CEO Talk: Christian Sommer + China's medal hopes • China.Table

Christian Sommer: Changing things for the better through dialogue
China’s top medals contenders
Beijing imposes sanctions on USA
Thunderstorms threat more regions
Xi’s secret visit to Tibet
In Profile: Christian Straube from Asienhaus Cologne
So to Speak: To crash one’s career into a wall

Dear reader,

In this Monday’s editorial, we present to you another CEO Talk from Frank Sieren, which is available in this issue of China.Table as an interview. This time, Frank Sieren had a conversation with Christian Sommer, the head of the German Centre in Shanghai. Sommer looks at business in China and international relations from a middle-class perspective: The German Centres are the hub of the local German community.

Sommer warns against an increasing political burden on economic relations, which, in his opinion, can only harm both sides. At the same time, he observes an extremely slow pace in Germany, for example, when it comes to the progress of digitalization. In today’s world, China wants to more actively determine its own destiny, but also that of the global economy. With that being said, China is already the second-biggest economy.

Looking at the Olympic medal table, China is now in the lead after the first Olympic weekend. Six gold medals in three days – this promises great success at the world’s largest sports festival. Our author Michael Radunski followed up closely the disciplines in which the People’s Republic is expected to win big. After all, one thing is clear: President Xi does not want to see another defeat like in the Summer Games in Rio. Five years ago, the socialist sports nation had to contend with a third-place on the medal table. One would consider this as a good result. But, when it comes to China’s public image, especially in Japan – and half a year ahead of the Games in their own country – anything other than first place is almost unthinkable.

Have a good week!

Your
Finn Mayer-Kuckuk

CEO Talk

“Companies want to do business, not politics”

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME’s) are hit heavier by Covid visa regulations than by sanctions between the EU and China, says Christian Sommer, head of the German Centre in Shanghai. Sanctions are of no use, he says, and decoupling does not make sense. Despite all this, China is still dependent on the presence of foreign companies and their employees. But there is no point in forcing Europe to choose between China and the USA. The German Centre is a positive example of how government and business can work together, says Sommer in an interview with Frank Sieren.

Christian Sommer is the son of a notary’s assistant and a master electrician from Kiel. Even after his first contact with China in the 1980s, it was not yet foreseeable that he would spend his life in the Middle Kingdom. Today, he is one of the best-connected figures among German SMEs in Shanghai.

Sommer studied law, specialized in tax law and moved to Shanghai in January 1995 to work for a German law firm. However, he quickly became bored with his job. After two years, he moved to the German Centre Shanghai as deputy director. He then spent six years building up the German Centre in Beijing for Landesbank Baden-Württemberg, only to return to Shanghai – this time as CEO, a position he holds for 15 years now.

However, just one location in Shanghai was neither enough for Sommer nor for the needs of the local German economy. In the meantime, he has opened new branches in Taicang and Qingdao. He now serves hundreds of German companies almost around the clock. Sommer also organizes German-Chinese table tennis tournaments. And he can be seen at music festivals sporting black sunglasses and a bass guitar. His band is called “ShangHigh Voltage” it sounds just like you’d think: A Far East AC/DC with its own songs. But during the day, Christian Sommer is first and foremost Mr. German Centre.

Continue reading now

… and get free access to this Professional Briefing for a month.

Are you already a guest at the China.Table? Log in now