Another edition of the Understanding China Training Programme was successfully organised by the EU SME Centre and EUROCHAMBRES last May 23rd and 24th, in Brussels.
This year the programme saw the participation of more than 50 intermediary organisations and EU SMEs showing that, despite the recent trade dispute with the US and a slowdown of the economy, China keeps on being high on the agenda of EU Member States.
The two days were characterized by a line up of distinguished speakers who offered the audience a diverse range of perspectives over the changing business environment.
Topics addressed this year:
- China Economic Outlook 2019: starting from the recent developments and the outcomes of 2018, examines the trends of the market from a macro level point of view;
- EU-China Trade and Investment Relations: sharing the evolution of China-EU relations, starting from the EU-China Strategy, the outcomes of the recent EU-China Summit, the concerns China arises and the ways to respond to them;
- Business and Policy Environment for EU SMEs in China: introducing the policy environment for SMEs in China, the situation for European SMEs and key recommendations from the position paper;
- Financing for BRI and the Role of Foreign Businesses: outlining the key objectives of the Belt and Road Initiative and the main players, the EU-China Railway project, and the ways for financing SMEs in China;
- How to Access to Finance for EU SMEs in China and Developments of ICBC in Europe: providing an overview of the supporting services ICBC offers to SMEs;
- China’s outward FDI to Europe and EU FDI Screening Regulation: What are the Business Implications: informing on the recent development of China’s OFDI in Europe (especially since 2016), the EU newly established FDI screening framework as compared to CFIUS, possible business implications of EU FDI screening framework for Chinese investors and EU SMEs;
- How to Verify a Chinese Company Background: highlighting the importance of finding the right partner and of conducting due diligence;
- IPR Issues when Engaging with China:providing an update on the IP context in China and the recent amendments to the Chinese Trademark Law and to the Chinese Anti-unfair Competition Law;
- Sales Contracts and the New Foreign Investment Law:identifying the key terms to consider when drafting a sales contract for exporting goods to China, providing practical insights into the contractual aspect of Chinese business;
- Opportunities in the Technology Sector in China:providing a brief overview of Chinese STI landscape and of China’s technology transfer landscape;
- China Tax Policy: Why it Matters to Your Business: presenting an overview of the tax landscape in China and the do’s and don’ts to succeed;
- E-Commerce in China, New Opportunities for EU SMEs: describing the e-commerce market in and the main platforms as well as the ways of entering the market, with an analysis of the way Cross border e-commerce works;
- WeChat: How China’s Leading App is Guiding the Way in Social Messaging & Social Commerce: describing the WeChat ecosystem, how it can be used as a cross-border e-commerce tool and, WeChat in the EU selling offline via WeChat Pay POS;
- China Outbound Tourism: Outcomes of the 2018 EU China Tourism Year: sharing an update on the developments of the Chinese outbound travel market, and how to better serve Chinese visitors coming to Europe.
2019 marks the ten years anniversary of the project which proved again to be a must-join meeting for those who are looking to get a better grasp on the recent trends and opportunities that China offers and to network and learn from other intermediaries and EU SMEs present at these days. The EU SME Centre is looking forward to continuing its support to EU SMEs and help them to be better prepared to do business within the Chinese market.
Thanks to our speakers from the EU Commission, ING China Branch Office, ICBC Europe Branch, NEOMA Business School, ENRICH, the IPR SME Helpdesk, LLinks, NextportChina, PWC Belgium, COTRI and the EU SME Centre participants had a better understanding on how to engage with China.
Special thanks also to our event partner Hainan airlines and to our technical sponsor EventBank.
