Introduction
Legal form and composition
Location
Basic steps

Introduction

The Agency for Economic, Industrial and Trade Relations with China, or Agency for China, opened its doors in Milan in 1984, with behind it the twenty-years' trading experience of its promoters.
Since then, the Agency has been operating in China and, more in general, in Eastern Asia, promoting and offering assistance to Italian firms' commercial and industrial activities, in particular those of small and medium firms.
Agency for China has an important mission: support our enterprises within a market that is opening to the international economy and that presents new uncertainties and difficulties to our operators.
During these years, the Agency has made great efforts in order to supply the Italian enterprises with effective means to overcome any obstacles. In particular, Agency for China in order to promote the "Made in Italy" style has organized some fifty events: missions, meetings, participation in Trade Fairs of an institutional, entrepreneurial or mixed character. These initiatives have strengthened links with Chinese political and administrative authorities, in terms of knowledge and co-operation, and have laid the foundations for commercial and industrial collaboration between Italian firms and local organizations.
The interest shown by firms and institutions for an approach that, right from the beginning, integrated the development of institutional relations with more markedly business-orientated initiatives, has been confirmed by the growing numbers taking part in activities promoted by the Agency.
The realization of Lombardy Building in 1996, a modern business center in Shanghai, provided Agency for China with a unique observatory which allows the Italian enterprise to have a wide knowledge of the Chinese market opportunities.

Legal form and composition

The Agency for China is a no-profit consortium: this legal form makes it possible to include institutions as affiliates; their contribution is crucial for the development of synergy between the public and the private sectors.
The Agency for China at present has 129 members, with a company's capital of 1.500.010,00 euro. Since some of the latters in their turn are associations of large numbers of firms, it may be said that the Agency indirectly represents a potential of 2.500 members firms for an annual turnover of about 15.500.000.000,00 euro.
Production by different firms covers all the main Italian specialisation, above all in the high-technology investment goods macro-sector, which includes firms that export large shares of their production (plant, machine tools, textile machinery, automotive components, paper industry, etc.).
But affiliates of the Agency also include leader producers of consumer goods (sparkling wines, gift items, small electrical appliances, etc.) and service-sector companies (trading, transport, tourism and legal service etc.)
The variety of all the productive sectors makes Agency for China an important meeting point, where the Italian management can compare his experience and enrich his knowledge of the Chinese market.

Location

Agency for China is located in the center of Milan, in Marcona Street, 37, in a three-storied building. It's very easy to reach either by public transport (bus no.73 and no60, tram no.12 and no.27) or by car from outside.

Basic Steps

1984 December, Agency for China is born in Milan; it has six promoting partners.

1985 The co-operation with Lombardy Region starts. Agency organises the mission of the Regional Delegation in Tianjin, Shanghai and Hong Kong. The Delegation initials the Co-operation Agreement with Tianjin Municipality. Agency for China opens a new office in Tianjin.

1986 Lombardy Region and Tianjin Municipality sign a Letter of Intent regarding exhibitions interchange. Agency for China cooperates with Lombardy Region during the negotiations.

1987 Agency and TIM (Tianjin International Market) sign an agreement regarding a permanent exhibition named " Technology and Italian Product". Agency continues his activity of promoting and organising exhibition events.

1988 Agency ideates and organises the exhibition "Lombardy Produce", with the patronage of ICE, Confindustria and Lombardy Chamber of Commerce Foreign Center, held in Tianjin with the participation of 180 enterprises. Agency for China promotes the twinning between Trieste Harbour and Tianjin Harbour.

1989 Agency organises the commercial mission for the Canton Fair held twice in a year (April and October).

1990 Agency organises the official visit of Lombardy Region, which signs agreements in order to increase the commercial exchange, in some Chinese cities. In July Agency for China is invited to join the Foreign Trade Department Official Delegation to visit Beijing and Shanghai. In Autumn Agency organises the exhibition "Tianjin Export Commodities" in "Villa Reale" in Monza.

1991 Agency organises the official visit of Lombardy Trade Group guided by the Minister Luciano Fornellini. They visited Xiamen and Fuzhou of Fujian Province where the Agreement was signed between Lombardy Region and Fujian Province. 

1992 The opening of a new office in September in Shanghai enables Agency to operate in that city. The number of partners rises to 55 (5 institutions and 50 firms).

1993 Agency strengthens the relationships with Chinese authorities. The president meets the Chinese Foreign Trade Department Official Delegation in Italy. Agency promotes the creation of an Italian enterprise' s catalogue to be distributed to the Chinese operators. Beijing office opens its doors.

1994 The project "Lombardy Building" starts. Agency promotes the creation of a Business Center in order to support the Italian enterprises in Shanghai. The partners are 86.

1996 In July the exhibition "Lombardy Region in Shanghai" inaugurates Lombardy Building. Among the participants there are Lombardy Region President Roberto Formigoni and many other authorities. In the next years, Lombardy Building will be the location of many exhibitions and will be visited by many both Italian and Chinese authorities. The partners now are 97.

1998 February, the capital increases to 774.685 euro. First edition of the exhibition dedicated to the interior decoration, named "Decor Home from Italy", which earns great praises.

2000 The number of partners rises to 121, and the capital increases to 1.500.010,00 euro. In May Agency for China participates to the exhibition "Fashion Expo' 2000" held in Shanghai. In September Agency organizes a travelling exhibition visiting Xiamen, Shanghai and Tianjin. The 15th of September the new representative office of Agency for China is inaugurated within the Tianjin Italian Business Park.

2001 Agency for China, through "Why Lombardy " event, organizes several seminars that will be held each month in Lombardy Building - Shanghai till 31st of December. In September a big delegation of entrepreneurs participates to the 5th Xiamen Investment and Trade Fair. In October it organizes the exhibition "Lombardy Produces" within the Tianjin Italian Business Park.

2002 The number of partners rises to 129 and the capital increases to Euro 1.500.010,00. During this year, Agency organised the exhibition "Decorhome 2002" and the exhibition of "Furnishing Parts of the High quality Living". Agency also participates to Lombardy trade Cup and to the mission of the Four Engines of Europe in China. On the 19th of July 2002, in collaboration with and with the support of the Foreign Dept. of the Commercial Institute of Lombardy Region, Agency inaugurates the Shanghai Operation Point for all the international enterprises of Lombardy Region in China.