[Hybrid] European Chamber Annual Conference 2022 Crossing the River Without Stones: China’s Uncertain Economic Future Go back »
-
Time2022-12-09 | 13:30 - 18:10
-
Venue:Zoom Online/Grand Ballroom 1, 4F, InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun
-
Address:
-
Fee:Members: 500 |
Non Members: 800
* In line with the latest pandemic control policy, the annual conference resume as hybrid event, taking place in the InterContinental Hotel Beijing and via zoom platform.
* Limited onsite seating will be reserved on a first-come-first served basis, wearing a mask during the conference is highly recommended for safety concerns.
*Members from local chapters can join at member rate.
As 2022 comes to a close, China’s economic outlook is the most uncertain since the country first embarked upon its programme of reform and opening more than four decades ago. Its COVID strategy has been put to the test, with nationwide outbreaks of the highly transmissible Omicron variant disrupting business operations on an unprecedented scale throughout the year. Other significant internal challenges include China’s mounting debt crisis, the unravelling of its real estate sector, demographic headwinds and stalling consumption growth.
China is also facing mounting external pressures, including growing geopolitical tensions stemming from Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine and export restrictions recently imposed by the US, which could have far-reaching implications for the development of China’s high-tech industries.
Meanwhile, the pragmatic principles that once drove China’s economic growth have largely taken a backseat to ideological concerns. The Chinese market is now perceived by international investors to be less predictable, less reliable and less efficient, and there were few clues as to the country’s economic trajectory for the next five years and beyond following the conclusion of the 20th Party Congress.
Where will the new leadership team take China under President Xi as he embarks on a third term in office? Will security concerns continue to be prioritised over economic growth? And what measures can the government introduce to reassure international investors who have already begun looking into alternative markets?
The European Chamber welcomes a distinguished group of global thought leaders from academia, industry, think tanks and government to address these questions and help foreign businesses to navigate previously uncharted waters.
Agenda
13:30-14:00 Registration (Onsite attendees)
14:00-14:20 Opening Speech
- Jörg Wuttke, President, European Chamber
14:20-14:40 Ambassador's Address
- HE Jorge Toledo Albiñana, Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union to China
14:40-15:00 Remarks by Maria Martin-Prat, Deputy Director-General, DG Trade, EU Commission
15:00-16:00 Panel I: Is ideology really trumping the economy?
Now the dust has settled on the 20th Party Congress, international investors are concerned that China’s leadership is prioritising security concerns, indicating a shift from growth-first pragmatism to national security and technological self-reliance.
- Does the current situation mean there is no return to growth-first pragmatism?
- How will China’s new leadership team shape economic, domestic and foreign policy in the years to come?
- With power now seemingly consolidated at the top of China’s leadership, does this mean the capacity for policy implementation has improved, or will policymaking be more ideology-driven?
Panelists
- Keith Bradsher, Beijing bureau chief, The New York Times
- Louise Liu, Managing Director, The Economist Group Greater China
- Jens Eskelund, Vice President, European Chamber; Chief Representative, Maersk China Ltd
Moderated by Wendy Wu, Editor, South China Morning Post
Following the conclusion of the 20th Party Congress, there have been no significant signs that China’s ‘zero-tolerance’ COVID policy—which has come at an extremely high and ever-increasing economic cost—will be eased in the near future. According to a report from the National Statistics Bureau, China's economy contracted sharply in the second quarter of this year as widespread lockdowns hit businesses and consumers. In addition, local governments have been burdened with increased expenditure as a result of regular COVID testing, a slump in the property market and tax rebates.
Beijing’s ‘zero-tolerance’ COVID strategy and the disruptions it has caused has already greatly diminished the confidence of foreign businesses operating in China. What is the outlook for next year? Is there a possibility the country will eventually reopen? And how should policymakers respond to stabilise China’s economic growth and reassure investors?
Panellists
- Li Yifei, Board Member, BlackRock (Singapore) Limited
- Zhu Ning, Senior Partner, Head of China, Brunswick Group
- Chen Long, Co-founder and Partner, Plenum
Moderated by Robert Xiao, Beijing Director, Economist Intelligence Corporate Network (EICN)
17:20-17:50 Closing Remarks
- Liu Mingkang, former chairman, China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC)
Q&A will be moderated by Gao Su, Vice Chair, Banking and Securities Working Group, European Chamber
Terms & Conditions
Events have very limited seating so to ensure your attendance we encourage advance online registration and payment. We cannot guarantee entry to anyone not registered in advance.
All events follow the Chatham House rule unless otherwise stated.
