EURObiz

After China reopened its borders in 2023, many expected to see a strong economic recovery. Instead, the year saw a raft of disappointing economic data. In addition, the Chamber’s Business Confidence Survey revealed that many members are not feeling optimistic about the current business environment. What will it take to boost confidence and support economic growth? In the January/February 2024 edition of EURObiz, contributors explore how China can re-boot its economy and how firms can still thrive in the current environment.

Articles featured:

Re-booting the economy: How does China plan to support growth in 2024?
China’s salary squeeze: Motivating employees in difficult times
Chinese consumers have changed, but not how you think
Strategies for difficult times: Foreign companies can still thrive in today’s China
Data dilemmas Cross-border transfer of personal data: navigating compliance issues

During COVID, as China closed its borders and implemented strict ‘zero-COVID’ measures, many foreign nationals were either locked out of the country and unable to return, or moved back home or to other countries where they could access their families more easily. When China reopened its borders, it was hoped that some of these foreign nationals would return, or new faces arrive, but many European Chamber member companies are still struggling to attract and retain staff, which demonstrates that zero-COVID was not the only problem. The November/December 2023 edition of EURObiz looks at attracting and retaining talent, to examine the reasons why companies may be having difficulties in this area.

Other topics covered in this issue include:

Advocating in Europe for European Businesses in China: Highlights of the 2023/2024 EU Tour
Corporate Social Responsibility: Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the European Chamber CSR Awards
Avoiding Third-party Copyright Infringement in Marketing Campaigns: A case study by the China IP SME Helpdesk
European Chamber Flash Survey: The impact of China’s data regulations on European business

China’s Ministry of Emergency Management has announced that in the first nine months of this year, the country suffered direct economic losses of over CNY 308 billion (just under EUR 40 billion) from natural disasters. Meanwhile, Bloomberg has reported that wildfires this summer cost Europe EUR 4.1 billion. European Chamber members will have to prepare for increasingly common extreme weather events affecting both their operations in China and their headquarters in Europe, not to mention their global supply chains. Therefore, the September/October 2023 edition of EURObiz focusses on climate change in China, in an effort to help prepare Chamber members for the difficult road ahead.

Other topics covered in this edition include:
· Position Paper 2022/2023: Regaining momentum – how to restore business confidence
· Individual Income Tax: Key points on the four-year extension of China’s preferential policy for foreign national workers
· #BecauseofUs: Advocacy to alleviate bottlenecks for the medical device industry in implementation of GB 9706 standards series

The European Chamber continues to emphasise that the majority of its members are ‘in China, for China’. Current geopolitical tensions and self-sufficiency drives may have cast gloom on the outlook for this approach, but as Ursula von der Leyen said, Europe wants to ‘de-risk’, not ‘decouple’, from China. The July/August 2023 issue of EURObiz looks at what being ‘in China, for China’ means, and how this strategy may need to evolve if the trend towards derisking evolves.
Other topics covered in this issue include:

Interpretation of China’s Measures of CBDT Security Assessment
China’s Dairy Sector: Market, technical requirements and opportunities, for EU producers
ESG Management: Compliance and opportunities for European enterprises in China
Trademark Squatting: A case study from the China IP SME Helpdesk
#BecauseofUs: Creating a level playing field for imported food

2023 marks 10 years since the Rana Plaza disaster in a garment factory in Bangladesh, when 1,132 workers perished in a fire, the deadliest incident of its kind. In the decade since, workers, consumers, chief executives and governments are increasingly focussing on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, and the roles that they can and should play to improve living conditions, increase efficiency and generate sustainable incomes. The May/June 2023 issue of EURObiz looks at why ESG is important for European business in China, and the areas in which opportunities for investment and engagement can be found.

Other topics covered in this issue include:

Business Confidence Survey 2023: Rebuilding after the storm
End of an Era: Exit interview with Jörg Wuttke
Changing of the Guard: European Chamber 2023 election results
Nanjing Position Paper 2023/2024: Recommendations to boost Jiangsu’s and Nanjing’s international reputations
#BecauseofUs: Protecting Pharmaceutical IP in China’s Drug Procurement: Coordinated governance

The March/April 2023 issue of EURObiz focusses on research and development (R&D). As highlighted by the European Chamber’s joint report with the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), China’s Innovation Ecosystem: The Localisation Dilemma, there are many benefits to conducting R&D in China—such as the speed of actioning concepts, the size of the potential market—but longlasting challenges deter many European companies from conducting cutting-edge R&D within Chinese borders.

