ScandAsia China - February 2015

FEB 2015
China
Deliciously
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Coming Events
Dragons of the Northern Seas
in Middle Kingdom
When: March 27 - June 28, 2015
Where: Suzhou Museum, China
Photo: Werner Karrasch/
Vikingeskibsmuseet i Roskilde
As part of the Danish Chinese culture year 2014-
15, the first major exhibition on the Viking Age to
be shown in China is to be presented at Suzhou
Museum: March 27th – June 28th 2015.
The exhibition aims to introduce a Chinese
museum audience to the unique culture created by
the maritime society of the Viking Age, c. 800-1050
AD, corresponding to the late Tang to early song
dynasties in China’s history.
On display are prime examples of Viking
jewelry, art and objects. The art of Viking Age
shipbuilding is demonstrated with an exact modern
replica, built at the ship yard of the Viking Ship
Museum in Roskilde.
Dragons of the Northern Seas is initiated by
Norway Asia Summit
2015
When: April 16 - April 18, 2015
Where: New Delhi, India
Photo: Norway Asia Summit 2015
The fifth edition of the Norway-Asia Business
Summit will present opportunities for Norwegian
companies in the region, as well as for colleagues
coming from Norway, for a rich mix of discussions on
business in Asia, Asian economics and Asian politics.
This time, in addition looking into developments in
World-class Swedish
orchestra in Macau
When:
Where:
Photo:
April 3, 2015, 08.00 pm
Grand Auditorium, Macao Cultural
Centre
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra
This Easter, why not plan a trip to Macau and
enjoy a wonderful concert by The Gothenburg
Symphony Orchestra.
Macao will once again be thrilled by one of
the best classical sounds with the musical grandeur
of the Gothenburg Symphony (GSO), led by
American conductor Kent Nagano.
the museums of the sister cities, Suzhou and Esbjerg.
The exhibition is prepared in collaboration with the
Suzhou Museum by a consortium of Denmark’s
leading museums and research institution: Museum
of South West Jutland, University of Aarhus, the
Viking Ship Museum and the National Museum of
Denmark, Together these institutions host some of
the finest archaeological collections.
the host country, India and discussing the possible
regional impacts of these and how Norwegian
businesses can contribute.
While Asia continues to entice, India is
currently the new appealing country on the block.
Mr Narendra Modi, India’s new Prime Minister,
promises to make India the most attractive
destination for business, with several new initiatives,
and rectification of old challenges. Amongst them,
PM Modi’s call to “Make in India” has sent out a
positive message across the globe.
Of course, to top all of this, you will also get
to acquaint yourself with India’s rich culture and
gastronomic experiences.
Time to block your calendar for this event!
Further details will follow here and on the Summit
web page.
Visit Norway-Asia Business Summit Facebook
Page for news and updates about the event.
The brochure is available in pdf format to
provide you the details about the program, venue
and signup information.
The Symphony’s Macao debut will treat you
with Mendelssohn’s everlasting Violin Concerto in
E minor, Jean Sibelius’ blazing Symphony No. 2 and
Beast Sampler, a refreshing brand new piece by
Sweden’s greatest living composer Anders Hillborg.
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News Brief
Swedish university severs
ties with Confucius Institute
Photo: Werner Karrasch/Vikingeskibsmuseet i Roskilde
Denmark to hold first major
Viking exhibit in China
For the first time in China, an exhibition will open in March focusing
exclusively on the Vikings, and the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde will
send its ship, Eik Sande, to become one of the main exhibits. vikingship
‘Dragons of the Northern Seas – The Viking Age of Denmark’ is a
joint initiative between the museums of the Chinese city of Suzhou and
Denmark’s Esbjerg and is part of an ongoing cultural exchange program
between the two countries.
Flemming Just, who heads the Danish side of the project, described
the event as a unique opportunity for Chinese visitors. “The exhibition will
show some of the finest objects from Viking-age Denmark,” he said in a
press release.
Artefacts from collections across Denmark depicting different aspects
of the Vikings’ existence will be compiled for the exhibition.
Sweden’s Stockholm University will end its partnership with the
Chinese government-funded Confucius Institute, the school said.
