Understanding how to recruit the right people, manage a team and terminate contracts is as crucial in China as it is anywhere else. This knowledge is key not only because of the peculiarities of China’s human resources and labour regulations, but also, in the case of European SMEs with operations in China, because of the distance between headquarters and the local team.

On 14 October, the EU SME Centre and European Union Chamber of Commerce in China are organising a workshop in Beijing and online to share information on HR best practices with experts.

Date: 14 October, 2026 
Time: 10:00–11:30 CEST
Location: Beijing & Online

Register here

This information session is open, free of charge, to all European SMEs and other stakeholders of the EU SME Centre, including business support organisations and trade promotion organisations, as well as public institutions from EU Member States and countries participating in the Single Market Programme

Join the upcoming “Staying in Dialogue with China” webinar on 30 October with Prof. Mingzhi Xu, Tenured Associate Professor at the Institute of New Structural Economics of Peking University (PKU) and a faculty member of the Yenching Academy.

For this session, China Macro Group focuses on China’s policy goal of building a “national unified market” (全国统一大市场), as a key issue shaping China’s political economy in 2026 based on priorities from the CCP Fourth Plenum (July 2024) and the Central Economic Work Conference in December 2025.

While the broad concept dates back several decades, it re-gained strategic importance across various iterations from 2018 (“strong domestic market” / 强大国内市场) to 2019 (“super-large scale market advantage” / 超大规模市场优势) to its eventual formalization as part of the 14th Five-Year-Plan (2021-2025) drafted in the first year of the Covid19 pandemic in 2020. After the pivotal “Third Plenum” in July 2024, we finally saw the NDRC publishing its key policy “Notice on Issuing the Guidelines for Building a Unified National Market (Trial), No. 1742” in December 2024.

More concretely, this webinar wants to discuss:

• practical issues and rationale for this policy
• policy execution: key reform actions, progress and complexities
• desired and expected impact on China’s business environment
• strategic implications for foreign business engaged in China

To discuss these questions, Markus Hermann Chen, Co-founder and Managing Director of China Macro Group will host Prof. Mingzhi Xu as guest speaker. Prof. Xu holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Davis. During 2018 and 2019, he was a post-doctoral researcher at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a visiting researcher at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), Harvard University. His research specialization includes international economics, industrial organization, economic development, consumer welfare, and infrastructure economics and financing. His research has examined topics including China’s trade liberalization, domestic sourcing, labour markets, and economic development.

Date:  30 October, 2026 
Time:  09:00–09:45 CET / 16:00-16:45 CST
Location: Online

Register here

On 18 November 2026, the EU SME Centre will host the Understanding China Conference in Brussels and online. Bringing together policymakers from EU institutions, analysts, business leaders and industry experts, the conference will offer valuable insights into the latest developments shaping EU–China relations and the business environment for SMEs.

Through keynote speeches and expert panel discussions, participants will gain a better understanding of how evolving policies, market trends and wider developments may affect European SMEs operating in or engaging with China. The conference will also explore key areas relevant to companies looking to navigate the Chinese market, including changing consumer demographics and preferences, e-commerce, communication and marketing.

Date: 18 November, 2026 
Time:  09:00–19:00 CEST
Location: Brussels & Online

Register here

On 23–24 November 2026, Corporate Innovation Days 2026 will bring together companies, academics, researchers and students in Beijing for two days focused on sustainability and its impact on business.

The event will explore how sustainability is reshaping the way companies approach products, supply chains, compliance and value creation.

Across two days, participants can take part in keynotes, company pitches, panel discussions, workshops and networking, providing opportunities to exchange perspectives and connect across business and academia.

Speakers

Speakers include representatives from:

• The Consulate General of Denmark in Shanghai
• Danish-Chinese Business Forum
• Maersk China
• Danish Industry (DI)
• Danish Chamber of Commerce in China
• Innovation Centre Denmark Shanghai
• University of Southern Denmark (SDU)

Date: 23–24 November 2026
Venue: SDC Building, Yanqihu East Road 1, Huairou District, Beijing
Participation: Free of charge
Registration deadline: 10 November 2026

Register here