On 3rd December, the 4th China Outbound Investment Conference held by China-British Business Council saw the opening in Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Pudong, Shanghai, attracting 500-odd participants, the largest scale ever in history. During the conference, more than 100 investment projects on the UK were displayed to the attendees. Wang Kaimin, COO in the preparatory team of HOF project of Sanpower Group and General Manager of Orient Fraser in Nanjing, was invited.

The annual conference has become a grand event that is held in China but related to English business. Major guests from China and the UK were invited, including Lord Sassoon, Deputy Director of China-British Business Council, Joanna Robert, Ambassador of the UK to China and Acting Director of British Chamber of Commerce in China, An Qiyi, Vice Chairman of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and Shang Yuying, Director and Party Secretary of Shanghai Business Committee. The conference focused on six key industries attracting a large-amount investment from China, i.e., infrastructure, innovation and science, M&A activities and ensuing management, creative and consumption industry, advanced engineering and manufacturing, life sciences and healthcare, on which related discussions were carried out.

In his address, Lord Sassoon said, “The UK is still of appeal to Chinese investors just like last year. So far, the total investment of state-owned enterprises from China to the UK has exceeded 11 billion pounds while Chinese enterprises operating in the UK amounted to about 500.” He also pointed out that the investment tended to cover a wider range of industries and regions.

In the afternoon, guests from different industries attended a seminar, communicating about opportunities, challenges and problems encountered by Chinese investors during their investment in the UK. In the team discussion, Wang Kaimin first briefed about the overall development of Sanpower Group and the enterprise’s three key sectors—New Finance, New Consumption and New Health. He detailed the condition of House of Fraser and Hamleys in China, “October 1st witnessed the grand opening of the first flagship store of Hamleys at Sanpower Plaza, Xinjiekou, Nanjing. It has now become the largest toy store in China in terms of coverage, enjoying great popularity among citizens in Nanjing. As for HOF, after it was acquired, its performance has been well above that of the whole industry, whose first flagship store in China will make the debut in Nanjing.”

Mr. Wang also mentioned solutions to cultural differences in Chinese and foreign enterprises. He said, “A rather significant cultural element in Sanpower is synergy. HOF China also adopts some measures to promote smooth cooperation between Chinese and English workers, including cultural trainings to enhance mutual understanding and willingness to accept cultural differences, as well as the recruitment of bilingually competent staff to ensure barrier-free communication.”