fCN Trade Mission Beijing-Hong Kong

BEIJING
We first visited the Square of Heavenly Peace which is the largest square in the world. We also went up with the gondola to the famous Chinese Wall. The Great Wall of China is a defense line erected from earth and stones in northern China. The more than 6,000 kilometers long wall, which is called 10,000 li in the Chinese wall, had to protect the Chinese Empire against enemy nomadic horsemen. After the visit to The Great Wall, we had lunch at JindingXuan.

The Trade Dinner took place at the Beijing Lufthansa Center. The Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Lilianne Ploumen is at the same time as the delegation of mayor of Amsterdam Van der Laan in Beijing. We had the opportunity to get in touch with the delegation of the minister and representatives of the Chinese business community.

The China Holland Business Summit was organized by the City of Amsterdam, the Municipality of Beijing and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), in collaboration with Fenedex (association of Dutch exporters). Participation offered us the chance to get in touch with potential trading partners.

Breakfast briefings took place on Thursday 30 and Friday 31 October. These were held at hotel Kempinski. Mayor Van der Laan hosted these briefings. During the briefings, the activities of that day were previewed and you were informed about any changes to the program. Around noon a lunch was served, after which the matchmaking started appointments and roundtables. On Thursday all participants of the China Holland Business Summit came together for the Official Dinner.

Breakfast briefings took place on Thursday 30 and Friday 31 October. These were held at hotel Kempinski. Mayor Van der Laan hosted these briefings. On Friday morning we also looked back at the China Holland Business Summit.

We explored Beijing on the back of the motorcycle. Driving through the Hutongs, traditional neighborhoods, gave us a look into the world of the ‘locals’. In 2005 there were about 3000 Hutongs in Beijing, in which nearly half of the urban population lived. Some Hutongs, however, are refurbished and equipped with electricity and water to prevent everything from disappearing.

The exhibition ‘Still / Life – Contemporary Dutch Photography’ was held on Friday 31 October from 14:00 to 15:00. This exhibition, in The Three Shadows Gallery in the art district, Caochangdi, is a collaboration of FOAM with curator Feng Boyi. The exhibition is a good example of the cooperation between Beijing and Amsterdam in the field of art and culture.

On Friday evening, October 31st, we enjoyed the gala program and the Romantic ballet Giselle, in the version specially created for the Dutch National Ballet by the duo Beaujean/Bustamante in 2010.

 

HONG KONG
Since the opening in Hong Kong in the autumn of 2002, dragon-i has gained an unrivaled reputation as “the” place in Hong Kong, where “the cool and connected, the bold and beautiful gathering party and play”. Dragon-i is located in the trendyWyndham Street. Dragon-i’s most discussed features include a beautiful interior, beautiful controls and a world music line-up, not to mention its selective door policy, which guarantees the quality of its clientele.

Sunday we had lunch at Tim’s Kitchen. It is no coincidence that Tim’s Kitchen is based in Sheung Wan, one of Hong Kong’s most endearing traditional and attractive districts. Is committed to the preparation of classic Cantonese dishes based on historical recipes and time-honored techniques, this is the least pretentious Michelin-star restaurant in the city.

During the seminar Ed Barzilaij, CEO Maximum, presented “How the landscape for talent will change and impact business strategies of regional and global companies”.

On Sunday evening we sailed on the prestigious junk boat, the Florijn, from ABN Amro, which is only used by ABN AMRO for special occasions. Jasper Meijer, Commercial Banking ABN AMRO, was our host this evening.

Felix, located in the most prominent location, offers views of the spectacular Hong Kong skyline and pushes culinary boundaries under the helm of Chef Yoshiharu Kaji. Located on the 28th floor of The Peninsula Tower, Felix is ​​the creation of the famous avant-garde designer Philippe Starck. Modern European dishes are served with fresh ingredients of the season. The restaurant offers breathtaking views of Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Other unique locations within Felix are the Wine Bar, the Balcony, the American Bar and the Crazy Box.

On Monday we were invited for a tour at the headquarters of Huawei in Shenzhen. After the tour we enjoyed the beautifully arranged lunch with music, including violin playing.

To get to the Consul General of the Netherlands we took the Peak Tram to get to the top of the Peak. The venerable Peak Tram is the only way to really experience the beauty of Hong Kong’s natural wonders. Tens of millions of people from all over the world have taken the ride, which offers a unique, spectacular perspective of the city.

Wilfred Mohr, Consul General of the Netherlands, invited us for a presentation, dinner and matchmaking at his residency in Hong Kong. During the presentation Wilfred Mohr spoke about the population, economic situation and growth of Hong Kong.