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"The Long View" - 10-Year Outlook Imagining CN in 2035 as the Next Key Modernization Milestone

Date: June 20, 2025

Event: Supported Webinar

In the third session of the 2025 webinar series “Staying in Dialogue with China”, which is dedicated to the theme of China's next and upcoming 15th Five-Year-Plan (2026-2030), Markus Herrmann Chen, Co-Founder and Managing Director, China Macro Group (CMG) will be talking to Zhang Dandan, Professor in Economics and Deputy Dean of the National School of Development (NSD) of Peking University.

Members of DCBF can register for free - Click here to read more and sign up!

About the Webinar

Amid China’s continuously difficult post-Covid economic recovery as well as persisting structural issues such as the real estate market, industrial overcapacity and local government debt, this webinar deliberately takes the “long view”, providing a 10-year outlook and imagining China in 2035 as the next key modernization milestone – the mid-term goal announced as part of the 14th Five-Year-Plan in March 2021. This has been only the second time a regular Five-Year-Plan takes a planning horizon beyond the regular five years, the previous one being the 6th Five-Year-Plan (1981-1985) which proposed goals for the four ensuing Five-Year-Plan periods until the end of the century with the goal of quadrupling China’s GDP.

By 2035, and by accomplishing the goals of the 15th and 16th Five-Year-Plans, Chinese planners seek to achieve the “basic socialist modernization” (基本实现社会主义现代化), which in its core wants to – again – double China’s GDP, over the period from 2020 to 2035, which assumes a sustained year-on-year average real growth of 4.7% GDP, plus increase the share of China’s middle income group from 35% to 50% as some of its most important policy goals.

The following key questions will be explored:

• How to understand current economic difficulties when seen from a long-term planning and structural reform perspective?
• In hindsight, how «radical» were the decisions adopted by the CCP’s “Third Plenum” in July 2024?
• Which parts of the 14th Five-Year-Plan have been most effectively implemented when measured against the respective ambition level?
• How should foreign business take into account a policy planning goal for 2035?
• What are the key “make-or-break” reforms to achieve the 2035 goal such as China’s demographic transition?
• NDRC stresses that “changes unseen in a century” must be duly considered in long-term planning, what long-term scenario(s) do planners use?
• What are key policy shifts and changes to be expected by the upcoming 15th Five-Year-Plan?
• Referring to the 20 KPIs of the 14th Five-Year-Plan, what new set of KPIs will be the “right” ones to help guide development up to 2035?
• What role do governmental research versus societal inputs (e.g. the citizen issue collection, 政民互动问题征集) play in long-term planning?

Take the opportunity to listen in and ask your questions to Vice-Dean Zhang Dandan.

About the Webinar Series:

This webinar is part of the webinar series 'Staying in Dialogue with China'. The series will bring you six webinars with distinguished China-based experts, concentrated between February and December 2025.

'Staying in dialogue with China' is organized and hosted by China Macro Group (CMG), with Caixin Global as Anchor Partner, in cooperation with China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), Chinaforum Bayern, Swissmem, Danish-Chinese Business Forum (DCBF), SwissCham China, the Stein am Rhein Symposium (stars), Sweden-China Trade Council (SCTC), Norwegian Business Association China (NBA China), Danish Chamber of Commerce in China (DCCC), EuroCham Singapore and China-Britain Business Council.

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Managing Financial, Operational and Digital Communications

Date: June 17, 2025

Event: Conference

Danish-Chinese Business Forum invites you to the opening event of a high-level seminar series on risk management.

About the event

As Danish companies evaluate the risks of operating in - and staying out of - China, this hybrid seminar will address critical aspects of financial, operational, and digital risk.

Attend in person in Aarhus, or join us online, to explore how communication structures can be strengthened to improve risk management, data security and corporate accountability. 

The event is relevant for all professionals across sectors navigating organizational or multinational risk exposure in China.

Our speakers will present practical insights backed by experience and actionable case studies illustrating how inadequate operational systems and informal communication can result in data loss and ownership issues,  and how supply chain audits can lead to improved compliance, alongside other examples.

For the first event at Arla Foods in Aarhus, we are pleased to welcome three expert speakers with firsthand experience in managing risk in China:

• Yael Farjun, China Deputy GM, PTL Group - “Mitigating Human and Financial Risks for Multinationals Operating in China.”
• Søren B. Jensen, Managing Director, Mictory Ltd. - “Visualizing Operational Risk for Strategic Clarity.”
• Niels Christian Flintholm, Partner, Leaf Digital - “De-risking Digital Communication.”

