in Quality Management, vocational training partnerships and
stricter environmental law enforcement. According to the posi-
tive feedback from the participants and with almost all of the
attendees working for local automotive companies, the Auto-
motive Roundtable has further strengthened its reputation in
2017 as an accepted and successful exchange platform for the
growing automotive industry in Shenyang.
Automotive Roundtable – Vocational Training: 25.05.2017
Recent Development & Opportunities
Speakers: Mr. Juergen Czajor, Head of Human Resources Asia, Draexlmaier (She-
nyang) Automotive Components ; Mr. Albert Wang, Manager Technical Training
and Vocational Education, BMW Brilliance Automotive; Mr. Wolfram Rother, CEO
Manufacturing/New Technologies, Beijing Aojitong Investment Group
Automotive Roundtable – E-Mobility – 29.06.2017
China and the rest of the world: An overview
Speakers: Dr. Robert Engelhorn, SVP Technology & Manufacturing, BMW Brilliance
Automotive; Mr. Marc Laude, Head of Assembly Planning, BMW Brilliance Automoti-
ve; Mr. Peter Gresch, CEO, PGUB Management Consultants GmbH
Automotive Roundtable – Quality Management: 15.08.2017
How to Overcome Quality Challenges in China?
Speakers: Mr. Michael Hofmeister, Plant Manager, Draexlmaier Automotive Compo-
nents Shenyang; Mr. Andreas Schuster-Woldan, Vice President Purchasing and QMT,
BMW Brilliance Automotive; Mr. Thomas Roesler, Director Manufacturing APAC,
Formel D Technology and Engineering Shanghai
Automotive Roundtable – Compliance risks 12.12.2017
for suppliers through environmental law enforcement
Speakers: Mr. Ronny Rothen, Plant Manager, Boysen Exhaust Systems Shenyang; Mr.
Bernhard Schueler, Plant Manager, Boysen Exhaust Systems Langfang; Dr. Falk Lichten-
stein, Partner & Lawyer, CMS Beijing Office
55
 German Chamber of Commerce in China

Smart Factory Day – How Industry 4.0 brings benefits

to your company
23.05.2017

With the aim to support a knowledge exchange and creating

a valuable communication platform for automation experts
and manufacturing professionals, the first Smart Factory Day
was organized at Wuerth Industrial Park on May 23rd. Sever-
al external guest speakers came to Shenyang to present and
provide a deeper insight in topics such as Smart Automation,
Smart Factory and Industry 4.0 concepts to discuss the latest
industry information, sharing ideas and best practices among
the more than 50 participants.
All presentations focused on different aspects of intelligent
manufacturing approaches in China and the presenters shared
their best practice experiences with implementing Industry 4.0
elements in a manufacturing environment. Each presentation was
followed by a Q&A session, where participants had the chance to
share their own experience. One of the highlights during the day
was the Factory Visit at Wuerth Electronics, which was hosted
by Andreas Fiedler, General Manager of Wuerth Electronics in
Shenyang. During the guided tour he introduced to the visitors
his future automation strategy which aims to either increase
efficiency as well as achieve an upgrade of the assembly line
with his own internal resources.

56
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Chamber Activities

German Christmas Market

02.12.2017

Organized by volunteers from the local expat community in

Shenyang, the German Christmas Market at the 11 Bar in Shen-
yang once again enjoyed greatest popularity among the German
community in Shenyang. More than 350 guests came to celebrate
this beautiful season of the year and to enjoy a real Christmas
market atmosphere with an inside and outside area and a relaxed
and familiar setting. German delicacies such as the tradition-
al German ‘Glühwein’ (hot mulled wine), home-made Christmas
cookies, German sausages, Fried potato pancake with apple sauce
and other seasonal offerings were available, thus following the
tradition of an authentic German Christmas market. Santa Claus
came by to sing Christmas songs together with the children as
well as handing over sweets and presents. As in every year, the
sales earnings were donated to support local charity projects.

57
 German Chamber of Commerce in China

IMPRINT
Publisher Concept and author
German Chamber of Commerce in China | North Ms. Johanna Heinzmann – Project Manager Beijing
Landmark Tower II | Unit 0818 | 8, North Dongsanhuan Road German Chamber of Commerce in China | North China
Chaoyang District | Beijing 100004 | P.R. China
Tel +86 10 6539 6664 Layout & Design
Fax +86 10 6539 6689 Ms. Wibke Schäfer – wbksdsgn.de
www.china.ahk.de

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