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In a remote village in the Malaysian jungle, an elderly craftsman reportedly has a picture of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning football team pinned to the wall of his workshop, which he proudly shows to British tourists after politely enquiring about the health of Her Majesty the Queen, writes Colin Ellson.
Proof, perhaps, that despite Britain’s often difficult dealings with the nations of the Far East in the days of Empire, there is a lingering affection for our traditions and sporting heritage. The point is emphasised by UK Trade & Investment, which stresses export potential in every country in the region. Even China, once the Forbidden Kingdom in terms of foreign trade, and now the world’s fastest-growing economy.
China might not be the easiest market to crack, but the opportunities are awesome in a country with over one billion consumers; it is our largest export market in Asia, buying some £4billion worth of goods a year – and growing. Scroll down the UKTI list of export opportunities and little is missing, from aerospace to telecoms, advanced engineering to oil and gas, and financial services to footwear and fashion.
Not much is missing, either, from the choice of flights from the UK to the Far East, with direct services to most destinations, or convenient connections from Europe or the Gulf. But like airlines everywhere, those of the region are flying through difficult times, although most seem to be weathering the economic storm. The exception is Japan Airlines, which has filed for bankruptcy, but claims it will be back to business as usual pending restructuring.
Conversely, China Airlines is due to launch the first non-stop services between Heathrow and Taipei on March 28, when Emirates will inaugurate flights from Dubai to Tokyo. In addition, Singapore Airlines is fitting new cabin interiors on its Boeing 777s; Korean Air is installing next generation premium seats on 32 aircraft in its medium- and long-haul fleets; ANA is launching new products and services; and Qantas and Emirates are introducing more A380 super jumbos on key routes.
With good air services and the goodwill of its people, doing business in the Far East looks like an opportunity not to be missed.
Bandar Seri Begawan
Located on the northern shore of the island of Borneo, the capital of Brunei, known as BSB, is the dynamo of an oil-rich state, its economy based on a mix of domestic and foreign investment, finance, commerce, tourism and government. Crude oil and natural gas account for some 50 per cent of GDP in this peaceful city, with its ornate main mosque and splendid gold towers.
The only direct flights from the UK to BSB are operated by Royal Brunei, which flies daily from London Heathrow via Dubai. Another alternative is to transit through regional gateways such as Singapore or Kuala Lumpur.
Beijing
Triggered by the need to accommodate more than 11,000 athletes for the 2008 Summer Olympics, development in the Chinese capital is proceeding at a rapid pace as it consolidates its position at the centre of the world’s fastest-growing economy. China’s second-largest city, Beijing is the political, educational and cultural hub of the People’s Republic, with finance among its most important industries. The new central business district is home to a variety of corporate regional headquarters, and Zhongguancun has been dubbed ‘China’s Silicon Valley’ for its many hi-tech companies.
British Airways and Air China both fly to Beijing daily from London Heathrow. Lufthansa offers a daily service from Frankfurt and five flights a week out of Munich, KLM seven departures a week from Amsterdam Schipol, Finnair flies daily from Helsinki, and Air France 12 a week from Paris Charles de Gaulle. From the Gulf, Qatar Airways flies from Doha and Etihad from Abu Dhabi, both four times a week, while Emirates departs twice-daily from Dubai.
Guangzhou
Guangzhou is the main manufacturing centre of the Pearl River Delta, and a national economic zone. The pillar industries include chemicals, foodstuffs, electronics, metal fabrication, shipbuilding, petrochemicals, automobiles, IT and R&D.
China Southern Airlines serves Guangzhou from Heathrow, flying three times a week via Paris, plus the same frequency through Amsterdam. Lufthansa and Air France both operate a similar timetable, from Frankfurt and Paris CDG respectively. Qatar Airways flies four times a week from its Doha hub, and Emirates flies daily from Dubai.
Shanghai
Situated at the mouth of the Yangtze River on China’s central eastern coast, Shanghai has traded internationally since 1842, when the Treaty of Nanking opened up the country to foreign entrepreneurs. Flourishing as a centre of commerce between east and west, it had already become a multinational business hub by the 1930s, and the cargo port has grown to be the largest in the world. Noted for historic landmarks such as the Bund and the City God Temple, Shanghai is today the showpiece of the world’s fastest-growing economy.
From Heathrow, Virgin Atlantic flies daily to Shanghai, while BA and China Eastern Airlines offer five and four flights a week respectively. Lufthansa operates daily from Frankfurt and Munich, KLM flies 12 times a week from Amsterdam, Finnair flies daily from Helsinki, and Air France has 14 departures a week from Paris CDG. Qatar Airways flies five times weekly from Doha; Emirates operates twice-daily out of Dubai.
