Ma Jianrong, board chairman and executive director of Shenzhou International Group Holdings Limited Photo: Yang Hui/GT

Chinese companies' overseas investments are great opportunities to in-crease China's soft power and global image, but details and professionalism are more important than money, warned Ma Jianrong, chairman of the board and executive director of Shenzhou International Group Holdings Limited.

Ma attributed Shenzhou's successes in Vietnam and Cambodia to the group's well-established "employees first, clients second and investors third" motto.

"We are not transferring outdated or polluting production lines to foreign plants. Our lines overseas are more advanced than some of those in our Chinese factories. We respect cultural and social customs. Only by uniting local workers can foreign expansion be successful… Our foreign employees have been well treated and no strike or other conflict has occurred since we began investing overseas 15 years ago," he said.

Chinese is the working language in all of Shenzhou's overseas branches. Local management travels to Ningbo to receive systematic training before coming on board.

Commenting on some Chinese investors boasting of their fortunes to locals by traveling in high-end cars and living luxurious lifestyles, Ma said that hurts China's image and the reputations of businesspeople.

"I travel in my private jet to save time, but when I get to destination, I live and greet local partners and government officials in my factory instead in luxury hotels. I just want to show them that we businesspeople have accu-mulated our fortunes through very hard work."

Ma added that "when we introduce to the foreign partners the economic development in China, we pay attention to details."

Once Shenzhou invited two foreign clients to conduct inspection in Ningbo, it took two and a half hours to clients from Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The Hangzhou Bay Bridge connecting Zhejiang and Shanghai, the heavy traffic flow all the way impressed the foreigners a lot. One the way back, Shenzhou arranged a high-speed train journey for them back to Shanghai and organized a tour to Nanjing East Road and the Bund. 

"Seeing is believing, the factual experiences best describe and illustrate the true picture of China's development and business environment. They will make a correct decision for their company or country," Ma concluded.