The agreement between the Confucius Institute and Stockholm
University, which was signed in 2005, expired at the end of 2014 and will
not be renewed. The Confucius Institute at Stockholm University will close
on 30 June 2015. confucius_institute
“The situation is different today compared with ten years ago. At that
time the institute created an opening for increased contact with China,
which was important to us. Today we have a completely different level of
academic exchange with China, which makes this collaboration redundant.
Generally speaking, establishing institutes that are funded by another
nation, within the framework of a university, is rather a questionable
practice,” said Vice-Chancellor Astrid Söderbergh Widding, in a comment
to the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter.
Educational institutions in the US and Canada made similar moves last
year, citing concerns about foreign interference in academic freedom.
Denmark sees rapid growth in organic food
exports to China
Photo: Embassy of Denmark in China
Export sales hit record heights for eighth consecutive year.
Danish organic food products are more popular than ever
abroad, according to new figures from national statistics keeper
Dansk Statistik. organicdan
The figures showed that Danish companies exported organic food
products worth 1.5 billion kroner in 2013 – a 31 percent increase from
the year before and the eighth straight year that Danish eco-exports have
set a record.
”Denmark is known as a world leader in organic products and for
being the home of a number of the world’s largest ecological companies
– for example, within dairy and meat,” Helene Birk, the export manager at
ecology association Økologisk Landsforening, said in a press release.
Germany and Sweden remain Denmark’s most important ecology
export markets and account for 66 percent of the total exports, but there
has also been an increase in exports to markets outside the EU.
Danish organic exports to China shot up from non-existence in 2012
to 6 percent last year and exports to Asia in general increased from 4.1
million kroner in 2012 to 91 million kroner last year.
4 ScandAsia.China • February 2015

Volvo completes acquisition of 45% of Dongfeng
News Brief
Photo: Volvo Group
AB Volvo has completed the acquisition
of 45% of the Chinese automotive
manufacturer, Dongfeng Commercial
Vehicles Co., Ltd. The purchase consideration
amounted to RMB 5.5 billion, according to the
company’s press release on January 5.
As announced earlier, AB Volvo signed an
agreement in January 2013 with the Chinese
automotive manufacturer, Dongfeng Motor
Group Company Limited (DFG), to acquire 45%
of a subsidiary of DFG, Dongfeng Commercial
Vehicles Co., Ltd (DFCV). DFCV includes most
of Dongfeng’s operations in heavy-duty and
Call +352 43 88 77 77 to find out more about our service
medium-duty commercial vehicles. To implement
the transaction, a number of conditions had to
be fulfilled, including approval from the Chinese
competition authority and other relevant
authorities. All approvals have been received.
This transaction will significantly strengthen the
Volvo Group’s position in medium-duty trucks
while the Group will become one of the world’s
largest manufacturers of both medium-duty and
heavy-duty trucks.
“This strategic alliance is a real milestone and
entails a fundamental change in the Volvo Group’s
opportunities in the Chinese truck market, which
is the largest in the world,” says Volvo’s President
and CEO, Olof Persson. “At the same time, it
will provide us with the opportunity to become
involved in growing DFCV’s international business
in a manner that will benefit us and our Chinese
partner.”
In 2013, DFCV’s pro-forma sales amounted
to RMB 35 billion (SEK 37 billion) and the proforma
operating income to RMB 950 million (SEK
1 billion). The total Chinese market for heavy-duty
trucks amounted to about 774,000 vehicles in
2013, while the corresponding figure for the
medium-duty truck market was 286,000 vehicles.
DFCV had a leading position in both the heavyduty
and medium-duty segments, with sales of
120,600 heavy-duty trucks and 51,000 mediumduty
trucks, corresponding to market shares of
15.6 and 17.8%, respectively.
During the first three quarters of 2014,
DFCV’s sales amounted to RMB 26 billion (SEK
28 billion) and the operating profit to RMB
1.1 billion (SEK 1.2 billion). During the same
period, DFCV sold 85,000 heavy-duty and 31,000
medium-duty trucks. On September 30, 2014,
DFCV had a net financial asset of RMB 3 billion
(SEK 3.6 billion). (2014 un-audited)
AB Volvo’s ownership in DFCV is expected
to be recognized as an associated company
and will be consolidated as of January 2015
according to the equity method and reported in
the trucks segment. The payment of the purchase
consideration will impact the Group’s cash flow
and net financial debt in the first quarter of 2015
by approximately SEK 7 billion. However, as the
purchase consideration has been hedged, the
net amount paid for the ownership in DFCV is
approximately SEK 5.6 billion.