Shenzen
Most of Apple’s iPods, iPhones, and notebooks are made in this hi-tech city in Southern China. It is also home to Lenovo, the Chinese conglomerate that bought the personal computing division of IBM in 2005 and now manufactures its line of ThinkPad notebooks here. The prosperous economy is largely due to continuing foreign investment in factories and in forming joint ventures, and the city is the region’s main financial centre.
There are no direct services from the UK to Shenzen, which means flying via either Guangzhou or Hong Kong.
Hong Kong
A Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, the former British colony is free to operate its own economic and political systems. This has enabled it to maintain its position as one of the world’s leading financial centres. Renowned for its dramatic skyline and natural harbour, the city has the greatest concentration of corporate headquarters in the Asia-Pacific region. The economy is dominated by the service sector, which contributes over 90 per cent of GDP, the remainder made up by industries manufacturing items such as auto parts, electronics, IT equipment, textiles and toys.
From Heathrow, Cathay Pacific flies to Hong Kong four times a day, BA twice-daily, and Virgin and Qantas daily. Lufthansa operates daily from Frankfurt and four times a week from Munich, KLM seven times a week from Amsterdam, Finnair daily from Helsinki and Air France has a dozen flights a week from Paris. Qatar Airways offers a daily service from Doha, and Emirates flies twice-daily from Dubai.
Jakarta
Located on the north west coast of Java, Jakarta was the capital of the Dutch East Indies until after World War Two, when Indonesia gained its independence and it retained its status as capital of the new republic. The economy is dependent on financial services, the service sector and industries including electronics, chemicals and the sciences.
BA flies daily from Heathrow to Hong Kong, with the onward leg to Jakarta flown by Cathay Pacific. Lufthansa operates daily services from Frankfurt to Jakarta via Singapore, and KLM has seven flights a week from Amsterdam. Qatar Airways and Etihad serve the capital seven times a week from Doha and Abu Dhabi respectively, and Emirates flies 11 times weekly from Dubai.
Kyoto
Attracting worldwide attention on the signing of the Kyoto Accord on the reduction of greenhouse gases in 1997, the city in the centre of Honshu Island was once Japan’s imperial capital. Today, the consequent cultural heritage is a significant contributor to the economy in terms of tourism, while the major industries are IT and electronics, represented by the headquarters of companies such as Nintendo, among others.
There are no direct services from the UK to Kyoto. The nearest gateway is Nagoya, served four times a week by Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
Osaka
Japan’s second city, at the mouth of the Yodo River on Honshu Island, is the country’s commercial capital, and functions as one of the command centres of the national economy. Sharp, Panasonic and Sanyo are all big players in town, along with the iron and steel, textiles, chemicals and printing industries.
British Airways flies from Heathrow to Narita twice-daily, with the onward leg to Osaka flown by Japan Airlines. Lufthansa serves the city daily from Frankfurt, KLM flies seven times a week from Amsterdam, the same frequency as Air France operates from Paris CDG, while Finnair flies five times a week from Helsinki. Qatar Airways and Emirates operate daily, from Doha and Dubai respectively.
Tokyo
According to various surveys, workers in the Japanese capital earn the highest salaries on earth. Just as well. The 2009 Economist Intelligence Unit global cost of living review named the city the world’s most expensive. On the island of Honshu, Tokyo is a major international finance centre, with several of the largest investment banks and insurance companies sited here. Many big firms have made the capital their centre of operations in order to be on hand to pitch for major government contracts.
Tokyo is served from Heathrow by BA twice-daily, while daily schedules are operated from London by Virgin, Japan Airlines and ANA. Lufthansa flies daily from both Frankfurt and Munich, KLM flies seven times a week from Amsterdam, Finnair flies daily from Helsinki, and Air France has 20 flights a week from Paris CDG. Qatar Airways, meanwhile, operates a one-stop daily service from Doha, Etihad flies five times a week from Abu Dhabi, and from March 28, Emirates departs daily from Dubai.
Yokohama
The commercial hub of the Greater Tokyo Area, Yokohama developed rapidly as Japan’s principal port following the end of the country’s relative isolation in the mid-19th century, and remains an important gateway for sea trade. The city has a strong economic base, particularly in the shipbuilding, biotechnology, and semiconductor sectors. Nissan is due to move its headquarters from Tokyo to Yokohama this year.
There are no direct flights from the UK to Yokohama, which means flying to an international gateway city in Japan and catching a domestic service onwards.
