15/04/2026
On 13 April, the EU-China Business Association (EUCBA) had the honour of organising an Exclusive Luncheon with H.E. Mr Cai Run, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union and Head of the Chinese Mission to the EU, held at De Warande in Brussels. The luncheon was well attended by European sector organisations, as well as European and Chinese business leaders.
Mr Jochum Haakma, Chairman of the European Union–China Business Association, welcomed the participants and stressed that both the EU and China need each other more than ever. Our economies remain deeply interconnected and mutually dependent. China is the EU’s second-largest trading partner in goods and its third-largest trading partner in goods and services combined. Every day, EU–China trade in goods exceeds €2 billion. These figures reflect not only the scale of the economic relationship, but also the depth of the interdependence between our two markets.
During the luncheon, Ambassador Cai Run shared valuable insights into the priorities of the 15th Five-Year Plan and their implications for EU–China trade and investment. He highlighted the opportunities for further cooperation, noting that China is taking concrete steps to expand opening-up across key sectors, including manufacturing, telecommunications, education, finance, and insurance, with many of these measures already being implemented.
The event was organised by the European Union–China Business Association, the umbrella organisation of bilateral business associations promoting EU–China economic and trade relations, in which the Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce holds the Vice-Presidency.
