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BritCham Chairman CNY Message 广东英国商会主席新春祝辞
As we welcome the Year of Ox, Mr Jeremy Sargent OBE, Chairman of BritCham GD sent his best wishes to our members and friends. What comments did our Chairman make for the past year and what expectations does he have for the new year ahead for the Chamber? 新春辞旧迎新之际，广东英国商会主席赵利民先生给大家拜年啦！对过去一年的工作成果和新年的一年发展，主席先生做出了怎样的评价和展望？
Jeremy Sargent OBE 赵利民先生 Chairman of British Chamber of Commerce Guangdong 广东英国商会主席 Dear Members and Friends of the British Chamber of Commerce Guangdong, 尊敬的广东英国商会的会员朋友和合作伙伴们： As the Year of Rat draws to a close, there is no better a time to briefly reflect on the past year and to ponder the year ahead. As we are all aware, the past year has been hugely challenging for most of us in a multitude of ways, both professionally and personally. The impact on many of our businesses has been enormous against a global recession of epic proportions. On an individual level too, the losses we have suffered and the uncertainties we have faced, and still face, have taken their toll on many. 欢乐吉庆的牛年即将来临，在这辞旧迎新之际，没有比这更好的时机来回顾过去、展望未来了：过去一年对我们大多数人来说，无论是在商业、职场还是个人生活方面都面临着巨大的挑战。我们许多企业都遭受着疫情带来的席卷全球的经济冲击；在个人层面上，经济上的损失、我们曾面临及仍然面临的不确定性因素也给许多人带来重大的打击。 If there has ever been a time for unity and support for those around us, including our front line health workers across the globe, surely now is that time. 如果说我们每个个体——也包括在全球各地的一线医疗卫生工作者——需要一个团结各方资源、彼此支持扶持的时刻，那么受疫情严重冲击的当下，就是最佳时机。 The British Chamber of Commerce Guangdong has been no exception. Back in the dark days of spring 2020, we were also facing great uncertainty and questions marks on our very survival. But I am proud that we soldiered on, in the spirit that we have come to represent within the community, and prevailed during such difficult times. We continued to support our Members as best we could under the circumstances. 对于广东英国商会来说，疫情对我们的冲击也毫不例外。当我们回望 2020 年春天遭受疫情冲击的灰暗时期，整个商会也面临着巨大的不确定性和生存挑战。尽管如此，让我感到自豪的是，凭借我们社群所代表的守望相助、勇往直前的精神，我们仍然继续奋战下去，并在如此困难的时期取得了胜利，继续尽最大努力通过各种方式支持我们的会员社群。 Our offerings in 2020 included nearly 40 online webinars and offline events, business networking opportunities, a highly successful visit by Her Majesty’s Ambassador Ms Caroline Wilson, participation in the Business Sentiment Survey to name but a few. 在 2020 年，广东英国商会为会员企业及社群提供了近 40 场线上线下活动，其中包括在线网络研讨会和线下活动，如主办及协助举办各种商业交流和社交活动、英国新任驻华大使吴若兰（Caroline Wilson）女士首次到访广东并与企业代表会面、参与在华英国企业商业信心调查报告（Business Sentiment Survey）等等。
We were deeply honoured back in June 2020 to have received the praises from Her Majesty The Queen for British Chamber’s contribution towards to the business community. 2020 年 6 月，我们非常荣幸地收到了英女王陛下的感谢信，肯定了英国商会在特殊时期为商界做出的贡献。
On behalf of the Executive Committee of the British Chamber of Commerce Guangdong, I wish to extend our warmest thanks to our Members, friends and our dedicated team for their support and positivity throughout the year, without which we would not be where we are today. 我谨代表广东省英国商会委员会全体成员，向各位商会会员、合作伙伴及朋友和我们敬业的工作团队表示最热烈的感谢！感谢他们在这一年里给予我们全体广东英国商会社群的乐观积极的态度和大力支持，没有他们，我们就不会有今天的成绩。 On a positive note, we are also delighted to have seen the continuation of healthy trade and investment relations between the UK and Guangdong Province. The UK shares a long-standing, vibrant and multi-faceted economic relationship with Guangdong. In the past four decades, the UK has invested nearly 1,000 foreign investment projects in Guangdong, worth a total value of 4.18 billion US Dollars, which makes UK the biggest European investor in Guangdong. The UK is China’s second largest trading partner in Europe. 从积极的方面来看，我们也很高兴看到英国和中国广东省继续保持着健康的贸易和投资关系——英国与中国广东的经济关系源远流长，呈现生机勃勃、多元发展的良好势头。近四十年来，英国在广东投资了近千个外商投资项目，总投资额达 41.8 亿美元，是欧洲在广东投资最多的国家。英国也是中国在欧洲的第二大贸易伙伴。 