瞄準中東歐的未來

□ 文/本刊編輯

在國際經濟復蘇基礎薄弱的背景下，中國與中東歐國家經貿合作卻快速升溫。繼2011年在匈牙利布達佩斯成功舉辦第一屆中國—中東歐16國經貿論壇之后，2012年4月，第二屆中國—中東歐經貿論壇在波蘭華沙舉行，時任國務院總理溫家寶在會上提出了促進雙邊合作的12項舉措，同時宣布中國決定設立100億美元的專項信貸額度。這些舉措為中國企業走向中東歐市場注入了動力。

中東歐是個“新”市場，一方面中東歐市場是新興市場，另一方面，對于中國企業來說，中東歐也是一個相對較新的市場，進入該市場的經驗并不多。目前，雙邊貿易額和投資快速增長，中東歐已成為中國企業走出去的重要地區。

并不陌生的中東歐地區

說起中東歐國家，中國人并不陌生。從波羅的海到多瑙河，從肖邦到居里夫人，從“瓦爾特保衛薩拉熱窩”到“鼴鼠的故事”，這片分布著16個國家、生活著1.25億人口、面積占歐洲土地總面積三分之一的廣袤土地，從來不乏靈秀和美麗。

九十年代后，中東歐國家開始了政治、經濟和社會的全面轉型，希望通過利用歐洲發達國家的經驗、技術和資金得到發展，開創和平、繁榮和穩定的新生。

經貿關系由來已久

中東歐國家與中國經貿關系由來已久，往來頻繁。近年來，中國與中東歐國家貿易和投資高速增長。據中華經濟發展協會副會長樓頌森介紹，2001年，中國與中東歐16國貿易額僅為43億美元，到2011年達到了529億美元，年均增長27.6%。國際金融危機以來，雙方貿易逆勢而上，中國從中東歐國家進口年均增長30%。

來自中國海關的數據顯示，2011年中國同中東歐13個國家的貿易額達到了489億美元，其中出口365億美元，進口124億美元，分別增長了18.8%、13.6%和37.3%。2012年1～7月，中國與13個國家雙邊貿易額達到了372億美元，但是1～7月中國自中東歐國家進口保持了14.8%的增長速度。從2011年數據來看，中東歐13國中，與中國貿易額最大的是波蘭，達130億美元；其次是捷克100億美元、匈牙利93億美元、斯洛伐克60億美元、羅馬尼亞44億美元。這5個國家貿易額占中東歐國家與中國貿易額的絕大多數，達到80%～85%。

同時，雙方投資日趨活躍，中國企業在中東歐地區的投資已涵蓋化工、機械、家電、電信、汽車和新能源等行業，并向農業、金融、科技等領域擴展，發展潛力巨大。

據不完全統計，截至2011年底，中國對中東歐地區的投資超過30億美元，包括餐飲、化工、機械、彩電、自行車、醫藥、木材加工、紡織、農業等領域。具體來看，在波蘭，2004年TCL集團在當地投資4730萬美元建電視機廠；蘇州勝利精密制造有限公司投資2290萬美元設立了電子生產廠、2012年1月廣西柳工收購了波蘭1個鋼鐵廠的工程機械業務，涉及金額6000萬美元。

此外，中國在羅馬尼亞投資超過4億美元，主要有中煙國際歐洲公司卷煙生產廠，3000萬美元；寧夏東輝公司設立了自行車生產廠，1000萬美元。2011年初，煙臺萬華以12.3億歐元的價格收購了匈牙利博蘇化工公司，這不僅在中東歐是最大的收購項目，在歐洲也是最大的收購項目。在捷克，長虹集團投資1億美元建立了生產廠，上海梅林正廣和集團設立了罐頭廠，涉及1000萬美元。長城汽車在保加利亞組建了組裝廠。中興通信和華為基本上在每個國家都建立了公司或代表處，在市場開拓方面成績顯著。

