6th China-India Forum

Karnataka – Sichuan Cooperation

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Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of the State of Karnataka, India, inaugurated the 6th China-India Forum on 10 November 2017 in Bengaluru. The meeting was jointly hosted by the Government of Karnataka, the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), the China-India Friendship Association (CIFA), and Podar Enterprise. Semiconductor Alliance of China and Beijing Construction & Highway Development Group presented EoI letters to the Karnataka government. Forum slogan was “Innovation – Building Strong and Harmonious Future Together – Promoting Beautiful China & Wonderful India.”

Karnataka had signed a Sister-State-Province agreement with the Provincial Government of  Sichuan of the People’s Republic of China in May 2015, during the Forum of Leaders of the Regions of India and China in Beijing, and with participation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. At the China-India Forum 2017, however, other provinces of China were also invited. Podar Enterprise signed a strategic cooperation MoU with Hebei Provincial Government. Podar Advisory and Consulting Enterprise signed tri-party MoU of cooperation with Baoding City Government and Hebei Information Investment Group. Fortune Plus, China, signed MoU for setting up electric vehicle hub with Imperator Autocorp Pvt Ltd. Podar Holding International Pte Ltd signed MoU for cooperation in education with Yingcai University in Jinan, Shandong province.

All Chinese Investors Welcome

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah invited Chinese investors, saying the state is ready to receive them with open arms and promised the speedy implementation of projects. “India’s exports to China touched USD 8.86 billion, whereas China’s exports were USD 61.54 billion. I urge investors from China to invest in Karnataka,” he said at the inauguration of the 6th India-China Forum here.  India-China bilateral trade also had reached USD 70.4 billion in 2015, he added. “We will do everything possible to enable seamless conduct of business, with total transparency and with the assurance that your projects will be speedily implemented,” he said.

Karnataka government will continue to actively engage with China and explore all possible avenues to make them its valued partners in building of a strong and prosperous state, Siddaramaiah said. “It is just the beginning of identifying synergies in  technologies which would strengthen and deepen the foundation  of a Future-oriented Partnership between India and China and  Karnataka and China, evolving business ties, particularly in  defence, energy, infrastructure, agriculture and food processing, Information Technology and environment, to name a few,” he said.

Siddaramaiah said Karnataka’s Industrial Policy for 2014-19 was manufacturing centric with a vision is to make the state an innovative and hi-tech manufacturing hub of India. He said India and China’s relations had undergone an evolution in recent years developing along a positive track, into a friendly partnership. “It has made great strides in recent years and has become truly multi-dimensional, spurred by a significant convergence  of interests, mutual goodwill and high-level exchanges,” he  added.

Sources: The Deccan Chronicle, The Hindu BusinessLine

Image source: NDTV

Karnataka and Sichuan are both G8x8 territories. The former is ranking fourth in GDP among Indian states, placing it at the 7×4 position. Sichuan ranks sixth among Chinese provinces to take the 2×6 field on the board. In 2016, Karnataka took a share of 7.4% of the India total GDP. Sichuan posted a GDP share of 4.2 percent of the China national total.

Sino-German TVET Alliance Founded

Vocational Education Alliance

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On 21 October 2017, organisations and enterprises of vocational education formally established a “Sino-German Alliance on Dual Vocational Education” in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province. Different from already existing bilateral VET associations, the new alliance will, according to its Chinese name, focus on the cooperation between enterprises and schools, and thus focus on truly “dual” vocational education.

The alliance was founded at the “International Summit for Vocational Education”, which was part of Education Plus 2017, an exhibition organized by Messe Stuttgart Nanjing Ltd. During the constituting session, founding members adopted by-laws and unanimously elected their chairman, Simon Zhao. He is CEO of the National Center for Open  & Distance Education in Beijing.

Simon Zhao pointed out the significance of founding this alliance at this time, as China formulates new goals for its economic development. “At present, speeding up the development of modern vocational education is a major strategic plan that the country has made. The plan demands to shift gears in economic growth, and requires structural adjustments and the transformation of old into new kinetic energy. It is also an inevitable requirement of China to achieve the goal of becoming an innovation-oriented country and to strengthen its human resources.”

Linking the German “Industry 4.0” approach to the “Made in China 2025” objectives, he further explained the connotation of internationalization in vocational education and said, “We should strive to explore the road of international cooperation in running schools, focus on the needs of regional economic and social development, regard international standards, employ international teachers, apply international management, and so develop a highly competitive, highly skilled workforce.”

Mark Ma, Vice General Manager of Open Education, referred to a 2016 study which estimated the vocational education market volume of China at 600 billion RMB (about 78 billion Euro) and further growing.  “In this market, the new alliance aims at developing the cooperation of enterprises and schools in vocational education, supporting the implementation of the Sino-German vocational education strategy, and establishing a new and sustainable type of cooperation.”

