Germany as a Chinese-funded enterprise layout European Strategic Heights

In Rome, as a player to expand market reporter Hanmu After several years of "preheating", China's investment in Germany in 2010 into the accelerated road.　　From the crisis of the strong recovery of the German market, talent, technology, location and other advantages in one, and increasingly become the Chinese enterprise layout of Europe's "strategic heights."　　The German federal Agency for Foreign Trade and investment, based in Berlin, provided reporters with a set of figures: Last year, China's direct investment project was 6 times times that of 2009. The past year has been a busy one for Sean, a lawyer who engages in mergers and acquisitions in Germany. "Before 2009, we took over one or two mergers and acquisitions from China in a year, and now we're doing five or six," he told reporters.　　"China's capital has risen all the way last year from January to October, the Chinese new direct investment in Germany, which was filed in the business sector, was about $147 million trillion, compared with $120 million a year in 2009." "Over the past three years, we have clearly felt that China's direct investment in Germany is accelerating." In the 2009, we sometimes even received a number of Chinese delegations within one weeks.　　There was only one purpose of their visit-to find opportunities to invest in Germany and to examine the German market environment, "said Franco-Prussian, chief administrative officer of the German Federal Foreign Trade and Investment agency." The German official, who has been working on China-Germany trade for many years, told reporters that for quite some time in Germany there were only 4 to 7 direct investment projects per year. The 2008 was a "turning point", with 21 projects implemented.　　"And by the year 2009, that number was twice times more." Also in 2009, China's "Greenfield investment" project in Germany was 65. "This doesn't seem like much, but if I tell you it's the second place in all the country's same-day projects, you'll understand its weight," he said. "The introduction of the Franco-Prussian said.　　Greenfield investment refers to the establishment of enterprises or subsidiaries by foreign companies in the host country in accordance with local laws, rather than by means of mergers and acquisitions. As a German law firm, the merger of professional lawyers, Sean Perennial in the capital operation Line, the feeling may be more intuitive. Before, he said, Chinese companies had a maximum of 30 million or 40 million euros in the German single acquisition.　　In 2010, "several cases have been over billion". Ms. Vasna, director of the German NRW investment promotion agency, said that more than 700 Chinese companies have chosen to settle in Germany, where the largest population, the biggest economy and the most attractive foreign investment NRW.　　This figure in 2003, still only about 100.　　In Germany, NRW known as the "economic Heart", which includes Dusseldorf, Dortmund, Cologne and other industrial and commercial towns, but also the famous Ruhr location. "We are very pleased to see that the number of Chinese companies investing in NRW every year is now stable at around 40 to 45," he said. Last year, ICBC and Bank of China set up branches here, fully expressed confidence in the long-term development of NRW Chinese enterprises.　　"Vasna said. German DusselEschenbaumer, vice president of the polygamy Industry and Commerce Association, told reporters that in the past five years, the number of Chinese enterprises stationed in Dusseldorf has increased by about 300.　　Now including Minmetals, ZTE, Wisco and other large enterprises have set up branches in Dubai. "It was a rapid growth that was unexpected to everyone. We used to deal with entrepreneurs in Japan and South Korea, and now we've added China.　　He sighs. According to the Economic and commercial Counselor's office of the Chinese Embassy in Germany, about 1300 Chinese companies are now setting up companies or offices in Germany.　　Last year from January to October, China's new direct investment in Germany, which was filed in the business sector, was about $147 million trillion, compared with $120 million a year in 2009. "Chinese companies are becoming more confident about entering Germany, and Germany has become the most attractive European investment in the eyes of Chinese entrepreneurs."　　"said the Franco-Prussian. Aiming at "Made in Germany" we have a major global competitor in Germany, which has the highest level of regulatory requirements. If you succeed in Germany, you will be able to expand to other markets. "The growth is not just the numbers.　　In the last 5 years, the Chinese enterprises that invested in Germany have completed a turn and realized the "double expansion" from the past purely engaged in import and export trade to Germany's dominant industries and main economic functional areas. Since the 80 's a group of state-owned enterprises in Hamburg, Germany set up a representative office, Chinese enterprises in Germany has gone through nearly 30 spring and autumn.　　For a long time, China's business in Germany almost exclusively the import and export trade and ocean transportation. And now that is changing. Huawei, Baosteel, work SGSB, 31 heavy Industries and other leading enterprises through mergers and acquisitions or plant, etc., into the core of the German industrial economy.　　Their gaze is no longer confined to Germany's superior geographical location and exceptionally sophisticated infrastructure, but rather to the world label "Made in Germany" and to a set of research, production and management systems behind it. "The Chinese companies that are now investing in Germany have gone far beyond the simple trade category. "Chinese companies are trying to get into Germany's most advantageous and dynamic industries, such as machinery manufacturing, chemical medicine, information technology, and for them, trade is no longer the primary goal and China's capital flows have shifted in recent years," Sean said. "Josepovic, deputy director of the Cologne Economic promotion agency, has also touched on this:" In the past, the port of Hamburg has been uncontested as a commercial centre for Chinese companies in Germany. Today, the centre has shifted and is now the Rhine region. "Dusseldorf, Cologne, Duisburg, Frankfurt ...　　