China Business Brief

CBBC went to the Labour and Conservative party conferences earlier this month. Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles (chair) joins the China Business Brief to give his readout on how both parties are developing their respective foreign and economic policies vis-a-vis China and what businesses can expect in the near-term future from a new government under Prime Minister Liz Truss. 

The views expressed in the China Business Brief podcast are those of invited contributors and not necessarily those of the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC). We do not accept any liability if the podcast is used for an alternative purpose from which it is intended, nor to any third party in respect of this podcast.

A lot has happened in China over the course of the year so far, much of which has been in anticipation of next month's Party Congress. Andrew Seaton (CEO, China-Britain Business Council) joins Joe Cash for a refresher, as China watchers the world over turn their attention to next month's meeting and wonder whether it might bring about any change to the zero Covid policy, the economic troubles the market is experiencing, and how China engages with the wider world. 

The views expressed in the China Business Brief podcast are those of invited contributors and not necessarily those of the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC). We do not accept any liability if the podcast is used for an alternative purpose from which it is intended, nor to any third party in respect of this podcast.

Over February and March of this year, early-stage investment by venture capitalists in China declined by as much as 90% compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, foreign investors pulled out £23 billion worth of Chinese bonds, representing the largest outflow since the beginning of China's bond market. Such numbers have led some commentators to suggest that China has become 'uninvestable.' 

Duncan Clark, a vice-chair at the China-Britain Business Council and chairman of BDA China, speaks to Joe Cash on why he does not buy into the idea that China has become off-limits to foreign investors as a result of recent political and Covid-induced turmoil in the country and explains how foreign investors' attitudes towards China have changed over the past 30 years. 

The views expressed in the China Business Brief podcast are those of invited contributors and not necessarily those of the China-Britain Business Council ('CBBC'). We do not accept any liability if the podcast is used for an alternative purpose from which it is intended, nor to any third party in respect of this podcast.

Worries about the health of the Chinese economy are mounting. Despite the respectable growth of 4.8% for the first quarter of this year, several indicators suggest that it is starting to come under considerable strain. Last month’s economic data showed an economy that is struggling in the face of multiple headwinds: April’s Purchasing Manager Index (PMI) – which measures the Chinese manufacturing sector – dropped to 47.4, the lowest figure since the start of the pandemic, while export data weakened to just 3.9%, the slowest monthly growth since June 2020. Getting the economy back on track will surely be one of the major tasks of the Chinese government in the coming months.

Alicia Garcia-Herrero, Chief Economist for the Asia-Pacific within Natixis, speaks to Joe Cash on the levers the Chinese government has at its disposal to try and put the economy back on a more even keel and explains why, in the absence of choosing to live with Covid, economic policymakers will have their work cut out if they are to be successful. 

The views expressed in the China Business Brief podcast are those of invited contributors and not necessarily those of the China-Britain Business Council ('CBBC'). We do not accept any liability if the podcast is used for an alternative purpose from which it is intended, nor to any third party in respect of this podcast.

China can be a complex and challenging market for new exporters. While the country holds huge potential for small and medium sized (SMEs) companies from across a wide range of sectors, for sure, getting your company in front of China’s 1.4 billion consumers will first require you to get to grips with a raft of market barriers and its regional diversity. And this can be tricky. 

Kiran Patel, CBBC's Senior Director - Commercial, speaks to Joe Cash on some of the ways successful SMEs in China have overcome these hurdles, particularly now travel to and from the country is difficult. 

The views expressed in the China Business Brief podcast are those of invited contributors and not necessarily those of the China-Britain Business Council ('CBBC'). We do not accept any liability if the podcast is used for an alternative purpose from which it is intended, nor to any third party in respect of this podcast.

China’s political leaders have just completed their big annual meetings known as the ‘Two Sessions’ or LiangHui. The meetings are important every year, in that they demonstrate Beijing’s priorities for the economy in the year ahead. This year’s event was particularly notable for the government's emphasis on stability, despite the meetings taking place against a backdrop of China facing its worst Covid outbreak since the early days of the pandemic in January 2020 and a difficult external environment following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Jeff Astle, APCO's Managing Director in Shanghai, joins Joe Cash to discuss the meeting's outcomes and key takeaways for business, following the publication of the firm's 2022 Two Sessions Special Report. 

