Sunday, November 24, 2013

Hong Kong communications company Cronos sets in Barcelona

From http://www.lavanguardia.com/economia/20131124/54394458225/hong-kong-cronos-group-abre-oficina-en-barcelona.html (in Spanish)

Before the end of 2013 and backed by Invest in Catalonia, the office of the Catalan government to promote foreign investments in the regions, the Hong Kong communications company Cronos Group will open an office in the city of BarcelonaCronos Group is a telecommunications provider that is already in 80 countries and that has chosen Barcelona as the see of their Spanish headquarters because of the business atmosphere brought by the annual Mobile World Congress organized in the Catalan capital. These new offices are expected to created around 25 new jobs.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Roundtable in Barcelona about the art of translation of Chinese literature

From http://www.casaasia.eu/actividad/detalle?id=212399 (in English)

Chinese literature is getting an increasing attention in Spain, since the work of Chinese writers is becoming more and more common among the Spanish publishing companies and the books are appearing often in the shelves and windows of bookshops.

The putonghua or standard Chinese is the most spoken language in the world, but its richness, semantic ambiguity and complexity make it one of hardest languages to translate. Recently, and thanks to the work of a new wave of Catalan and Spanish translators, Chinese authors now can be read in Catalan and Spanish directly translated from the original version and not from translations from other languages, as it used to happen.

According to the organizers, this roundtable will allow attendants to hear directly from the specialists on this matter about the challenges posed by the translation of Chinese literature into Catalan and Spanish. All guests is a specialist in this field and will share with attendants their personal experience in translating classic and comtemporary Chinese literature.

Speakers:

This event will take place on Tuesday, November 26th, 2013 at the Casa Àsia Headquarters in Barcelona, at the Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau (street Sant Antoni Maria Claret, 167) and it will be presented by Rafael Bueno, Director of Politics and Society of Casa Àsia.

Free admission with limited capacity. Registration is needed before November 24th by sending your name, surname and ID/passport number to cnavarro.becarios@casaasia.es.

 

Thursday, November 21, 2013

A Chinese fund provides 4.5 million € to Catalan water company

From http://www.diaridegirona.cat/economia/2013/11/21/fons-xines-aporta-4-milions/644582.html (in Catalan)

Xavier Doló, CEO of Clean Tech Dolo Group, will be able to produce and sell Hydromatch, the device invented by himself five years ago to produce drinking water from the of water vapor in the air, thanks to a Chinese fundClean Tech Dolo Group will receive 4.5 million € in 3 years and also will be introduced in the Chinese market. Hydromatch can produce up to 6,800 litres/day of pure drinking water extracted from the humidity of the air, something very interesting for a country like China with areas in which there is a severe water pollution. Xavier Doló's goal is to produce the two first portable machines in the forthcoming 6 months, to later start the serial production of two machines per day. The factory is planned to be built in Sant Joan de les Abadesses (Girona province, Catalonia), where the prototype has been developed, which is expected to help improve the local economy. Once in full production phase, expected sales can reach 50 million €/year.

 

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Zhou Mengxin wins Spanish ICEX gastronomy contest

From http://www.vi-franc.com/la-xinesa-zhou-mengxin-guanya-el-concurs-que-clausura-el-vi-programa-de-formacio-en-gastronomia-de-licex (in Catalan)

Cava Regulatory Board has taken part in the 6th Program of Gastronomy Learning of ICEX, that has ended with the 6th Tapas International Contest of Valladolid (Spain). The young Chinese cook, Zhou Mengxin, has been the winner of this edition, which has the objective that contestants reflect in his/her own recipes the tastes and techniques learned during their stages in some of the best restaurants in Spain. The tapa by Zhou Mengxin that was awarded with the first price, given by the Cava Regulatory Board, has been salmorejo with iberian ham in crunchy rice. Geneva Melby, from United States, and Rafal Wojtasik, from Poland, have won the second and third prize, respectively. Zhou Mengxin, as winner, will be appointed as honour member of the Cava Regulatory Board during the Cava Week of 2014, and will also give a master class at the Tourism University School of Barcelona.

