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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.

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Economic Globalization

Date: October 23, 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 October 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 fifth session of the webinar series "Staying in Dialogue with China", Markus Hermann, Co-Founder and Managing Director, China Macro Group (CMG) will be talking to Prof. Yu Miaojie, President & University Chair of Liaoning University, and Liberal-Art Chair Professor of Peking University about China's "Economic Globalization" as a fifth structural transition as per CMG's conceptual framework of China's political economy.

China in the 1980s embarked on a gradual and selective path of opening up its by then closed economy to the world - understanding that foreign investment and technologies were critical to the country's catch-up development. In the years that followed, most notably after China acceded the WTO in 2001, the Chinese economy rapidly integrated with the world across trade and investment and started its climb in global value chains. At the same time, foreign investment flocked to China to make use of a skilled and comparatively cheap workforce, and in later days increasingly of a highly competitive and dynamic manufacturing and innovation ecosystem. A classic win-win situation. 

Around 2015 (publication of "Made in China 2025"), and especially 2016 with the election of US-president Trump, however, the US and increasingly also the EU and other countries started pushing back against China's export-oriented development model that had run large annual trade surpluses and become a significant economic player and competitor internationally in a number of industries. China, in turn, with the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) unveiled its 'dual circulation' strategy to respond to a more complex global environment - among others in an attempt to make its own economy less dependent on external inputs and strengthen its overall resilience. 

To date, the global economic integration has brought great benefits to China, but amid an altered geoeconomic and geopolitical context, how will top-level policymaking evolve? What does Beijing mean with "high-level opening up"? What are policy and market trends for the continues "going out" of Chinese companies? What will Beijing do about the issue of "overcapacity" invoked by many Western governments, as well as its structurally large trade imbalance? In view of some new trade policy measured of the Third Plenum, will we see a stronger trade diversion targeting the Global South? What importance do policymakers still assign to FDI and is it in China's interest to provide a better level playing field domestically? How is China's financial integration with the world going to evolve? What role shall and can the RMB play in all this?

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

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Intellectual Property in a Brave New Digital World: A Primer for SMEs

Date: October 17, 2024

Event: Supported Webinar

Do you want to learn more about the evolving landscape of intellectual property (IP) protection in the software industry?

As Danish companies increasingly engage with China-compliant software solutions, navigating the complex regulatory environment surrounding digital IP and data protection is crucial. In DCBF’s recent position paper ‘Survey Among Danish Companies in China 2024’, IP protection yet again proved to be an ever-important area of concern among Danish companies in China. Therefore, DCBF cordially extends an invitation to our members to join the EU SME Centre, the IP SME Helpdesk and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China’s Working Group meeting on digital IP protection, to gain important insights on software licensing in China.

About the Workshop:

During this training, Ms Lisa Lu, China IP SME Helpdesk IP Business Advisor, will discuss the importance of IP protection in the software industry and will cover the different types of IP used to protect software, including but not limited to copyright, patents and trade secrets.

Mr Charles Feng, Director of the International Business Department and a Senior Partner of Tahota (Beijing) Law Firm will cover data privacy and IP.

Furthermore, Mr Phillip Neumann, Business Development Manager at AppinChina, will provide practical information on relevant processes and best practices for companies in areas such as software licensing. Before and after the presentation, there will be a short quiz to assess the impact of the seminar. The quiz is anonymous.

Join this workshop on October 17th, in Beijing and online, where industry experts will highlight the significance of IP protection for software, discuss various IP types as well as best practices to get your company up-to-date guidance in adherence to Chinese regulations.  

You can read much more and register here.

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Social Rebalancing

Date: September 11, 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 October 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 fourth session of the webinar series "Staying in Dialogue with China", Markus Hermann, Co-Founder and Managing Director, China Macro Group (CMG) will be talking to Prof. Li Shi, Dean of the Institute for Common Prosperity and Development at Zhejiang University about China's "Social Rebalancing" as a fourth structural transition as per CMG's conceptual framework of China's political economy.

Institutional reforms kick-started in 1978 enabled China's rapid catch-up. These reforms, however, were applied selectively and thus the development has been heavily skewed towards China's coastal areas. So, despite officially having eradicated absolute poverty in 2021, the Gini coefficient for the country's income distribution still stands at 0.467 (2022), much higher than the average .stands at 0.35 average in Asia.

In 2020, the late premier Li Keqiang reminded everybody that China still has 600 million people living on a monthly income of 1,000 yuan (US$140), "barely enough to cover monthly rent in a mid-sized Chinese City". President Xi likewise conceded that "unbalanced and inadequate development remains a pronounced problem". Problems are thus manifold: domestic household consumption remains structurally subdued, migrant workers still don't enjoy the same public services as regular urban residents do, and birth rates have been falling rapidly - also due to higher costs of living. 