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February 2015 • ScandAsia.China 5

News Brief
Sale of REC Solar to Chinese firm approved
Photo: REC Solar
At an Extraordinary General Meeting on
January 15, REC’s shareholders approved
to sell the business as the largest European
supplier of solar panels worldwide and to combine
with the Norway-based Elkem Group. The closing
of the transaction is expected in early March 2015.
Bluestar Elkem Investment is set to acquire
REC Solar Holdings AS and all of the assets and
liabilities of REC Solar at a cash purchase price of
NOK 4,340 million. Since 2011, the Norway-based
Elkem Group is fully owned by China National
Bluestar, which in turn is a joint venture between
the conglomerate ChemChina and Blackstone.
Martin Cooper, CEO of REC, states: “We are
pleased that the shareholders have voted in favour
of this transaction, in accordance with the previous
recommendation by the Board of Directors. We
believe that a combination with the Elkem Group
will provide a strong platform to further develop
REC, with added strengths and new opportunities.”
Elkem is keen to develop the existing
organization of REC and to invest in further growth
as a leading global brand in the solar industry.
According to members of management, both
companies are strongly committed to maintaining
the high quality of REC’s solar panels, which far
surpass stringent certifications, as well as to ensure
REC warranties stay reliable. The basis for this
industry-leading product quality will continue to be
REC’s fully-automated integrated production plant
in Singapore. Perhaps most importantly, customers
can expect “business as usual”.
Going forward, REC is expecting new
business opportunities due to this transaction.
As the Elkem Group is a leading supplier of
silicon, REC can benefit from new synergies
up-stream the value chain. The company’s
already strong strategic and financial position
will be further strengthened thanks to improved
access to financing, further boosting research
and development, new technologies, production
capacity and penetrating new markets in Asia
such as China. “The Elkem Group and REC have
developed a strong business relationship and
there is a good strategic match between the
companies, as both have a Norwegian corporate
culture and heritage. The Elkem Group has a
strategic goal to grow its presence in the solar
industry. The ambition is to establish a leading
integrated PV player,” comments Helge Aasen,
CEO of Elkem AS.
Elkem is one of the world’s leading companies
for environmentally-friendly production of
materials. Its principal products are silicon, solar
grade silicon, special alloys for the foundry
industry, carbon products and microsilica. Elkem
has 14 production facilities in Europe, North
and South America, Africa and Asia, as well as
an extensive network of sales offices and agents
covering the most important markets. The Elkem
Group employs about 2,100 people and is
headquartered in Oslo, Norway. Helge Aasen
has been the CEO of Elkem AS since 2009, and
is also member of Elkem’s Board. Operating
revenues for the Elkem Group in 2013 were
NOK 7.9 billion.
China expansion sees Volvo Cars hit sales high
Swedish automaker Volvo Cars announced
Monday it had beaten its historical sales record
in 2014, mainly due to a successful expansion
in China. volvo-china-sales-may-458x321
Volvo sold 465,866 cars over the year, a
number higher than the company’s previous best
from 2007 and 9 percent more than in 2013.
The group, which has belonged to Chinese
automaker Geely since 2010, welcomed in
a statement the “strong growth in China and
western Europe.”
Norwegian salmon exports remain strong
despite trade sanctions
Norwegian salmon is selling like never before,
all over the world. Both prices and production have
jumped, despite the loss of major markets in Russia
and China, and profits are expected to rise even
higher next year. saumon0
Norwegian salmon raised in farms like this
Cermaq facility is selling briskly, despite Russian
sanctions and blocked markets in China. PHOTO:
Cermaq
Norwegian salmon raised in farms like this
Cermaq facility is selling briskly, despite Russian
sanctions and blocked markets in China. PHOTO:
Cermaq
“No one saw this coming,” Christian Chramer,
a director of the seafood marketing association
Norges Sjømatutvalg, told newspaper Dagens
Næringsliv (DN). “When Russia closed its borders
to Norwegian salmon in August, and relations with
China got worse, many thought that exports of
salmon would be hit hard. Instead, we sold much
more to the EU and the US.”
