ABC calls on China Ambassador Wu Hongbo

Thanks to all the Anvil officers who joined the successful courtesy call of Anvil Buiness Club (ABC) officers on His Excellency Wu Hongbo, the eloquent and dynamic Ambassador of the People's Republic of China last May 19, 2005.
The Economic Attache also joined our meeting and offered to meet us in the future for specific transactions or needs ABC officers or members may require.
The whole meeting in the China Embassy in Dasmariñas Village, Makati was conducted in Mandarin, with almost all the ABC officers conversing comfortably. Those who were not fluent in Mandarin also enjoyed the meeting, since the Ambassador is very fluent in English and was partly educated and was based in the West. Special thanks to Past Chairman Michael Tan for his exceptionally fluent Mandarin which he perfected in Beijing University, also Past Chairman Bernard Go and others who helped in the animated conversations.
Afterwards, ABC Chairman George Siy graciously invited all to cap the afternoon with early dinner of palabok, club sandwiches, gambas, calamares and other foods at the Manila Polo Club.
The eloquent and sharp Ambassador Wu Hongbo asked about each person's background and what we wanted to know, he even expressed concern for higher new taxes and whether these would negatively impact Anvil Business Club (ABC) members' businesses. Then Ambassador Wu made an interesting mini-speech about China's vast economic opportunities for overseas Chinese entrepreneurs, the growth potentials in the next 15 years in different industries/ectors, the historical trends of China struggle from the 1840s up to the present, market conditions, investment prospects/incentives for small-medium investors, the demographic/economic/market/per capita income conditions of various provinces/cities of China ABC officers cited in the conversation, China's gratitude to overseas Chinese support throughout history, the importance of us Filipino citizens of Chinese heritage to act as bridge to strengthen the 1,000-year-old friendship between China and the Philippines, ideas on the evolving yet complex Taiwan issue, the tourism situation with 40,000 China tourists coming to the Philippines and over 400,000 Philippine tourists going to China per year, and many other topics. It was a mini-seminar on the phenomenal China "economic miracles", the challenges, opportunities, as well as geopolitical, historical and other analyses.
Ambassador Wu cited ABC officers and members as "the future leaders of Philippine business", and asking that Anvil Business Club members help vigorously promote mutually beneficial economic and cultural exchanges between China and the Philippines. The Ambassador entertained various questions from the ABC visitors. It was an enlightening, light-hearted, enjoyable, cordial and frank exchange of ideas, informations, stories and advices.
It was an amazing one and a half hours meeting, with Anvil Business Club (ABC) sharing our plan to make an industrial tour of the 100-million-population Sichuan province in central/western China in August, focusing on Chongqing and Chengdu cities. China has a "Go West" investment priority policy, offering attractive incentives to foreign investors going to the West which includes Sichuan province. The Chairman of this special Sichuan Tour project is our ABC Vice-President Kenneth Hung.
This will be a special tour of major business/industrial firms, exciting economic opportunities for trade or investments, tourism, leisure, cultural/historical, etc. It will be unforgettable and not your usual tourism tour. Even for those who have no immediate plans to invest in China or to trade, this Sichuan tour of ABC will be an eye-opener, a true business education like no other.
Above all, in line with ABC's wholistic approach this year 2005, this Sichuan Tour will be Great Fun! ABC officers believe that exposure to the dynamic China "economic miracle" may inspire and educate members to be more daring, world-class and entrepreneurial. Past Chairman Michael Tan during the meeting with the Ambassador, he remarked that ABC members should visit fast-changing China at least once a year!
For details, questions, suggestions or reservations for this exciting Anvil Sichuan Tour this August 2005, please immediately contact VP Kenneth Hung at office tel. 7266154 or fax 7231626 or text 09178489889. Or you may confirm with ABC Secretariat (Mrs. Amy Uy) at tels. 7267029 or 7239957. You may also contact Wilson Lee Flores any day 24 hours at 09188077777 or 092283218888 or 09178135916. Due to special meetings/dinners with the Governor, Mayors, business leaders, etc., there shall be limited slots available for this Anvil Business Club trip according to Kenneth Hung, so please kindly confirm early. Sichuan is not only a vast, beautiful, exciting province with boundless economic energies and opportunities, it is also the home province of the late reformist leader Deng Xiaoping and the world-famous pandas.