The third edition of the Southwest China Position Paper 2021/2022 contains constructive recommendations for both the development of the Chengdu-Chongqing Two-City Economic Circle (Economic Circle) and improving the region’s business environment in general.

In recent years, the Chinese Government has announced several plans aimed at developing the Southwest China region, with the cities of Chengdu and Chongqing designated as key players. These plans include making the two cities and their hinterlands China’s fourth city cluster, and setting up logistics hubs for the Belt and Road Initiative. The report outlines how European businesses can contribute to the region, and the difficulties they currently encounter when trying to do so.

Read the press release.

The fourth Shanghai Position Paper 2020/2021 evaluates the local business and regulatory environments for foreign investment in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis and makes recommendations to facilitate a swift economic recovery. Touted as a symbol of China’s market liberalisation and the sustained confidence of international investment, in the eyes of the European business community this event has so far amounted to little more than an ambitious trade fair.

With 38 detailed recommendations on how the local government can address the challenges of the local business environment and unlock further development potential, the Shanghai Position Paper has been published in advance of the third China International Import Expo (CIIE). Touted as a symbol of China’s market liberalisation and the sustained confidence of international investment, in the eyes of the European business community this event has so far amounted to little more than an ambitious trade fair.

While European companies are willing to bring more investment to Shanghai and help expand the city’s economy, they must first see concrete changes, not more high-level yet ambiguous plans.

Read full press release here.

Since the launch of the Nanjing Chapter’s first Nanjing Position Paper in 2017, greater communication between the European business community and the local government has helped to meaningfully improve the local business environment of Nanjing and Jiangsu. With the goal of further advancing this constructive dialogue, the Nanjing chapter and its more than 100 members have launched the second Nanjing Position Paper to identify recently emerged and long-lasting concerns and also propose corresponding recommendations to local and provincial leaders in the following three main areas:

• The ease of doing business and SME attraction
• Good governance and Nanjing’s development model
• Increasing the attractiveness of Nanjing and Jiangsu 

This document forms a critical role in shaping our conversations with the Nanjing and Jiangsu governments, and sets the advocacy agenda of the Nanjing Chapter.

Please click here to view the English press release.

The second edition of the South China Position Paper builds on the success of the first one released in 2015. It compiles the latest assessments and concerns of European businesses operating in South China and offers constructive recommendations to local policy makers. The 2019/2020 edition evaluates the region’s ongoing development and provides recommendations on how the government can create a business environment that facilitates further development and attracts fresh investment.

The South China Position Paper presents key recommendations on three themes: the quality of the business environment and the foundations for its industrial upgrade, the stability of regional human resources, and the attractiveness of the province for foreign investment. Critical as some of the South China Position Paper’s recommendations may seem, they are proposed in an honest effort to improve the business environment in South China for both domestic and foreign companies alike.

Please click here to view the English press release and here to view the Chinese press release.