The official presentation of the guide was held yesterday at Casa Asia and counted on the participation of the Director General of Casa Asia, Ramón Mª Moreno, the Economic Minister of the Embassy of People’s Republic of China in Spain, Chen Yuming, the Relationship Manager of Banca Corporativa of ICBS in Spain, David Calet, the Executive Director of Promotion of Barcelona Activa, Josep Mª Marqués, and the Director General of Industry of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Antoni Mª Grau.

Barcelona City Council, through Barcelona Activa, and Invest in Catalonia of ACCIÓ, of the Department of Business and Occupation of the Generalitat of Catalonia, have published the first guide addressed to Chinese investors and business people. The purpose of this publication, which counts on the support of Casa Asia and the Commercial Office of the Embassy of China in Spain and the support of the Industrial Commercial Bank of China – ICBC, is to promote Barcelona and Catalonia as reference destinations in the field of Chinese investments in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean region and to give basic information for the establishment of Chinese companies in our territory.

The guide, edited in Chinese and English, includes broad and detailed information about aspects from cultural features when doing business to the fiscal and labour regime that rules in Catalonia. The publication also explains the reasons to invest and do business in Barcelona and Catalonia, the processes that need to be followed to apply for a work and residence permit for foreigners or what is necessary to know to establish a Chinese company in Catalonia. The guide is completed with institutional and international school interesting contacts, as well as a list of service companies with China Desk.

Aware of the importance of China, one of the main economic powers on a world scale, the Generalitat of Catalonia and Barcelona City Council work to create a favourable environment for business deployments from this country. Moreover, the Generalitat has 3 offices in China – in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong- from where the Chinese investment attraction programme is developed “China Headquarters of Invest in Catalonia”. Precisely one of the purposes of the municipal economic strategy “Barcelona Growth” is to promote economic relations with strategic markets that receive investment, contribute to business growth and generate occupation.

Within the framework of this promotion strategy to economic relations with the Asian giant, next 30th of June a delegation of 30 business people of the ITC sector from Shenzhen will visit Barcelona to promote commercial exchanges and to explore new business paths. In addition, the Catalan capital will be the invited city to the Beijing Design Week, which will be held at the end of September and will also take part in the China Hi Tech Fair in November.

Barcelona and Catalonia, atractive for the Chinese Market
Catalonia and its capital, Barcelona, constite the ideal entrance platform to the markets of Europe, North Africa and Asia. Its land, sea and air connections and tits modern transport systems offer an easy access to great markets such as the European Unionl (503 milion consumers) and the Euro-Mediterranean market (461 milion consumers).

These conditions have favoured that investment from China has been developed in a positive way in the last years. Proof of this is the presence of Catalonia of Chinese companies such as Hutchison Port Holdings, which has carried out an important investment in the new terminal of the Port of Barcelona, the group Huayi Compressor Co. Ltd that has bought the company Cubigel Compressors, the Industrial Commercial Bank of China – ICBC, which has been established in Barcelona, or Certification & Inspections Group (CCIC) that has chosen Barcelona as its European laboratory headquarters.

In addition, ITC companies such as Huawei, ZTE and Lenovo explore the oppostunities the Spanish and Catalan market offer them. The fact that Barcelona is the Mobile World Capital until 2018 is an important active for the Chinese companies of the sectors.

One of the last Chinese investment projects that have been materialised in Catalonia is Haier, international leader in electrodomestic fabrication, which has extended its centre in Barcelona.

Foreign Trade with China
Catalonia represents 30% of commercial exchanges between Spain and China, which highlights the strategic importance of this Asian market. Catalan exportations towards China and Hong Kong have been doubled in the last 6 years, as the following graphic represents. China, together with Hong Kong, is placed among the first ten countries that are clients of Catalonia.

Exportations from Catalonia to China and Hong Kong 2008-2013

(Milion Euros) Source: ESTACOM-ICEX

Catalonia-China Exchanges for Products
Regarding the main products exported from Catalonia to China, last year they were mainly vehicles, pharmaceutical products and mechanic machines and devices.

More than 7.100 Catalan companies exported their products and services to China and Hong Kong in 2013. Out of these, 1.700 are regular exporters, this is, companies that have exported consecutively the last four years.

As for importations of China from Catalonia, the main imported products are textile products, electric devices and material and thirdly, mechanic machines and devices.

The local Chinese community, a growing group
Catalonia has around 50.000 Chinese citizens, which means that 4.2% of its foreign pouplation that reaches 1.187.000 people, according to data of the Statistics Institute of Catalonia of 2013. In the last ten years, this group has multiplied its dimension by 5.

The town with the greatest concentration of Chinese population is Barcelona, where there are more than 16.000 registered Chinese citizens, which represents the third position among foreign nationalities, after Pakistan and Italy.

The Chinese community resident in Catalonia is made up of young population: 70% of its members is between 16 and 44. The presence of a young, dynamic and enterprising Chinese community is a positive and enriching value for Catalan society and economy as well as for relations between Catalonia and China.

Source and photo: Casa Asia