Minister Steinmeier - AHKs

Preface
The GC Ticker is the internal bi-monthly newsletter
of the German Chamber of Commerce in China.
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German Chamber of Commerce in China
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Ms. Kristen Robinson (Shanghai)
Editorial Team
Mr. Walter Jansen (Beijing)
Mr. Kilian Becker (Guangzhou)
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Germany at the Games special supplement
edited by GCC • Beijng
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August - September 2008 | 4
The Games Are Here!
Dear Reader,
After years of anticipation, the Beijing
2008 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games
are here. They will have lasting significance
for China’s further domestic development
and its global presence. Numerous German
companies have participated in providing
solutions for China’s Olympic preparations
that will make long term improvements in
infrastructure, transportation, environmental
protection, the efficient use of energy
and sustainable urban development. These
projects will serve as models for development
throughout China in the coming
years, and will not only improve the lives of
the Chinese people, but also the well-being
of billions around the globe, as the air and
water become cleaner and fewer resources
are used.
German Vice-Chancellor Frank Walter Steinmeier’s
opening of the Chongqing Dialogue
on Urbanization in June was a symbol
of the importance Germany attaches to
these developments. Under the umbrella
of Germany and China – Moving Ahead
Together, the urbanization conference was
the first in a number of similar dialogues
on sustainability planned for other cities
around China.
Well-equipped with the German Chamber’s
Beijing 2008 Pocket Guide, visitors from
overseas and across China are streaming
to Beijing and the other host cities to
enjoy the feeling of sporting competition,
see the sights and soak up the culture.
Created by the German Chamber of Commerce
in China • Beijing in preparation
for the Games, the Guide provides detailed
information about the land and its people.
The German Chamber of Commerce in China
Visitors seem truly stunned by the sights
and the audacious Olympic venues. They
would be even more impressed if they
knew the details of the low voltage power
circuits, rainwater recovery systems, solar
power generation, special reflective coatings,
transportation, medical and lighting
systems, and, yes, the artwork that
Germans have contributed to the Olympic
sites and supporting infrastructure. In the
20 page Olympic Supplement to this issue
of the GC Ticker, we are presenting a sampling
of these activities as well as what’s
hot in sports, how Germans are involved,
and what the Olympics and Paralympics
are all about.
In all of the joy of the Olympics, however,
we must not forget the sorrow of those in
China’s southwest, who experienced the
tragic Sichuan earthquake. We continue to
offer our condolences and are proud of the
significant sum of money raised by our
member companies and their employees,
the generous contributions made by the
German people, and the ambitious plans
to rebuild schools in the affected areas
being coordinated by the German government.
Numerous German companies sent
medical supplies and equipment, water
treatment plants, power supplies, battery
powered lighting, power tools, and food in
the first hour of need. The fully equipped
field hospital provided by Germany surely
promoted the rapid recovery of many.
During this great challenge, the Chinese
people continue to persevere in the true
spirit of Olympians and Paralympians. We
wish China a memorable Olympics and
Sichuan a successful recovery!
Enjoy reading!
Dr. Richard Hausmann
Chairman of the German Chamber of Commerce in China, Beijing
President and CEO of Siemens Ltd. China