Qufu

As regular readers of Often Partisan will know, Carson Yeung has been doing his bit to diversify the interests of Birmingham International Holdings, the holding company that owns Birmingham City. In recent months, Carson has signed co-operation deals with the cities of Dafeng and Ordos. The latest Chinese city to join the Carson-led Birmingham revolution is the birthplace of Confucius, Qufu.

Qufu’s mayor, Liu Sen met with Carson Yeung at Birmingham International Holdings’ prestigious new location in Hong Kong to discuss a deal which would see Carson bringing the Birmingham brand to a third possible location in China. The deal would see BIH aid Qufu in their goals of increasing tourism to the home of Confucianism, as well as bringing high tech industry such as electronics and pharmaceuticals to the city.

Qufu, which is situated in the North East of China, in Shandong province, is a small city of about 60,000 people, and contains a UNESCO World Heritage site connected with the life and legacy of Confucius. It’s close to the main Beijing to Shangai train line, and is looking to add a new high speed rail hub in the city. As the local area is looking to build on it’s historical tourism value, Qufu plans to build on that to increase revenue to the city. To this aim, they have brought Carson on board for his tourism know-how, and for the help that Birmingham International Holdings can provide in expanding their tourism base.

Qufu is also looking to expand it’s industry, and has targeted various component manufacturers such as lithium battery assemblers, along with medicine manufacturers as conducive to the city’s growth. To this aim, they are in the process of building a new industrial park to convince companies to relocate to Qufu, and again are looking to Carson to provide the know-how in how to entice these companies to the city.

As always, this is a deal that is still just a couple of signatures on a piece of paper at present; what happens is really anyone’s guess but it’s another example of Carson’s influence within mainland China. I’ve kept mentioning it, but utilising the Eastern business practice of building business networks is imperative for Birmingham International Holdings’ success in China, and it’s good to see that Carson has put his swish new office to good use almost straight away in this manner. Many have speculated in the past that Carson was the front man for a shadowy group of investors, but it’s my belief that stories like this just prove that there isn’t a group behind Carson – it’s all him, and maybe the experts who wrote off Carson Yeung as a businessman and an owner might just be wrong.