All listed speakers and content are confirmed at the time of publication. We reserve the right to make changes to the agenda as required.
Cancellation Policy
If you cannot attend the event for which you have registered, please cancel your registration no later than one business day prior to the event. If you fail to notify us of your cancellation in a timely fashion, you will be charged for event costs.
To cancel you can: 1) email Jennifer Cao jcao@europeanchamber.com.cn, or 2) cancel online if you registered for the event through the website.
Advisory Council Policy
Members of the Advisory Council may receive complimentary admission to Chamber seminars, conferences and factory visits up to two attendees per event. Additional participants will be charged at the member rate.
Advisory Council members will still be charged the standard member rate for participation in training courses and special events, such as gala balls, government appreciation dinners, or admission to corporate social events/tournaments.
For further information contact Luyang Syvänen lsyvanen@europeanchamber.com.cn
Speakers
Mr. Jorge Toledo Albiñana
Mr. Jorge Toledo Albiñana
After taking his Degree in Law and entering the Diplomatic School in Spain, Ambassador Toledo joined the Spanish Foreign Service in 1989. Since then, except for three years in Senegal, where he was Ambassador of Spain from 2008 to 2011, his career has been devoted mostly to European Union Affairs. Among others, he was Spanish Secretary of State for the EU and European Affairs. In Asia, he has been posted to India and Japan before arriving to China in September 2022 as the Ambassador of the European Union.
Ambassador Toledo strongly believes in the European integration and that only together can EU Member States have a meaningful relation and dialogue with a strong world power as China.
He is married and has two children.
Mr. Jörg Wuttke
Mr. Jörg Wuttke
Jörg Wuttke is Chief Representative of BASF China, based in Beijing. Wuttke is President of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China – an office he already held from 2007 to 2010 and from 2014 to 2017. Wuttke is a member of the Advisory Board of the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) in Berlin. He contributes regularly to the Swiss financial blog https://themarket.ch/. Wuttke has lived in Beijing for more than three decades.
Ms. Maria Martin-Prat
Ms. Maria Martin-Prat
Ms. Martin-Prat is responsible for the areas of Services and Digital Trade, Investment and Intellectual Property. She is also responsible for trade and investment relations with China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Mongolia. In her capacity, she is also the Commission's Chief Negotiator for the negotiations with China on a bilateral investment agreement. Before her current post Ms. Martin-Prat was the Head of the Copyright Unit in the European Commission. Prior responsibilities include being the Head of Unit responsible for free movement of services and freedom of establishment in the European Commission and being a member of Commissioner Joaquin Almunia's Cabinet. Ms Martin-Prat has also worked as a lawyer in the private sector and in the European Parliament. Ms. Martin-Prat is admitted as a solicitor in Spain and has two postgraduate degrees in European Law.
Mr. Keith Bradsher
Mr. Keith Bradsher
Keith Bradsher is the Pulitzer Prize-winning Beijing bureau chief for The New York Times. He previously served as the Shanghai bureau chief, Hong Kong bureau chief and Detroit bureau chief. Before those postings, he was a Washington correspondent for The Times covering the Federal Reserve and international trade, and a New York-based business reporter covering transportation and telecommunications. Mr. Bradsher received a degree in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead scholar, and a master’s degree in public policy with a concentration in economics from Princeton University. Before joining The Times, Mr. Bradsher wrote for The Los Angeles Times for two years.
Mr. Jens Eskelund
Mr. Jens Eskelund
Jens Eskelund was born in 1970 in Aarhus, Denmark. He holds an MA in philosophy and has studied at University of Aarhus and University of Texas at Austin. He has also pursued studies in Chinese at Renmin University in Beijing. Coming to Beijing as a student in 1998, Jens Eskelund began his career in China as Commercial Officer at the Danish Embassy to China before taking on a position in marketing for Maersk Line in Beijing in 2000. He has since held positions as General Manager for Public Affairs for Maersk Line in China and later Director of Public Affairs for North Asia before assuming his present role as Chief Representative for Maersk in the Greater China Area and North-East Asia. Primary focus areas comprise engaging government entities, institutions and trade associations on matters of policy, regulatory environment and business development on behalf of the companies within the Maersk Group.
Jens Eskelund is a former Chairman of the Danish Chamber of Commerce in China as well as the Vice President and Chair of Maritime Working Group of the European Chamber. Jens was elected as the President of European Chamber in May 2023.
Jens Eskelund is married and has two sons.
Ms. Qian Liu
Ms. Qian Liu
Qian is responsible for The Group’s overall business in China and Taiwan. She represents the group in the market, and looks after the group’s strategic steps, while building relationships with MNC’s, government, and local media companies.
