Archives July 2007

Nottingham Business Development Limited Representative office in China

The specific tasks that the post holder will have to undertake as part of the Business Development Executive role will include:

•Develop market knowledge of Ningbo business, and especially in sectors where the UNNC, Nottingham and the East Midlands have a clear strength, including:
Environmental technology 
Construction / Property
Transport 
Banking and Finance
Healthcare (Biotech) 
Food and drink
•Support the partners to develop strategies in order to successfully target business opportunities in Ningbo and the wider Zhejiang Province.
•Identify specific business opportunities and advise partners.
•Build relationships with targeted Ningbo businesses to facilitate economic cooperation.
•Maintain a database of business contacts.
•Support visits by key Chinese decision-makers when appropriate.
•To identify formal or informal barriers to market access for key sectors, so that action to overcome them can more readily be taken by the relevant authorities.
•To facilitate business development by providing support for business visits ¨C through making introductions, arranging programmes, providing briefing material and making available space for meetings.
•Help UNNC to identify internship / career placement opportunities for its graduates.
•Promote Nottingham generally to the Ningbo business community e.g. by supporting events such as involvement on trade fairs.
•Support business matching where appropriate.
•Support Nottingham¡¯s involvement in technology transfer networks in China.
•Help to promote Chinese investment in Nottingham.
•Manage office and supervise another member of staff based in Ningbo.

Requirement
1.The following is a list of essential experience, skills and personal attributes:
2.Experience of working in an international business environment.
3.Excellent knowledge of businesses in the Zhejiang province (in particular the Ningbo area).
4.Proactive approach to work.
5.Networking and interpersonal skills.
6.Time management and organisational skills.
7.Business acumen and experience.
8.Creativity / diplomacy and tact.
9.Bi-lingual (Mandarin/English).
10.Written English.

Desirable
The following are some additional, desirable requirements:
•Knowledge of key sectors and associated companies in Ningbo.
•Full driving licence.

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
‘topjob_eo110nb#dacare.com'(Please replace “#” with “@”)

IDC: China will be top destination for off-shoring

By 2011 Chinese cities will unseat those in India and the Philippines as favored offshore delivery centers, says market research firm

Chinese cities are expected to unseat Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi in India, and Manila of the Philippines, as favored offshore delivery centers by 2011, according to IDC.

The market researcher has introduced a new Global Delivery Index (GDI), which compares 35 cities in the Asia-Pacific as potential offshore delivery centers, based on criteria such as cost of labor, cost of rent, language skills, government policies, infrastructure, and staff turnover rates.

Bangalore currently tops the list, followed by Manila, Delhi, and Mumbai. The Chinese cities that figure in the 2007 list include Dalian, Shanghai, and Beijing, at numbers five, six, and seven.

Indian cities have inherent challenges such as cost of staff and pressure on infrastructure, said Conrad Chang, a research manager at IDC’s Asia Pacific operations, in a telephone interview on Thursday. While India has focused on the U.S. and European markets, China has large opportunities in the Japanese and Korean markets, Chang added.

Chinese cities will overtake Indian cities by 2011 because of massive investments made in infrastructure, English language, Internet connections, and technical skills, which are favorable towards offshoring, IDC said Tuesday.

Forrester Research, however, takes a less optimistic view about China as an offshore destination.

Nearly two years ago, the country was widely viewed as a key challenger to India as an offshore services delivery location, however Forrester’s research shows that the market has not taken off as expected, the research firm said in a recent report.

China primarily attracts business from Korean and Japanese companies, but most of them have preferred to set up their own operations in China rather than outsource, because there are not many large service providers in China, said Siddharth Pai, a partner at outsourcing consultancy firm Technology Partners International (TPI) in Houston, on Thursday.

Many U.S. and European companies, that set up offshore services operations in India, may also have an operation in China, Pai said. “ But the Indian operation will typically be the larger,” he added.

China has still not overcome customers’ concerns about English language skills, intellectual property (IP) protection, and attrition in the country, Forrester said.

In contrast, India has a sophisticated and time-tested legal environment built around Western common law, Pai said. Even if China invests heavily in education, the population cannot get in four to five years as fluent in English as Indians, he said. “ Indians have been speaking English for over a hundred years,” he added.

