In October 2023, the time had finally come again. After a break due to the coronavirus, Dominik Nowak, Managing Director of the branch in China, was able to travel to Nanjing again after four years and support our team on site:
"Four years have passed since my last visit to China. As visits were simply not possible during the coronavirus pandemic, we managed our employees and our company from outside. To do this, we used communication platforms such as Teams and Zoom and met with our colleagues virtually on a regular basis.
In the last four years in particular, we have also seen enormous growth on the Chinese market. We have taken on new employees, entered into cooperation agreements with new companies and have been able to introduce further Chinese companies to our services Compliance Management Software legally secure cover. Here in Germany, we have only experienced all of this from afar. It all worked, but something essential was missing - face-to-face interaction.
It was only during my stay in Nanjing and Shanghai that I had the opportunity to meet business partners, employees and colleagues from today and many years ago again after a long time. I learned about the latest developments, problems and issues facing people in China and other countries today.
I also had the opportunity to participate in an event organized by the European Chamber and an event organized by our valued partner Sharehouse. During the event with the European Chamber in Nanjing, we discussed ESG-Compliance and the Corporate Social Credit System in China. Over the past four years, the demands on companies have increased worldwide, but especially in China, accelerated by the pandemic. The dialogue at this event provided many examples of how the rule of law is now impacting businesses in China much more than before the pandemic. What I found particularly positive was the growing interest and willingness of those responsible for the various aspects of these new compliance developments and the impact on companies in China.
The 10th anniversary of our partners Sharehouse reflects another unique experience. Sharehouse is a company with a unique business model in Nanjing. They especially support German companies in setting up their business in China. The event showed the progress but also the challenges of many other German companies entering the Chinese market. The local and international managers also described the current atmosphere and concerns about political differences. It became clear that everyone would like to see more cooperation, goodwill instead of skepticism, dialog and problem-solving - which reminded me of the mood at the German China Weeks back then: Germany and China – Together in motion / 德中同行.
China has definitely changed in the last four years. Not only did I hardly recognize the (electric) car brands on the roads, but the degree of digitalization is also remarkable and - perhaps especially for a German - sometimes a little unsettling. But despite all the differences and changes, one thing has remained the same. China is still a country of good and hopeful people. So many times I have seen the joy in people's eyes when we have been able to shake hands again after such a long time, and sometimes the surprise that I still exist.
My stay in China fills me with great hope for a common and peaceful future, for sustainable cooperation and good economic development. I am particularly grateful to the many people in China who once again gave me a warm welcome. My special thanks go to Julia Güsten, Daniel Yoo from VDMA, Rainer Burkardt and my colleagues in Nanjing, who made this stay so valuable and enriching.
I look forward to seeing you again soon."
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