Coming out of the Third Plenum, the mid-year July Politburo meeting as well as the Beidaihe leadership conclave, what are Beijing's - possibly readjusted - policy priorities and recipes to address these social policy challenges? How has "Common Prosperity" already become a policy reality? What are first learnings from its polit on Zhejiang province? How will China's lower-class workers be protected, allowed to unionize and taxed in the future? How can social rebalancing contribute to long-term goals such as stimulating consumption and reviving birth rates?

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

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Sourcing Survey Report 2024 - From Global to Regional

Date: September 03, 2024

Event: Webinar

ARC Consulting will present their latest findings in the "Sourcing Survey Report 2024 - From Global to Regional." This report provides an analysis of how businesses are adapting their sourcing strategies in response to recent global challenges. The webinar will focus on the shift from global to regional sourcing and examine the impact of disruptions in logistics and supply chains.

Key Discussion Topics:

• Current Sourcing Trends: Examine the state of sourcing in China, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
• Post-Pandemic and Geopolitical Effects: Understand how sourcing strategies are evolving amid ongoing challenges.
• Supply Chain Diversification: Explore strategies for diversifying supply chain to mitigate future risks.
• Emerging Sourcing Destinations: Identify potential alternatives to China as a top sourcing hub.
• Sustainability Considerations: Discuss the increasing demand for sustainability in supply chain.
• ESG Challenges: Assess the impact of ESG-related costs and risks on sustainable growth strategies.

Join us for this webinar with Johan Annell, Partner and General Manager for ARC Consulting, who will present the key findings of this year's report. Discover key trends that can enhance your company's strategy through CSR monitoring.

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

Speaker

Johan Annell is a Partner and the General Manager for ARC Consulting, leading their Beijing office. His expertise includes strategy, M&A business transformation, supply chain management, and manufacturing. Johan has significant experience working with large companies in China and specializes in the automotive sector, industrial equipment, advanced manufacturing, and industrial IT. He holds M.Sc. degrees in Industrial Engineering & Management and Financial Economics and is fluent in Mandarin. 

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Grow Your Business in China with WeChat & Zhihu

Date: August 21, 2024

Event: Partner Event

Venue: World Translation, Gammel Viborgvej 9A, 8381 Tilst

Sign up here

Building and nurturing your company brand in China can be a challenge. This meeting will teach you exactly how to deal with that using WeChat & Zhihu to retain and attract new customers.

The seminar will be held at World Translation in Tilst just outside of Aarhus where Marion Randelshofer, COO & partner will provide inputs and recommendations into how to streamline your company's communication. You will learn how to ease your content creation with systematic translation of your technical documentation.

We have also invited Jonathan Kullman, CEO & Richard Hårdinge, CCO from NBH to provide you with valuable insights into how you can leverage the key functions in WeChat & Zhihu and deliver valuable key messages to your target audience including:

• Tips for creating engaging content such as sales brochure, product library & newsletters
• Strategies for growing and managing your audience effectively
• Analytics tools to monitor and improve your WeChat performance
• Recommendation on how to use WeChat connected to offline events in China

Finally, you will get the opportunity to develop your own WeChat and/or Zhihu strategy and get valuable feedback from the speakers and the rest of the network during the day.

Members of DCBF can register for free - Click here to register.

In case of limited number of seats and multiple registrants from the same company, we reserve the right to allow only one person from each company to participate.

This event is organized together with Danish Export Association. 

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Unveiling China's Economic Future Post-Third Plenum

Date: August 20, 2024

Event: Webinar

Join us for a practical and informative webinar where we'll explore the key economic decisions from the Third Plenum of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, held from 15-18 July 2024. This event will cover important developments and their impact on China's economy. 

Key Highlights of the Webinar:

• Economic Directive and Implications: Gain a comprehensive understanding of the newly established economic policies and directives and their anticipated impact on China's economic landscape. 
• Addressing Core Challenges: Explore how China plans to tackle pressing issues such as national debt, an ageing population, and the challenges of stimulating domestic consumption.
• Future Economic Policy: Get insights into China's expected economic direction and growth plans.

Why Attend?

This webinar provides attendees with a unique opportunity to understand the complex economic strategies of one of the world's most influential economies. Whether you are an economist, business leader, policymaker, or simply interested in global economic trends, this event is designed to offer valuable perspectives and actionable insights.

Special Feature:

Our featured speaker is currently under regulatory pressure to restrict outside activities in China (therefore not named). Nonetheless, our speaker is a leading economist with extensive experience in analysing China's economy. The speaker has a strong background in macroeconomics, environmental economics, and econometrics. Their insights are frequently sought by major media outlets and institutions worldwide. 

Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn about China's economic plans and hear from a leading expert. 

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

Please contact info@dcbf.dk if you have any questions.

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China's Greater Bay Area - Business Opportunities for Danish Companies

Date: June 26, 2024

Event: Webinar

The economic potential in China's Greater Bay Area (GBA) is immense, with its rapidly growing GDP surpassing 13 trillion yuan, a dynamic consumer market of 86 million people, and strategic infrastructure enhancements fostering a conducive environment for foreign companies.

