7th EU-CHINA BUSINESS SUMMIT 2012, 14 February, Beijing

The 7th EU-China Business Summit 2011 will be held on 14th February, 2012 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

The event is being jointly organised by the European Chamber and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), together with BUSINESSEUROPE, and with the support of the EU China Business Association (of which CBBC is a member). CBBC's Chief Executive will be one of the speakers in the SME workshop.

As a highlight of the events calendar this year, the 7th EU-China Business Summit will:

Ø      Bring together the highest level of European and Chinese political leaders including Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, European Commission's President José Manuel Durão Barroso, European Council's President Herman Van Rompuy and global CEOs.

Ø      Provide an excellent opportunity to join an open discussion with the European and Chinese leaders shaping the business environment in China on the possibilities that China offers to SMEs, the major opportunities brought by urbanisation and the exciting investment opportunities linked to industrial upgrading, innovation and services.

SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES AT THE BUSINESS PLENARY SESSION (GLOBAL CEOS)

The European Chamber is actively seeking two Global CEOs from representative European Companies to participate as the key business speakers at the EU-China Summit.

The two global CEOs will deliver short speeches to all attendees of the Summit based around its main theme, "Cooperation on a New Level: Innovation, Industry and Investment".

For speaking opportunities please contact Mr. Fernando Cutanda at fcutanda@europeanchamber.com.cn or +86 (10) 6462 2066 ext. 31

PROVISIONAL AGENDA

10:00-11:00 - Registration

11:00-13:00 - Breakout sessions
The three workshops will run in parallel and will feature presentations of five to seven minutes each by up to six panelists, followed by a moderated Q&A session.

1.     The Role of SMEs and Institutional Support

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a central role in most countries as they have a clear economic and social impact. SMEs can drive entrepreneurship, innovation, competition and job creation. This makes them important players for economic growth and wealth creation. However, due to their size and characteristics they meet a lot of challenges and difficulties in areas related to access to the following: institutional support, financing, skilled labour, technology and international markets. During this workshop, the speakers will discuss the role of SMEs in the social and economic structure and how Chinese and European public and private institutions can best support their development and enable them to grow successfully.

2.     Opportunities in Urbanisation

China's urbanisation level moved above 50% according to China's National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday, 16^th January 2012. This process of urbanisation brings new challenges (environmental protection, energy efficiency, mobility, services) to the sustainability of Chinese cities. The speakers will focus on the business opportunities that the 12th Five-Year Plan and the urbanisation process will bring to China and how Europe and China can cooperate.

3.     Investment: Industrial Upgrading and Services

The 12th Five-Year Plan places a special focus on the need for industrial upgrading, innovation and the creation of a modern services sector. Likewise, the EU 2020 Strategy strives to boost innovation and services as main drivers for European economic growth. All of these factors are key for both growth and development, and will also bring new investment opportunities. In this regard, joint investment and cooperation between companies from the European Union and China are crucial. The speakers will give a macro perspective on these issues and will enter into an engaging discussion on the investment environments in both China and Europe.

13:00-14:30 - Lunch

14:30-16:30 -Plenary Session Part II (Political Leaders)
Introduction by Chairman of CCPIT, Wan Jifei

- Keynote address by President of the European Commission, José Manuel Durão Barroso

- Keynote address by President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy

- Keynote address by Prime Minister of the P. R. China, Wen Jiabao

17:00-18:00 -Plenary Session Part I (Business Leaders)
- Chairman of CCPIT, Wan Jifei  ?                 

- President of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, Davide Cucino

- 4 Global CEOs (2 European and 2 Chinese)

PROVISIONAL REGISTRATION

If you would like to express your interest in attending the Summit, please contact Emma Chen at bj_events@europeanchamber.com.cn or at +86 (10) 6462 2066 ext. 84 indicating which workshop you would like to attend (Urbanisation, SME or Investment).

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information on the current status of the EU-China Summit, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Fernando Cutanda fcutanda@europeanchamber.com.cn or at +86 (10) 6462 2066 ext. 31