India’s demographics also favor its continuation as a key offshore services location. On account of China’s one-child-per-family policy, the country’s population is aging. The country has about half as many people under 30 than India, Pai said. The IT industry primarily employs younger staff, he added.

The IDC GDI rates the potential of cities as offshore destinations, said Chang. The actual business decision by companies to offshore to these cities will depend on a host of other factors, he added. The GDI is a moving index, reviewed every six months.

“This is not about India versus China,” Chang said. IDC expects both countries’ offshore business to grow, he added.

Citigroup, Foreign Banks Triple China Profit Growth (Update2)

July 4 (Bloomberg) — Profit growth at Citigroup Inc., ABN Amro Holding NV and other foreign banks in China tripled this year after they were allowed to offer local-currency services, a central bank report said.

Overseas banks earned a combined 3.05 billion yuan ($401 million) in the first five months, up 43 percent from a year earlier, the People’s Bank of China said in a research report published by China Securities Journal. Profit growth accelerated from an average 14 percent over the past five years.

China fully opened its banking industry in December, sparking a rush among foreign banks to add outlets and workers to compete for the nation’s $2.2 trillion of household deposits. They’re still dwarfed by the likes of Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., which earned 18.7 billion yuan in the first quarter.

“A rising tide lifts all the boats,” said Zhang Xi, a banking analyst at Beijing-based Galaxy Securities Co. “Foreign banks will never achieve the economies of scale to pose a serious challenge to domestic rivals given their current speed of expansion in China.”

As of May 31, 75 foreign banks operated 186 outlets in 25 Chinese cities, according to the report. They had 514.3 billion yuan of outstanding loans and 305 billion yuan of deposits. Their non-performing asset ratio stood at 0.6 percent at the end of May.

Beijing-based ICBC, China’s largest bank and the world’s No. 2 by market value, operates about 18,000 branches in China and has more customers — 153 million — than Russia has people.

Better Than Ever

Overseas banks may have overtaken domestic rivals in profit growth in an economy forecast by the central bank to expand 10.8 percent this year. Earnings growth at China’s publicly traded banks averaged 29 percent in 2006, according to UBS AG.

The economic growth forecast, published by the central bank on June 29, represents the fastest pace since 1995, when the economy was less than a third of its current size. Overseas banks’ combined profit from local-currency services more than doubled to 1.3 billion yuan through May, today’s report said.

“Business has never been so good,” Jeroen Drost, ABN Amro’s Asia chief executive, said in an interview yesterday. “The key challenge here is to keep up with the growth.”

Foreign banks expect to double their total workforce in China to almost 36,000 by 2010, according to a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP published in May. HSBC Holdings Plc, Citigroup, Standard Chartered Plc, Bank of East Asia Ltd. and eight others have become locally incorporated to offer yuan- denominated bank cards and mass-market services this year.

Capital Controls

China’s restrictions on capital outflows — individuals can’t freely invest in overseas stocks, for example — means banks such as Citigroup and HSBC can’t fully capitalize on their international reach, said Zhang.

“High-end customers want access to global asset allocation to diversify risks, but that can’t be achieved under the current capital control in China,” she said. “That’s blunted foreign banks’ edge.”

HSBC, Europe’s biggest bank by market value, plans to add 30 outlets in China this year and hire 1,000 people a year in 2007 and 2008. It has 35 branches on the mainland, the most of any foreign bank. The bulk of HSBC’s 2006 income in China came from corporate and commercial banking with Chinese and foreign clients.

London-based Standard Chartered aims to double its number of China outlets to 40 by the end of this year and Citigroup plans to add 14 outlets to take the total to 30.

Countermeasures

Foreign lenders controlled 2.1 percent of China’s $6 trillion of banking assets and less than 1 percent of total deposits, the central bank report said. Their combined profit accounted for 1.2 percent of the total earned by banks in China.

Citigroup, HSBC, Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd., Mizuho Financial Group and Hong Kong’s Bank of East Asia Ltd. are the five biggest foreign banks operating in China.

China is letting state-owned banks expand into broking, fund management and insurance, winding back former premier Zhu Rongji’s 1993 restrictions, to help them counter overseas competition. The government wants fee-based services to account for 50 percent of revenue at domestic banks over the next five to 10 years, up from the current 17 percent.