 

Friday, November 15, 2013

Catalan Minister of Agriculture confirms Chinese interest on Catalan food products

From http://www.lavanguardia.com/local/tarragona/20131109/54393924649/pelegri-confirma-l-interes-creixent-de-la-xina-per-productes-catalans-com-el-vi-l-oli-el-formatge-o-.html (in Catalan)

Catalan Minister of Agriculture, Josep Maria Pelegrí, has confirmed the Chinese interest on Catalan food products such as wine, olive oil, cheese or fruit, as stated by the participation of 14 Catalan companies on a food and beverages trade fair recently organized in Shanghai.

The goal of the event is to offer direct contact of those companies with Chinese importers and distributors in order to introduce and consolidate their products in the Chinese market. The Catalan products promoted in this trade fair are olive oil, coffee, wine, spirits, fruit, cava wine, honey and sweets (torrons, a Christmas traditional desert, and candies).

According to statistics from the Department of Agriculture of the Catalan government, the exports of Catalan food products to China is growing annually by 13%. Economic growth, urban development, the growth of the Chinese middle class, the diversification of the diet and the increase in the consumption of western products represent an opportunity for the local companies to improve their sales.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Third edition of China at Barcelona Summit

From http://www.europapress.es/catalunya/noticia-centenar-empresas-chinas-mediterraneo-estudian-abrir-sede-barcelona-20131106181850.html (in Spanish)

Around one hundred Chinese companies already working in the Mediterranean area are considering to establish their headquarters in Barcelona, after their participation in the third edition of the China at Barcelona Summit, aimed at promoting Chinese investments in this city.

Organized by the Barcelona Chamber of CommerceMazars, and Invest in CataloniaChina at Barcelona Summit has also had the institutional support of the Barcelona City CouncilCasa Àsia and IEMed, and has gathered the investment agencies of Shanghai and Beijing, as well as ShineWing, a certified public accounting firm with 3,000 words. Another important participant was the China Africa Business Council, a Beijing-based institution that represents around 550 Chinese companies working in Africa and whose General Secretary, Bai Xiaofeng, has accepted to explain the advantages of Barcelona as main investment hub in Southern Europe.

One of the sessions that has raised more interest has been the one dealing with the new Spanish regulations for entrepreneurs, that will ease the concession of visas and residence permits to foreign investors that would by properties worth at least 500,000 euro.  The participants also have known several investment projects in northern Africa, either promoted or managed by Barcelona-based institutions, such as the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean.

During the opening ceremony, the Catalan Minister of Business and Employment, Felip Puig, and the President of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Miquel Valls, highlighted the dedicated efforts of Barcelona and Catalonia to become a hub for Chinese companies with interests in Northern Africa and the Mediterranean. Felip Puig also mentioned the privileged and strategic location of Catalonia.

The meeting also seen the participation of the General Secretary of Casa ÀsiaMontserrat Riba, the partner of Mazars in China, Chen Bing, and the President of IEMed, Senen Florensa.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Talk with Yu Hua in Barcelona

From http://www.casaasia.eu/actividad/detalle?id=212101 (in English)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"]Yu Hua (image from Casa Asia website) Yu Hua (image from Casa Asia website)[/caption]

The Master in Chinese Studies of Universitat Pompeu Fabra, in collaboration with Editorial Males Herbes, CCCB-Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona and Casa Asia are organizing a talk with Chinese writer Yu Hua (余华) in Barcelona on November 5, 2013. The renowned writer will give a talk entitled "The Frozen Story: Between Kafka and Lu Xun" and together with Carles Prado, teacher at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra and specialist in Chinese literature, will discuss about the deep economic, political and social changes experimented by China since the end of the Cultural Revolution.

How has Chinese literature reflected this giant transformation? What evolution has literary production experimented since Mao Zedong's death? Why is Yu Hua's innovative prose so crude and heartbreaking? These are some of the questions Yu Hua will analyse in this dialogue within the framework of the opening lecture of the Master in Chinese Studies of Universitat Pompeu Fabra. The event coincides with the publication of the first translation into Catalan of Yu Hua's work The past and the punishments (El passat i els càstigs, Males Herbes, 2013).

The event will take place at the CCCB-Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (Montalegre, 5, 08001 Barcelona) and will be presented by Ricard Planas, Director of Editorial Males Herbes and is scheduled to start at 7:30 pm. Free admission until room's full capacity.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="192"]El passat i els càstigs, by Yu Hua (image from the website of Editorial Males Herbes) El passat i els càstigs, by Yu Hua (image from the website of Editorial Males Herbes)[/caption]