EU-China Business Association - EUCBA

09/07/2026

EU-China Business Dialogue with Mr Bernd Biervert-Luth, Chief of Cabinet of EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič

On 7 July, the EU-China Business Association - EUCBA organised an exclusive dialogue with Mr Bernd Biervert-Luth, Chief of Cabinet of EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič, at De Warande in Brussels.
The luncheon brought together business leaders for a timely exchange on the current challenges and future direction of EU-China trade and investment.

Mr Jochum Haakma, Chairman of the EU-China Business Association - EUCBA, introduced the discussion and underlined that recent feedback from the European business community in China suggests that confidence is starting to recover after several difficult years. In a world of instability, many European companies still see China as a large, dynamic and, in some respects, more predictable market.

In his remarks, Mr Bernd Biervert-Luth stated that the European Commission attaches great importance to its relationship with China, describing it as one of the largest and most important economic partnerships. He noted that bilateral trade exceeds €700 billion, reflecting the strong interdependence between both sides.
Mr Bernd Biervert-Luth also highlighted that China remains an important market for the EU, while noting that it is currently the EU’s fourth-largest export market. At the same time, he stressed the need to address current challenges, including the EU’s trade deficit with China, market access, industrial subsidies, export controls and dependencies.
He also referred to the EU-China Trade and Investment Consultations, launched on 29 June by EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and China’s Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao, as an important platform to address key priorities, including trade and investment imbalances, export controls, intellectual property rights and cooperation within the WTO.
He underlined that the EU’s preference remains dialogue, cooperation and practical solutions, with the aim of building a more balanced, predictable and mutually beneficial economic relationship.

We sincerely thank Mr Bernd Biervert-Luth for his open and insightful exchange, and all participants for their valuable contributions to the discussion.

To stay informed about upcoming EU-China Business Association trade and investment activities, please follow our page or feel free to contact Gwenn Sonck (宋惠安), Executive Director of EU-China Business Association - EUCBA, directly via LinkedIn.

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.

08/09/2025

Join us: Exclusive Luncheon with H.E. Mr. Cai Run, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China & Head of the Chinese Mission to the EU

📅 Thursday, 9 October 2025 | 🕛 12:00 CET
📍 Venue: De Warande, Zinnerstraat 1, 1000 Brussels

This high-level event will provide valuable insights into the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of EU-China trade and investment relations.

✨ Why attend?

✅ Hear directly from the Chinese Ambassador to the EU on the outlook for EU-China relations
✅ Gain exclusive insights into trade and investment opportunities
✅ Network with business leaders, policymakers, and EU-China stakeholders in a prestigious setting
✅ Raise your own questions during the interactive Q&A

🎤 Programme:

12:00 – Registration & Networking Cocktail
12:30 – Welcome by Mr. Jochum Haakma, Chairman, EUCBA
12:35 – Keynote Address: H.E. Mr. Cai Run, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China
12:50 – Q&A Session
14:00 – End of Luncheon

💶 Participation:
€185 excl. VAT (21%)

⚠️ Limited seats available – register before 29 September 2025 to secure your place!

🔗 Registration link: https://flanders-china.glueup.com/event/154409/register/

📧 Contact: [email protected]

24/04/2024

🌐 The Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce (FCCC), in collaboration with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CPPIT), has the pleasure to invite you to an in-person event on "Linking China and Belgium: The 2nd China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) Roadshow - Belgium Stop”. This will take place on May 15 at 10h30 CEST, in Antwerp.

🎙️ Keynote address by: His Excellency Minister PENG Gang, Minister in charge of economy and trade, Chinese Mission to the EU

💡 The focus of the Expo will be on the six key supply chains: advanced manufacturing, clean energy, smart vehicle, digital technology, healthy life and green agriculture together with supply chain services.

📅 To view the programme and register for this event, click on the link here: https://bit.ly/4d96Pcp

22/04/2024

🌐The Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce (FCCC) has the pleasure to invite you to a webinar on 'China's Consumption Challenge', which will take place on the 30th of April at 15h00 CEST.