Lehman, Lee & Xu and Italian Partner Carone & Partners Launch Italian Desk

Beijing, China, July 06, 2007 –(PR.com)– Miss Valentina Salmoiraghi, an associate of the Italian law firm Carone & Partners will be working in Lehman, Lee & Xu’s Beijing Office, managing the firms’ Italian Desk in China.

Starting on June 15th, she will be in charge of supporting the team of Italian and Chinese attorneys put together by Carone & Partners and Lehman, Lee & Xu to represent Italian Clients in China.

Italian companies can now rely on an Italian-speaking lawyer in China which will improve communication among the attorneys involved on the relevant projects. The decision to start the Italian Desk at Lehman, Lee and Xu has been taken in order to fulfill and satisfy the increasing number and complexity of requests of engagement that the allied firms are facing. Moreover, through the Italian Desk the firms will be in the best position to provide outstanding legal assistance to Chinese clients wishing to invest in Italy.

To learn more about the firms, please visit Carone & Partners at www.cplex.it and Lehman, Lee & Xu at www.lehmanlaw.com.

Carone & Partners is an innovative and dynamic Italian firm which combines the expertise of Italian and Chinese lawyers to assist clients in international transactions related to China and Italy/EU. The firm has offices in Milan and Rome.

Lehman, Lee & Xu is a prominent Chinese corporate law firm and trademark and patent agency. The firm has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macau, and Mongolia and is managed by Mr. Edward Lehman, who has two decades of legal experience in China.

Ford Focus drives sales growth in China

BY SARAH A. WEBSTER

Thanks to a refreshed 2007 Ford Focus, Ford Motor Co.’s retail sales in China jumped to 93,206 cars and trucks in the first half of the year, a 25% increase compared to the same period in 2006, the company reported today.

Ford sells imported and domestically produced Ford, Lincoln, Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover models in the fast-growing Asian country.

But Ford’s hottest vehicle in China is the Ford Focus, which has been built in Chongqing since the third quarter of 2005 and posted a six-month sales volume of 55,676.

The third-generation Ford Mondeo will be launched later this year as a major player of domestic premium CD-car segment

Ford’s history in China can be traced to 1913, when its first Model T was imported and sold in Shanghai.

Ford now owns 30% of the shares of Jiangling Motors Corporation Ltd., which produces commercial vehicles and other products.

The Dearborn-based automaker also has a 50-50 passenger car joint venture with Changan Automotive Corporation Ltd., which is called Changan Ford Automobile Corporation Ltd. Changan Ford has launched two Ford passenger cars models, the Fiesta and Mondeo. In early 2005, Changan Ford’s second passenger car plant in Nanjing started construction.

In April 2005, Ford, Changan and Mazda also announced a new three-way engine plant joint venture, Changan Ford Mazda Engine Company Ltd., and the new plant has been in production since April 2007.

In March 2006, the Chinese government approved Mazda’s investment in Changan Ford. The restructured company has been renamed as Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co., Ltd. (CFMA). Changan, Ford and Mazda hold 50 per cent, 35 per cent and 15 per cent shares in CFMA, respectively.

In the first half of the year, CFMA posted sales of 93,587, a 57% increase over the same period of 2006. CFMA, which has been in operation for less than four years, is now ranked as the 7th largest automaker in China, according to the China Passenger Car Association.

Financial Director

Company introduction: Our client is a British education service company provides courses and support for students from all over the world who wish to study for an overseas degree. They guarantee to place successful students on an appropriate university course in the UK, Ireland or Australia.
After students have passed their course, they work with the student to provide advice and support in settling in to their chosen university, and are available if the student has any problems during their degree course.