Norwegian salmon producers also started
selling more to Asia, even though China blocked
imports as part of its ongoing diplomatic freeze
with Norway. “The industry has the ability to
adapt quickly and work towards new markets,”
Chramer said. “We have increased sales to Asia,
to strong markets like Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan
and Singapore.”
6 ScandAsia.China • February 2015

Finnish experts: solar, wind best options for China
News Brief
Scientists at the eastern Lappeenranta
University have calculated that China
would become even more profitable if it
were to make the switch to renewable energy
within the next five to ten years. As the largest
energy consumer in the world, China’s energy
production remains a cornerstone of all global
climate initiatives.
A renewable energy research project
conducted jointly by the state-owned VTT
Technical Research Centre, the Lappeenranta
University of Technology and the University of
Turku’s Finland Futures Research Centre has
successfully modelled comprehensive energy
systems based entirely on renewable energy
sources for China, Korea and Japan. The project
was recently presented with an award for its
pioneering work at a solar energy conference in
Japan. Tekes, the publicly-funded Finnish Funding
Agency for Innovation, has financed the joint
project to the tune of five million euros.
“China possesses significant wind and solar
energy resources, so a power network based
on renewable energy sources has the potential
to become profitable very quickly. That’s why
they should move to a system like this. China is
already the world’s largest investor in solar and
wind energy at present,” says lead researcher Pasi
Vainikka from VTT.
The Finnish researchers are confident that
renewable energy sources like solar and wind
power will become the cheapest form of energy
production in Asia within the next ten years.
What is more, energy produced in this way
provides the added benefits of being inexpensive,
emission-free and promoting self-sufficiency.
Professor of solar energy Christian Breyer from
the Lappeenranta University says the project’s
Photo: Creative Commons/Armin Kübelbeck
large-scale simulation of functioning renewable
energy networks is the first of its kind.
“A network fully based on renewable energy
is possible in Northeast Asia. Renewable energy
is also the cheapest form of energy production
available to them there. All of the other
options are more expensive. It is a new insight,”
says Breyer.
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February 2015 • ScandAsia.China 7

establishes
new business
region in Asia
Arla chose Kuala Lumpur as location
for new regional Head Quarters
serving China and all of South
East Asia
Arla Foods is integrating its
markets in China and South East Asia in a new
regional market called Business Unit Asia. The
regional office will be placed in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, as of March 1st 2015.
Asia is vital to Arla’s ambitions to grow
and to increase earnings for its cooperative
farmer-owners in Europe. As the world’s fastest
growing economic region with a raw milk deficit
and a total population of 2.3 billion people,
Asia holds great potential for dairy export, in
particular for family nutrition products.
China is a strategic growth market for Arla,
while South East Asia (SEA) has been identified
as a region, which could potentially become a
new strategic growth market. The expectation
is that revenue for the region will exceed 1
billion Euro within the next five years. The
consumer needs in China and SEA have many
similarities and therefore possible synergies
within brand and product portfolio, marketing
and innovation.
“In close cooperation with our partner
Mengniu, we have developed our market in
China. We have gained important experience
and insight, which will be levers to accelerate
our expansion in Asia. We have strengthened
our presence in several SEA countries and
it’s time to move the senior management
and main leadership functions to the region,”
8 ScandAsia.China • February 2015

says Executive Vice President Finn Hansen,
head of Arla Foods’ business group, Consumer
International.
The new Business Unit Asia management
will be based in a regional office in Kuala Lumpur
and will be setting the strategy for all retail and
food service activities in Asia. The unit will cover
the Chinese retail sales through the partnership
with Mengniu Dairy China as well as the SEA
market. During 2014, Arla has established or
strengthened the country management in
Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar and Philippines,
and these as well as the management in Japan
and South Korea and distributor sales in SEA
will all report to the regional office.
New head of Asia
To head Arla’s new Business Unit Asia Jesper
Colding is appointed as Senior Vice President
as of March 1st. Jesper is currently holding
a position in the executive management of
Mengniu Dairy China as Vice President for
Marketing. From 2009 to 2012, Jesper Colding
was Senior Vice President in Global Categories
in Arla with responsibility for cheese and the
BSM category. Earlier in his career, he was based
in Malaysia as associate director in P&G with
sales and marketing responsibility for Malaysia
and Singapore.
