Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic and the concurring sporadic lockdowns throughout the country, China remains an attractive market for many EU SMEs. After all, it is the second largest world economy, boasting a GDP of over 17 734 billion dollars, an innovative workforce, and a growing consumer base.
While offering many opportunities, the China market may seem daunting at first to SMEs due to its vast size, language barrier and complex market access regulations. On this background, the EU SME Centre and the TecnoCampus, in collaboration with ACCIÓ Shanghai, have organised a webinar to provide SMEs with an overview of the opportunities and challenges in the China market and to share best practices for devising market entry strategies. During this session, experts from ACCIÓ Shanghai and the EU SME Centre shared tips and best practices to enter successfully the world’s second largest market.
About the Speakers
Xue Taowen
Managing Director
Xue Taowen is the Managing Director of the Catalonia Trade & Investment office in Shanghai. She joined the office in 2013 and has since then been responsible for the governmental agency’s three lines of business — Trade, Investment and Innovation — between China and Catalonia.
Taowen’s focus has been to advise Western business clients in the China market as well as to provide support to Chinese outbound investors in either greenfield projects or M&A mainly in Catalonia/Spain. She has led her team to achieve such projects as Shanghai-Barcelona direct flight negotiations, Alibaba’s first Tmall seminar in Barcelona to support Catalan brands’ e-commerce China entry, trade missions from Spain to China for a variety of sectors, from ICT to tourism, from consumer products to bio-tech. Taowen often gives lectures in Spain and China to advise clients.
Prior to taking public sector responsibilities, Taowen worked for KPMG, Nielsen, and Kohler. She graduated from the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics and obtained an MBA degree from IE Business School in Madrid.
Alessio Petino
Business Advisor, EU SME Centre
Alessio has worked for 8+ years on various EU-funded projects in China, mainly conducting policy and regulatory analysis for European companies looking to enter or already in the Chinese market. Key focus areas: market access regulations and barriers, investment attraction policies, standards & compliance – with particular focus on R&D, tech & innovation.
Alessio joined the EU SME Centre in October 2020. He coordinates reports, guidelines and technical assistance to European SMEs; he also delivers training about different market entry approaches and engagements with China, opportunities and risks, as well as do’s and don’ts.
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