The new alliance is a branch organisation of the “China External Cooperative Alliance of Vocational  Education” in Beijing.

Objectives

The alliance aims to

  • Establish a benchmark of vocational education in China by localizing German curricula into the Chinese system.
  • Explore methods of developing vocational talents that are highly demanded by industry.
  • Research German philosophy of skills transfer in vocational education.
  • Apply the German quality assurance mechanism in China.
  • Set up a Qualification Assessment Center based on German qualification standards.
  • Train teachers by working closely with member enterprises and schools.
  • Develop a significant number of senior managers to apply German learning techniques in Chinese colleges.
  • Reduce the gap between vocational college graduates and industry needs.
  • Provide German employers in China with qualified workers.

For more details on the assocation, contact liw@mail.open.com.cn.

For more details on the exhibition Education Plus, see our related article.

Image source: National Center for Open and Distance Education (OPEN)

Jiangsu ranks second in GDP among Chinese provinces and takes position 2×2 on the G8x8 chess board. In 2015, the province produced 7,011.6 billion RMB worth of goods and services, contributing 9.7 percent to the total GDP of China. Depending on the exchange rate, this was almost as much as the GDP of Australia.

 

Italy Toscana Tuscany

Adventure in Toscana

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Toscana Promozione Turistica is a regional government agency responsible for promoting tourism. ATTA is the global leader in responsible adventure tourism development. The two agencies now established a two-year agreement to help Toscana enhance its tourism brand. They want to help trade and consumers to discover a deeper, adventurous side of the region.

One activity of collaboration in 2017 is to introduce “AdventureWeek-Tuscany” in September 2017. AdventureWeek is a specialized trade program designed to bring “A-list” international outbound tour operators, agents and travel journalists to Toscana. They will participate in an intensive familiarization journey to experience cultural and nature-based adventures.

Additionally, marketplace activities will be held in the region to connect visiting buyers, agents and journalists with local suppliers. Combining activities such as paragliding, road and mountain biking, white water sports, scuba and climbing with a rich array of cultural experiences make for powerful offerings for adventure tourism in Toscana.

Alberto Peruzzini, head of Toscana Promozione Turistica, explained that Toscana is the first Italian region to become an active member of ATTA. Also the first to develop such an initiative with the global adventure tourism trade. He said, “This is a strategic choice of ours. We will be involved with leaders of the sector of tourism most focused on responsible growth. In the field of Adventure tourism, we are not well known yet. But we have considerable room for growth, especially in rural communities throughout Toscana. We’ll work together for just the right positioning on the international stage”.

“At ATTA, our interests are in supporting communities worldwide to deliver travel experiences that protect natural and cultural capital and create shared economic value” said Chris Doyle, ATTA Executive Director-Europe. “For Tuscany, they have the chance to focus visitor attention on its exceptional adventure experiences. They will also help rural communities to realize the benefits of one of the fastest growing sectors of tourism”.

In terms of GDP, Toscana ranks 6th among Italian regions, and takes field 8×6 on the G8x8 chess board. With 110.4 billion € of goods and services produced in 2015, the region contributed 6.7 percent to the national GDP of Italy.

 

PAI Ranking India Economic Freedom

India Economic Freedom Index

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The Public Affairs Centre is a non-profit NGO think tank of India. For the second year, they have now released their ranking of States of India in the Public Affairs Index on Governance of 2017. One of eleven themes they compared is economic freedom, which deals with the efforts made by each state to enhance economic growth. They took the number of filed industrial entrepreneurs memoranda, the World Bank ease of doing business index, and the value of MSMEs assets into account. As a result, the following eight states ranked on top:

  1. Gujarat
  2. Telangana
  3. Maharashtra
  4. Andhra Pradesh
  5. Rajasthan
  6. Madhya Pradesh
  7. Uttar Pradesh
  8. Tamil Nadu

Info and image source: Public Affairs Centre, Bangalore.

Six of these eight states are also members of the GDP based G8x8. Only Karnataka and Kerala, ranking 4th and 8th in GDP, are listed much lower in the Economic Freedom Index: 10th and 16th.

USA United States of America

USA Economic Climate Ranking

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CNBC have been publishing their economic climate ranking of all 50 states of the USA for eleven years. Now they issued their new ranking for 2017. Workforce and infrastructure are at the top of the list among 10 major categories and 66 metrics used in crowning the Top State for Business 2017. Key messages this year: (1) The skills gap across the labor market is big and getting bigger. (2) As President Trump talks up a $1 trillion infrastructure plan, states are talking more about the strength of their roads, rails, ports and utilities.

Check out the 2017 data table, sortable for all criteria, a chart and maps at CNBC Top States for Business.

Their overall ranking lists the following eight on top:

  • Washington
  • Georgia
  • Minnesota
  • Texas
  • North Carolina
  • Colorado
  • Virginia
  • Utah

Interesting enough: only one of their top eight business climate states is also a top eight GDP state, and thus listed among our G8x8. Try to find out which one it is!

