BEIJING, Nov. 7 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- It's the winning that counts for the companies and individuals who were lauded at the awards ceremony for the inaugural British Business Awards held yesterday in Beijing, China. Led by the British Chamber of Commerce in China, the British Business Awards highlights the strong links between China and the UK and rewards innovation, enterprise and endeavour in the fields of business, education and corporate social responsibility.
Nearly 400 guests gathered at the Westin Chaoyang to celebrate the "Best of British", including the Guest of Honor, HRH The Duke of York, and Mr. Cheng Siwei, Former Vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.
Sir William Ehrman, Ambassador to the People's Republic of China and Patron of the Awards said, "Britain has been doing very well in both trade and investment in China. Last year, there was more Chinese investment in the UK than in any other EU country. And in the first 8 months of this year, Britain's exports of goods to China grew by over 35%. The British Business Awards have proven to be a strong platform to gather the business community and to recognise the significant contributions that everyone has made in bringing our two countries closer."
The winners of the awards were selected by the strength of their written submission, interviews with the judging panel and votes from the public. The winners of the 2008 British Business Awards in China are:
-- Company of the Year, sponsored by UK Trade & Investment
AstraZeneca China
-- Entrepreneur Award, sponsored by BP
Dominic Johnson-Hill, Plastered T-Shirts
-- Alumnus Award, sponsored by British Council
Yan Xin Min, Volvo Event Management
-- Innovative Product or Service Award, sponsored by Jardine OneSolution
Hayward-Tyler Pumps Kunshan
-- Corporate Social Responsibility Programme Award, sponsored by Standard
Chartered Bank
GlaxoSmithKline
-- Young Icebreaker Award, sponsored by the 48 Group Club
Fan Zhen Xin, Amber Design & Public Relations
Jim James, Director of EASTWEST PR and Chairman of the British Business Awards said, "The Awards have been made possible through the generosity and tireless efforts of our supporting organisations, sponsors, judges and partners. I would like to thank the business community that has supported the Awards so enthusiastically through their participation and Congratulations to the winners!"
Quotes
Company of the Year
-- “We are delighted to receive the Company of the Year Award as
it recognizes and rewards our commitments to China as one of
the biggest multi-country company HQ in Britain. Our mission
is to provide products to help people live a healthy live.
This is not a slogan but a real commitment. A commitment that
we have worked towards in the past and are dedicated to continue
into the future. “- Amy Y.L. Ng, Senior Vice President Corporate
Affairs, AstraZeneca
-- "UK Trade & Investment has two jobs - to attract high quality
investment into the UK and to support British business overseas.
Tonight at the British Business Awards, we really had the best
of British business and it was a great privilege to be able to
sponsor the Company of the Year Award. This event was a flying
start and I look forward to even better things next year" --
Alastair Morgan, Director of Trade & Investment China
Entrepreneur Award
-- “Plastered T-Shirts is a tribute to grassroots business in China.
I started this business with ￡5000, and this year we have a
turnover of ￡500,000. What we’ve managed to do at Plastered
T-Shirts is take a very simple and creative idea and make it
happen, through perseverance and commitment.” -- Dominic
Johnson-Hill, Plastered T-Shirts
Alumnus Award
-- “It is a great surprise and honour to receive the Alumnus Award
this evening. A big thank you needs to go to the British Council.
The Chevening scholarship Award made it possible for me to study
in the UK. Without their support, my dream of doing what I love
to do would never have come true.” -- Yan Xin Min, Volvo Event
Management
-- “We’re really pleased for Yan Xin Min as she really demonstrates
the energy and enthusiasm of alumni who have been to the UK,
studied hard and come back to really make a difference in China.
With over 65,000 Chinese students in the UK at any one time,
there are many alumni and the British Council is proud of all of
them.” -- Robin Rickard, Deputy Director of the British Council
Mainland China, and Director of the British Council Beijing
Innovative Product or Service Award
-- “Hayward-Tyler is 200 years old and we have been doing business
with China for the last 24 years. China is really developing,
with its infrastructure providing more power to its growing
cities, towns and villages. Hayward-Tyler is proud to be part of
this process. This is a great culmination of all our efforts.”
