The normalisation of life in China after COVID management controls were lifted 12 months ago led many to think that a robust and swift economic recovery would follow. However, while it looks like the government’s official 2023 target of achieving around a five per cent growth rate will be met, a combination of economic challenges and policy developments have cast a shadow over the potential for a stronger economy in 2024 and beyond.

In China, consumer demand remains muted, the property market is still in the process of stabilising, and overall business confidence remains low. An increasing number of Chamber member companies are looking to alternative investment destinations to diversify and avoid excessive dependence on a single location; others are separating parts of their China operations from their global ones, to remain compliant with legislation in China and the rest of the world, as well as to guard against risks arising from geopolitical tensions. Some companies take a different approach, doubling down on their presence in China in view of the importance of their China activities to their global portfolio.

• 2023-12-12 | 14:00 - 18:10
• Signature Ballroom, Hilton Beijing

In recent years, confidence in the Chinese market has experienced a significant decline. Government policies have increasingly prioritised ideology over economic concerns, even as China grapples with mounting challenges, including the repercussions of its zero-COVID policy, escalating geopolitical tensions, surging debt levels, and sluggish consumption growth. This shift has cast doubts on the reliability, predictability, and efficiency that were once pillars of China's economic success.

• 2023-12-05 | 14:45 - 18:00
• Swissotel Grand Shanghai 上海宏安瑞士大酒店

This year, the Compliance Conference will address two critical themes: data security and the Anti-Unfair Competition Law.

The regulatory landscape in China is constantly evolving, making it challenging for businesses to stay compliant. Recent years have seen the introduction of several laws and regulations to address data security concerns, including the Cybersecurity Law, Data Security Law, Personal Information Protection Law, and recent ones, Measures for the Security Assessment of Outbound Data Transfers, all of which have significant implications for businesses operating in China.

• 2023-11-29 | 14:30 - 18:00
• The Westin Bund Center Shanghai, Diamond Ballroom Ⅲ, 3rd floor 上海威斯汀大饭店三楼钻石宴会厅

On August 13th 2023, the State Council of China released the Opinions on Further Optimising the Foreign Investment Environment and Increasing Efforts to Attract Foreign Investment. This is a positive message, signalling China’s continued drive to open up to the world economy. In addition, the Chinese government aims to spur the growth of the private economy. The year 2023 has been a year of continuously boosting the private economy with policies aimed at tackling challenges in finance and trade.

• 2023-11-22 | 14:00 - 17:00
• Conrad Hotel Shanghai 上海康莱德酒店

Faced with an increasingly unstable geopolitical and economic environment, industrial policy has been inserted as a core component in the agendas of the world’s largest three economies – the United States (US), China, and the European Union (EU). These strategies and regulations on renewable and low-carbon solutions, raw materials and technologies of the future are likely to result in profound implications on the global supply and value chains while reshaping entire industries.

What is the global geopolitical and trade outlook look like amid this global industrial strategy race? What are the implications of the varying policy measures on the strategies of multinational companies? As the world is seemingly moving away from globalisation, how will the elevation of industrial strategies impact the liberalisation of global trade?

Faced with the above and further related questions, the European Chamber launched an event series—Battling it out - Decoding the Global Industrial Strategy Race—to bring members a comprehensive understanding on the industrial strategies adopted by the world’s top three superpowers and their implications on both state and industry players.

• 2023-11-10 | 12:30 - 14:00
• Wang Fu Ballroom II

As part of its 30/60 carbon neutrality goals, China set a goal for renewable energy to exceed fossil fuel capacity by 2025, a target that has already been reached two years ahead of schedule. Renewable energy sources, as China defines them, now make up over half of the country’s power capacity. However, China’s energy consumption mix remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels, with China’s coal usage exceeding the rest of the world combined in 2022. With climate change-induced power shortages and extreme weather conditions becoming more frequent, the path towards carbon neutrality will be crucial for China to maintain its competitiveness as a global manufacturing powerhouse.

• 2023-10-30 | 14:30 - 18:00
• European Chamber Shanghai Office

This year, we are focusing on two key themes that are shaping the HR landscape in China and beyond: the impact of the Personal Information Protection Law on HR operations, and the intersection of ESG and talent retention.

The European Chamber invites HR leaders to join us for this event, where you can connect with peers, learn from experts, and gain insights into the latest trends and best practices in HR.

• 2023-10-19 | 14:30 - 18:00
• Swissotel Grand Shanghai

On 13th August, China’s State Council released the Opinions of the State Council on Further Optimising the Foreign Investment Environment and Increasing Efforts to Attract Foreign Investment (Opinions). The European Chamber has stated that the 24 points contained in the Opinions could go a long way towards improving business confidence if they are implemented in a timely, coordinated and consistent manner. The publication of detailed implementation guidelines will be an extremely important part of this process.

• 2023-10-12 | 15:00 - 16:30
• Signature Ballroom B, Hilton Beijing

The reform of Chinese state assets and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) has long remained the core element of China’s economic reform process. In 2015 the Guiding Opinions on Deepening the Reform of State-owned Enterprises (Guiding Opinions) was released as the key framework document to further modernize and improve the overall competence of SOEs. Successively, in 2020, the Three-year Action Program of SOE Reform (2020-2022) (Three-year Action Program) was issued and elaborated on the goals, timeline and future road map of the reform, which proves Chinese government’s ambition for the SOE system to make real changes.

国资国企改革长期以来是中国经济体制改革的重心。2015年，《关于深化国有企业改革的指导意见》（《指导意见》）出台，成为现阶段国企改革的框架性纲领文件，对进一步提高国企现代化和综合能力作出指示。2020年，《国企改革三年行动方案（2020－2022年）》等各项方案正式出台，国企改革的目标、时间表、路线图得到明确，展现了中国政府对深化国资国企改革的决心。

• 2023-09-21 | 14:30 - 16:30
• Signature Ballroom B, Hilton Beijing

The European Chamber is pleased to invite you to the 2023 Sustainable Business Awards Conference & Ceremony: Embracing the Green Transition & Measuring Unexpected Impacts. Commemorating the 7th annual Sustainable Business Awards (SBA) in collaboration with SynTao as the knowledge partner, the SBA rewards companies that put sustainable economic growth, green development, innovation, risk management and social welfare at the forefront of their values.

The conference will explore the intricacies of accelerating the green transition and measuring sustainability, with insights from experts from across industries. Followed by a ceremony to announce this year’s Sustainable Business Awards winners.

• 2023-09-06 | 14:30 - 18:00
• The Langham Xintiandi, Shanghai