A Schneider Electric warehouse in Shanghai, China, broke out in flames this week, with approximately 5,000 square metres of the 8,000-square-metre location ruined in the blaze, according to a report from a Chinese newspaper.
While the cause of the fire is unknown, Chinese web bloggers recently called for an anti-French petition and declared a boycott on French goods in the area after the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, met with the Dalai Lama in exile, said a report from The Epoch Times online, sourcing the Chinese newspaper.
The meeting was the first between a European Union (EU) president and the Dalai Lama, and was shunned by the Chinese foreign ministry, said the report.
The ruined warehouse is owned by Schneider Shanghai Electrical Apparatus Co Ltd, which is a business unit of the French multinational, Schneider Electric.
The report suggests that Schneider Electric was an unlucky victim in the situation, losing an estimated 100 million yuan (AU$22.1 million) due to the fire damage.
The fire broke out on 7th December at 6:27pm.
Schneider Electric’s Australian business runs quite separately from its overseas counterparts and won’t be affected by the fire.
Schneider Electric’s Australian business has recently re-aligned its business structure to form three divisions: Automation, Power, and Installation Systems & Control (ICS), to better serve its local customer base.
Watch out for PACE February 2009 for an exclusive interview with Schneider Electric executive general manager for automation, Scott Wooldridge.
Contact Schneider Electric on 1300 369 233 or visit the company’s brand new website on www.schneider-electric.com.au