Job Description:
Report To: CEO China and CFO Asia
Location: Shanghai
1.Provide strategic support as a business partner to the CEO
2.Provide value-added advice to senior management and be a key member of the decision making process
3.Lead a sizable team and manage the full finance and accounting activities for all China related operations
4.Ensure integrity and maintain governance
5.Coordinate and gather financials to produce timely consolidated accounts and management reports
6.Completion of periodic reporting packages to head office
7.Monitor month end closing processes, to ensure accurate financial reconciliation
8.Analyze financial operating results and write commentaries
9.Coordinate and gather management information for preparation of budget and rolling forecast, follow up with budgetary control implementation
10.Ensure all internal controls are in place and the policies are compliant with local regulations, taxes, audit and statutory reporting requirements
11.Operational system review and enhancement
12.Liaise and coordinate with third parties, including bank, all government departments, commercial bureau and external auditor
13.Evaluate potential investment opportunities, assist in M & A projects
14.Implement financial operations strategy to drive efficiency, achieve maximum performance and profitability for the operations

Job Requirements:
1.A qualified accountant with recognized professional accounting qualifications
2.Familiar with PRC GAAP, US GAAP, IFRS reporting.
3.Strong awareness and understanding of regulatory and requirements
4.8 years in depth finance experience with MNC, of which 2 years at supervisory / managerial level plus service industry experience is highly preferred
5.High proficiency in system computing and knowledgeable in monitoring complex sales and financial information
6.Fluent in Mandarin and English and good communication skills
7.Strong sense of responsibility, details oriented, good team player and able to meet tight schedule and work under pressure
8.Strong data analysis and problem solving skills coupled with business acumen and commercial senses

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
‘topjob_fi155sh#dacare.com'(Please replace “#” with “@”)

China: Foreign Architecture Firms Doing Design Activities in China

The architecture design opportunities in China seem endless. The increased building in preparation for the Beijing Olympics has called on international designers to support China¡¯s efforts to put an international and yet Chinese face to the world for the 2008 Games. In Shanghai, the skyline changes almost daily with dramatic building exteriors complimenting the city¡¯s efforts to have ever taller buildings. This same dramatic architectural opportunity has also reached second-tier cities such as Hangzhou and Ningbo. It is no wonder that foreign firms have sought ways to participate in this exciting market. However, since the advent of Decree 114, many design firms have struggled with finding the best mode of market entry.

Essentially foreign design firms can either: (1) collaborate with a Chinese architecture institute; or (2) set up an architecture enterprise in China (“Architecture FIE”) in the form of an equity joint venture, a co-operative joint venture, a wholly foreign-owned enterprise, or part equity acquisition of an existing Chinese architecture institute. The last option creates an FIE that looks like an equity joint venture, but has the benefit of immediate access to the Chinese firm¡¯s licenses, customers, and employees. Recent news shows that AECOM Technology Corp. has followed this last route in acquiring an interest in the China Northwest Municipal Engineering Design and Research Institute. The deal will be closely watched by other investors.

Each of the above options is not without its drawbacks. Collaboration with a local Chinese architecture institute limits the activities of the foreign firm to conceptual design, while the establishment of an Architecture FIE may be problematic, and require numerous regulatory approvals and a high threshold to qualify for certain design activities. An increasing number of architecture firms have begun to adopt an alternative business form by establishing wholly foreign-owned consulting enterprises in China (“Consulting WFOE”) in order to provide design consulting for construction projects in China.

This article provides an overview of some of the key issues that foreign firms must consider when planning to carry out design activities in China. We review the following strategies:

Long-term: Establish an Architecture FIE or acquire a portion of the equity of an existing Chinese architecture institute;

Short-term: Collaborate with Chinese architecture institutes; and

Near-term alternative: Establish a Consulting WFOE.
Establish an Architecture FIE or Acquire Equity in an Existing Chinese Architecture Institute

The Chinese government has enacted the following regulations regarding Architecture FIEs:

Regulation on Management of Foreign-invested Construction Engineering Design Enterprise (“Decree 114”) issued by PRC Ministry of Construction (“MOC”) and PRC Foreign Related Trade and Economic Commission (“MOFCOM”) on September 27, 2002, effective December 2002.
Implementing Rule of the Regulation on Management of Foreign-invested Construction Engineering Design Enterprise (“Decree 18”) issued by MOC and MOFCOM on January 5, 2007, effective since that date.

Administrative Regulation on Construction Engineering Design Enterprise Qualification (“Decree 93”) issued by MOC on June 29, 2001, effective since that date.

