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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.

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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.