Kuala Lumpur
The capital of Malaysia is home to the world’s highest twin towers, the Petronas, reflecting its stature as the country’s centre for government, finance, insurance, real estate, the media and the arts. On the west coast of peninsular Malaysia, KL has an economy dominated by the service sector, which accounts for 83 per cent of employment, the balance made up of manufacturing and construction. A large number of both local and foreign banks and insurance companies operate in the city.
From Heathrow, Malaysia Airlines serves Kuala Lumpur twice-daily, while BA flies daily to Hong Kong, the onward sector to Malaysia operated by Cathay Pacific. In addition, Air Asia flies to KL daily from London Stansted. Lufthansa operates four times a week from Frankfurt (via Bangkok); KLM flies daily from Amsterdam. Through the Middle East, Qatar Airways offers 11 flights a week from Doha, Gulf Air five from Bahrain, Etihad 14 from Abu Dhabi, and Emirates 13 out of Dubai.
Manila
The capital of the Philippines, on the shores of Manila Bay, is one of the most densely populated cities on earth, although there is breathing space in the 100 parks scattered around the metropolis. The economy is diverse, Manila’s function as the country’s main seaport complemented by the chemicals, textiles, clothing and electronics industries. Watches, iron and steel, food, beverages and tobacco products are also manufactured in this bustling city.
With no direct flights to Manila from the UK, the popular options are to fly to Amsterdam and catch one of KLM’s seven flights a week, or travel via the Gulf. Qatar Airways departs 11 times a week from its Doha hub, Gulf Air operates 14 weekly flights from Bahrain, Etihad flies daily from Abu Dhabi, and Emirates flies twice-daily from Dubai.
Singapore
Located off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, Singapore is an island-city state, 85 miles north of the equator. The smallest nation in South East Asia, it is nevertheless one of the so-called Asian Tigers for its dynamic, market-based economy. This has historically revolved around entrepot trade, which depends on exports and refining imported goods. The manufacturing sector includes electronics, petroleum, chemicals and biomedical sciences, and Singapore is considered one of the world’s top centres for finance.
From Heathrow, British Airways and Qantas fly to Singapore twice daily, while Singapore Airlines operates three flights a day. Lufthansa offers a daily service from Frankfurt and in addition flies three times a week out of Munich. KLM and Air France each depart seven times a week, from Amsterdam and Paris CDG respectively. Qatar Airways operates a daily service from Doha, Emirates has 18 flights a week from Dubai, and Etihad flies three times a week from Abu Dhabi.
Seoul
In the west of the country, the South Korean capital city is one of Asia’s principal business hubs, and in November this year will host the G-20 Summit. One of the world’s top ten financial and commercial centres, and influential in international trade, politics, technology and education, it is home to a number of large international conglomerates, including Samsung.
Korean Air flies daily from Heathrow to Seoul, with Asiana operating four times a week, and British Airways offering a daily service via Tokyo – with Japan Airlines flying the onward sector – or through Hong Kong, from where Cathay Pacific operates the final leg. Lufthansa flies five times a week from both Frankfurt and Munich, KLM flies six times weekly from Amsterdam, Air France flies daily from Paris CDG, and Finnair flies three times a week from Helsinki. Qatar Airways and Emirates each operate a daily service, from Doha and Dubai respectively.
Taipei
In the north of Taiwan island, Taipei has been pivotal in rapid economic development, with growth of some five per cent a year, despite Asia’s financial woes. Most of the country’s main factories – predominantly producing textiles and clothing – are located in the city, with other industries including electronics, electrical machinery, food and beverages and shipbuilding. Commerce and banking are increasingly important too.
From Heathrow, Eva Air serves Taipei daily via Bangkok, while China Airlines flies three times a week (starting March 28), and Qantas has 27 weekly departures via Hong Kong. KLM operates a daily service from Amsterdam.
Bangkok
Since it became the capital of Siam in 1782, renamed Thailand in 1949, Bangkok has been acknowledged as independent and dynamic. The political, social and economic centre of Thailand, Indochina and South East Asia, it is a major player in the region’s financial and business affairs. The city is a major gateway to the picture perfect beaches of South East Asia, making it a significant tourism destination.
Thai Airways flies from Heathrow to Bangkok twice a day, while BA, Eva Air and Qantas all fly daily. Lufthansa has a daily departure from Frankfurt, KLM offers seven services a week from Amsterdam, Air France has the same frequency out of Paris CDG and Finnair the same from Helsinki. Qatar Airways provides 12 flights a week from Doha, Gulf Air operates seven from Bahrain and Etihad 14 from Abu Dhabi, while Emirates departs four times a day from Dubai.
THE CARBON COST
The table below shows the distance covered by a return flight between London and the destination, along with the approximate carbon emissions and the cost of offsetting it with The CarbonNeutral Company.
See www.carbonneutral.com for more information.
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