Project Design Qualification Standard issued by MOC on March 29, 2007.
According to these regulations, the establishment of an Architecture FIE to undertake design activities will be subject to strict and complicated approvals. The process and time-line for these approvals are outlined below:

Procedure
Relevant Authority
Anticipated Duration
Document Obtained

Approval from the Commission of Foreign Trade and Economic (“COFTEC”)

COFTEC will ask for the pre-approval opinion of the provincial level MOC before it approves the establishment of the Architecture FIE.
COFTEC is the provincial level counterpart of MOFCOM
20 working days in COFTEC and 20 working days in the provincial level MOC, according to the PRC Administrative Licensing Law.

However, in practice, no application has been approved within that time period. The anticipated time would likely exceed 40 working days.
Approval certificate

Registration with the Local Administration for Industry and Commerce (“AIC”)
AIC
5-10 working days
Business license

Acquiring Qualification Certificate from Provincial Level MOC
Provincial level MOC
20 working days according to the PRC Administrative Licensing Law.

Currently, no cases have been approved within that time period. The processing time will likely take longer than 20 working days.
Construction Engineering Design Enterprise Qualification

Other registrations
Public Security Bureau, local Tax Bureau, etc.
Generally obtained within one month of obtaining the business license.
Various registration certificates

The basic requirements for setting up an Architecture FIE and acquiring the relevant qualification certificates to undertake design activities are:

Experience requirements for the investors: Both the foreign investor and the Chinese investor (in the case of an equity joint venture or cooperative joint venture) must engage in construction engineering design in their respective home countries, and provide two or more engineering design achievements that were completed outside of China, with at least one of them having been accomplished in their home country.

Employee requirements for Architecture FIE: The number of the foreign technical employees of the wholly foreign-owned Architecture FIE who have obtained the qualifications of Chinese certified architect and certified engineers shall not be less than 1/4 of the total number of certified practitioners as provided in the Project Design Qualification Standard. In addition, the number of the foreign technical employees who have relevant professional design experience shall not be less than 1/4 of the total technicians as provided in the Project Design Qualification Standard.

Qualification requirement of the Architecture FIEs: The Architecture FIE is prohibited from undertaking design activities in China prior to obtaining the qualification certificate from the provincial level MOC. Its design activities should comply with, and should not extend beyond, the scope of its qualification certificate.
Currently, the design qualifications in China are divided into the following three categories, according to the Project Design Qualification Standard:

Comprehensive Engineering Design (“CED”): An Architecture FIE with this qualification may undertake design activities for all industries and projects in China.

Industry Engineering Design (“IED”): This qualification applies to 21 industries, including, but not limited to, the petrochemical industry, construction industry, and road transportation industry, etc. The Architecture FIE should apply for the qualification certificate for its particular industry.

Special Engineering Design (“SED”): This qualification is for special projects, such as curtain wall. The Architecture FIE should obtain the precise qualification for the project prior to beginning work.
The IED and SED design qualifications are further subdivided into Grade A, Grade B, and Grade C categories based upon the scale and complexity of the project. It is important to note that under Decree 93 an Architecture FIE can only apply for a Grade B or Grade C IED or SED qualification during its first two years of operation.

Minimum registered capital requirement for Architecture FIEs: Depending on the type of design activity, a minimum level of registered capital is required to undertake the project. For example, a CED qualification requires a registered capital investment of RMB 60 million, and a Grade B IED qualification requires a registered capital investment of RMB 2 million.
Establishing an Architecture FIE can be cumbersome due to the stringent capital requirements, employee hiring, and the complex and time-consuming qualification process. Foreign architecture firms can merge or acquire an existing local Chinese architecture firm and convert it to an Architecture FIE. As noted above, AECOM just acquired part of the equity of China Northwest Municipal Engineering Design and Research Institute, a large scale architecture institute in China, thus converting the latter into a FIE.

Collaborate With Chinese Architecture Institutes

The Provisional Regulations on the Administration of Foreign Enterprises Engaging in Construction Engineering Design Related Activities (“Decree 78”) was issued by MOC on May 10, 2004, effective on June 10, 2004. Decree 78 allows foreign architecture firms to undertake offshore conceptual or schematic engineering design work. This includes enacting construction engineering preliminary design (basic design), and shop drawing design (detailed design) in recent projects under collaboration with locally qualified Chinese engineering design institutes (“Chinese Collaborator”).

