On 29 August, the EU SME Centre, CCPIT Jiangsu and the European Chamber Nanjing Chapter hosted the EU SME Government Dialogue 2024 in Nanjing.
In the opening session, Dr Andreas Risch, Board Chair of the European Chamber Nanjing Chapter gave the welcome speech to participants. Mr Du Peijun, Member of the Party Committee and Secretary-General of CCPIT Jiangsu, introduced the current development status of SMEs in Jiangsu. Ms Ester Cañada Amela, Advocacy Manager of the EU SME Centre, spoke about SMEs being the backbone of the economy and introduced the EU SME Centre’s activities in China.
The first half of the event was dedicated to exchanges on the SME development environment in China and SME support policies both at the national and local levels. Dr Jin Tieying, Professor and Director of the Policy Research Division of China International Cooperation Association of SMEs, introduced the annual SME Development Report and shared best practices on support policies for SMEs in China. Ms Fu Chunli, Principal Staff Member at the SME Bureau of the Jiangsu Department of Industry and Information Technology, provided an overview of the key policies in Jiangsu to support SMEs.
After the tea break, Ms Ester Cañada Amela presented the general business environment and sentiment from the perspective of European SMEs in China. She then moderated a panel discussion with representatives from European companies operating in Jiangsu. The panelists shared their perspective on the operating environment, challenges and outlook in China, and shared recommendations to both the Chinese government and European industry players.
Overall, the dialogue between EU SMEs and the government in Jiangsu provided a platform through which the European companies could convey their concerns and recommendations, as well as obtain information from the government on relevant policies and support measures, as well as hear the experiences from other SMEs.
The European Chamber Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Forum comprises European SMEs operating in various industries in China who strive for improved operating conditions and exchange on practical business issues to foster their success in China. Advocacy actions for SMEs organised by the European Chamber and the EU SME Centre include regular working group meetings and policy meetings covering issues of specific relevance for European small and medium-sized businesses in China. Find out more on our Advocacy page.
Among the publications of the EU SME Centre’s Advocacy team, the annual SME Policy Environment Report analyses the most significant developments affecting SMEs operating in China. Read the 2024 SME Policy Environment Report here.
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