The Business Woman Club business mission to China lasted one week and was the result of approximately six months of preparation. The Ukrainian delegation visited Qingdao and Pingdu, toured more than 25 enterprises, held B2B negotiations with Chinese companies, and met with representatives of women’s business communities.
The programme was developed based on the requests of the delegation participants. The Business Woman Club team studied the Chinese market, the specifics of the companies’ operations, their production capabilities and potential areas for cooperation in advance.
The idea for the business mission emerged following meetings between Hanna Krysiuk, President of Business Woman Club, and H.E. Ma Shenkun, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Ukraine. It was subsequently developed into an official invitation to Qingdao.
Hanna Krysiuk, President of Business Woman Club, spoke about her first impressions of China, the technologies she saw, meetings with Chinese entrepreneurs and prospects for further cooperation.
CHINA THAT IMPRESSES WITH ITS SCALE
According to Hanna Krysiuk, one of the strongest impressions of the trip was the scale of Chinese manufacturing and the level of technological development of the enterprises.
“China impressed me with its scale, technology and attitude towards partnership. In many of the solutions we saw, I felt that there is much for us to learn and much that can be adapted for Ukraine,” said the President of Business Woman Club.
During the week, the delegation visited enterprises operating in various sectors — from engineering, tire manufacturing and packaging equipment to textiles, food production, agricultural technologies, energy and specialised equipment.
An important part of the programme was direct exposure to manufacturing. The Ukrainian side had the opportunity to see technological processes, communicate with company executives and discuss potential forms of cooperation.
TECHNOLOGIES THAT CAN BE USEFUL FOR UKRAINE
Hanna Krysiuk paid particular attention to automated production lines.
“The automated lines particularly impressed me. For Ukraine, where the war has caused a shortage of people while at the same time we need to rebuild production, such solutions can be extremely valuable.”
During the visits, the delegation saw automated systems for packaging, food production, livestock complexes and other sectors.
In the President of Business Woman Club’s view, it is important for Ukrainian businesses not only to learn about such solutions but also to look for opportunities to adapt them in practice.
“We need to gain a deeper understanding of robotics and find technologies that can actually work in our conditions,” Hanna Krysiuk emphasised.
Technological exchange was therefore one of the important areas of the business mission, alongside the search for new partners, suppliers and opportunities for Chinese companies to enter the Ukrainian market.
FROM QINGDAO TO THE FIRST AGREEMENTS
The official programme of the mission began in Qingdao with a Ukrainian-Chinese trade and economic meeting of women entrepreneurs.
The meeting brought together representatives of the Qingdao Women Entrepreneurs Association, CCPIT Qingdao, the Chinese business community and the Ukrainian delegation. Following presentations and discussions on areas of cooperation, B2B introductions and negotiations took place.
An important outcome of the meeting was the signing of a Memorandum of Friendly Cooperation between Business Woman Club and the Qingdao Women Entrepreneurs Association.
The document provides a foundation for further cooperation in the fields of economy, culture and education, the development of business contacts and joint initiatives.
For Business Woman Club, this also creates an opportunity to deepen ties with international women’s business communities and establish new platforms for direct dialogue between women entrepreneurs.
MORE THAN 25 COMPANIES: FROM TIRE MANUFACTURING TO SMART TECHNOLOGIES
Visits to Chinese enterprises were one of the central parts of the mission.
At Qingdao Xiangjian Industrial Engineering Co., Ltd., the delegation learned about the production of tires for large agricultural machinery, vehicles and industrial applications. During the meeting with the company’s management, the sides discussed the possibility of technology transfer for launching production in Ukraine, as well as the company’s potential entry into the Ukrainian market.
At Hisense, the Ukrainian delegation was introduced to a wide range of the company’s activities — from televisions and household appliances to climate equipment, smart home solutions, automotive electronics, semiconductors, smart energy and intelligent transportation.
Particular attention was paid to technologies for decarbonised cities. Hisense representatives also shared their experience of implementing projects in the Maldives.
