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China's doors are opening wider and wider, and more and more friends are coming to China.
According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, there were 12,000 new foreign-funded enterprises in the mainland in the first quarter, a year-on-year increase of 20.7%, and the actual use of foreign capital exceeded 300 billion yuan. Since the beginning of this year, the heads of nearly 100 multinational companies, including Apple Inc. of the United States, HSBC Bank of the United Kingdom, and Mercedes-Benz Group of Germany, have visited China to increase their investment in China.
How do foreign investors view the Chinese market? How do they connect with Chinese consumer groups? Where did the "vote of confidence" come from for China's high-level opening-up?
The Shanghai Radio and Television Convergence Media Center and the Shanghai Media International Communication Center recently launched the "World Lounge" high-end interviews, talking to the decision-makers and leaders of the world's top enterprises, and listening to them share their stories of "investing in China, opportunities in China".
Today's guests in the living room
Tom Erixon
Tom Erickson
President and Chief Executive Officer of Alfa Laval Group
40 years in China to witness China's rapid development
At the time of our interview, Eriksen had just flown from Qingdao to Shanghai.
The Qingdao plant is Alfa Laval's largest investment in the world and the world's largest marine boiler production base.
Investing in China, cultivating China, and winning in China is a vote of confidence cast by enterprises in the sustainable and healthy development of China's economy.
As a 140-year-old Swedish company, Alfa Laval operates in more than 100 countries and employs around 20,000 people worldwide. In 1984, they set up an office in Beijing, and then set up production bases in Jiangyin, Kunshan and Qingdao.
Looking back on the company's 40 years in China, Erickson said that it has been 40 years of rapid economic growth in China, as well as 40 years of vigorous business development: "China's technology is developing very rapidly, and China is very determined when it comes to the energy transition and sustainable development agenda. Today, Alfa Laval is not only contributing, but also learning and participating in the development of new solutions. ”
Mutual benefit and win-win results to help China achieve the "dual carbon goals"
Against the backdrop of green, low-carbon and sustainable development becoming a global consensus, China is striving to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.
As one of the world's leading manufacturers of heat exchangers and coolers, Alfa Laval has found "same frequency" cooperation projects with Chinese partners, such as the Shanghai Tower, a landmark building in Shanghai.
In Erikson's view, energy efficiency is one of the main pathways in carbon reduction plans. So when they were approached by the Shanghai Tower project, they had a tailor-made solution for the 632-metre-tall "Green Vertical City":
Forty energy-efficient T-Series and M-Series plate heat exchangers play an important role as the building's cooling equipment, using geothermal energy for heating and cooling, while vertical-axis wind turbines near the top of the tower will provide supplemental power for the building. The building's double-walled insulating glass façade is composed of advanced tempered glass, which is highly resistant to temperature degeneration, which can reduce the need for indoor air conditioning.
Technology is helping to make the low-carbon transition, and the same effort is being made in the cooperation of ships.
On January 1 this year, the "Aida Modu" launched its first commercial voyage, which is also the first large-scale luxury cruise ship made in China.
Alfa Laval provided six key equipment and systems in the engine room for the Aida Mordo to ensure smooth, efficient and safe sailing, while using a new toolbox to eliminate exhaust emissions from the voyage and complete the decarbonization of the marine sector.
At the end of last year, the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Alfa Laval participated in the agenda.
"The most important part of getting involved is understanding the pace of climate change. For example, a few years ago, they thought that hydrogen production would grow rapidly, but now the view is that hydrogen growth will slow, which greatly influences the company's investment and business decisions. ”
In recent years, China has actively and steadily promoted the "dual carbon" work, vigorously promoted the energy revolution, promoted the green and low-carbon transformation and development of industries, advocated green lifestyles, and promoted the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development.
In Erikson's view, Alfa Laval's business is very much in line with China's environmental and ecological goals and low-carbon energy transition policies: "China can help us with five-year, ten-year and long-term planning, and provide some certainty about how to develop, which will help us in terms of technology development and investment in China." Whether it's carbon capture, or the production of e-fuels or biofuels, we need our equipment or technology. On the one hand, we hope to be able to approach, participate in, and learn from China; But at the same time, we also hope that technology can solve some problems, like finding a small tool in a toolbox to help China transform. ”
Looking to the future, we firmly believe in the long-term growth of the Chinese market
The CIIE, the world's window, has now become a platform for enterprises to exchange low-carbon innovation practices.
As the vice president of the Energy and Low-Carbon Committee of the CIIE Exhibitor Alliance, Alfa Laval has participated in three CIIEs. At last year's CIIE, the world's new industrial wastewater net-zero discharge system was launched for the first time in Asia.
This year, Alfa Laval has signed up to participate in the 7th CIIE, hoping to bring the latest technology to the CIIE, and also hope to use the CIIE to convey the confidence of enterprises in the Chinese market and reach the wider Chinese market and potential customers.
Today, 20% of Alfa Laval's turnover, 20% of its employees and 20% of its deliveries come from China.
Looking ahead, Erikson believes that "China will continue to grow and will probably be a little more mature than the Western countries we saw earlier on." We always see China as a long-term growth market and look forward to achieving more technological leadership and in-depth interaction with China in the future. ”
In fact, there are many friends in the world who are as optimistic about the Chinese market as Eriksen. According to the 2024 Global Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index report released by A.T. Kearney, a world-renowned management consulting firm, China's ranking has risen from seventh last year to third, ranking first in the special ranking of emerging markets.
China's development, the world's opportunities.
Over the past 40 years of reform and opening up, China has become the world's second largest economy and an indispensable part of the global industrial and supply chain. Today, China has a complete industrial system, a super-large market, a stable social situation, long-term positive economic fundamentals and other comprehensive advantages, and is the best investment destination in the eyes of many foreign investors.
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Editor: Lin Wang
Editor-in-charge: Zhang Yue