E-commerce in China has known a rapid and game-changing growth over the past decade. With e-commerce, enterprises can build a global commercial marketing system, implement operational strategies over the globe as well as strengthen interactions among industries beyond borders.
In effect, e-commerce allows businesses to enhance their global competitiveness. This is particularly important for small business or niche industries: e-commerce can help them to better understand market demand worldwide and promote cooperation with companies around the world.
In China, the dynamic e-commerce industry has become a more regulated field in recent years. To help European companies trade effectively on Chinese e-commerce platforms, the EU SME Centre and European Union Chamber of Commerce in China have invited experts from DP Group to provide practical guidance on contractual considerations, cross-border selling procedures, IPR protection, as well as challenges and opportunities. The leading e-commerce group Alibaba.com also explains how the group helps SMEs to go global, with successful stories from buyers and suppliers.
Vice President, European Chamber; Founding Partner and Managing Director, D’Andrea & Partners
Founder and Managing Partner of D’Andrea & Partners Legal Counsel, and Founder of DP Group.
Carlo Diego D’Andrea graduated in Law at the University of Teramo (Italy). He then obtained a Masters’ degree in Corporate Advisor at LUISS University in Rome and a Diploma in Chinese Studies at Nanjing Normal University and is a member of the Italian Bar Association.
Mr. D’Andrea arrived in China in 2005 and is fluent in Italian (mother tongue), English, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. He mainly deals with cross-border mergers and acquisitions, assistance in ODI/FDI and intellectual property rights.
He is also acting as National Vice President of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China and Chairman of the Shanghai Chapter.
Riccardo Verzella, a qualified Italian lawyer, currently holds the position of Senior Associate at D’Andrea & Partners Legal Counsel, Shanghai Office. Since 2021, he has also been concurrently serving as a Lecturer in Italian Civil & Commercial Law at Nanjing University.
Riccardo Verzella graduated with honors in Law from the University of Teramo (Italy) and undertook a visiting student program at the Koguan Law School of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He continued his legal education by earning an LLM in Business & Company Law from LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome. With a professional journey spanning over 7 years, he specialises in cross-border issues, including Corporate/M&A, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), and Labor Law, across China, Italy, and Vietnam.
Mr. Verzella is an expert of personal information protection compliance in China, specifically on the intricate landscape of cross-border transfers. He has also actively contributed as a speaker in various roundtables addressing Personal Information Protection compliance in China.
Jijay Shen
General Manager Europe, Alibaba.com
Jijay Shen serves as General Manager Europe of Alibaba.com, as part of Alibaba Group. Alibaba.com is the leading platform for global wholesale trade, helping millions of buyers and suppliers worldwide.
Previously, Jijay joined Huawei in 2005 and served as R&D Software Engineer, Solution Manager (MENA), Product and Solution Sales Director in Huawei Technologies Deutschland, Sales Director in Huawei Deutschland. Jijay has been CEO of Huawei Technologies Ireland and Chairman of Huawei Technologies Ireland Subsidiary board from 2016 -2020.
Jijay holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications.
Emma Sun
EU Strategic Cooperation Manager, Alibaba.com
Emma Sun has a bachelor degree in Banking and finance in University of International business and economics, together with an international MBA in marketing and strategy direction. She started career as a strategy consultant in KPMG, and had experience in JD finance international, with mainly collaboration with oversea banking partners. Currently she is in Alibaba group, functioning as EU strategic cooperation manager of Alibaba.com, mainly in charge of European B2B business strategic partnership and cooperation.
Kang Ke
Vice Chair of Marketing and Communications Forum, European Chamber
With 15 years of diverse marketing and communication experience in Fortune 500 multinationals, top professional firms, and media, Ms. Kang is working with the Marcom forum of European Chamber to build a communication community for sharing trendy insights in circle of marketers in China.
As the Marketing Head in an international tech company with a strong digital specialty, she works with media, clients, government departments and associations in the digitalization sector to seize opportunities in the China market, especially in the industry sectors of manufacture, finance, retail and so on.
Liam Jia
Team Lead, EU SME Centre
Liam Jia is a versatile professional with the past 8 years advising European businesses on market access and business strategies to China. He has a solid working experience in project and operations management, financial and risk control in the EU context.
Liam is an experienced speaker and author of publications on a range of topics, including the environmental sector, SME digitalisation and F&B distribution. Great team player, generating positive influence on teammates.
The popularity of digital technologies and e-commerce in China presents opportunities for EU small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) channels in particular represent interesting tools to gain first access to the Chinese market and valuable feedback from Chinese consumers. This is due to the implementation of a series of policies allowing and supporting cross-border online transactions of goods without the need to complete in advance costly and time-consuming product registration and testing procedures or packaging adjustments. The effectiveness of Chinese logistics and delivery services, as well as the focus on different target groups of CBEC platforms, are also key factors.
CBEC offers the possibility of selling a product in China with lower upfront investment and commitment, thus reducing the complexities and often overwhelming requirements that EU SMEs face when entering the Chinese market. Well-established Chinese CBEC platforms and professional agencies offer different solutions and models for overseas brands
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