缺乏了解的“新”市場

盡管雙邊貿易和投資意愿強烈，但中國企業與中東歐國家之間尚缺乏了解。中東歐市場對于中國企業來說還是比較新的市場，進入相對陌生的市場，會遇到一些可以預料的困難。

據介紹，中東歐國家對基礎設施建設項目招投標、工程施工、技術規范方面有嚴格細致的法律規定，而且標書通常使用當地的文字，這對中國企業了解當地的法律法規、準備招標文件帶來一些影響。中國企業對歐洲公司聯營、公司合營等運作模式不太熟悉，對當地的語言文化、市場制度標準和法律制度還不太適應。

值得中國企業注意的是，中東歐市場準入和技術準入條件較高。比如，企業資質和工程技術人員的職業資格，必須符合當地的技術規范和標準要求，而中企人員取得相應的資質需要通過當地的相關考試。中國企業建筑機械和建筑材料進入當地市場必須要通過歐盟的CE認證，或者當地的認證等。

由于語言、文化習俗等方面的差異，在一定程度上影響了中方管理人員與當地業主及工作人員的溝通和交流。

貿易空間有待進一步打開

盡管中國與中東歐之間貿易額增長迅速，但是放在整個歐洲貿易量中并不突出。歐盟是中國第一大貿易伙伴，2011年雙邊貿易額達到5672.1億美元，這樣算來，中東歐16國與中國貿易額（529億美元）僅占9.3%。由此可見，雙邊貿易空間有待進一步打開。

據悉，中東歐國家農業發展條件好，工業基礎普遍比較雄厚，主要優勢產業包括農業、葡萄酒加工、木材加工、乳制品和食品加工、服裝紡織業、制鞋業、皮革加工、采礦、汽車、造船、機械制造、電子電器、精密光學儀器、制藥和生物制劑、通信技術等。

近年來，中東歐國家為了提振經濟，在基礎設施建設方面加大了投入力度，迎來了基礎設施建設高潮。主要涉及公路、橋梁、鐵路、機場、港口、地鐵、輸氣管道、光纜傳輸等領域，還有市政建設，包括排水建設、酒店建設等。而中國經過幾十年的發展，企業在基礎設施建設方面積累了豐富的技術和管理經驗，中東歐建設大潮為中國企業提供了機會。

去年4月在波蘭華沙舉行的中國—中東歐經貿論壇，為中國企業進入中東歐市場帶來了政策上的好處。溫家寶在會上提出的12項舉措中，包括設立總額100億美元的專項貸款，其中配備一定比例的優惠性質貸款，重點用于雙方在基礎設施建設、高新技術、綠色經濟等領域的合作項目，中東歐16國可向中國國家開發銀行、進出口銀行、工商銀行、中國銀行、建設銀行和中信銀行提出項目申請；中方將向中東歐地區國家派出“貿易投資促進團”；推動中國企業在未來5年同各國合建1個經濟技術園區；與中東歐16國積極探討貨幣互換、跨境貿易本幣結算以及互設銀行等內容。

目前，中國—中東歐國家合作秘書處已經成立，同時100億美元專項貸款也正式啟動。在雙方的努力下，“力爭中國與中東歐16國貿易額至2015年達到1000億美元”的目標并不是夢。

In the background of a weak international economic recovery foundation, China’s economic and trade cooperation with central & eastern European countries is warming up rapidly. After the first China-Central and Eastern European Countries Economic and Trade Forum in Budapest, Hungary,was successfully held in 2011, the second China-Central and Eastern European Countries Economic and Trade Forum was celebrated in Warsaw, Poland in April 2012 and the former Premier Wen Jiabao of the State Council proposed 12 measures for promoting the bilateral cooperation at the forum and also announced China’s decision to set up a USD 10 billion credit line. These measures have injected power into Chinese enterprises’ entry into the central & eastern European market.

Central & eastern Europe is a “new” market for two reasons. On the one hand, the central & eastern European market is an emerging market; on the other hand, the central& eastern European market is also a relatively new market for Chinese enterprises which have little experience in this market.At present, the bilateral trade turnover and investment are increasing rapidly and central & eastern Europe has become a significant region for Chinese enterprises to go out to.