In these German traditional industrial cities and financial cities, people can see more and more Chinese enterprises figure. According to the business Department of the Chinese Embassy in Germany, Chiu Yujia Chinese enterprises are probably presenting an atypical "product" pattern: The northern Hamburg region gathers about 700 Chinese enterprises, mainly to ocean trade. In NRW, Hessen and Baden-wurttemberg, Land in the industrial developed areas of western Germany, the number of Chinese enterprises has grown rapidly and the mainTo engage in automotive and machinery manufacturing, information technology and financial services.　　"Goods" The third "mouth" is located in Munich as the representative of the Bavaria, but it is small, about 50 Chinese companies, to engage in wind energy, solar energy and other renewable energy industries are mostly. In the middle of December 2010, the industrial park in Fort Lauderdale, Germany, the Chinese machinery industry giant 31 Heavy Industries in Germany's most traditional way to hold a factory capping ceremony.　　The host stood high and threw a Champagne cup from the roof of the factory, a snap, which aroused applause and blessings. Two years ago, 31 heavy workers signed an agreement with the local government to invest 100 million euros in Fort Worth and build a 375-acre European production base and research and development center.　　After the ceremony, the 31 German industrial park will be officially put into production this year. "If you ask us why we chose Germany, simply, because this is the hardest thing to do," he said. "Our major global competitors are German companies, with the highest level of regulatory requirements," said He Dongdong, 31 vice president of heavy industry and chairman of the German (European) company. If you succeed in Germany, you will be able to expand to other markets. He Dongdong said that 31 of the investment in Germany is roughly 3 considerations: First, Germany has a large number of top engineering machinery and management personnel, professional ethics, professional standards globally recognized, and secondly, the German manufacturing industry in quality control, reliability of a lot of experience, 31 can be harvested in this respect; again, 31 of many suppliers from Germany,　　Setting up a factory here will save expensive logistics costs, avoid trade barriers, and close to European market demand. For many Chinese companies investing in Germany, the strategic considerations for the 31 heavy industries are fairly representative. "Chinese companies are investing in Germany because they are no longer content with the domestic market and want to combine Germany's strengths with the old models of low cost and low value-added, improve management and technology, and get their own international brands and reputations, through commercial channels in Europe," he said.　　The challenge of "China capital" is not only to "find the right person", but also to win people's Hearts and gain trust. Many people in the industry believe that the German economy is a major feature of a large and high-quality small and medium-sized enterprises and family enterprises.　　Their product line is not long, but highly single-minded, often mastering the world's top or most critical technology, is called the "real pillar" of the German economy.　　Some industry insiders say since the outbreak of the international financial crisis, some of the small and medium-sized enterprises in Germany due to product upgrades, cost control, market development and other aspects of the problem, coupled with the deterioration of the financing environment, so into the predicament or face transformation, so the urgent need for new investors or partners, for Chinese entrepreneurs and investors to provide a On the other hand, in order to increase the attraction of foreign investment and increase employment rate, the German government has also introduced some preferential policies.　　After 2008 years of tax reform, the average German business tax is 29.8%, lower than the previous 10%, in Europe, the middle level. German law also stipulates that any enterprise investing in Germany, as long as its purposeis to create a long-term employment rate for Germany, according to the size of the company, investment and the amount of investment can be subsidized, up to 50% of the investment.　　Germany also has a special subsidy for foreign companies setting up technology research and development centres. German Thai music law firm Huang told reporters: "German law does not expressly prohibit the entry of foreign capital into certain areas, only a number of dual-use technology related to the transfer needs to be approved." However, to date, I have not seen the case of the rejection of the transfer application.　　"It cannot be said that German politicians have used EU standards or anti-dumping methods to disrupt foreign capital entry into specific industries," Huang said, but Germany is relatively liberal in comparison with other countries. In Sean's view, the most attractive place for the German market is its soft environment. Germany, he said, is more concerned with the use of non-discriminatory principles of equality within and outside the country and a sound intellectual property protection system to attract foreign investment.　　Germany's draconian legal system ensures that companies can engage in research and production in Germany without fear that the results will be copied or taken advantage of by other companies, thus ensuring the competitive viability of high-end industries. The external environment overall positive, but Chinese enterprises to stand in Germany stable, stand, scream, still need to undergo a lot of tests.　　