Following the success of last year’s inaugural gathering in Beijing, the FTChinese Annual Forum 2009, held jointly by FTChinese.com and the Municipal Government of Qingdao, will take place on 18 November at the Qingdao Shangri-La Hotel. This year’s keynote speaker is Professor Michael Spence, the Nobel Prize laureate in economics. Qingdao Mayor Mr. Xia Geng will also attend the forum.

2009 has been a long and difficult year as countries and corporations were hit by the global financial crisis. Over the past few months, figures seem to indicate the start of a recovery. China has been one of the first markets to emerge from the shadow of the crisis and is fast moving towards the future. This year’s FTChinese Annual Forum focuses on the theme ‘China:Economic Resilience in Turbulent Times’ and aims to provide delegates with new ideas on how to break through the development bottleneck in China.

Professor Michael Spence’s keynote speech on ‘Sustaining Growth and Structural Transformation in China in the Next Decade’ will discuss the connection between sustainable development and adjustments to China’s industrial structures. Other speakers include senior Financial Times journalists such as John Gapper, Associate Editor, Chief Business Affairs Commentator and James Kynge, Editor, China Confidential.

This year’s forum is supported by the Qingdao Municipal Government and several other municipal departments. Senior executives of leading local companies are also expected to attend, including representatives from Haier Group, Qingdao Beer Group, Haixin Group and Double Star Group. Other delegates will comprise international leaders from across business and academia, including decision-makers from banking, funds management, investment, property development, consulting, and law.

About the FTChinese Annual Forum 2009:On December 15, 2008, the FTChinese held an annual forum in Beijing for the first time. That forum attracted participation by leaders of the global business and academic worlds and was widely reported by mainland media. The theme of this year’s forum is ”China: Economic Resilience in Turbulent Times”.

About the FTChinese.com and the Financial Times:

FTChinese.com, the Chinese online publication of the Financial Times, is positioned as a leading business and financial website, providing vital news, in-depth analysis, and thought-provoking comments to China’s top businesspeople and decision-makers every business day. FTChinese.com gives readers unrivalled global perspectives combined with outstanding local expertise. The Financial Times’ international team of journalists and unrivalled access to senior corporate executives and politicians both in China and around the world, make it a must read for China’s business leaders. FTChinese.com has over 1.3 million registered users.

The Financial Times, one of the world’s leading business news organisations, is recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. Providing extensive news, comment and analysis, the newspaper is printed at 23 print sites across the globe, has a daily circulation of 408,544 (ABC figures, September, 2009) and a readership of 1.3 million people worldwide. FT.com is the definitive home for business intelligence on the web, providing an essential source of news, comment, data and analysis for the global business community. FT.com attracts 11.4 million unique users, generating 83.2 million page views (ABCe figures, March 2009) and now has over 1.4 million registered users.

For further information, please contact:

Azmar Sukander Financial Times,+852 2905 5519 or azmar.sukandar@ft.com

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