Flanders today JANUARY 21 2009
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N°63
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I N D E P E N D E N T N E W S W ee k l y
The China Issue i
Ferdinand Verbiest, p.16
www . f l anderst o day . E U
China rising
Jimmy Kets
Erkenningsnummer P708816
One is an economic giant, predicted to be the next global superpower, while the other is, by comparison, an economic minnow, whose population of 10 million is half that of Shanghai alone entered into partnership with the Beijing Golden State engineering company, which specialises in environmental protection projects and is, at present, one of the few companies engaged in such work in China. One of the aims is to help China tackle its notorious air pollution problem. Working through its Chinese partner, Waterleau played a role in the development of two flagship venues for last summer’s Olympics – the national stadium and the aquatic park in Beijing. The company was set up in 2000 by five partners, including Willy Gils, who is now its chief operaterleau, an engineer- ating engineer. Eight years later, ing company based near it boasts a 225-strong workforce Leuven, with offices in Antwerp and last year booked a turnover and Charleroi, is one company with its sights on China. It recently Continued on page 4
Martin Banks espite the huge imbalance in size, Belgium and China have well-established trade links, and economic and business connections between the two countries are growing all the time. The global financial meltdown has of course had an impact, but China’s economy is still growing, and several Flemish companies are setting their sights on getting a slice of the potentially lucrative Chinese market.
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Flanders in China
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Manhattan transfer InBev moves 116 top jobs to New York Alan Hope nheuser Busch InBev, the Leuvenbased largest brewer in the world, caused shock waves last week when it announced its plan to move a complete layer of senior management to New York. Following an unspecified transition period, 116 management jobs will move from Leuven to Manhattan. The jobs concerned are currently held by 89 Belgian staff and 27 other nationalities in departments such as finance, personnel, legal and marketing. The reason for the move is the acquisition, completed in November last year,
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Feature 1, 4-5
News 3, 6
of the US brewer Anheuser Busch (AB), which immediately gave it a one-half share in the US market. AB contributes 40% of the company’s total earnings, and InBev sees important growth potential in the US, despite the economic crisis. (Beer is generally regarded as a recession-proof product). The moves should also contribute to savings following the €40 billion takeover. InBev has said it is looking to cut 1,400 jobs in the US – about 6% of the workforce – which is likely to cause problems with the Teamsters union. The powerful American Continued on page 6 Business 7
Arts 9-10
Birdman returns They called him the Birdman of Birmingham when he built a nest on an office building. Now Flemish artist Benjamin Verdonck has laid an egg on top of a museum in Antwerp. 9 Active 11
Straight from the heart
Tea for two
Yasmine writes newspaper columns that are sharp as a nail and sings songs that touch a nerve. On the eve of her new tour, we ask: Is there nothing she can’t do?
It’s cold outside, so wrap up warmly and follow us to some of the best places for hot chocolate or herbal tea. Whether you’re in fashionable Brussels or windswept Ostend, there’s somewhere to escape from the chill this winter.
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Living 13
Agenda 14-15
Profile 16