The views expressed in the China Business Brief podcast are those of invited contributors and not necessarily those of the China-Britain Business Council ('CBBC'). We do not accept any liability if the podcast is used for an alternative purpose from which it is intended, nor to any third party in respect of this podcast.

Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

China's 2022 Two Sessions: What Multinationals Need to Know: https://apcoworldwide.com/blog/chinas-2022-two-sessions-report/

China's policymakers have been busy upgrading the country's cybersecurity regime. Over the last couple of years, the Cybersecurity Law (2016) has evolved and been joined by a whole host of accompanying legislation, including the Personal Information Protection Law and the Data Security Law of last year. In short: Beijing has made clear that data must be regulated and that it falls on companies to ensure that they are toeing the line. Many of the country's tech giants have already fallen foul of such legislation, but China's new cybersecurity regulatory regime is about so much more than meting out punishment; it's actually smart regulation, says Rogier Creemers, Assistant Professor in Modern Chinese Studies at Leiden University. 

Rogier talks to Joe Cash about what prompted a shift in the Chinese government's attitude towards data security, what Beijing plans to do with its new powers going forward, and why the introduction of the PIPL and DSL could be good for China's economy. 

This episode is part one of two, and listeners wanting an introduction to the PIPL and the DSL are encouraged to first listen to this earlier episode of the China Business Brief featuring Torsten Weller: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/china-business-brief/id1541091516?i=1000525682356 

The views expressed in the China Business Brief podcast are those of invited contributors and not necessarily those of the China-Britain Business Council ('CBBC'). We do not accept any liability if the podcast is used for an alternative purpose from which it is intended, nor to any third party in respect of this podcast.

Links to resources mentioned in the episode:

DigiChina: https://digichina.stanford.edu

Rogier's piece for SupChina: https://supchina.com/2022/01/26/chinas-data-legislation-matures/ 

2021 was a tumultuous year in EU-China relations. It began with both sides celebrating the agreement of a new investment deal. Its end was marked by the worst crisis in relations between Brussels and Beijing since 1981—with Lithuania imitating the Dutch diplomats that came before and recalling its representatives as Vilnius' bilateral relationship with Beijing soured and was downgraded. The EU and China also imposed tit-for-tat sanctions on several officials and Members of the European Parliament. Annus horribilis comes to mind. But Brussels' man in Beijing, Ambassador Nicolas Chapuis, is optimistic. Behind the headlines of sanctions and showdowns at the World Trade Organization is engagement, and not only where it is easy for the two sides to agree - the environment, global development, and so on - but where the two are ideologically poles apart. Make no mistake, fixing EU-China relations will not be easy, as Ambassador Chapuis explains to Joe Cash. Both sides continue to ask a lot of each other—and there are areas where they will likely never agree. But, as the Ambassador explains, there is no substitute for engagement. 

The views expressed in the China Business Brief podcast are those of invited contributors and not necessarily those of the China-Britain Business Council ('CBBC'). We do not accept any liability if the podcast is used for an alternative purpose from which it is intended, nor to any third party in respect of this podcast.

2021 was supposed to be a big year in Chinese financial and professional services policy. Following the agreement in principle of the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment late last year, analysts and financiers alike expected financial liberalisation to be high on the agenda as Brussels and Beijing sat down to ratify the deal over the course of this year. But while the openings that foreign banks had hoped for appear someway off, and China's markets have become more controlled under the guise of 'Common Prosperity', British banks have continued to do well in the market throughout 2021, says Rahul Ahluwalia (Minister Counsellor - Financial Services & Investment) of the British Embassy in Beijing. 

Rahul talks to Joe Cash on how the UK and China have found additional areas within which to collaborate in financial services, particularly in green finance; why he feels that British banks are well placed to continue to expand their presence in the market; and how likely it is that the UK and China will hold an Economic & Financial Dialogue ('EFD') next year. 

The views expressed in the China Business Brief podcast are those of invited contributors and not necessarily those of the China-Britain Business Council ('CBBC'). We do not accept any liability if the podcast is used for an alternative purpose from which it is intended, nor to any third party in respect of this podcast.

Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles (Chair, China-Britain Business Council) speaks to Joe Cash on how his distinguished career within the British foreign service prepared him to join the ongoing debate on the UK's future economic relationship with China. 

The views expressed in the China Business Brief podcast are those of invited contributors and not necessarily those of the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC). We do not accept any liability if the podcast is used for an alternative purpose from which it is intended, nor to any third party in respect of this podcast.

Following a spate of consumer boycotts in March and the announcement of the government's goal of Common Prosperity over the summer, one could (easily!) be forgiven for assuming that the China market is turning its back on foreign luxury goods brands. But demand for British brands remains strong, and the market is "buoyant", says Adam Knight (Co-founder at TONG). 

Adam talks to Joe Cash about how China's luxury goods market has changed over the course of Covid-19 and how brands have had to alter their approach when selling to Chinese consumers, now that they are unable to travel and spend overseas and are more likely to be viewing products on WeChat rather than in a duty-free store. 

Add the resurgence of GuoChao (国潮) and Common Prosperity to the mix, and the number of factors foreign brands must consider when seeking to appeal to Chinese consumers is growing significantly. Meaning "the rise of the national brands," the GuoChao phenomenon in particular could become a challenge to foreign brands as their 'foreign-ness' in China could start to work against them. Adam remains optimistic, however, and see's GuoChao as an exciting opportunity for foreign brands -- Tune in to find out why! 

The views expressed in the China Business Brief podcast are those of invited contributors and not necessarily those of the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC). We do not accept any liability if the podcast is used for an alternative purpose from which it is intended, nor to any third party in respect of this podcast.

This week on the China Business Brief, the China-Britain Business Council’s in-house policy team talk through some of the meanings that have been assigned to the Chinese government’s goal to achieve Common Prosperity.

As Torsten Weller (CBBC’s UK-based policy analyst) explains, the term finds its origins in 1950s Maoist China but has come a long way since then and undergone a metamorphosis of late. From the recent crackdowns on the country’s big tech companies to tax-evading celebrities, the term appears to have found widespread application since being revealed to have been the topic of a meeting chaired by President Xi and attended by China’s top economic policy planners in August.

But what exactly is Common Prosperity? Does it represent a return to socialist orthodoxy in China? And will it be able to bridge the wealth gap and reverse inequality in a meaningful way?

The views expressed in the China Business Brief podcast are those of invited contributors and not necessarily those of the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC). We do not accept any liability if the podcast is used for an alternative purpose from which it is intended, nor to any third party in respect of this podcast.

What is going on with China's Evergrande Group? The property giant has dominated the headlines of late, with many analysts drawing comparisons with America's Lehman Brothers - the implication being that the company's demise could lurch the global economy into a crash. 

Joining the China Business Brief this week is Alicia Garcia-Herrero (Chief Economist for the Asia-Pacific at Natixis) to explain why analysts would be better comparing Evergrande's circumstances with those of Enron, the means through which the Chinese government can prevent the real estate market from contaminating other industries, and how foreign investors should react. 

But how did the company get into this position? Is Evergrande the latest victim of Common Prosperity? And how should foreign investors view the health of the China market in the wake of the tech crackdowns and Evergrande's fall from grace? 

To read more on Evergrande's predicament, head over to the CBBC Focus Magazine website, where the CBBC's Policy Analyst - and host of the China Business Brief - Joe Cash has written on what the collapse of Evergrande might mean for British banks: https://focus.cbbc.org/what-would-the-collapse-of-evergrande-mean-for-british-banks/

The views expressed in the China Business Brief podcast are those of invited contributors and not necessarily those of the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC). We do not accept any liability if the podcast is used for an alternative purpose from which it is intended, nor to any third party in respect of this podcast.

What role do the UK’s higher education institutes and research & development centres play in the country’s broader relationship with China? How has the political conversation regarding the presence of Chinese students on campuses across the UK evolved? Where should British universities seeking to engage with China more focus their efforts? 

This week on the China Business Brief, Dr David Pilsbury talks to Joe Cash on how the sector is navigating an increasingly politicised operating environment. 