Other topics covered in this issue include:

EU Tour 2023: Advocacy highlights from the first in-person tour in three years
Protection of Women's Rights in the Workplace: New regulatory updates in China
Cross-industry Mentor Initiative: Cycle 3 wrap-up and cycle 4 kick-off

The January/February 2023 issue of EURObiz focusses on ‘stability’

Other topics covered in this issue include:
Revitalising the Greater Bay Area: A new Guangzhou Nansha tax incentive
Regenerative Forestry: Its role in safeguarding biodiversity
#BecauseofUs: International cargo relay reduces costs and carbon footprints

Multiple research studies have shown that teams made up of people from a diverse set of backgrounds, ages and perspectives fare better than non-diverse teams. Building an inclusive environment is also important for employees to feel confident enough to make suggestions and be innovative. The same concept applies to society and policy-making as well as business. The November/December 2022 edition of EURObiz looks at diversity and inclusion, and its importance for European business.

Other topics covered in this edition include:

The Road Ahead: Key business trends to watch in 2023
China’s Biopharma Industry: Market prospect and investment paths
#BecauseofUs: Revised standard allows more cheese types to enter Chinese market.

Four decades since China’s reform and opening up era began, European Chamber member companies still regularly report encountering difficulties in gaining access to the Chinese market due to unofficial measures – such as ambiguous rules and regulations, excessive licensing systems and preferential treatment of domestic companies. The September/October 2022 edition of EURObiz focusses on such invisible market access barriers, and their impact on the business environment in China.

Also featured in this edition:

The Customer is God: Updates to the draft Measures on Consumer Rights Protection for Banking and Insurance Institutions
Position Paper 2022/2023: Ideology trumps the economy
#BECAUSEOFUS: Helping China to build a regulatory system for high-end medical devices

In the pre-COVID era, industry had supply chains down to a fine art. However, the delicacy of these channels became all too evident once the pandemic struck, while geopolitical tensions, grounded superships and environmental considerations have merely emphasised the point. The July/August 2022 edition of EURObiz focusses on the difficulties our members have been encountering with supply chains, and how they plan to evolve to mitigate such difficulties in future.

Also featured in this edition:

The Missing Piece: Closing the gap on cross-border transfer of personal data
Ever Choppier Waters: European Business in China Business Confidence Survey 2022
China Outlook and Difficult Choices: An active investor’s perspective
A New Anti-trust Era: China’s amendments to its Anti-monopoly Law

Eurobiz content update (May / June 2022)

Eurobiz content update (March / April 2022)

As a Xinhua article in Qiushi Theory said in August, “the term ‘common prosperity’, though not brand new, is more and more frequently used by Chinese policymakers. For people who seek to understand the Chinese-style modernization, interpret Chinese policies and find new investment opportunities, a correct view of the new catchphrase is important.” Therefore, the January/February 2022 issue of EURObiz focusses on common prosperity in order to help European Chamber members understand how they can access these new investment opportunities.

On 11th December 2021, China will mark the 20th anniversary of its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). This is also a significant date for the European Chamber, as monitoring China’s adherence to its WTO commitments was part of the reason why the Chamber was founded. The November/December 2021 issue of EURObiz looks at 20 years of China in the WTO, and the changes its accession brought for China itself, the global economy, international relations and European businesses on the ground.
Also featured in this edition:
COP15 in China: Why and how businesses should nurture their future success in nature
Auditing Supply Chains: How to review your suppliers in China
Digitalising Human Resources: The era of electronic labour contracts is coming

Anybody that reads—or even just flicks through—our recently published Position Paper 2021/2022 will see that access to public procurement is a common concern for many of our member companies. In some industries, direct barriers like negative lists or ‘Buy China’ policies remain, while in other industries, indirect barriers like opaque procedures or onerous licensing requirements prevent participation. The September/October 2021 issue of EURObiz looks at public procurement in China, and the opportunities and challenges for European companies.
Also featured in this edition:
Three Design Lessons: For the post-pandemic city
Laying the Cornerstone: China’s data protection regime tells us how the resource is valued
European SMEs in China: The current policy environment for small and medium-sized enterprises

Content update (July / August 2021)

Content update (May / June 2021)

Content update (March / April 2021)

Content update (January / February 2021)

Content update (November / December 2020)

Content update(September / October)

Content update(September / October)

Content update(September / October)

Content update(July / August)

Eurobiz content update (May/June)