Amcham China expands to Shenyang to meet demand

Gateway to Northeast China is a "huge market with great potential"

The American Chamber of Commerce in China expanded its operations to Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning province, on Nov 28 to better serve its membership in the northeast of China. The new office, based in the Shenyang International Software Park, will support its members by helping them engage with the local authorities, arranging information sharing and networking events and offering services such as training. Patrick Wang, vice-president of AmCham China, spoke to China Daily reporter Liu Ce on the significance and future of AmCham China in Shenyang.

Why did Amcham choose this time to open its Shenyang office?

We respect the willing of our members. Shenyang has a proper foundation in terms of population, communication and economy.

As Shenyang serves as the gateway to Northeast China as well as the location of the American Council, it has advantages in circulation of population and diplomatic exchanges.

This September, Amcham China organized a delegation and visited two cities, Yingkou and Shenyang, in Liaoning province. We were impressed by the development of Shenyang and support from the government. So we decided to set up an office here. In addition, Shenyang offers proximity to Changchun, Jilin province and Harbin, Heilongjiang province.

What are the fields that Amcham and Shenyang mainly cooperate in?

The cooperation lies mainly in equipment and auto manufacturing as well as the service industry. Other fields including finance and insurance are in discussion.

What is the position of Shenyang compared with other cities in China in terms of attracting American investment?

Unlike Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou as well as coastal cities, Shenyang is on the second echelon in the country.

Shenyang is the center of Northeast China and possesses the only estuary in Northeast China. Since the implementation of revitalization of Northeast China by the central government, its development has accelerated into the fast lane. All that matters currently is how to keep it safe and steady.

What is the focus of Amcham China in Shenyang?

Firstly, we will offer services for our members as always. We will provide them with a platform for networking and help them succeed.

Secondly, we will keep in contact with central and local governments of both China and America.

We will keep informed of the latest investment strategies and tendencies from governments and report feedback of our members to them.

At the same time, we will organize our members to investigate investment in different places and attend major economic and trade activities.

What are the major problems that companies encounter in their operations?

We publish our white paper concerning the major problems and difficulties of American companies in China.

This year, we paid attention to the transparency of strategies and the formulation of Intellectual Property Rights. Companies are willing to be part of the process of making strategies.

In this situation, they can have their expectations and can be more active. The other concern is the service offered by local governments. Investments from home and abroad should be treated equally. If this is done, the Chinese economy will be more dynamic and developed.

What is your view on the future direction Northeast China is headed in? How did you conclude that its development has accelerated into the fast lane?

Firstly, the development of Northeast China has been fast in recent years. Our members' businesses here have been well operated and expanded.

We are interested in this region and we have visited all three provinces in Northeast China in the past two years.

Secondly, its increase in GDP is higher than China's average level.

We came here and saw fast industrial development and comprehensive infrastructure construction. The will to develop is strong. The research capability and talent pool are competitive as well.

Why do you think Shenyang is suitable for investment?

In the past, the focus of investment was mainly stressed on capital, technology and management. At present, companies care more about the market. Shenyang is the biggest city in Liaoning province. So it is a huge market with great potential.

For example, its auto manufacturing industry has formed an industrial chain, which makes it more attractive to investment. Besides, we do a business climate survey every year where human resources was shown to be in the top three concerns in recent years. Shenyang has a profound education support in Northeast China.