Experiencing annual growth rates of around nine per cent over the past
decade, China has a developing demand for products and services
across a broad range of sectors in addition to a desire to seek an effective base from which to explore opportunities in the European market place.
According to figures from the Department of Enterprise , Trade and
Investment, exports from Northern Ireland manufacturing companies to
China have grown from £20m in 2002-2003 to £34m in 2006-2007.
In recent years many local companies have been helped explore further
trading opportunities in Asia by Invest NI's investment
and trade office in Shanghai which opened in 2005 with the aim of
promoting and facilitating technology, investment and trade exchanges
between the two regions.
The office has been instrumental in increasing awareness in China of
what Northern Ireland has to offer in terms of technology, quality
products, expert services and the benefits of the Province as a
location in which to do business in Europe.
Invest NI organises the largest trade mission from the UK to China
every year which underlines the level of interest Northern Ireland companies have in
exploring trade opportunities.
There are two missions every year - one in May to North East China covering Tianjin, Shenyang and Beijing and another to south and mid
China taking in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
In the two trade missions in 2007 in which 60 Northern Ireland
companies participated, local firms scooped orders of almost £40m and
potential orders of around £91.5m.
Linda Forte, Invest NI's Country manager for China, who heads the
Shanghai office says the relationships which have developed between
Northern Ireland companies and their Chinese partners have gone from
strength to strength.
``China is very much driven by IT and a lot of our
companies have developed niche products and services. The Chinese are
keen to tap into our expertise in those lines.''
Several Northern Ireland companies have established representative
offices, joint ventures and other forms of business alliances in
China. They include Delta Print and Packaging, Belfast, a manufacturer
of folded cartons; Glen Dimplex; Newry, a manufacturer of heaters;
Randox Laboratories in Crumlin, the diagnostic services company; and
also Andor Technology, the Belfast based scientific camera specialist and
Wrightbus in Ballymena which has supplied doubledeck buses to Kowloon Motor Bus Company in Hong Kong.
``China has a massive economy and since it has had access to the World
Trade Organisation everything has become a lot more open than it was
15 years ago. It is one of the most powerful economies in the world so
the scale of the market opportunities is vast,'' says Linda.
Developing strong business relationships is vital to the Chinese, says Linda.
``They call it - `guanxi' - which really means `I'll scratch your back
if you scratch mine.' The fact is that Northern Ireland companies are
happy to work at relationships, develop and maintain them - and to the
Chinese that means a lot in business.''