Mary and Helge Stavonhagen at
the Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center
Mary C. Y. Stavonhagen has recently been
appointed as advisor to the 'Soong Qing Ling Foundation' in Beijing.
She is vice-chairperson of the Beijing
International Society.
She
is also advisor to the president of the 'China Guardian Auction Company', China's largest auction house dealing
in works of art, antiques and fine jewelry. www.cguardian.com
We
are a member of the
Beijing Parkview Tower Owners' Committee. (Parkview Tower)
Mary
C. Y. Stavonhagen, of Manchurian origin and a close relative to Pu Yi, the
Last Emperor, was educated in Japan and Switzerland. She married Helge
Stavonhagen in Tokyo in 1965 and became a German national. Both Mary and
Helge Stavonhagen have lived in Asia for over 40 years and have settled in
Beijing in June of 1994. In Europe the family is based in London. Mary is
advisor to the Soong Qing Ling Foundation and Museum in Beijing as well as
advisor to the China Guardian Auction Company, China's largest auction house
dealing in fine antiques.
Helge
Stavonhagen
Helge
Stavonhagen is a founding member of the Rotary Club of Beijing and a member of the BierConvent
International. He was a member of the Parkview Tower
Owners' Committee in Beijing for 11 years and was its founding chairman. He served as
chairman of the Board of Airline Representative in China for four years and
was the first chairman of the IATA BSP China Panel.
For those of us who believe firmly
that the 21st century belongs to China, opportunities for investment in China's
bright future are plentiful. The constitution of the People's Republic of China
was amended in 1998 and again in 2002 to give equal status and importance to the
private sector in the economic development of the nation. The accession to the
World Trade Organization bodes well: Not only will membership in the WTO enhance
China's opportunities for export but by the same token China's market will
become more accessible to foreigners. We expect China’s GDP to surpass that of
the US by 2050. The year 2008 will be an auspicious year for China and we
believe that GDP growth can easily be maintained at the 7%+ level in
spite of SARS and avian influenza.
Facts:
1999
GDP reached US$990 billion, up 7.1% from 1998
CPI
fell by 1.4%
Trade
surplus was over US$29 billion
Foreign
exchange reserves reached US$155 billion
GDP
grew by over 7% in 2001
GDP is
estimated to have grown by just over 8% in 2002
2003 GDP growth was just
over 9%
Based on PPP,
China is already the second wealthiest nation
GDP growth will be maintained at the 7%+ level in the decade ending 2013
China is about to overtake Germany as the
world's largest exporter