For more information and registration, please send us a message at info@dcbf.dk 

About the Risk Seminar Series

Since COVID-19, companies have become increasingly aware of the organizational risks involved in operating globally, particularly in China. To support multinational companies in addressing these challenges, DCBF will host three targeted events in 2025, structured to progress from the micro to the macro level. 

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“Four years into 14th Five-Year-Plan" - taking stock of its execution after the NPC 2025

Date: April 23, 2025

Event: Supported Webinar

In the second session of the 2025 webinar series “Staying in Dialogue with China”, Markus Herrmann Chen, Co-Founder and Managing Director, China Macro Group (CMG) will be talking to Zhu Guangyao. Vice Chairman of CCIEE, and former Vice Minister of Finance, about China’s next and upcoming 15th Five-year Plan (2026-2030).

Members of DCBF can register for free - Click here to read more and sign up!

About the Webinar Series:

This webinar is part of the webinar series 'Staying in Dialogue with China'. The series will bring you six webinars with distinguished China-based experts, concentrated between February and December 2025.

'Staying in dialogue with China' is organized and hosted by China Macro Group (CMG), with Caixin Global as Anchor Partner, in cooperation with China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), Chinaforum Bayern, Swissmem, Danish-Chinese Business Forum (DCBF), SwissCham China, the Stein am Rhein Symposium (stars), Sweden-China Trade Council (SCTC), Norwegian Business Association China (NBA China), Danish Chamber of Commerce in China (DCCC), and EuroCham Singapore.

About the Webinar:

Against the backdrop of the 15th Five-Year-Plan (2026-2030) being drafted these months, this webinar wants to take stock of the implementations of the 14th Five-Year-Plan (2021-2025) to date, which was drafted in the first year of the Covid pandemic in 2020, endorsed by the NPC in 2021 and is now in its fifth and last year of execution.

This time period eventually witnessed, among many more, China’s real estate crisis, the 20th Party Congress, ASEAN becoming China’s largest trading partner, an aggravated level of insufficient demand and overcapacity in China’s economy, the end of Covid-related restrictions and the re-opening of its borders, Russia launching its war against Ukraine, the peaking of China’s population, new market governance dynamics shifting from tensions to reconciliation with China’s private sector, two US presidents, and finally the “Deep Seek” moment.

CMG wants to discuss the following key topics with their esteemed guest:

• The strategic role and impact of the Dual Circulation policy concept

• Highlight key challenges and key policymaking actions under the 14th Five-Year-Plan

• Reform announcements at the “Third Plenum” (July 2024) and their implementation

• China’s evolving external environment, incl. Trump 2.0 and US-China relations

• China’s technological momentum, dependencies and ambitions

• State and outlook of China’s post-Covid economic recovery

• Changing premises and external factors for the 15th Five-Year-Plan

• How are “supply” vs “demand” side each seen strategically by the Chinese leadership?

• Are there structural levers or quick-wins to unleash more domestic demand to urgently and effectively revitalize the economy?

• What is the role of China’s social security system to help unleash the domestic demand?

• What is the link between domestic demand boost and “common prosperity”?

Join this wide-ranging discussion to get a strategic snapshot from a senior Chinese policymaker’s unique vantage point of where China’s development and its economy stand, as well as the key challenges and opportunities as seen by Beijing.

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Annual General Meeting 2025

Date: April 09, 2025

Event: Annual General Meeting

Venue: FOSS Innovation Center. 

About the Event

Danish-Chinese Business Forum is pleased to annouce this year's Annual General Meeting (AGM), which will take place 9th of April 2025. The AGM will be hosted by FOSS Analytical A/S at the FOSS Innovation Centre in Hillerød. 

We are pleased to announce our two distinguished keynote speakers:

• H.E. Michael Starbæk Christensen, Ambassador of Denmark to the People's Republic of China
• H.E. Wang Xuefeng, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Denmark

Peter Foss, Chairman of the Board of Directors at FOSS Group, and Tom Behrens-Sørensen, Chairman of Danish-Chinese Business Forum will provide the welcome speeches.

This AGM will be particularly significant as it marks the 20th anniversary of the Danish-Chinese Business Forum's establishment - a milestone in fostering collaboration and growth. The central theme of this year's AGM is "Reflections and Future Trends: Mapping China's Next 20 Years." 

(Only for Members of DCBF) 

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Economic, Political & Commercial Update on China 2025

Date: February 26, 2025

Event: Webinar

About the Event

Trade tensions, an intense tech race and shifting global dynamics continue to impact businesses and economies worldwide.

• How will China respond to potential changes in U.S. policy and the global landscape?

• Can we expect changes on the Taiwan issue?

• What can companies anticipate for China’s policy agenda and economic outlook in 2025?

• What trade-offs might occurs from siloing and diversification efforts for foreign businesses in China?