Join us at this webinar, where we in collaboration with experts with extensive experience from the region, explore how financial sector openness and simplified market access in China's Greater Bay Area unlock business opportunities - Featuring insights from the case company: Lundbeck.

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

The Business Environment in the Greater Bay Area 
The Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macao Greater Bay Area, also simply known as the Greater Bay Area (GBA), is a megalopolis with the largest and most populated urban area among the four largest bay areas in the world. It consists of nine cities in China's Guangdong Province, being Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Foshan, Zhongshan, Zhuhai, Huizhou, Jiangmen & Zhaoqing, as well as the two special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macao. The total population is 86 million people, or 5% of China's total, and is expected to rach 100 million by 2030. Since the announcement of the outline GBA development plan in 2019, the total GDP of the area has surpassed 13 trillion yuan. Already today, GBA is not only a huge and dynamic consumer market, but also a critical export hub accounting 37 % of China's exports. The GBA infrastructure includes five international airports, advanced high-speed railway connections, and three of the World's top ten container ports.

In December 2023, China revealed a three-year action plan for the GBA focusing on increasing openness in Mainland China's financial sector with the intention of enhancing the market environment in the GBA. The plan envisions simplified market entry procedures and institutional barrier elimination in order to reduce costs and promote a sound ecosystem for business and intends to ease regulatory standards potentially boosting the attractiveness of the GBA for foreign enterprises.

While the regulations and integration of the area are only starting to take shape these years, the GBA is envisioned by Chinese Government planners to become an integrated economic area by 2035.

Agenda:

• 09:00-09:05 - Welcome Remarks & Introduction
  by Hans Henrik Pontoppidan, Secretary General of DCBF
   
• 09:05-09:20 - Welcome Remarks on Danish Business in the Greater Bay Area
  by Søren Bindesbøll, Consul General at the Royal Danish Consulate in Guangzhou
   
• 09:20-09:35 - Overview of China’s Greater Bay Area
  by Professor XU Lihe, Associate Dean of GBA Institute, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS)
   
• 09:35-09:50 - China’s Global Rise: Trajectories, Opportunities and Challenges
  by Professor LI Xing, Adjunct Professor, Aalborg University, Guangdong Institute for International Strategies (GIIS)
   
• 09:50-10:05 - Company Case: How Lundbeck makes use of the GBA Opportunities
  by Minglei Zhu, Vice President for Government Affairs & Market Access, Lundbeck China
   
• 10:05-10:30 - Q&A and Closing Remarks

Speakers

• Søren Bindesbøll, Consul General of the Royal Danish Consulate in Guangzhou,
• Professor XU Lihe, associate dean of GBA Institute, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS)
• Professor LI Xing, Adjunct Professor, Aalborg University, Guangdong Institute for International Strategies (GIIS)
• Minglei Zhu, Vice President for Government Affairs & Market Access, Lundbeck China

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

Please contact info@dcbf.dk if you have any questions.

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Economic Security

Date: June 19, 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 October 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 third webinar of this year’s “Staying in Dialogue with China” webinar series, Co-founder and Managing Director of CMG, Markus Hermann, will talk to Prof. WANG Zhengxu, Professor at the Department of Political Science, School of Public Affairs at Zhejiang University about China’s “economic security” as a third structural transition as per CMG’s conceptual framework of China’s political economy.

From adopting the two policy concepts “holistic view of national security” (总体国家安全观) at the 19th Party Congress in 2017 and “coordinating development and security” (统筹发展和安全) with the 14th Five-Year-Plan in March 2021 respectively, Chinese policymakers have visibly made ‘risk management”, or in EU terms “de-risking”, a strategic priority in China’s policymaking in recent years. Even though economic security is only one of sixteen security concepts of China’s broad national security notion, we use it as the main term to discuss security interests of Chinese government with highest relevance for foreign business engaging in the Chinese market.

This development was driven by a confluence of factors at play in 2020, the main year of the drafting of the 14th FYP, including China’s hardened perception of the US’ intent to contain its further rise, persisting development challenges, previously introduced ideological reframing such as the “new era” and “high-quality development” and then, importantly, President Xi’s personal reflections in the form of a pivotal speech following the initial containment of the Covid pandemic in April 2020. Since the Central Economic Work Conference held at the end of 2023, however, a recalibration of security needs can be observed through policy articulations and new concepts such as the need for a “positive interaction” between “high-quality development” and “high-level security”.

Against this dynamic backdrop, this webinar discusses evolving security needs and risk perceptions of the Chinese government, the implementation of ‘economic security’ in China’s policymaking today – for instance through concepts and policies such as “self-reliance”, “bottleneck technologies”, “manufacturing champions”, “local supply chain ecosystems” or the “new system for mobilizing resources nationwide” – as well as what this means for foreign business.

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