Ice hockey, planes, trailer trucks, boilers. The Jihlava delegation arrived from China with enthusiasm

19 April 2016 12:28

China was visited by a large group of businessmen and politicians from the Vysočina region. If part of what was discussed there materialises, according to the Governor's office it will mean a tidal wave of good news for companies in the region and specifically for Jihlava. Moreover, in June, the head of the Communists from the giant province of Hubei will visit Vysočina.

In China, Libor Joukl, Deputy Governor for Transport, sat on the local high-speed train again a year later. “This year only 304 km/h, last year it was 308 km/h. And the Wuhan railway station is the most beautiful I’ve seen so far,” he wrote on social media. | Photo: Facebook of Libor Joukl

This is also the way to conduct negotiations in China. Deputy Mayor Vratislav Výborný (ČSSD) described how a representative of a fifty-thousand town of Jihlava was talking to his counterpart from the ten-million strong city of Wuhan.

When the Chinese politician told him last week what they had in their huge city, Výborný asked him whether there was a winter stadium there. The answer was ‘no’. The Deputy Mayor immediately began talking about the Winter Olympics in China 2022 fast approaching and that their national team will automatically play there.

Who was part of the delegation to China Politicians: Member of Parliament Josef Zahradníček (KSČM) Senators Zdeněk Škromach (ČSSD) and Jan Veleba (SPO) Deputy Governor of Vysočina Libor Joukl (ČSSD) Deputy Mayor of Jihlava Vratislav Výborný (ČSSD) Regional Representative Marek Nevoral (KSČM) Representatives of these companies: TTS energo, Porr, Chládek a Tintěra, HB Golf, Starkon Jihlava, Pretol HB, Colas, Glenowell CZ, Dřevozpracující družstvo Lukavec, Eurovia CS, Podzimek a synové, Agrostroj Pelhřimov, Vysočina Media

“I asked if they wanted to get a thrashing in ice hockey there or if they wanted to set themselves up for success. He apparently got very interested in the thought. As said there, they will definitely build the stadium. I told him that on the other hand, we can teach ice hockey,” Deputy described.

Then they talked about the fact that some Chinese ice hockey players could learn to play in Jihlava, which their homeland would pay for. The entire Hubei province, with its 58 million people and the city of Wuhan, could also help Dukla financially.

“I'm not saying they would buy Dukla right away, but they could help financially. Before the trip to China, I gave this opportunity about ten percent, I have now increased it to about forty,” Výborný described.

Pretol will provide the Chinese with know-how and rescue equipment

In China, he also discussed the construction of a congress centre in Jihlava. “They took the investment here very seriously,” he stated. Already in June, the Chinese will discuss the details here.

According to Deputy Governor Libor Joukl (ČSSD), the head of the Communists from the province of Hubei will also visit Vysočina in June. He reportedly has more influence than the Governor who was here in October 2014 with a delegation of Chinese businessmen.

A representative of the Pretol towing and rescue services, interested in cooperating with the Chinese, also visited China with Joukl last week. "They have a pre-negotiated agreement that Pretol would provide part of its know-how or sell several pieces of towing vehicles," Joukl said.

According to him, the cooperation with the aircraft manufacturer Jihlavan Airplanes has developed even further. “Their representative did not have the opportunity to go to China this time, so I did a bit of negotiations for them," Joukl stated. According to him, the largest aircraft manufacturer in China is already building a new hall where ‘Jihlava’ aircraft should also be manufactured.

The fact that someone else is buying companies in the Vysočina region caused an uproar

In China, Joukl mentioned that the Jihlava brewery and ŽĎAS had already headed to Chinese owners who are not from the province of Hubei. However, this province is officially ‘friends’ with Vysočina. Joukl's remark allegedly caused a slight uproar that the province of Hubei ‘missed the boat’ a bit. And they want to do ‘something’ about it before the visit of the Chairman of their Communists to Vysočina.

The business part of the delegation was led by heat supply trader Richard Horký, Director of TTS in Třebíč and Vice-chairman of the Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“It was good that our trip happened fourteen days after the visit of the Chinese President to Prague. On behalf of our TTS Group, I signed a memorandum of cooperation with a large Chinese boiler manufacturer. We find China promising,” he said.

Horký does not want to sell only individual boilers in China. “It is important for me to find a strategic partner who would sell, install and service our boilers there. We are in negotiations with two companies. I believe that we will agree with one of these and the business model will materialise,” Horký mentioned.

Regional opposition representative Ota Benc (ODS) does not yet see the concrete results of Vysočina's cooperation with China. “I see a lot of statements and nothing specific. I haven’t noticed anything tangible. And I am sceptical of such a brutal mixing of business and politics,” he stated.