Newsline - December 2000 / January 2001

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OUR MAN IN BEIJING

The question was simple and the answer given innocently ..... "Do you fancy going out for a Chinese during November?" - Little did I realise that it was not so much a take-away in mind as me being put away!

So, with my wellies left (temporarily) by the back door, and after a ten-hour flight with my knees welded to my chin, it was a pleasure to arrive in Beijing to sunshine and a clear blue sky. This being my first visit to China I really had no idea what to expect. Corrugated iron terminal? Single lane pot-holed roads? Shabby dilapidated buildings with the streets cluttered by surplus army recruits practising riot routines? The visions were countless and borne of an ignorance I can only be ashamed of - not one did credit to the tiny glimpse of China that I enjoyed.

The purpose of my visit was, alas, not for a well deserved holiday, but to represent the Federation and oversee the British Group at the Construction Technology China 2000, Building China 2000 and Security China 2000 exhibitions. These were running concurrently at the China International Exhibition Centre from 8-11 November with eight UK companies and the FMCEC Information Stand eligible for a SESA grant. For the purpose of this short piece I will concentrate on CTC.

The Exhibition Centre comprised eight small halls, mostly in separate buildings, with CTC being in Halls 1A and 1B. The structure was old and tatty, with lumps of concrete missing from the pillars and bare wires disappearing into spaces which must surely have been designed to accommodate electric sockets. There were 76 exhibitors, 23 of them in the German group organised by the VDMA. There was also a small Italian group. The stands were mostly compact with only small equipment being displayed or pictures of what had been left behind (or detained at the airport awaiting customs clearance). However, I couldn’t help spotting a mini-excavator wedged between two walls in the German area.

I had been warned by the British Embassy to expect hordes of visitors, to nail down anything that was not a give-away and to ration the display of literature to last the four days. The advice was well heeded - the stand opposite had a laptop disappear whilst still plugged in and being used for a customer presentation. However, the overwhelming majority were trade visitors with a genuine interest in the equipment and a desire to see more joint ventures with European companies. They seemed particularly fascinated by the big concrete pavers and other such equipment. A note of interest here was that, in spite of the huge amount of construction projects evident all over Beijing, there was a dearth of large equipment on the actual sites. It must have been somewhere - either locked away as a plant theft initiative or driven away due to a lack of one!

The first two days of the show were very busy, including a number of Government representatives and project co-ordinators. By now the temperature outside had plummeted overnight to -6C and their relief at being indoors was evident. The remaining two days were a lot quieter and by 1.00 pm on Saturday the stands were being taken apart quicker (and with more expertise) than my Peking Duck later that evening. One obvious piece of advice - unless you are fluent in Mandarin then an interpreter is essential. Even then there are apparently some fifty-six different Chinese languages and it can take ten minutes to realise that they don’t even understand each other. Seriously - I was involved in several lengthy and animated conversations that, according to the interpreter, went nowhere.

Returning to the subject of Beijing itself, I was amazed at the superb major roads fanning from the city centre to the airport and to other towns such as Badaling, from where the Great Wall stretches gracefully as far as the eye can see, with sweeping inclines and descents replicated on the cardiogram of the wall walkers. The centre of Beijing is amass with modern buildings, all apparently put up in the last five years - business centres, shopping arcades, hotels, pedestrian-only streets and the rest. And all around 60,000 taxis and a million bicycles, many pulling wooden carts behind, zig-zag across the lanes without the slightest regard for life or limb, causing one despairing passenger to issue projectile expletives during the entire journey and stagger shell-shocked from the car.

It was a twelve-hour return flight to London and back to a different world. My wellies were still reassuringly by the back door and it was still raining. My one regret? - I never did get that take-away!

GREEN BUDGET LOBBY

The FMCEC supported the initiative of the Engineering Employers Federation (EEF) in lobbying the Chancellor prior to the autumn "Green Budget". A grouping of around twenty mechanical engineering and related trade associations took the opportunity to press for policies such as the liberalisation of the tax treatment of R&D investment and capital allowances. The Chancellor received a small delegation from the group - a good way to continuing to support the case for UK manufacturing. The FMCEC will continue to co-operate with the EEF and partner associations on national policy issues non-specific to our sector.

Small Business Service - New versions of the regulatory guidance leaflets Setting up in Business and Employing Staff, as well as the current series of Employment Rights Factsheets are available from the DTI Publications Orderline: Tel: +44 (0)870 1502 500 - Fax: +44 (0)870 1502 333 - or electronic format: www.businessadviceonline.org

Technology Means Business - is a new scheme which will provide small businesses with a national network of advisers, creating a comprehensive source of advice on all business and information communication technology (ICT) related issues. Further details visit their Web Site: www.technologymeansbusiness.org.uk or call freephone 0800 085 3274.

THIRD QUARTER 2000 TRENDS

Only 13% of OEMs on the new Trends Panel were more optimistic than they were three months ago for trade prospects in both home and export markets. However, a quarter of those surveyed expected home sales to improve over the next three months and 43% over the next six months. Over half expected export sales to improve over the next six months.

Component suppliers generally felt that both home and export sales would improve over the next six months, although confidence in current home and export order books had dropped since the mid-year results.

As a result of forming the "Panel" we expect the Trends Survey results to become more meaningful and statistically sharper over time. Full results can be found in the Members Only section of the Web Site (www.fmcec.org.uk). Obtain the password from Kim Fitzpatrick - kim@admin.co.uk.

DEVELOP EXPORT MARKETS IN TURKEY AND THE MIDDLE EAST

CPE is a company which has been established to help British manufacturers supplying construction products and equipment, successfully enter new markets overseas, explore and develop the opportunities and secure profitable business. Their aim is to ensure that aspiring and seasoned exporters quickly achieve goals and targets, avoid any pitfalls and save time and money in the process. CPE are a guiding hand and an additional resource, sharing practical advice, influential contacts, market knowledge and experience.

Contact: Jamie Kershaw - Adviser, CPE Tel: +44 (0)1706 378242
- E-mail: sjk@cpe.demon.co.uk

THE WEB

Employment Rights Factsheets: www.businessadviceonline.org

Information on the Single Market: www.dti.gov.uk/europe/asm/

EU Enlargement/Single Market - Business Opportunities: www.dti.gov.uk/europe/enlarge/

Start-up Awards: www.shell-livewire.co.uk

Entrepreneur of the Year: www.eoy.com

Small Business of the Year: www.smallbusinessbureau.org.uk

National Training Awards: www.dfee.gov.uk/nta

Queen’s Awards for Enterprise: www.queensawards.org.uk

Enterprise Awards: www.enterpriseuk.net

OVERSEAS EXHIBITIONS:

Ankomak (22-27 May 2001): www.ankomak.com

Baucon (20-23 November2001): www.bauconasia.com

Bauma (2-8 April 2001): www.bauma.de

Conexpo (19-23 March 2002): www.conexpoconagg.com

IFPE (19-23 March 2002): www.ifpe.com

M&T Expo (18-22 September 2001): www.mtexpo.com.br