Under this strategy, the foreign architecture firm is not required to establish a separate entity in China, or to acquire the qualifications in China for its conceptual design work for construction projects in China. However, the local Chinese Collaborator must possess a qualification certificate issued by the relevant Chinese construction authorities that will allow it to carry out the requisite design activities for the project.

Currently, there is no regulation that clearly distinguishes between conceptual engineering design and design work that goes beyond the conceptual design stage. Foreign architecture firms should use the language of Decree 78 in describing their activities under a contract to facilitate the collection of fees.

As an architecture firm¡¯s activities would be limited to “conceptual design,” we recommend that foreign architecture firms consider such collaboration only as a short-term strategy for doing business in China.

Consulting WFOE

The current trend is for many foreign architecture firms to create wholly foreign-owned consulting enterprises (“Consulting WFOE”) that provide consulting services on design and project management activities in China under the PRC Law on Foreign-Funded Enterprise (“PRC WFOE Law”).

The Catalogue for Guidance of Foreign Investment Industries does not prohibit a Consulting WFOE from providing consulting services relating to construction design and project management in China. Under this strategy, no qualification certificate or collaboration is needed to engage in “consulting activities relating to the design and project management work.” Note, however, that the enterprise is precluded from engaging in direct design or project management work.

The line between what is and is not permissible in design- and project management-related consulting activities may become ambiguous in practice. However, one thing is clear: only an entity with the appropriate qualification certificate may enter into a design or project management agreement. The Consulting WFOE can review third-party drawings and provide conceptual drawings. Also, the Consulting WFOE could enter into contracts under its own name, but such contracts could not explicitly cover design or project management. The Consulting WFOE will be able to hire employees directly. However, the foreign architecture firm will still be limited in its ability to directly bid and obtain design work on projects in China.

Summary

The market entry strategy depends on the company¡¯s short- and long-term views on its potential to grow in the Chinese construction market. These approaches are not exclusive of one another, and the company may wish to consider implementing, in tandem, a short- and a long-term business plan. Even with the proper vehicle for entry, competition with Chinese firms is steep. Remember that once a company gets over these initial regulatory hurdles, the company will still encounter the realities of a competitive market. U.S. companies, bound by Sarbanes-Oxley and the FCPA, may feel that the field is still not entirely level. Similarly, foreign firms will still bear higher overhead costs because of expatriate management within and outside of China. Getting the permits, approvals, and the projects takes a lot more time and effort than architecture firms are accustomed to expending in the U.S. market. As a company moves forward in the China market, the biggest task may be managing expectations.

Quality, EHS & Security Director – A Top semiconductor Company

A Top semiconductor Company
Location: Suzhou
Report to Plant MD and dotted line to Corporate Quality, EHS and Security.

Job Purpose
1.Direct & manage plant quality, EHS & Security system, interact with external customer and internal business partner
2.Ensure operations of company¡¯s China in compliance with applicable China regulations related to EHS.
3.Ensure company¡¯s global Quality, EHS & Security policies, specifications properly introduced to company¡¯s China operations
4.Ensure overall plant security including but not limited to company¡¯s owned utility facilities/equipment/product/on-site contractors.

Responsibility
1.Make strategic & executive contribution; participate as a key member of the management team in influencing the vision & strategic directions of the company.
2.Responsible for plant compliance system, internal & external audits and drive the compliance initiative to meet plant¡¯s goals.
3.Manage the budget and cost of the department to ensure that the company is cost-effective in all its operations.
4.Develop strategy and provide directions for the department to be forward looking to the changing environment in the industry.
5.Provide leadership and mentoring to the next level of managers to ensure proper succession planning.
6.Responsible for formulate plans to achieve goals and company objectives.
7.Attract, develop & retain the right people or skill set & knowledge.
8.Act as a professional EHS consultant of company¡¯s China;
9.Act as an active role and contact in company¡¯s global quality, EHS & security organization;
10.Conduct any other job beyond above mentioned assigned by superior.

Qualification
1. 4-years bachelor or above degree, majored in industrial security or engineering;
2. 10 years above traceable working experience for recognizable multi-national manufacturing company;
3. 5 years above traceable working experience as Quality / EHS & Security manager for recognizable multi-national company
4. 8 years traceable working experience as managerial level.