Understanding these shifts is essential for businesses looking to navigate the complexities of the Chinese market and its broader global impact.

Join us for this Signature Webinar, where our most esteemed speakers will provide key insights into business, economic trends, and geopolitical developments shaping China in the coming year.

Click here to read more and register (DCBF Members only) 

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"Dealing with Trump 2.0" - is China making tactical or strategic adjustments in view of the 15th Five-Year-Plan?

Date: February 26, 2025

Event: Supported Webinar

This webinar is part of the webinar series 'Staying in Dialogue with China'. The series will bring you six webinars with distinguished China-based experts, concentrated between February and December 2025.

'Staying in Dialogue with China' is organized and hosted by China Macro Group (CMG), with Caixin Global as Anchor Partner, in cooperation with the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), Chinaforum Bayern, Swissmem, the Norwegian Business Association China (NBA China), the Danish-Chinese Business Forum (DCBF) and the Sweden-China Trade Council (SCTC).

The first webinar of the 2025 edition of the “Staying in Dialogue with China” webinar series is dedicated to the theme of China’s next and upcoming 15th Five-Year-Plan (2026-2030). Markus Hermann Chen, Co-Founder and Managing Director of CMG, will talk to Prof. Da Wei, Director of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) and Professor of International Relations at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Key themes to discuss with Prof. Da include:

• US-China interactions since Trump’s election and how Beijing sees Trump 2.0
• China’s response to deal with Trump 2.0 strategically – domestically and in foreign affairs
• Collaboration in helping to mediate in and settle Russia’s war with Ukraine
• Possibility of strategic US-China dealmaking, and what are the respective “gives”
• Likely key political topics poised to bring continued or new frictions in bilateral relationship
• Contours of the future US-China trade relationship and tech competition
• Compatibility of “Make America great again” with China’s idea of national rejuvenation

Take the opportunity to listen in and ask your questions to Prof. Da. 

Members of DCBF can register for free - Click here to read more and sign up!

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"Domestic Demand System"

Date: December 10, 2024

Event: Supported Webinar

This webinar is part of the webinar series 'Staying in Dialogue with China'. The series will bring you six webinars with distinguished China-based experts, concentrated between April and December 2024.

'Staying in Dialogue with China' is organized and hosted by China Macro Group (CMG), with Caixin Global as Anchor Partner, in cooperation with the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), Chinaforum Bayern, Swissmem, the Swiss Chinese Chamber of Commerce (SCCC), the Danish-Chinese Business Forum (DCBF), SwissCham China, the Stein  am Rhein Symposium (stars), and the Sweden-China Trade Council (SCTC).

In the sixth and last session of the 2024 webinar series "Staying in Dialogue with China", Markus Hermann, Co-Founder and Managing Director, China Macro Group (CMG) will be talking to Prof. Xu Qiyuan, Deputy Director, Institute of Wolrd Economics and Politics (IWEP) at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), about China's "Domestic Demand System" as the sixth structural transition as per CMG's conceptual framework of China's political economy.

The topic of “domestic demand system” refers to China’s attempt to pivot to more consumption-oriented economic growth, while reducing its reliance on fixed asset investments and the trade surplus – a legacy from Beijing’s export-oriented growth model. China should rely more on domestic demand to drive economic growth, thus, in a state of an overall elevated level of marketization, household consumption should shape supply of services and production more strongly.

Against the backdrop of the Covid pandemic, it remained unclear how much policy emphasis would be placed on the building of “domestic demand system”. In China’s short-term policy goals over the past five years, the “demand side” received primary policy focus only once, during the Central Economic Work Conference (CEWC) in 2022, whereas the three preceding years as well as the 2023 CEWC all consistently prioritized the “supply side”, or the goal of achieving the so-called “modernized industrial system” over the “demand side”.

Notably, the new reform plan released during the latest Third Plenum also placed “domestic demand system” at a strategically lower position than the supply side. Nonetheless, it should not be ignored that the State Council published a comprehensive blueprint for “Domestic Demand Expansion Strategy” in December 2022, unifying diverse policy areas ranging from trade, to digital and urbanization into one overarching framework.

The bottom-line is that among the six structural transitions, CMG’s assessment concludes that the “domestic demand system” has seen comparatively least progress compared to the 18th Central Committee’s Third Plenum in 2013, as evidenced by the still very low household consumption as share of GDP of about 40% only.

Key questions CMG want to discuss with Prof. Xu in this coming webinar include:

• What exactly is a "domestic demand system" in the thinking of Chinese policymakers?
• How are "supply" vs "demand" side each seen strategically by the Chinese leadership?
• Are there structural levers or quick-wins to unleash more domestic demand to urgently and effectively revitalize the economy?
• What is the role of China's social security system to help unleash the domestic demand?
• What is the link between demand boost and "common prosperity"?