“Jesper has a broad strategic and commercial
experience and an in-depth knowledge of
the consumers in both China and South East
Asia. I am confident that he is the right profile
to continue the development of China even
further and to lead both the new regional team
and country managers to a successful delivery
of growth in Asia,” says Finn Hansen.
Jesper Colding is excited to relocate to
Kuala Lumpur to take up a new challenge for
Arla:
“Asia holds so much potential. There is a
growing affluence among people and they are
becoming increasingly aware of the importance
of good health and choice of nutrition. We
will build on the great foundation that has
been created to refine our approach to the
market in order to accelerate delivery of the
strategic ambition. I am fortunate to have the
opportunity to lead the next phase of Arla’s
journey in a region I have lost my heart to.”
Current head of Arla’s Business Unit
China, Frede Juulsen, will take up a new role
in Arla, which includes responsibility for TPM
(Third Party Manufacturing), Global Infant Milk
Formula and the Supply Chain in Consumer
International.
February 2015 • ScandAsia.China 9

Holbaek
signs agreements in China
A
delegation from the Municipality of
Holbaek in Denmark visited China
from 22 - 30 November 2014. The
delegation was led by Mr. Soren
Kjaersgaard, the Mayor of Holbaek.
Holbaek is the home town of Stenhus Kostskole,
which pioneered the teaching of Chinese language
as a foreign language to Danish students.
During the very successful visit four agreements
of strategic cooperation and friendship relationship
were signed between Holbaek Municipality
and the Chinese governments of Quanzhou
and Wuhan, Huaqiao University and Shanghai
Quanzhou Commerce Chamber. A variety of
Chinese media reported the visit of Holbaek
Municipality delegation and gave a high praise of
the success of the visit, telling that the visit not
only enhanced the mutual communication and
friendship between China and Denmark, but also
would bring about strong cooperation between
the two countries in many areas.
These Chinese media include Chinese major
national media such as the Xinhua-Net of Xinhua
News Agency, the People-Net of People Daily, the
News Net of China Daily and the News Net of
Guangming Daily, as well as many important and
well-known media in the country.
10 ScandAsia.China • February 2015

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February 2015 • ScandAsia.China 11

Sweden’s Ambassador to Malaysia:
“Malaysia is a bit forg
By Joakim Persson
12 ScandAsia.China • February 2015
When Ambassador Bengt G.
Carlsson arrived to Malaysia
for his first head of mission
posting, he had a re-start as
beginning: the re-opening of
the embassy following on a Swedish government
decision to first close it down and then reopen
it again.
“We arrived here in early September 2012
when just over a year had passed by since the
closure of the previous embassy,” begins the
Ambassador.
The new embassy is situated in an office
building at walking distance from KL City Center -
with a slightly slimmed organisation compared to
the old embassy. A new residence has also been
acquired.
The Ambassador’s new deputy, Counsellor
Louise Bonbeck arrived in 2014 from the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs in Sweden. A Stockholm-based
Defence Attaché also comes and goes, depending
on events and activities.
“Defence trade with Malaysia goes back all
the way to the 1960’s,” says Bengt G. Carlsson.
“And there are several deals on the cards and at
various stages. So that’s no secret.”
Promoting the military defence systems from
the SAAB Group, with the JAS Gripen fighter as
an element, is naturally part of it.
“And to assist the promotion, we have a trade
promoter; Jenn Lew, re-recruited from the previous
embassy team.”
“This is first and foremost a trade and business
promoting embassy – we should be concentrating
on offensive tasks, such as supporting business
activities, and of course we have a consular
service.”
As for regular passport service for Swedes
normally the mission in Singapore handles this
these days.
“Sweden now has a policy to concentrate
passport service around the world. There are
other embassies in the region that can offer full
service, and Singapore is not really far away,” explains
the Ambassador.
“We can issue emergency passports but to
Swedes living here we also recommend them to
renew their passports when they visit Sweden – it
is much cheaper and easier.”
Malaysia forgotten
Bengt G. Carlsson also compares to the much
larger Swedish embassy in Thailand, where he has
also worked previously in his diplomatic career –
and draws a connection: there is this big difference
in visitors from Sweden, where Malaysia enjoys
significantly fewer arrivals.