Acquainted Central & Eastern European Region

The Chinese people are acquainted with the central &eastern European countries. From the Baltic Sea to the Danube,from Chopin to Madame Curie as well as from “Walter Defends Sarajevo” to “The Story of the Little Mole”, we are familiar with the central & eastern European region with an area of one third of Europe’s total land area and no lack of loveliness along with beauty, where there are 16 countries distributed and a population of 125 million living.

Since the 1990s, the central & eastern European countries have been in the progress of comprehensive political, economic and social transformation, hoping to develop by utilizing the developed European countries’ experience, technologies and funds and initiate a peaceful, prosperous and stable rebirth.

Long-standing Economic and Trade Relations

The central & eastern European countries have been in long-standing economic and trade relations and have held frequent intercourse with China. In recent years, the trade and investment of the central & eastern European countries and China have been growing at high speeds. According to Lou Songsen, vice present of the China Economic Development &Exchange Association, the trade turnover between China and the 16 central & eastern European countries was only USD 4.3 billion in 2001 and increased to USD 52.9 billion in 2011, with an annual average growth rate of 27.6%. Since the international financial crisis, the trade between the two sides has gone up against the negative situation and the annual average growth rate of the amount of China’s imports from the central & eastern European countries is 30%.

The data from the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China show that the trade turnover between China and the 13 central & eastern European countries reached USD 48.9 billion in 2011, including an amount of exports of USD 36.5 billion and an amount of imports of USD 12.4 billion, with an increase of 18.8%, 13.6% and 37.3%respectively. The bilateral trade turnover between China and the 13 countries arrived at USD 37.2 billion in the period from January to July 2012; however, the amount of China’s imports from the central & eastern European countries maintained a growth rate of 14.8% in this period. Seen from the data of 2011,among the 13 central & eastern European countries, Poland was the one to have the largest trade turnover with China,with a turnover of USD 13.0 billion, while Czech, Hungary,Slovakia and Romania came next, with a turnover of USD 10.0 billion, USD 9.3 billion, USD 6.0 billion and USD 4.4 billion respectively. The trade turnovers of these 5 countries accounted for the majority (as high as 80%～85%) of the total trade turnover between China and the central & eastern European countries.

At the same time, the bilateral investment is increasingly active and the scope of investment by Chinese enterprises in the central & eastern European region has covered such industries as chemical engineering, machinery, household appliances, telecommunication, automobile, and new energy and is expanding to the fields of agriculture, finance, science &technology, etc., with tremendous development potentials.

According to the incomplete statistics, China’s investment in the central & eastern European region exceeded USD 3.0 billion by the end of 2011, covering the fields of catering,chemical engineering, machinery, color television, bicycle,medicine, wood working, textile, agriculture, etc. Specifically speaking, in Poland, TCL Group made an investment of USD 47.30 million therein in construction of a television factory in 2004, Suzhou Victory Precision Manufacture Co., Ltd. made an investment of USD 22.90 million in construction of an electronics factory, and Guangxi Liugong Group acquired the engineering machinery business of an iron and steel works in Poland in January 2012, with an amount of USD 60.00 million.

In addition, China invested more than USD 400 million in Romania and mainly had a China Tobacco International Europe Company cigarette factory constructed with an investment of UDS 30.00 million; Ningxia Donghui Sports Facilities Co., Ltd.built a bicycle factory with an investment of USD 10.00 million.At the beginning of 2011, Yantai Wanhua Group acquired Hungary BorsodChem at a price of 1.23 billion euros, which was not only the largest acquisition project in central & eastern Europe but also the largest one in Europe. In Czech, Changhong Group invested USD 100 million in construction of a factory and Shanghai Mailing Aquarius Co., Ltd. established a cannery with an investment of USD 10.00 million. Great Wall Motors built an assembly plant in Bulgaria. Both ZTE Corporation and Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. have basically established a subsidiary or representative office in each country and made outstanding achievements in terms of market development.