Another area was safety. At Qingdao Hailiya Group, the Ukrainian delegation learned about equipment for rescue operations, including high-tech ropes and synthetic cords, tools for locating people under rubble and other solutions for emergency response.
PINGDU: PRACTICAL B2B NEGOTIATIONS
An important part of the mission was the visit to Pingdu, where the Business Woman Club delegation held a series of meetings with manufacturing companies.
Among them were Qingdao Yilong Packaging Machinery Co., Ltd., Qingdao Haikejia Intelligent Equipment Technology Co., Ltd., Qingdao Jizhuwu Livestock Equipment Co., Ltd. and Dingxin Yangguang Environmental Technology Co., Ltd.
The companies operate in the fields of packaging equipment, food processing, automation of livestock complexes, refrigeration technologies and deep processing of agricultural products.
During the meetings, the participants discussed equipment supplies, opportunities for Chinese companies to enter the Ukrainian market, technological partnerships and further business contacts.
Separately, the Ukrainian delegation met with Li Aiqin, head of the Pingdu Federation of Women Entrepreneurs. The sides discussed women’s entrepreneurship, business education, investment opportunities, and cultural and educational projects.
WOMEN’S BUSINESS COMMUNITY AS A FOUNDATION FOR PARTNERSHIP
Meetings with Chinese women entrepreneurs became a separate area of the trip.
Hanna Krysiuk notes that it was particularly important for her to experience the openness of the Chinese side to direct dialogue.
“For me, China revealed itself as an extremely hospitable country. We felt not simply like guests, but like partners whose ideas were being listened to.”
According to the President of Business Woman Club, personal connections are particularly important for building long-term relationships.
“It is precisely these personal connections that create the foundation for long-term cooperation.”
During the meetings, the sides also discussed further contacts between Ukrainian and Chinese women entrepreneurs and a future visit of the Chinese business community to Ukraine.
SYMBOLS OF FRIENDSHIP THAT REMAIN AFTER THE NEGOTIATIONS
As part of the Greening the Planet initiative, representatives of Business Woman Club and the Qingdao Women Entrepreneurs Association jointly planted a tree in Qingdao.
The initiative became a symbol of friendship, partnership and continued cooperation between the Ukrainian and Chinese sides. In the future, a similar tree is planned to be planted in Ukraine during a visit by Chinese women entrepreneurs.
Another symbolic gesture was a gift from Hanna Krysiuk to Zhang Xuming, President of the Qingdao Women Entrepreneurs Association — a personalised brooch from the Ukrainian brand Zarmilkas, founded and owned by Liudmyla Shanska.
The Ukrainian piece of jewellery became a sign of respect, attention and the friendly relations developing between the two business communities.
THE NEXT STEP — TURNING CONTACTS INTO REAL PROJECTS
Following the mission, Business Woman Club continues to work with the results of the trip: systematising contacts, analysing proposals from Chinese companies, developing specific business requests and looking for Ukrainian partners for further cooperation.
“We want to move forward consistently — to build the right economic bridges, trust and achieve real results for Ukraine and our businesses.”
That is why, after returning to Ukraine, the Club’s team continues communication with Chinese partners and is working on the next steps.
At the same time, the opportunities developed during the mission are also becoming available to other Business Woman Club members, who will be able to join further cooperation in relevant areas.
“For us, this is only the beginning of a major undertaking. There is a lot ahead: negotiations, learning, finding simple solutions in complicated areas and building partnerships that can be useful for Ukraine,” Hanna Krysiuk concluded.
“I sincerely thank Zhang Xuming, President of the Qingdao Women Entrepreneurs Association, for her hospitality, openness and support for our mission. I thank the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Ukraine and Ambassador Ma Shenkun, as well as the Embassy of Ukraine in China and Ambassador Oleksandr Nechytailo, for their support, assistance in developing Ukrainian-Chinese dialogue and the opportunity to implement this important business mission,” said Hanna Krysiuk, President of Business Woman Club.
The Business Woman Club business mission to China marked a new stage in the development of Ukrainian-Chinese relations — with new connections, technological solutions, B2B contacts and prospects for further cooperation.