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
‘topjob_mn166sz#dacare.com'(Please replace “#” with “@”)

Operation Manager/Director – A Top semiconductor Company

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
1. Manage a manufacturing operation section which activities include production and FGS/Store.
2. Effectively manage human resources to ensure high level of productivity.
3. Responsible for quality level of the manufacturing process.
4. Improve equipment utilization through effective maintenance management.
5. Manage TPM small group activity & lean manufacturing.
6. Manage the budget and cost of the department to ensure that the company is cost-effective in all its operations.
7. Formulate plans & lead a team to achieve MFG goals & objectives
8. Lead & guide staff to achieve operation/engineering/technical solutions as well as maintain competitiveness
9. Other duties as assigned by top management

JOB PURPOSE
Managing the overall responsible for manufacturing operations assigned to achieve all volume commitment, on time delivery of quality products at competitive cost, also managing the overall activities & execute tactical plans for equipment & process engineering

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
1. Good knowledge of the manufacturing operations/lean manufacturing concept.
2. Project management skills.
3. Able to lead across department and motivate teammates

QUALIFICATIONS
1. Degree with preferred ¡·10 years managerial experience or equivalent or Diploma with preferred ¡·13 years relevant experience or equivalent.

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
‘topjob_eo109sz#dacare.com'(Please replace “#” with “@”)

Key issue for China’s new labor law: enforcement

By Jude Blanchette | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor

Shanghai, CHINA – The comprehensive labor law that China’s top legislative body passed Friday includes provisions that have appeared in previous legislation. But what may be different this time, some observers say, is the government’s willingness to enforce mandates protecting workers’ rights.

Scheduled to come into effect on Jan. 1, 2008, the law stipulates that employment contracts must be put in writing within one month of employment. It also says that employers must fully inform the worker of the nature of the job and of their working conditions and compensation. Furthermore, it limits the ability of employers to use temporary laborers.

But the law’s impact lies in how the government interprets and enforces it. “As is always the case with China’s laws, the real question will be in whether the new laws are enforced, how they are enforced, and against whom they are enforced,” says Dan Harris, an expert at the law firm Harris & Moure.

But, he adds, “there is a feeling the new labor law is more likely to be enforced than the old and, in particular, will be enforced against foreign companies.”

Indeed, organizations representing firms doing business in China have objected to certain provisions they say are unclear. In comments last year, the US-China Business Council warned, “The Draft Law may … reduce employment opportunities for PRC workers and negatively impact PRC’s competitiveness and appeal as a destination for foreign investment.”

On Friday, Xin Chunying, the deputy chairwoman of the National People’s Congress Law Committee, tried to allay the fears of foreign companies. “If there were some bias,” she said, “it would be in favor of foreign investors because local governments have great tolerance for them in order to attract and retain investment.”

The law gives oversight power to labor unions for collective agreements and the implementation of new employment regulations, but because independent labor unions are illegal in China, this duty will fall to the government-sponsored All China Federation of Trade Unions, an organization with deep ties to the Communist Party and local government officials.

Since the first draft of the law was made public in 2005, it has gone through three drafts and elicited more than 190,000 comments from the public.

In a statement issued Sunday, the European Chamber of Commerce welcomed the law’s passage, in part because it moved the labor market in the direction that many European countries have gone. According to a statement posted on their website, “After the comprehensive drafting process, the European Chamber is not concerned about the effect of the law on European investment in China.”

Since its emergence as an economic powerhouse more than 20 years ago, China has been dogged by criticisms of poor working conditions, the use of child labor, and willingness to placate multinational corporations.

Friday’s law comes as the government tries to deal with these complaints and dampen social unrest in rural areas. Indeed, the government is in the midst of a campaign to reduce the impact of the recent discovery of slavery-like conditions in Shanxi Province’s brick factories.

Early last month, more than 400 parents from Henan Province whose children had been abducted posted an open letter on the Internet. Their children, it came out, had been sold to work in brick factories in Shanxi Province.

It has since been revealed that thousands of others have met similar fates at brick kilns, many of which are unlicensed After Chinese journalists picked up the story, it rapidly spread around the world, causing outrage and shame in China.

Last week the draft law was amended to punish officials who ignore labor abuses with prison time or other penalties. Ms. Xin said that “The labor contract law makes detailed provision concerning this issue following the exposure of the forced labor scandals.”