Info and image source: CNBC

Texas

Texas Tops US Exports

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Texas has been the top exporting state in the USA for 14 consecutive years. With over $251 billion in exports for 2015, this state continues to be the USA leader in international trade. It combines the following advantages:

  • a strategic location
  • the largest US rail and road infrastructure
  • the most US ports of entry
  • a multilingual workforce twice the national average
  • a vibrant international banking center
  • a diplomatic hub with a Consular Corps representing some 90 nations
  • and a concentration of corporate and financial resources

Many international firms base facilities such as warehousing, distribution, and manufacturing here to take advantage of excellent access to global markets.

From Texas, small, medium, and large businesses alike have found great success in doing business globally. Far from being the exclusive domain of large corporations, export trade here is driven by its most innovate, nimble, and oftentimes small firms. In fact, more than 90 percent of exporters are small businesses – and their numbers continue to grow. With its extensive global ties, Texas has a natural advantage in exporting knowledge-intensive services. It has become a major global exporter of high value-added services, including

  • accounting
  • communications
  • consulting
  • engineering
  • financial services
  • legal services
  • medical services
  • transportation services

With the slogan “Go Big in Texas”, the Department of Business Assistance (DBA) serves businesses and communities. It works to strengthen their competitiveness by promoting international trade, foreign direct investment, business retention and expansion. It also provides small business advocacy and entrepreneurial support. See their website at https://businessintexas.com/. For an overview of Texas trade and foreign direct investment, see especially this 2016 Report.

Image source: Texas Department of Business Assistance.

In terms of GDP, Texas ranks 2nd in the USA after California, contributing 8.8 percent to the national GDP of the United States. The “Lone Star State” occupies the 1×2 field of the G8x8 chess board. 2016 GDP stood at $1,616.8 billion, which was more than the national GDP of Canada or Russia.

 

G8x8 from 2008 to 2017

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One major change in composition of the G8x8 from 2008 to 2017 is the new appearance of India↑ to country rank 7, and the fall of Russia↓ from rank 8 off of the chess board. Japan↓ and China↑ switched positions 2 and 3, and the UK↑ surpassed France↓ for rank 5 with France dropping to rank 6. Italy↓ dropped from rank 7 to 8. Only the USA maintained their position at rank 1, and Germany at rank 4.

G8x8 of 2008

There are also some rank changes within countries. Here is a summary of developments for each country:

  1. USA: Texas↑ and New York↓ switched postions 2 and 3; Ohio↑ and New Jersey↓ switched positions 7 and 8.
  2. China: Shandong↓ and Jiangsu↑ switched positions 2 and 3; Hebei↓ dropped from rank 6 to 7; Sichuan↑ newly appeared in the top 8 at rank 6; Hunan↑ appeared at rank 8; Shanghai↓ and Liaoning↓ dropped out of the top eight.
  3. Japan: Osaka↑ rose from rank 4 to 2; Kanagawa↓ dropped from 2 to 4.
  4. Germany: Berlin↑ and Sachsen↓ switched ranks 7 and 8.
  5. UK: No change within the country.
  6. France: In 2016, names and territories were changed, which make the 2008 and 2017 chess boards incompatible.
  7. India: New on the chess board.
  8. Italy: No change within the country.

In 2008, we also compared GDP growth rates between territories. Number one growth territory was Liaoning province of China with a growth rate of 13.1 percent. The fact that this most promising province of 2008 later fell off the chess board convinced us to discontinue the publication of short-lived growth indicators.

ABC News Florida

Florida Evacuates Seven Cities

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According to the Florida Department of Emergency Management, Governor Rick Scott ordered an estimated 6.3 million Floridians to evacuate in preparation for Hurricane Irma. The governor ordered mandatory evacuations in the cities surrounding the southern half of Lake Okeechobee from Lake Port to Canal Point in Hendry, Palm Beach and Glades counties. He made this decision due to his focus on life safety as the hurricane approached. The seven cities affected by these orders are as follows:

  • South Bay
  • Lake Harbor
  • Pahokee
  • Moore Haven
  • Clewiston
  • Belle Glade
  • Canal Point

The National Hurricane Center re-classified Irma as a category 4 cyclone before it reached the Everglade State. Category 4 is the second highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale and includes maximum sustained winds of 200 to 250 km per hour. Irma had the strength of category 5 twice before. It is the only tropical cyclone on record with sustained winds of 295 km per hour for 37 hours.

Source and more information at http://www.flgov.com/. Image source: ABC News.

Florida ranks 4th in GDP among US states and is thus located on the 1×4 field of the G8x8 chess board. The state’s 2016 GDP amounted to $ 926.8 billion. This was 5.0 percent of the USA total, and more than the national production of countries such as Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, or Turkey.