A promise to cooperate was given the formal approval at Beijing City Hall as the host city’s Mayor, Guo Jinlong, and the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen, signed a cooperation agreement on Wednesday, 27 June 2012.
According to DI, the agreement holds major potential for Danish businesses as it will particularly involve the sales of sustainable solutions in water, heating, energy and construction to a growing Chinese market.
In 2011 alone, the Chinese government invested DKK 143 billion in energy saving and environmental provisions, and China accounts for half of the world’s construction.
Jensen said the Chinese need to solve the problem of far too many cars and strongly polluted air in big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. And they must provide water and energy to everybody.
“To this end, a strong Danish cleantech sector offers good solutions that have already been tested, for instance in Copenhagen,” explained the Copenhagen Lord Mayor.
DI Advisor Nis Høyrup Christensen agrees saying they are grateful that Frank Jensen has pushed for this agreement and created a platform which opens for long-term opportunities for Danish businesses.
The Chinese government wants to reduce water consumption and is expected to invest DKK 3,700 billion in water projects over the next decade.
In addition to supporting Danish exports, the agreement is also to help attract Chinese companies, experts and tourists to Copenhagen.
While Copenhagen receives a growing number of Chinese tourists, it is harder to attract Chinese businesses. They rather appear to look to Stockholm for investment in the Scandinavian region.
