PKF invited a number of its offices to a meeting in Duisburg, Germany, hosted at the offices of PKF Fasselt Schlage, to discuss strategy with their Chinese counterparts.
The 10 offices are Munich, Cyprus, Malta, London, Italy, New York, Beijing, Pakistan, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Christian Muller, the managing partner at PKF Fasselt Schlage, which is fully committed to provide services to Chinese companies planning to invest in Germany, welcomed the participants.
Another active member of the China desk is the PKF O’Connor Davies in New York. Founded in 1891, it has evolved from an accounting firm to become a team of high-calibre professionals that provides a global, growing client base with comprehensive accounting, auditing, tax and specialised management advisory services at the highest level.
Malta has had trade relations with China since the early 1970s
Other PKF participants included three firms in the UK, namely Francis Clark, Cooper Parry and Littlejohn, apart from Pakistan, Munich, Cyprus, Malta and Italy. Such firms already have deep roots in the China mainland and are ready to capture the flow of business on the proverbial Silk Road.
Malta has had trade relations with China since the early 1970s when Beijng loaned the country funds to build a number of medium sized industries and engineered the building of the largest dry dock in Europe at a time when unemployment was relatively high following the oil price shocks.
Since then, Malta diversified its industry and apart from manufacturing it developed its own transhipment business, facilitating the movement of thousands of containers coming from the ‘Silk Road’.
George Mangion, senior partner at PKF Malta, was pleased to meet Gengchun Yao, the chairman of ZG, a new addition to a number of audit firms in China. PKF has offices in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai.
In Duisburg Mr Yao expressed his satisfaction that the organisation of a China desk at a number of PKF network of offices will contribute towards a successful implementation of One Belt One Road (OBOR) strategy. This focuses on improving connectivity and cooperation among Asian countries, Africa, China and Europe.
Mr Yao said he believed the China desk at each of the participating firms underpin a unity of purpose.
PKF Malta said it hoped this bold initiative will flourish in the Asian market and looks forward to attending the next grand event in Beijing to be held in September. “We want to be part of this success story,” a spokesman for PKF Malta said.