Unknown “New” Market

In spite of a strong desire for bilateral trade and investment, there is a lack of understanding between Chinese enterprises and the central & eastern European countries.The central & eastern European market is a comparatively new market for Chinese enterprises and it is inevitable to encounter some predictable difficulties in entering a relatively unacquainted market.

It is said that the central & eastern European countries have rigorously meticulous legal provisions on the tendering and bidding, engineering construction and technical specifications for infrastructure construction projects and that all documents should be prepared in the local languages, which brings about some impacts on the Chinese enterprises’ understanding of the local laws & regulations and preparation of relevant documents.Chinese enterprises are not quite familiar with the modes of European company affiliation and joint operation and are not fully adaptive to the local languages, cultures, market system standards and legal systems yet.

What is noteworthy to Chinese enterprises is that the central & eastern European market and technical access conditions are relatively high. For example, both the enterprise qualifications and the occupational qualifications of engineering technical personnel must comply with the requirements of local technical specifications and standards and the personnel of Chinese enterprises must pass relevant local examinations to obtain corresponding qualifications. The construction machinery and materials of Chinese enterprises must pass the European Union’s CE certification or the local certification to enter the local market.

Differences in the languages, cultures and customs affect the communication and exchange between the management personnel of Chinese enterprises and the local employers &working personnel to some extent.

Trade Space to Be Further Opened Up

Although the trade turnover between China and the central& eastern European countries is growing quickly, it is not quite prominent in the whole European trade volume. The EuropeanUnion is the first large trade partner of China. In 2011, the bilateral trade turnover reached USD 567.21 billion and in this way, the trade turnover (USD 52.9 billion) between China and the 16 central & eastern European countries accounted for 9.3%only. It can be seen that the bilateral trade space is to be further opened up.

It is reported that the central & eastern European countries are endowed with favorable agricultural development conditions and comparatively solid industry foundations in general, with the main advantageous industries including the agriculture, wine processing, wood working, dairy product and food processing, clothing and textile, shoe manufacturing,leather processing, mining, motor vehicle, shipbuilding,machine manufacturing, electronic and electric appliances,precision optical instrument, pharmacy & biological agent,communication technology, etc.

In recent years, the central & eastern European countries have enhanced the investment efforts in terms of infrastructure construction for the purpose of vigorous economic growth and have ushered in an infrastructure construction peak.The main scope of infrastructure construction covers the fields of highway, bridge, railway, airport, port, subway, gas transmission pipeline, optical fiber cable transmission as well as municipal construction including water supply & drainage and hotel construction, etc. With China having experienced several decades of development, Chinese enterprises have accumulated rich technical and management experience in the infrastructure construction; the central & eastern European construction peak provides the Chinese enterprises with a valuable opportunity.

The China-Central and Eastern European Countries Economic and Trade Forum celebrated in last April in Warsaw,Poland, brings policy bene fits for China’s entry into the central& eastern European market. The 12 measures proposed by Wen Jiabao at the forum include setting up a USD 10 billion credit line where a certain proportion of preferential loan is allocated to be primarily used for the bilateral cooperation projects in the fields of infrastructure construction, high and new technology, and green economy, etc. The 16 central &eastern European countries can lodge a project application to the China Development Bank, Export-Import Bank of China,Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Bank of China,China Construction Bank and China Citic Bank; China will dispatch a “China Trade and Investment Promotion Delegation”to the central & eastern European countries, promote the Chinese enterprises’ joint construction of one economic and technological park with each country in the future 5 years,and discuss progressively with the 16 countries the content of currency swap, cross-border trade settlement in local currency,mutual bank establishment, etc.

Currently, the China-Central and Eastern Europe Cooperation Secretariat has been established and the USD 10 billion special loans have also been officially initiated. With bilateral efforts, the objective of “striving for a trade turnover of USD 100 billion between China and the 16 central & eastern European countries by 2015” will not be a daydream.