Simon Lichtenberg, founder of the Danish Chamber of Commerce in China (DCCC), has shared his delight at receiving a reply from Chinese President Xi Jinping to his letter, and says that the chamber and its member companies will shoulder greater responsibility as a bridge between the two nations, and between China and Europe.
Having been based in China for decades, Lichtenberg now calls Shanghai his second home. He studied Chinese at Fudan University and later started his own business in Shanghai in 1993, and now runs a furniture firm.
Back in April, he decided to write two letters to President Xi, one representing himself, and another representing the chamber, to extend congratulations on the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Denmark and express a desire to further deepen cooperation with China.
President Xi has since replied to his letter, encouraging the chamber and its member enterprises to make new contributions to strengthening friendship and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Denmark, as well as between China and Europe.
In the letter, Xi expressed appreciation for Lichtenberg's deep affection for China and the confidence Danish enterprises in China have shown in the country's future development.
"This year is the 75th anniversary of the Danish-China diplomatic relationship's establishment, so maybe it was a good time to write to the President himself. When I read the letter the first time I was at the foreign ministry, I was very, very happy and maybe also a little bit relieved from getting the letter. The main sentiment I think -- maybe 'pressure' is not the right word -- but there's a lot of things to do," said Lichtenberg.
Denmark has a sizable business presence in China, with over 500 Danish companies operating in the country, providing some 500,000 jobs.
Lichtenberg has long been encouraged by China's open business environment and said in his letter that a speech made by President Xi during a meeting with global entrepreneurs in Beijing in late March has given him and Danish companies even greater confidence.
In his reply, President Xi said China "was, is and will" be the ideal, secure and promising investment destination for foreign investors.
Lichtenberg also wrote that when he decided to settle in Shanghai over 30 years ago, the now bustling Pudong New Area was then just farmland, but has since transformed into a financial hub. With more measures to be taken to encourage foreign investments, this will only reinforce Lichtenberg and other Danish firms' decision to stay here.
He also pointed to the contrast between China's stability and long-term planning and the general unpredictability of the current U.S. administration.
"You don't know what will happen to tariffs tomorrow or what will happen from the U.S. side, so this is highly challenging. I think China has been a very steady, stable [country with the] same policy, same direction for a long time, and China looks far ahead, it's planning far ahead," Lichtenberg said.
Danish entrepreneur sees greater responsibility after receiving President Xi's reply letter
