European business in China post-2022 – The view from the ground

2022 has been a turbulent year for the EU and China. Both actors have had to deal with multiple shocks, including the war in Ukraine and the resulting energy and food security crises, economic headwinds and inflation, and an unstable geopolitical environment. In the case of China, an increasingly unsustainable zero-COVID policy and a property crisis have added to the complexities in an already politically pivotal year for the Chinese leadership, with the 20th Party Congress taking place in October. The China at the beginning of 2023 – no longer with COVID-zero and with a new leadership – is certainly very different from the China in early 2022. The conversations that European companies in China now are also not the same they were having in January 2022. Indeed, from the perspective of European companies in China, the shift in Chinese policy-making – partly as a result of these and other trends towards prioritising ideology over the economy – has led to China’s business environment becoming less predictable, reliable and efficient. Although opportunities for European companies in China remain, they must develop strategies to deal with an ever-growing list of risks, stemming from geopolitical developments and emerging legislation both within and outside China.

On the occasion of the first European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (the European Chamber) business delegation visit to Brussels in three years, the EU-China Business Association, the European Chamber and BusinessEurope are happy to invite you to join our conference. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from European business representatives operating on the ground in China what the key drivers behind these trends in China are and their implications for European business.

Agenda