Qian was the first Chinese analyst to join The Economist Intelligence Unit, the research arm of the group. Before becoming the Managing Director, Qian was the Director of Global Economics Unit and Director of Access China for the EIU. She also served as the Chair Women for internal review at EIU with European Securities and Market Authority.
Qian adopted econometric models to analyse economic data and produce macroeconomic forecasts. Under her leadership, Access China has expanded into a global team of analysts covering China’s 31 provinces and 287 key prefectures and providing analysis of Chinese outbound investment. Qian has also been involved in The Economist Group’s various China projects, including on CQ Roll Call and Global Business Review.
Qian has also been a guest lecturer at New York University, Tsinghua University, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Fudan University. She is a regular commentator on media outlets including the BBC, CNBC, CNN, CBS, HBO, NPR and CCTV.
Before joining the EIU, Qian obtained her PhD in economics from Uppsala University, Sweden, and spent a year as a visiting researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. Her past research has focused on labour economics, and her fields of interest include education, gender and employment. Qian’s research articles have appeared in publications including the Oxford Economic Papers, the B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy (produced by Berkeley Electronic Press), the China Economic Review and the China Economic Quarterly.
Ms. Wendy Wu
Ms. Wendy Wu
Wendy Wu is the editor of Political Economy with the South China Morning Post. Her journalism career spans more than a decade. Wendy joined the SCMP in 2015, covering diplomacy and economy. She was news editor of China Desk before leading the macro economy team.
Prof. Ning Zhu
Prof. Ning Zhu
Zhu Ning is appointed as Senior Partner and Head of China at Brunswick Group. He was Oceanwide Chair Professor of Finance, Deputy Dean, National Institute of Financial Research, Tsinghua University, Co-director of the DBA/EMBA/EE programs and a Professor of Finance at Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF), a faculty fellow at the Yale University International Center for Finance, and a Special-Term Professor of Finance at University of California, Davis and at Guanghua School of Management, Peking University.
Professor Zhu is an expert on behavioral finance, investments, corporate finance, and the Asian financial markets. He has published numerous articles in leading journals in the finance, economics, management and legal fields, including Journal of Finance, Review of Financial Studies, Management Science, Journal of Legal Studies, etc. Professor Zhu has also written or co-authored several books, including most recently "China's Guaranteed Bubble".
Mr. Long Chen
Mr. Long Chen
CHEN Long is co-founder and managing partner of Plenum, an independent consultancy advising global investors and multinational corporations on China. He manages Plenum’s research and is the lead economist. He started the career on the equity trading floors in Hong Kong and worked as the China economist for Gavekal Dragonomics until founding Plenum in 2019. He writes extensively on China’s economy, government policies, financial markets and geopolitics. His work is quoted frequently by the global media including the Financial Times, the Economist, and Bloomberg. A native Beijinger, he was educated at Peking University.
Mr. Robert Xiao
Mr. Robert Xiao
Robert Xiao is Director of the Economist Intelligence Corporate Network (EICN) in Beijing. He is responsible for engaging with top executives in the region and providing insights on economic and policy trends to support their business development in the Chinese market.
Mr Xiao was previously a PhD Supervisor and Deputy Director of the Impact Finance Hub at Deakin Business School before joining EICN. His research mainly focused on the fields of corporate social responsibility, corporate governance, and economic and financial policy analysis related to the Chinese market. He has authored multiple publications in Financial Times Top 50 Journals and been awarded major research grants jointly by the Australia Academy of Social Sciences and Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He also has more than a decade of experience teaching business courses including in Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Finance, and Bachelor of Commerce programmes at leading universities.
Mr Xiao has a Ph.D. in Finance and B.Com. (Hons) in Accounting and Finance from Monash University.
Mr. Mingkang Liu
Mr. Mingkang Liu
Mr. LIU Mingkang served as the first Chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) between March 2003 and October 2011. He is a member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. He is the Deputy Director of the Committee for Economic Affairs of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
He was a member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the People’s Bank of China. Before heading the CBRC, Mr. LIU held various positions in both banking institutions and government agencies, including, among others, Chairman and President of Bank of China (BOC) (February 2000 - March 2003), Chairman of China Everbright Group (July 1999 - June 2000), Deputy Governor of the People’s Bank of China (March 1998 - July 1999), Deputy Governor of China Development Bank (January 1994 - March 1998), Deputy Governor of Fujian province and Secretary-General of the Fujian Provincial Government (January 1993 - January 1994).
Mr. LIU received the MBA degree and the honorary doctorate both from the City University of London.