otten in Sweden”
“Since I know both places – and without saying
anything negative about Thailand; it’s a great
tourist destination – I find this a bit remarkable.
Here we also have so many things to experience!
I think Malaysia is a bit forgotten in Sweden; flying
under the radar.”
After two years in Malaysia the Ambassador
himself feels that he now should travel more and
explore the many things he has yet to discover in
the Southeast-Asian nation.
“I would like to see more interest in various
ways. Everyone knows Thailand and Singapore,
but less the country in-between… and which is a
bit of a mix as well. A lot here, such as the infrastructure,
is also more modern and advanced than
in Thailand, and it’s half the population.”
“I am happy to make the case for Malaysia’s
variety and would welcome more Swedish tourism
– and vice versa.”
The embassy promotes tourism to Sweden,
as much as it can, and partake when there are
opportunities to do so.
Innovation as umbrella
Sweden has new recently elected government is
drawing up its policies and strategies. From the
Swedish Embassy we can still get a broader sense
what we can expect ahead.
Innovation is a matter of the heart that the
Ambassador wants to continue exploring as
theme.
“The previous embassy started a broad and
strategic innovation initiative in 2011. And it’s
something where Malaysia now has a large interest
in and where we [Sweden] have a lot to offer.
The government here is very clear with that, in
order for the country to achieve its grand 2020
vision of becoming a high-income nation – now
they are in the middle-income trap and treading
water but working hard to reach there. Then
they must become more innovative. And the
government here is emphasizing this a lot and
we collaborate with authorities, universities and
investment agencies.”
“And by matching the different needs and
talents we believe we have found a good umbrella
– being innovation – to work with. And within
this you can include a wide variety of things, and
various sub-branches. We try to support those
Swedish companies already present here. That
incorporates for instance transportation where
we have world-class companies established with
assembly plants. Then you per default get matters
of interest concerning road safety, urban
transportation and planning etc. There are also
“opportunities for SMEs, consultancy services etc.
of interest within this,” highlights the Ambassador.
I would like to see more
interest in various
ways. Everyone knows
Thailand and Singapore,
but less the country inbetween…
and which
is a bit of a mix as
well. A lot here, such
as the infrastructure,
is also more modern
and advanced than in
Thailand, and it’s half
the population.
Within official Malaysia as counterpart the
embassy collaborates first and foremost with
the Ministry of International Trade and Industry
(MITI.)
“This is a very important ministry here and
they continue to be interested in Sweden. By
nature this is the ministry to collaborate mostly
with and focus on. There is also an innovation authority
under Prime Minister’s Office that we have
teamed up with together with Business Sweden
and our companies.“
“We are, among other things, working on doing
a roundtable discussion on innovation, trying
to bring that up on a high level, including ministries
and corporate leaders on various sides – for
instance within productivity. We have Swedish
companies such as SKF, Volvo, Scania, Mölnlycke
etc. that could have a lot to contribute when it
comes to increasing productivity in Malaysia.”
Team Sweden
Bengt G. Carlsson says he has been around and
done promotion work in several countries and
the talk of potential is always there. But on this
front he thinks that this is something that Malaysia
really has.
“I think we underperform here. Swedish
companies, in particular SMEs, ought to be able to
have much more success here! So the challenge
is to make Malaysia more visible to companies in
Sweden.”
“We, in the region, have discussed having
more joint promotion activities, and we are considering
doing a smaller road show in Sweden in
the spring, to meet the market so to speak. I think
it would have larger impact if many countries do
this together rather than just one.”
“We like to view ourselves as a part in ‘Team
Sweden’, where there are other legs here. Business
Sweden is one and then we have the companies
that we are here to support. All of us
should be involved in this, and different companies
depending on the activity what we are doing at
the moment,” suggests the Ambassador.
“Then, whether it should be purely innovation-based
or in a more specific sector such as
health care or clean tech, I think it’s important that
we work like this but stand united.”
“We do various activities and it’s of course
important to have the Swedish companies along.
That has worked well. And it’s also important to
involve also the academic world in this, to share
research and ideas and as expertise.”
