In this episode of Conversations on Asia, I talk to Ms. Xinyi Xie about the intricacies of navigating the complicated waters of government affairs for a European company operating a business in China and the plethora of issues and challenges that European industry players face in the country . Xinyi is currently working in Shanghai as a Government Affairs Officer for Wuerth Group. Previously she worked for the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China as a Working Group Coordinator.

We start the conversation by discussing first the current situation in Shanghai and the recent changes the city has undergone. After that, we dive right into the topic at hand. I learn from Xinyi how foreign companies are faring after the lockdown. We talk about the role of government affairs within foreign companies operating a business in China and things to consider before a company decides to invest in this function in the country. We discuss the current attitude of government officials towards European companies in the country. We chat about the role of different platforms when doing government affairs in China (from national chambers of commerce to the European Chamber of Commerce, as well as member states' trade offices in the country, the European Union Delegation, etc.). We talk about the impact of the current geopolitical situation on European companies doing business in China.
We look at the current state of affairs of Sino-German relations and the impact of those evolving relations on German companies in China. Finally, we have a brief conversation on the future of EU-China relations.
This episode was recorded on July 3rd, 2022.
0:00 Introduction; 1:41 The current situation in Shanghai (Covid measures/controls); 11:46 A discussion on the dynamic Zero Covid policy; 25:59 How are foreign companies faring in China right now?; 30:47 How important is the role of a Government Affairs Officer for a foreign company doing business in China? What do they need to consider before setting up this function?; 35:51 What is the current attitude of government officials towards European companies in the country?; 40:25 Which platforms are useful for European companies to lobby further in China?; 44:20 The impact of the current geopolitical scenario on European companies in China; 49:32 The future of Sino-German relations and the impact on German companies in China; 56:12 The future of the Strategic Autonomy policy for the EU and the future of EU-China relations

In this episode of Conversations on Asia, I talk to Ms. Ludivine Destree about her experiences in China promoting tourism into Europe. Ludivine is currently working for the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC) as Business Manager. She was the Chairwoman of the China Chapter of the European Travel Commission (from November 2017 to November 2020) and the Chief Representative of the Greater China Region of the Wallonia Tourism office (from August 2015 to August 2021). She has worked, lived and studied in China for many years.
We start the conversation by discussing first the current situation in Beijing and then we take a look at the impact of Covid in China. On the second half, we dive right into the topic at hand. I learn from Ludivine what it entailed promoting tourism into Europe in China. We talk about the impact of Covid on the tourism industry and how things have changed since the pandemic as the pre-pandemic hopes of economic activity that a growing Chinese tourism into Europe could bring have cooled off. Finally, we assess how a pandemic-caused reduced Chinese tourism abroad and also a currently non-existent foreign tourism into China may widen the gap of understanding between China and some parts of the world.
This episode was recorded on 22nd of May, 2022.
0:00 Introduction 1:50 The situation in Beijing 12:59 Travel restrictions and the Shanghai-induced fear 16:29 More foreigners leaving the country? 20:00 Does the dynamic Zero Covid policy still remain viable? What about foreign vaccines into China? Could China open its borders any time in the near future? 25:02 The impact of Covid on foreign companies operating in China and foreign talent attraction/retention 29:15 The overall economic impact 31:07 Introducing Wallonia to China 35:16 The future of tourism in Covid times and the China factor 40:58 The current situation for European regional tourism representatives offices in China and their tourism outreach activities 45:04The Golden Times, big expectations around Chinese tourism into Europe, and the arrival of dark clouds with Covid 54:43 The importance of tourism and the current widening gap of understanding between China and the World

In this episode, we learn from Stephanie Sam how living in the current Shanghai looks like and the impacts that the current situation may have on the future of the city, and even on the country as a whole.
We explore the different aspects of the lockdown in the city and its impacts on the daily lives of the people living there (food purchasing, testing, health related issues, temporary hospitals, censorship, etc.).
We discuss the impact of the current zero covid policy in Shanghai, the perceptions and reactions from both the local and the foreign community living in the city and the impact of the dynamic zero covid policy on the city and the country as a whole.
We talk about the recent deterioration in the EU-China relation and how the increasing isolation of the country may widen the gap in understanding between China and the West.
Will we see a new wave of foreigners leaving the country once the lockdown is lifted? How is it going to impact the economy in the city?
How's China's stance in the war on Ukraine impacting the foreign business community in the country? Is there a fear of sanctions lever against China if the country increases their support for Russia in the conflict?
This episode was recorded on the 24 of April, 2022.

In this episode, my guest, Fernando de la Cal, and I talk about the future of Hong Kong as an attractive centre for investment, as a trade centre and as an international financial hub.
I learn from Fernando the role of Invest Hong Kong and his role and work within the institution. We talk about the impact of the recent protests, the new security law and Covid on Hong Kong's standing as a destination for foreign investment and as an international financial hub. We discuss the potential competition that other international cities such as Singapore may pose for Hong Kong or even some rising Mainland cities.

In this first episode, my guests, Mr. Haoyang Yan and Mr. Alessandro Bazzoli, and I discuss the differences between the lobbying done by European companies in China and that of Chinese companies here in the EU.
We discuss the importance of lobbying in the current geopolitical situation, the approach of Chinese companies to lobbying in the EU vs. that of EU companies in China, the obstacles and challenges that Chinese companies face in the EU when lobbying, things that they can do better, etc. We also touch upon the role of the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU, the differences between the China Chamber and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China and the steps forward for the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU to consolidate their voice in Brussels.
We reflect on the accomplishments of the European Chamber in China but we also look into the aspects that could be improved.
Finally, we discuss the war on Ukraine, China's stance and the impact that the situation may have on how Chinese companies are seen and are treated in the EU.