LONDON, Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- On July 30, 2012, a 30-strong delegation headed by Liu Chuanzhi, Chairman of the China Entrepreneur Club (CEC) returned to China following a successful business trip to the United Kingdom. With an array of business executives and opinion leaders among the delegation, such as Michael Yu (New Oriental), Ma Weihua (China Merchants Bank), Zhu Xinli (Huiyuan Juice), Guo Guangchang (Fosun Group), Charles Chao (SINA) and Prof. Zhang Weiying (Peking University), the group attended nearly 30 events during the week-long visit. The delegation was also received by the British Prime Minister David Cameron, and visited a number of well-known British institutions including that of the phenomenal Rothschild Family; the unique Virgin Group; the classic site of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd.; the financial centre of the capital, the City of London; and one of the world's leading education institutes, the University of Cambridge. The delegates also played an important role in the China Business Day, a business summit jointly organised by the CEC and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), delivering keynote speeches and chairing panel discussions. Furthermore, the CEC delegation also carried out in-depth dialogue with its British counterparts from the political, business and academic spheres on issues related to 'Modern Society and Sustainable Development'.
Dialogue with the world
At a banquet held on the evening of July 26 in celebration of entrepreneurial spirit, Liu Chuanzhi, Chairman of the CEC and Chairman of Legend Holdings Ltd., elaborated on the objectives of the UK Visit. Liu Chuanzhi addressed those in attendance and outlined the group's goals and objectives: "First, as leaders of Chinese private enterprises, we shoulder social responsibilities to forge an integrity-based business environment, and present the positive image of China's private commercial forces to the world. Secondly, we want to probe into Britain's business development based on institutional modernisation and shed light on the trends of China's business development. Thirdly, we aim to further promote the communication with our British counterparts, stimulate mutual understanding and lay the foundation for the future business cooperation between enterprises of both countries".
On July 27, at the closing of the China Business Day, jointly organised by the CEC and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), Michael Yu (Executive Chairman of CEC; Chairman & CEO, New Oriental Education & Technology Group) pointed out in his closing speech that, "The world has fully acknowledged the importance of equal rights, fair trade, investment and win-win development. British statesmen and businessmen come to China in search of mutually-beneficial political collaboration and equal opportunities for business development. However, they will not emulate Julius Caesar, who left the message 'I came, I saw, I conquered'. Today, the China Entrepreneur Club has come to Britain, looking for equal opportunities for communication and development. We are here to deliver the message: 'We came, we saw, we learnt from one another'. This not only indicates the progress of Britain and China, but also implies a step forward for the entire world."
Experiencing the British brands
Through comprehensive contact with British industries, it was clear that respecting tradition and defending rules was part of the brand image of UK enterprises, as perceived by Chinese entrepreneurs. Wang Wenjing, Chairman & CEO of Yonyou Software Co., Ltd., summarised that the UK is a country that highly values business sustainability and entrepreneurship. After attending the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games, Michael Yu commented that the Opening Ceremony strongly reflected the liberal spirit of Western value systems, beneath which lies ideas, laws and social structures that were established over more than a thousand years. This pattern also applies to enterprises.
At the same time, CEC members recognised that "Dream, Innovation, Detail and Implementation" represents the essence of British brands. Through visits to Rolls-Royce, ARM Holdings, Harrods, Virgin Group and NET-A-PORTER, CEC members came to appreciate the excellence of brand building, innovation, attention to detail and practical implementation of British enterprises at a much deeper level.
Brands tell stories and British brand management left a deep impression on the Chinese delegation. Miao Hongbing, Chairman of White-collar Fashion Co., Ltd said, "Rolls-Royce tells its history and brand value through stories. From the CEO to the expert instructors, all of the company's employees are capable of telling fascinating and original stories about each segment of production. Anyone who comes across the brand learns to respect it. This is a perfect collaboration of wisdom, art and marketing."
Discussion on sustainable development
Both China and Britain have learned lessons, faced challenges, and gained experience with regards to sustainable development. At a seminar held at the University of Cambridge, Will Day, former Chair of the UK Sustainable Development Commission and Advisor on Sustainable Development for PwC, elaborated on the global system pressures and trends with regards to sustainable development. During his speech, Will Day said, "In the next 40 years, we need to live on things as much as those produced in the past 8,000 years."
"Half of China's exports are made through multinational companies, so we are both beneficiaries of GDP and victims of environmental damage", said Liu Jiren, CEC member and Chairman & CEO of Neusoft Corporation. Liu Jiren continued, "We need to rebalance and rethink about how China may change in the next 30 years. Enterprises and the government are reconsidering the future of China's development." Liu Jiren also mentioned that it would take 20 years or longer, and even more capital for the Chinese environment to "heal itself". Innovation and information technology will promote these changes.
Why did the Industrial Revolution and modern commercial civilisation originate in Europe instead of China, despite China's historical success in the fields of science and technology? While discussing the "Needham Question" at the Needham Research Institute, Zhang Weiying, Advisor at the CEC and Professor of Economics at the Guanghua School of Management, Peking University, indicated that the Chinese feudal and autocratic regime suppressed entrepreneurship, thereby inhibiting the development of science and technology throughout the past. Professor Zhang pointed out that an apparent backwardness in the fields of science and technology would not be reversed if the government continues to monopolise resources and control the allocation of research funding. Therefore, the government should allow university research institutions to be either privately owned or privately funded, so as to bring more academic freedom and market access, thus promoting the development of science and technology in China and solving the "Needham Question".
Entrepreneurs - New image of China
CEC delegates demonstrated a positive image during the communication and exchanges with leaders from political, academic, business and other spheres in the UK. Chinese entrepreneurs possess remarkable dreams, a strong sense of perseverance, foresight and rich experience. They agree that China still has things to learn from the West, and are confident of showcasing the remarkable changes that China has witnessed over the course of three decades of reform and opening-up.
According to Xia Hua, CEC member and Chairwoman of EVE Group, Chinese entrepreneurs are hard-working, smart, polite and modest. EVE Group organised and held a fashion show themed "Harmony" on July 27. During this fashionable affair, which focussed on Chinese cultural values, Liu Chuanzhi (Legend Holdings), Ma Weihua (China Merchants Bank), Michael Yu (New Oriental), Zhu Xinli (Huiyuan Juice), Charles Chao (SINA), Wang Chaoyong (ChinaEquity Group), Liu Jiren (Neusoft Corporation), Miao Hongbing (White-collar Fashion) and a number of other Chinese entrepreneurs shared the stage, with some performing on the catwalk for the very first time.
During an interview, Liu Chuanzhi admitted that a small proportion of Chinese enterprises pursue only short-term goals. However, China's economy has only been "open" for about 3 decades. European countries, including the U.K., were faced with many more problems during similar stages of their economic development. To solve these problems, organisations like CEC and socially-responsible enterprises must step up and make efforts to help guide and improve the market order.
A journey of fulfilment and communication
The 2012 CEC UK Visit has now concluded. Members were rarely absent or late, as they are all committed towards promoting the image of China in general, and especially that of Chinese entrepreneurs.
Chairman Liu Chuanzhi, head of the delegation, regards the UK visit as a journey of fulfilment and communication. This was not only an attempt to promote business relations between Chinese and British enterprises, but also an opportunity to show the real image of Chinese entrepreneurs.
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