EU-Chia Business Leaders Forum Held in Beijing

On July 29th, 2022, the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE) and the European Union Chamber of Commerce(EUCC) co-hosted the EU-Chia Business Leaders Forum in Beijing. The delegates from both parties made in-depth discussion and exchanges centered on the topics of “Sustainability of Supply Chain” and “Carbon Neutrality”. Zhang Xiaoqiang, executive vice chairman and director of the board of executives of CCIEE,  Zhang Dawei, vice chairman and secretary-general of CCIEE, Jiang Zengwei, vice chairman of CCIEE, Joerg Wuttke, President of EUCC, Guido Giacconi, Vice President of EUCC and more than 20 representatives from China and Europe attended the meeting.

The Chinese representatives believes that the current world economic recovery is struggling, and the positive development of China-Eu relations plays an important and irreplaceable role in promoting world economic recovery. As major economies in the world with complementary economic structures and deeply intertwined interests, China and the EU need to deepen cooperation and address challenges with joint efforts. Despite facing certain difficulties and challenges, the bilateral trade volume between China and the EU reached a historical high in 2021, highlighting the significant scale of their trade relationship. China's industrial chain supporting capacity and vast market size also provide new opportunities for the development of European businesses. The business communities of China and the EU can engage in extensive and in-depth cooperation in various areas, including industrial chains, supply chains, trade and investment, finance, and technological innovation. Global challenges require joint efforts from China and the EU, particularly in the field of achieving carbon neutrality. Both sides have tremendous potential for green development and cooperation. The cooperation between China and the EU outweighs competition, and it will play a positive role in the development of China-EU bilateral relations.

The European representative stated that China is the world's factory with excellent industrial clusters. Many European companies hope to stay in China and actively establish factories in China to enhance the resilience of supply chains and contribute to green and low-carbon transformation. European companies' operations and supply chains in China have also been affected by geopolitical issues such as theCovid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine crisis. Despite the difficulties, European companies in China are working hard to make the supply chains more efficient and sustainable, and hope to actively explore carbon-neutral solutions, participate in ecological cooperation, and accelerate the achievement of low-carbon development goals.The European business representatives hope to strengthen communication and exchanges and make further development in the Chinese market.

Ning Jizhe, Deputy Director of the 13th Committee of Economy of the CPPCC National Committee attended the luncheon and delivered a keynote speech which giving a comprehensive introduction to China's current macroeconomic situation. He Yunteng, Acting Ambassador of the EU Delegation to China, attended the meeting and delivered a speech.