💡 This briefing will cover the Key consumption trends and realities in China, Chinese current policy agenda and key trajectories, and Signposts and red flags—what guideposts should be monitored to inform business planning?

🎙️Keynote speaker: David Hoffman is a Senior Advisor of the The Conference Board of Asia and its China Center for Economics & Business in Beijing. He is a deeply experienced China expert and business practitioner specializing in China business development strategy, organizational development, regulatory engagement, and crisis and risk management. A lifelong student of contemporary Chinese economics and political science, he lived and worked in China for 30 years, followed by 7 in Singapore.

The session will be moderated by Gwenn Sonck (宋惠安), Executive Director, Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce.

📅 Register via the link here: bit.ly/3w3RgSA

19/04/2024

27/03/2024

Last Friday, the EU-China Business Association organised an exclusive luncheon with HE Fu Cong, Chinese Ambassador to the EU and Head of the Chinese Mission to the EU.

He delivered an interesting speech on the current economic and trade relations between China and the EU. Mr Jochum Haakma, Chairman, EUCBA, introduced the Ambassador.

“The EU and China are interdependent and need each other more than ever”. This was followed by an open dialogue between the Ambassador and the business leaders.


Hans De Cuyper, Ageas Group; Philippe LATOUR, Ageas Group; Fabrice Stassin, Umicore; Kurt Vandeputte, BMW Group; Minister Peng Gang; Arnoud Willems, Baker McKenzie Belgium; Inge Mangelschots, Ghent University; Dirk poppe, DEME Group; Gwenn Sonck, FCCC/EUCBA

26/03/2024

🌐 The Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce(FCCC) has the pleasure to invite you to a conference on 'China's Next Miracle – a Story of Innovation', which will take place on the 18th of April at 18h00 CEST at the Cercle Royal La Concorde, Kouter 50, 9000 Gent.

🎙️During this conference, Mr Pascal Coppens, will be our keynote speaker. He is a leading China expert and regular speaker. He will share some of his deep-rooted understanding of Chinese business culture which comes from his work as a sinologist and tech entrepreneur in China for 20 years. After this, leading experts from Bekaert and Volvo Cars Gent will share their expertise on innovation in China in a panel discussion.

📚 Programme:
18h00-18h30: Registration
18h30-18h35: Introduction
by Gwenn Sonck (宋惠安), Executive Director, Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce
18h35-19h15: Keynote speech: “China’s Next Miracle – a Story of Innovation”
by Pascal Coppens, Sinologist, Entrepreneur, Author
19h15-19h45: Panel Discussion with Bekaert & Volvo Car Gent
with Yorick Beun, Senior Director Paint, Volvo Cars Gent
& James (Jim) Dobson, Senior Vice President of Technology and Quality, Bekaert, Moderated by Gwenn Sonck
19h45-20h00: Q&A Session
20h00: Networking Dinner

If you wish to participate in this exclusive event, you can register via the link here: https://bit.ly/3vrPzhq

20/03/2024

14/03/2024

🌐 On March 13, 2024, the Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce(FCCC) and Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) hosted a webinar titled "China for SMEs - Panel Discussion with Flemish Economic Representatives in China." 💼

🎙️ During the webinar, participants had the opportunity to gain insights from prominent speakers including Koen De Ridder, Frank Van Eynde, Eva Verstraelen, Siegfried Verheijke, Peter Tanghe, and Frederic Deprez. They discussed the prevailing business landscape and opportunities for SMEs in China one year post-Covid.

The discussion delved into various aspects such as market trends, challenges, and strategies for navigating the Chinese market. Attendees were provided with valuable information and practical advice to facilitate their business endeavors in China.

The webinar concluded with an engaging Q&A session.

This webinar was moderated by Ms Gwenn Sonck (宋惠安), Executive Director, Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce (FCCC).

🔍To find out more, contact us on [email protected]

Stay tuned for more engaging events and valuable insights from the Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce (FCCC) ✨📅

Visit our website www.flanders-china.be