In 2020, the two-way merchandise trade volume reached $92.4bn, following Germany. Guangdong is UK’s largest trading partner in China, with $19.3bn worth trade in goods in 2020, up 4.3% year on year despite Covid-19 fallout on global trade. It made up for around one fifth of total volume between the two countries. 2020 年，双边商品贸易额达到 924 亿美元，仅次于德国。需要特别指出的是，广东目前仍是英国在中国最大的贸易伙伴——尽管新冠疫情对全球贸易产生了巨大的冲击，但到 2020 年，广东的货物贸易总额为 193 亿美元，同比增长 4.3%。约占两国贸易总量的五分之一。 Turning to the future, we have been busier than ever making plans over the past few weeks and are now ready to face the Year of the Ox with renewed confidence and vigour. Our main focus for this coming year will include: 放眼未来，我们在过去的几周里忙着制定新一年的工作计划，正准备以饱满的信心和活力迎接牛年的到来！我们今年的主要工作重点将包括： Event Focuses: 2021 年活动重点： >An increased focus on industry-specific group discussions and information sharing opportunities – helping Members address challenges and other operational issues. >更加注重行业小组讨论和信息共享机会，以帮助成员应对日常运营中所面临的现实挑战与问题。 > Annual Flagship Events such as Greater Bay Area Industrial Outlook, Women in Business, British Day and Christmas Gala to provide networking platform for our Members with both business and cultural themes, to raise awareness of our BritCham community locally as well as to provide marketing opportunities for our Members via sponsorship programmes. >通过举办广东英国商会年度旗舰活动，如：大湾区行业趋势展望研讨会、杰出商业女性论坛、英国日嘉年华和年度圣诞晚会等，为我们的会员提供商业及文化主题的交流活动平台，提高广东英国商会社群在本土市场的知名度，并通过赞助计划为我们的会员提供品牌宣传的亮相契机。
Increased Collaboration with Government and Industry Associations and Similar Stakeholders: 加强与政府和行业协会及相关合作伙伴的交流与合作： > Developing our membership and networks based on our currently strong membership representation in areas such as education, business services and hospitality >基于目前在教育、商业服务和酒店等行业长期强大的会员基础，继续发展壮大我们的会员网络。 > Pay greater attention to prevailing industry in the GBA with synergies with UK business including fin-tech, finance, trading and supply chain. >更多关注粤港澳大湾区的重点行业，特别是能与英国领先行业形成协同效应、优势互补的领域，包括金融科技、金融、贸易和供应链等。 > Partnering with UK government, local Chinese government departments, business associations and other stakeholders to develop business synergies and channel resources and business opportunities to our Members and the wider business community. >加强与英国政府、中国地方政府部门、行业协会及其他相关合作伙伴的交流与合作，帮助我们的会员企业和个人链接到和更广泛的资源网络和商业机会。 No matter whether you are a UK business seeking business opportunities within Guangdong, a Guangdong-based business developing business connections with the UK, and you share similar values to us, we welcome you to “join the dots” as part of our friendly, welcoming and open BritCham family. 无论您是在广东寻找商机的英国企业、或是希望与英国建立业务联系的广东企业，如果您与我们拥有相同的价值观和商业追求，我们都非常欢迎您加入我们这个友好、热情、开放的广东英国商会大家庭！ Finally, on behalf of the British Chamber of Commerce Guangdong, I wish to take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful CNY and a happy, healthy and prosperous Year of the Ox. 最后借此机会，我谨代表广东省英国商会全体同仁，祝大家春节快乐，牛年健康兴旺！ Best regards, 顺祝商祺 Jeremy Sargent OBE 赵利民先生 Chairman of British Chamber of Commerce Guangdong 广东英国商会主席
Seasoned China lawyer and entrepreneur with over 20 years’ experience living and working in China; 经验丰富的律师和企业家，在中国生活和工作超过 20 年； A fluent Mandarin speaker, completed his first degree in Chinese at Leeds University in the UK; 获英国利兹大学中文学位，普通话流利； Established “The Happy Monk”, the first gastro pub concept in Guangzhou in 2009, which has grown to become an award-winning brand in the hospitality industry, with a team of 180 employees, operating five busy downtown locations; 2009 年创立广州首家 The Happy Monk 概念餐吧，目前已发展成为本土餐饮业知名品牌，多次获得行业大奖，拥有 180 名员工的团队，在广州市中心区域拥有五家连锁餐厅； Executive MBA Degree Holder of a joint programme offered by Columbia University Business School, London Business School and Hong Kong University Business School; 获哥伦比亚大学商学院、伦敦商学院和香港大学商学院联合办学的工商管理硕士学位； Awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition to his services on behalf of British businesses and legal services in China. 被英国女王伊丽莎白二世授予 OBE 爵位，以表彰其所代表英国企业和中国法律服务机构所提供的卓越服务和成就。 |