On the Swedish side the new government
must find its way and decide which countries to
visit in the near future.
“Malaysia is probably not on top of the government’s
travel agenda; they are likely to start
closer to home. But we’re hoping the new government
will be interested in Asia and Malaysia;
we’ve had very few ministerial visits here. Again,
I think that has to do with this country being
quite unknown. But this is my job to bring this
to a higher level and making the country more
visible back home. And not just praise and embellishment;
rather giving an informed and nuanced
view. However this is after all a country with many
advantages, among the top in the world as far as
the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ index is concerned,
and a very pleasant and nice country to live in or
visit, one cannot deny that!”
“In our yearly planning we submit promotion
plans and present what we would like to do, and
then we can apply for funding for example to do
these innovation efforts and to attract attention
in media and elsewhere. For us working actively
with promotion and events out here, it is definitely
very important to have access to these resources
so we can combine them with funding and cofinancing
from other stakeholders, such as our
companies here. Successful promotion events are
normally very costly, there is a lot of competition
from other countries as well.”
February 2015 • ScandAsia.China 13

When Erika’s cafe “Fika”
opened on the 17th of January,
this counter was full of semla,
cinnamon buns and other
Swedish pastry.
The cafe is located in a shop house. Traditionally you
would have a shop downstairs and live upstairs. This
inspired the couple to have a cafe in their home.
Erika to teach
Malays how to
With a Masters
Degree in International
Relations and an
ambition to start an
NGO in Malaysia,
opening a Swedish
“fika” café in
Georgetown might not
seem like the obvious
choice for Erika Teng,
none the less Erika
has chosen this, as a
way to inspire people
in Malaysia and as her
first step on the road
to start an NGO.
By Lasse Henriksen
In a narrow lane of moldy looking colonial
shop houses in the UNESCO heritage neighborhood
of Georgetown there is a house
with a fresh painted facade. At first glance this
looks like any other of the few newly painted
houses on the street, but if you study the small
painted frieze on the building you will see an elk
and what appears to be blackberries. Here in an
anglo-oriental atmosphere from the 19th century
the 32 year old Swede Erika Teng is opening a
Swedish themed café.
“I don’t want a trendy or hyped café. I want
a café with a relaxed atmosphere, a café that
welcomes everyone as they are. I want to make
sure local people can afford to go to, so the prices
won’t be too high,” Erica says.
This approach is in contrast to a lot of the
cafés in photogenic Georgetown, where you will
find cafes as the #SelfieCoffee, where baristas
paint pictures and logos on the coffee foam. This
is a city where a lot of newly opened cafés seem
to focus on interior design and where the cakes
tend to look better than they taste.
But Erica has another mission, even though
the café is quite stylish with a row of retro window
shutters decorating a wall, simplistic white
surfaces and pinewood details, she wants people
to come for the social experience rather than the
visual. She wants people to come for the so called
“fika” experience.
“Fika is usually one of the first words you
learn when you come to Sweden, it means sitting
down having a break together with friends,
colleagues or family, having a cup of coffee and
a cake, and then talk about things. It can be just
ordinary things or political, and I really feel that in
Sweden the coffee break, either with your friends
or at work, is where things actually gets decided
and evolves,” Erika says.
Pastry of change
The good talks that Erika knows from the Fikatradition
are very important to her. She wants
the café to be more than a café. It should be a
source of inspiration to Malays, by showcasing
Swedish culture and values through posters and
small cards with facts about Sweden. A fact like
there is free education in Sweden, the percentage
of men that goes on maternity leave and similar
information that might surprise locals and show
them that there are many ways to build a society.
“It’s not about showing that Sweden is the
best country in the world, and that we do it the
right way. I think every country should develop its
own way. But it is important that young people
feel that they can make a change or difference,”
Erica says.
People starting to discuss gender issues or
social inequality in Malaysia, rather than taking
selfies, is not going to happen by itself. The main
tool to secure this is to disconnect the Wi-Fi and
have chat with people that are surprised that they
can’t get online.
Erika knows that she, in many ways, are more
privileged than the average Malay, but she hopes
that a good talk can show locals that it is possible
to do things in new ways and inspire them to
become active players in the society rather than
spectators.
14 ScandAsia.China • February 2015

February 2015 • ScandAsia.China 15