-- John Ling, Director and General Manager, Hayward-Tyler Pumps
Kunshan
-- “Jardine OneSolution provides innovative IT solutions to
corporations and therefore we are proud to be able to recognise
those companies that are really dedicated to innovating their
products and services.” – Thomas Wan, Managing Director, Jardine
OneSolution China Ltd.
Corporate Social Responsibility Award
-- “It is a great honor to be here to receive this award on behalf
of GlaxoSmithKline. GSK has over a hundred years of history in
China, and we have committed to be a firm corporate citizen,
helping people do more, feel better and live longer.” –Shufen Wen
, Legal Affairs Director, GlaxoSmithKline
-- “As a British company which has stood firmly by its sustainability
principles in China for the past 150 years, Standard Chartered is
delighted to lead the way by example by sponsoring the 'CSR
Programme of the Year' award. We recognise that a corporate
citizen can make a real difference in addressing global challenges
and creating a sustainable business environment, and from the large
number of outstanding entries received for this competition, we are
happy to know that many companies share our vision.” - Ms Lyn Kok,
Managing Director and General Manager of Beijing Branch, Standard
Chartered Bank (China) Limited
Young Icebreaker Award
-- “This Award means a lot to me as it recognizes both myself and my
company from the west side of China. Additionally, I am very happy
that this award identifies work in the middle part of China. So I
would like to thank all the judges and supporters and say welcome
to China, welcome to Chongqing.”- Fan Zhen Xin, Account Director of
Amber Design& Public Relations
-- “The 48 Group started on a long journey of helping China and the
West find each other. This work of icebreaking is still relevant
today. As Premier Wen Jiabao said - it is up to the next generation
to truly leave the past behind and find their way to a new
relationship. Our award is in that spirit.” - Stephen Perry,
Chairman, The 48 Group Club
British Chamber of Commerce
-- “What we have seen tonight is some of the very best in British
business, recognising innovation, enterprise and endeavour, and we
are very proud to be once again at the forefront of raising the
profile of British business in China.”– Nigel Clark, Chairman of
the British Chamber of Commerce
About the Awards
The British Business Awards are organised by the British Chamber of Commerce, Beijing, to recognise and reward people who are building businesses and brands in China through innovation, enterprise and endeavour. More information can be found at http://www.britishbusinessawards.cn .
The British Embassy
British Embassy in Beijing is one of Britain's largest overseas Embassies and aims to promote the interests of the United Kingdom and contribute to a strong world community. Sir William Ehrman, Ambassador to the People's Republic of China, is the patron of the British Business Awards. http://www.uk.cn
UK Trade & Investment
UK Trade & Investment is the British Government organisation that helps UK based companies succeed in international markets and assists overseas companies to bring high quality investment to the UK's vibrant economy. http://www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk UK Trade & Investment is the sponsor of the Company of the Year category. For more information, please contact Mr. Doug Matheson at douglas.matheson@fco.gov.uk
British Chamber of Commerce in China
British Chamber of Commerce in China is an independent, not-for-profit membership-based organisation with over 2000 members nationally that provides connectivity for British Business in China. For more information, please contact Ms. Kate Alden at marketing@pek.britcham.org
British Council
British Council connects people worldwide with learning opportunities and creative ideas from the UK and builds lasting relationships between the UK and other countries. For more information, please visit http://www.britishcouncil.org.cn . British Council runs an Alumni UK network, providing opportunities for UK alumni to expand their social network and develop their career. It is the sponsor of the Alumnus of the Year category. For more information, visit http://www.educationuk.cn/alumniuk or contact Ms. Zhang Meng at zhang.meng@britishcouncil.org.cn .
China-Britain Business Council
China British Business Council, with nearly 1000 members globally, is the UK's leading organisation helping British companies do business in China. For more information, please contact Mr. Brian Outlaw at brian.outlaw@cbbc.org.cn
Confederation of British Industry
The CBI is an independent, business-funded organisation with over 350 members in China, representing multinationals, SMEs and sector organisations via its Beijing, Brussels, Washington and the UK offices. For more information, please contact Mr. Guy Dru Drury at guydd@cbi.org.uk
The 48 Group Club
The 48 Group Club is an independent business network committed to promoting positive relations with China since the early 1950's. The 48 Group Club is the sponsor of the Young Icebreaker Award. For more information, please contact Ms. Jean Jameson at admin@48groupclub.org.
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