"The biggest concern for some German companies over China is not so much about the so-called technology churn or other political factors, but whether you have the ability to manage the business and maintain its technological leadership," Huang said. He Dongdong is responsible for 31 heavy industry projects in Germany for nearly two years, around gradually also gathered a group of more than 40 Germans to participate in the localization of the team. However, he told reporters that his most important mission at the moment was still the construction team.　　"As long as this is done well, management is the most successful and, conversely, the biggest challenge now is on the team." The challenge, he says, is not just to "find the right people", but to win hearts and minds and gain trust.　　"It's always a matter of crossing the top of the German elite to be willing to work for China." The purpose is not clear mentality is not prepared for lack of awareness of China's investment needs to be vigilant "four weak points" reporter Hammerberlin reported that in recent years, China's capital in Germany, but the number of detailed, particularly successful cases "only a few".　　After all, Chinese enterprises just sail sailing, in the investment scale, international perspective and professional level and developed countries have a considerable gap. The German central bank said in a statistical report last year that China's total direct investment in Germany in 2008 was 568 million euros, ranking 28th. Compared with the Netherlands in the same year 109.1 billion euros and the United States 48.28 billion euros, the gap is more than one order of magnitude.　　Even in Asia, Japan and South Korea, the investment in Germany reached 14.03 billion euros and 3.7 billion euros respectively this year. The quantitative gap is remarkable, and the lack of business idea and behavior pattern needs more attention.　　Some Chinese enterprises in the investment process, the goal is not clear, the mentality is not positive, inadequate preparation, consciousness behind, and not acclimatized to the final Zhejichensha, leaving a bitter lesson. —-the target is unknown. Some Chinese companies lack clear goals and plans before investing and blindly follow suit only because they are flush with cash or unwilling to miss out on domestic preferential policies.　　Sean, a Chinese lawyer in Germany, believes that such "buying for the sake of buying" may eventually lead to the purchase of an enterprise or technology that is not urgently needed and consumes its own resources. -The mentality is not right.　　Despite the financial crisis in Germany after the acquisition opportunity, but a number of consultants also pointed out that Chinese entrepreneurs can not always embrace the "cheap" mentality into Germany, so that always want to "copy bottom", or only to buy those who can not in the market foothold in the "hardship". "A company where the local Germans are not doing well, how sure are your Chinese companies to turn it into a profitable business?" Sean said, "This kind of company's hematopoiesis function is already insufficient, not only the brain drain, the restart also needs the massive follow-up investment." Without detailed research, the move is tantamount to ' buying risk '. "--inadequate preparation. Lack of professional, detailed investigation and preparation is also a common problem of many enterprises.　　They did not have a thorough understanding of the German market, culture and legal environment before the investment decision, did not employ professional consulting and lawyers team on the enterprise status and potential of careful research, often led to failure to bid, or swallow "grievances", spent with the actual value of the enterprise does not match the big price.　　"In Germany, a small scale of companies have a perennial cooperation with the advisory and legal team, and know each other, and most of the Chinese enterprises in the temporary ' team ' before the merger, and some even think that consultants and lawyers irrelevant, single-handedly go alone, the result of a negotiation into a passive," Sean said. He told reporters: "Many Chinese entrepreneurs have a lack of understanding of European culture, especially laws and business practices, and the results directly affect the quality of negotiations." Once, a private enterprise Mister came to Germany to negotiate a special call, hoping to arrange his and local ' city leaders ' meet, make me laugh and cry. "--Backward in consciousness. Huang, a lawyer at the German Thai credit law firm, argues that Chinese and German entrepreneurs also need to adapt to the logic of their thinking and behavior. "Many Chinese representatives have been restricted by domestic mechanisms and have been consulted frequently or awaiting approval, sometimes after a few weeks of reporting."　　This, in the view of German managers, is an incomprehensible inefficiency.　　"During the financial crisis, the German acquisition of the subject matter increased suddenly, and many Chinese enterprises to delay the decision, wait until the action, many companies have been bought by other countries," he said. Huang pointed out that some enterprises in mergers and acquisitions or local factories in Germany, the lack of appropriate localization strategy, in production management, technology use and talent selection to ignore cultural differences, or copy the domestic model, triggering internal rift.　　Some of the foreign management of the lack of supervision and control, in recent years, German executives private accounting for corporate funds or involved in fraud cases also occur. Despite the challenges ahead, as Sean said: "The Chinese to invest and set up factories in Germany, in the history of the first." From scratch, there are all kinds of risks, always have bumps. "After several years of practice, Chinese companies to" sea "ship will notBack。　　Temporary setbacks and gaps will not stop the pace of the move.　　In a survey, PwC estimates that China's direct investment in Germany will reach € 2 billion in the next 10 years, meaning it will bring about 10,000 jobs to Germany. "China is still a bit behind in the size of its investment in Germany, but it's going up very strongly and I can predict that China will soon climb to a high, high position on the German investment list," said the Franco-Prussian.