Beijing

      Each March Beijing hosts the “Two Sessions” or “Lianghui” (两会), the annual meetings of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the National People’s Congress (NPC). While Western media often dismiss it as stage-managed, the Lianghui is in fact a key chance to take the social and political temperature of China, and its decisions set the direction of travel for the year ahead. This half-day forum on the proceedings of the Lianghui will help you to cut through the jargon and acronyms to understand the implications for your business and your market, and equip you to position yourself to capitalise on opportunities and sidestep pitfalls in the year ahead. The British Chamber and CBBC are delighted to be hosting this event jointly with the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University, combining our high-level networks and authoritative insight into China. We are also very pleased to be able to welcome CCIC members at the reduced member rate of 500 RMB. Bringing together over 100 experts and business leaders, the review will serve as a platform for high-level analysis and critique from leading British and Chinese academics, industry professionals and commentators to delve into precisely what lies ahead for businesses in China as the environment changes and the boundaries shift.   Agenda 08:30-09:15 Registration 09:15-10:00 Welcome Remarks & Keynote Speeches Opening Remarks - Paul Atherley, Chairman, British Chamber of Commerce in China Keynote Speech - Prof. Cai Hongbin, Dean, Guanghua School of Management Keynote Speech - TBC   10:00-10:45 Panel Discussion I: Financial Reforms Moderator: Lucy Hornby, China Correspondent, Financial Times Speakers: Stephen Baron, Senior Account Executive, Z-Ben Advisors Howard Gough, Regional Managing Director, Asia Pacific & Middle East, CIGNA Insurance Prof. Liu Qiao, Professor of Finance, Peking University, Guanghua School of Management MK Tang, Senior China Economist & Executive Director, Goldman Sachs 10:45-11:00 Tea Break 11:00-11:45 Panel Discussion II: Implications for Business Moderator: John Sinclair Foley, China Editor, Reuters Breakingviews Speakers: Peter Batey OBE, Chairman, Vermilion Partners Gordon Orr, Director & Chairman (Asia), McKinsey & Company Richard Tams, Executive Vice President China, British Airways Prof. Jeffrey Towson, Professor of Investment, Peking University, Guanghua School of Management 11:45-12:00 Closing Remarks - Stephen Phillips, Chief Executive, China-Britain Business Council 12:00-13:00 Networking and Light Lunch    Registration To register for this event click here to be taken to the the British Chamber of Commerce’s website, or contact James Zhu by phone or email: james.zhu@cbbc.org.cn / 010 8525 1111 ext.360 When registering please mention that you are a CCIC member to receive the discounted member rate.

  The EU SME Centre is pleased to invite you to our Inter-Chamber SME Working Group launch meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, 24th March, 10:00am-12:00pm at the Delegation of the European Union to China and Mongolia Beijing office.   During this meeting, we will have the privilege to welcome Ms Joanna Drake, Director for SMEs and Entrepreneurship of the European Commission to deliver a message on supporting tools to EU SMEs in China. Centre Director Mr Chris Cheung will highlight the new features and services from the EU SME Centre Phase II.   The Inter-Chamber SME Working Group is established in collaboration with the European Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC). SMEs from all 28 EU member states will have opportunities to share their business challenges and voice common concerns to EU and China policy-makers. The working group meetings will address practical business issues and ensure that SMEs are given the right channels to provide feedback in their industry sectors.   Involvement will be open to SMEs from all European member states regardless of their membership to one of the consortium partners of the EU SME Centre Phase II. More comprehensive information will be provided in the meeting.   About the EU SME Centre The EU SME Centre helps European SMEs to get ready for China. Financed by the European Union, the Centre provides practical information, confidential advice, training and business tools to better equip SMEs to develop their business and tackle challenges faced in the Chinese market. The Centre is implemented by six partners - the China-Britain Business Council, the Benelux Chamber of Commerce, the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, the French Chamber of Commerce in China, EUROCHAMBRES and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. To learn more about the EU SME Centre, visit www.eusmecentre.org.cn   Contacts: pphuang@europeanchamber.com.cn  

         The workshop IPR Protection Strategies for Design, supported by the European Chamber of Commerce and the German Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the German Centre for Industry and Trade Beijing, is open to European SMEs and intermediary organisations.   Event Description In China gaining legal protection for product and packaging designs is very different from Europe leading to many questions for European businesses operating in China: -How can I protect my design from being copied? -What is the difference in protection offered by design patent and copyright? -Can I protect a design if it has already been sold in another market? -What about software design? This training will provide the answers to such typical questions and provide a framework to develop a strategy for effectively protecting existing and future designs. The training will also feature an interactive exercise which will provide practical experience of developing a design protection strategy. This training is suitable for companies in the creative sector but equally for any company investing in product or packaging design. Speaker Biographies Reinout Van Malenstein Before joining the China IPR SME Helpdesk, Reinout has gained working experience as an IP lawyer in the Netherlands, working for a ‘Magic Circle’ law firm and after that as the head of the China desk at a Dutch law firm. He also worked as a delegate of the EU China Co-Reach IPR project and as a researcher and lecturer of Utrecht University in The Netherlands. Reinout is a Dutch citizen, and speaks English, Chinese, Dutch and German. He holds a Master of Laws in Chinese Law from Peking University and a Master of Dutch Law in Civil Law, specializing in Intellectual Property Law, from Utrecht University. Reinout is also a guest lecturer of various prestigious Chinese and European Universities and Institutions. For further information click here. ______