Export
Issue No. 4 - February/March 2002
Our man in Shanghai
Shanghai, arguably the hub of business activity in a renascent, reformed China, is one of the prime points of entry for SA business into the world’s largest single market.
The SA Government representative there is Ken Xu, who visited Adelaide recently partly to coordinate preparations for the upcoming World Congress of IT.
Ken, formerly manager of export to China for Melbourne wool merchant Lempriere, was appointed in March, 1995. He and his team (Receptionist/ Junior Secretary Angela Wang and Driver/ Office Clerk Qiankang Lu) have responsibilities similar to those described in previous trade representative profiles: government liaison, trade development and business migration management.
In China, business matters will often be influenced by governments at national (central), provincial or district levels, making government liaison a significant task for trade representatives. Business initiatives move at a measured pace in China, but Ken anticipates very significant opportunities from two imminent events: China's entry to the World Trade Organisation, and the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008.
"As trade tariff barriers are gradually phased out under the WTO, it will bring significant opportunities for SA exporters," Ken says.
"Business in South Australia is recognising that the tariff barriers are coming down and a good number of firms are coming to us to start building relationships and start talking to their counterparts in China....