Members of DCBF can register for free - Click here to read more and sign up!

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CBAM and its Impact on Nordic Companies in China

Date: November 25, 2024

Event: Webinar

Join us for an essential discussion on the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and its significant implications for businesses across the globe, with a specific focus on the impact on Danish and Chinese Companies. This webinar is invaluable for businesses exporting to the EU, particularly those in sectors such as steel, iron, aluminum, and fertilizers, all of which which will be required to comply with CBAM's demanding new reporting and financial obligations by 2026.

Key Takeaways:

• Trade Risks: Discover the challenges faced by China-based exporters navigating this complex regulatory framework.
• Mitigation Strategies: Learn about proactive measures companies can take to align with both local and EU-level regulations, minimizing disruptions.
• Practical Solutions: Gain actionable insights into carbon emissions monitoring, data exchanges with EU importers, and how to improve energy efficiency to reduce financial impacts.

Secure your spot today by clicking here (online participation) to stay ahead of this vital transition.  (For DCBF, DCCC, DCCHK, NBA China, SwedCham China and FinnCham China members only).

Speakers

Gain insights from Morten Højberg, Enviromental Economist at the Danish Energy Agency; and Sune Kåre Sørensen, Climate and Energy Attaché at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark in China, as they share updates on CBAM regulations and key developments from COP29, equipping you to navigate this complex regulatory landscape with confidence.

Possibility for In-person Participation in Ningbo, Zhejiang

In-person participation will be available for this event, as the webinar will be part of an event hosted by Hoyer Motors Asia in Ningbo, Zhejiang.

The agenda for the in-person event will be as follows: 

• 1:45 pm – 2:00 pm | Registration and Welcome
• 2:00 pm – 3:45 pm | Introduction and Guided Site Tour
• 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm | CBAM Overview by Morten Højberg (Hybrid Webinar)
• 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm | State of the Union Update and Q&A with Consul General Mikael Hemniti Winther
• 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Networking Reception

For registration and further information about the physical event, please click here.

About CBAM

Since October 1st 2023, CBAM requires EU importers to report emissions for select goods. More stringent financial measures will take effect by 2026. Is your company prepared for this shift? Now is the time to understand and act.

Don't miss this chance to prepare your business for compliance.

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Intercultural Communicative Competence in Doing Business with China

Date: October 30, 2024

Event: Webinar

In the globalized business landscape, effective communication across cultural boundaries is pivotal, especially considering China's significant role in the global economy. Join us for this webinar session, which delves into the critical aspects of intercultural communicative competence required for successful business interactions with Chinese counterparts.

Dr. Catherine Hua Xiang unravels the nuances of effective communication in China. Her new book, 'Bridging the Gap', equips readers with the understanding needed to navigate cultural differences, making their cross-cultural interactions more successful and rewarding.

Gain crucial insights into:

• An illustrative anecdote highlighting the subtleties and challenges of cross-cultural communication, setting the stage for an in-depth examination of various applied linguistics theories and strategies.
• Intercultural Communicative Competence: Understand how to bridge cultural and communicative gaps with China.
• Linguistic Theories in Practice such as Cooperative Communicative Competence, Linguistic Politeness Theory, Communicative Accommodation Theory, Rapport Management Theory, Conversational Involvement Strategies, and the SPEAKING Model.
• Building Rapport and Engaging with Chinese Business Culture: Learn techniques for effective context understanding and deeper engagement.
• Cultural Values in Language: Discover how language reflects cultural values and impacts business practices in China.

This essential webinar will enhance your ability to communicate and do business effectively in China. Gain the knowledge and tools needed to foster successful cross-cultural business relationships.

Click here to register (for DCBF, DCCC and DCCHK members only).

Speaker

Dr. Catherine Xiang is an established author and applied linguist with extensive experience in higher education and high-profile consultancy for businesses engaging with China. Originally from Shanghai, she is skilled in intercultural communication, translation, foreign languages, and public speaking. She serves as Head of East Asian Languages and Programme Director for BSc International Relations and Chinese at LSE, as well as UK Director for the LSE Confucius Institute for Business. Recognized with multiple LSE Education Excellence Awards and the title of 'LSE Education Innovator,' she developed LSE's first Edex course on workplace intercultural communication.

Beyond LSE, Dr. Xiang is an executive member of the British Chinese Language Teaching Society, a school governor, and Chief Examiner of the Diploma in Translation at the Chartered Institute of Linguists. Her publications include Mastering Chinese, Audiovisual Media in Language Education, China Ready, and the recent Bridging the Gap. During the pandemic, she launched the YouTube channel "字 espresso," exploring Chinese characters and words.