12 January 2023, 10:00 a.m. CET

2022 has been a turbulent year for the EU and China. Both actors have had to deal with multiple shocks, including the war in Ukraine and the resulting energy and food security crises, economic headwinds and inflation, and an unstable geopolitical environment. In the case of China, an increasingly unsustainable zero-COVID policy and a property crisis have added to the complexities in an already politically pivotal year for the Chinese leadership, with the 20th Party Congress taking place in October. The China at the beginning of 2023 – no longer with COVID-zero and with a new leadership – is certainly very different from the China in early 2022. European companies' conversations in China now are not the same as in January 2022. Indeed, from the perspective of European companies in China, the shift in Chinese policymaking – partly as a result of these and other trends towards prioritizing ideology over the economy – has led to China's business environment becoming less predictable, reliable and efficient. Although opportunities for European companies in China remain, they must develop strategies to deal with an ever-growing list of risks stemming from geopolitical developments and emerging legislation both within and outside China.

On the occasion of the first European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (European Chamber) business delegation visit to Brussels in three years, the EU-China Business Association, the European Chamber and BusinessEurope are pleased to invite you to join our conference. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from European business representatives operating on the ground in China what the key drivers behind these trends in China are and their implications for European business.

This is a hybrid conference.

Programme

10h00–10h30
Registration (offline attendees only)

10h30–10h40
Opening remarks by Ms Luisa Santos, Deputy Director General, BusinessEurope

10h40–11h00
Presentation of the current business environment in China by Mr Joerg Wuttke, President, European Union Chamber of Commerce in China

11h00–11h40
Panel discussion with industry representatives from the European Chamber.
– Mr Zhonghua Xu, Chair Energy Working Group, TotalEnergies
– Mr Raphael de Garnier, Chair Pharma Working Group, Sanofi
– Ms Susan Gao, Vice-Chair Banking and Securities Working Group, Landesbank
– Ms Renata Pavlov, Member State Representative and member of the Maritime Manufacturing Working Group, Fincantieri

11h40–11h55
Discussion and Q&A

11h55–12h00
Closing remarks by Mr Kurt Vandeputte, Chairman, EU-China Business Association

The session will be moderated by Mr Davide Cucino, Brussels Representative, European Union Chamber of Commerce in China

Practical Information

Date: 12 January 2023 at 10:00 a.m. CET

Location: Online and Offline (Adenauer Room, BusinessEurope, Avenue de Cortenbergh 168, 1000 Brussels)

Price: Free

Register here ...