The Danish Chamber of Commerce China has started a new tradition through its newsletter. Instead of the usual feature of “Chairperson’s Corner,” the Chamber introduces the new “Board’s Corner”, where Board members will take turns to share both a few personal reflections, while at the same time also give an update on the major events and coming activities in DCCC.
Lars Myrup is the first board member to have the privilege to write in the space and he shares a reflection he had following the recent announcement from Beijing, aiming to limit children’s time spent on online gaming.
Lars Myrup writes:
In isolation, this initiative could seem both strange and excessive. However, combined with another initiative to limit the market for children’s extracurricular evening activities it starts to make more sense. Add to this the abandonment of the one-child policy in 2016 and you will start to see a pattern. The ambition is to change the negative development in the birth rate. The aim is to support young couples in their dream to have a child and to build a family. Not just building a family, but also a family, where they have more opportunities to spend quality time together. The cost of raising a child in China’s major cities has simply increased too much for many couples to realize this dream. The quality of family time has been diluted by the time consumed by the children’s gaming.
Being responsible for a business within the baby product sector in China/APAC, the development in the number of newborns is naturally of very high interest to me. It should be for you as well. No matter what business you are in, this will eventually impact your business as well. It may take longer, depending on the nature of your business.
The number of newborns in China has fallen from 18 million babies in 2016 down to a predicted 11 million babies in 2021. It will be interesting to follow how the recent interventions from Beijing coupled with more initiatives to come will impact these numbers and eventually see them rise again. I personally believe the trend will change in the coming years in China.
As to the general activities in DCCC, Lars Myrup shares that September was characterized by a very high activity level. The first YP Clubhouse event was held with very inspirational speakers giving valuable insights to the participants. Both the HR Work Group and the Finance & Legal Work Group had events, with topics on flexible employment and the income tax law.
In October, DCCC initiated a new training program. It is a three-session training program covering the topic of emotional intelligence and leadership. The training is in Chinese and suitable for mid-level management.