Recently appointed as Chief Development Officer at Oxford International Education Group, David was until recently Deputy Vice-Chancellor, International, at Coventry University, where - among his wider responsibilities - he was responsible for developing the university’s China strategy. During his time at Coventry University, David oversaw a 6-fold increase in overseas student recruitment, established the UK’s largest overseas collaborative delivery programme with over 20,000 students in almost 30 countries, and sowed the seeds for the university to open a campus in China. 

The views expressed in the China Business Brief podcast are those of invited contributors and not necessarily those of the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC).  We do not accept any liability if the podcast is used for an alternative purpose from which it is intended, nor to any third party in respect of this podcast.

China's Belt & Road Initiative is back in the spotlight. Indeed, it looks as if Central Asia is poised to make a return to the centre of China's strategic affairs and foreign policy planning more broadly.

The fall of Kabul to the Taliban last weekend raises a number of geo-political questions, not least how - or indeed whether - China will look to capitalise on the withdrawal of the US from a key country within its sphere of influence. Chinese foreign policy experts often like to suggest that there is opportunity to be found in a crisis, but how Beijing will interact with the Taliban will surely be a stern test of their mantra that where there is a '危' there is also a '机'. Afghanistan boasts natural resources, can act as a conduit to Pakistan and out to open for water for Chinese exports destined to traverse the Belt & Road Initiative, and provides an opportunity for China to showcase its capabilities as a mediator on the world stage. Conversely, it also represents a geo-political headache, testing China's relationships with almost all of its neighbours, not to mention Russia and the US.

Dr Samuel Ramani is a tutor of politics & international relations at the University of Oxford, where he received his DPhil in March 2021. He is a specialist on post-1991 Russian foreign policy with a particular focus on Russia's engagement with the Middle East, Africa, and the Indo-Pacific Region. Sam spoke to the CBBC's Joe Cash on why he believes that China is well placed to manage the relationship with its new neighbour.

The views expressed in the China Business Brief podcast are those of invited contributors and not necessarily those of the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC).  We do not accept any liability if the podcast is used for an alternative purpose from which it is intended, nor to any third party in respect of this podcast.

With business travel between the UK and China more or less suspended, it can be hard to get a sense of what's occupying the minds of the business community in China. So for this episode of the China Business Brief, we've tried to condense what we're hearing across the CBBC's China network into a 10-minute primer for anyone trying to keep abreast of the hot topics in the market. This time around, Joe Cash talks to the CBBC's chief representative & managing director in China, Tom Simpson, to get his take on how the British business community in China has fared over the last six months, the current state of UK-China relations, what's going on with Didi, and whether there are signs of business travel resuming anytime soon. 

In this episode, CBBC examines China's latest census data in the context of the emerging economic divide between the country's North and South.

While entrepreneurship flourishes in the South, a rust-belt malaise appears to be deepening in the North, in the provinces surrounding Beijing and across Central China. China's Southern provinces are outperforming the North in nearly every economic dimension: The South's share of GDP has risen to 65% of GDP; the provinces around the Greater Bay Area now maintain a foreign trade surplus of around 7%, while the North runs a -2% deficit; and while the South is home to China's richest city in nominal GDP terms, the North is home to China's poorest. But why is China's regional gap worsening? Does it represent an irreversible decline for the economies of the North? How should British businesses investing in the market interpret the data coming out of China?

Dan Wang, chief economist at Hang Seng Bank - China, explains why UK companies should continue paying attention to business news coming out of Northern and Central China, despite the census and economic data; where UK companies are already finding opportunities in these markets; and how the North/South divide affects the local business culture. 

UK companies operating in China are beholden to an increasing number of cybersecurity regulations. These influence a raft of business activities, including the ease with which a Chinese subsidiary of a multinational company can share customer or R&D data with other parts of the business; how businesses store data; and how corporate entities interact with the emerging Social Credit System. In this episode, Joe Cash talks to Torsten Weller about two new regulations making their way into law that are bound to add to the compliance burden of companies needing to move data to and from China, the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) and the Data Security Law (DSL). How similar is the PIPL to the European Union's GDPR? How can UK companies transfer data obtained by their Chinese subsidiaries out of the country? How does China determine liability when there is a data breach? This episode of the China Business Brief has you covered.

China's population is now 1.4 billion, but more than 800 million people live in rural areas. They are workers, the families of migrant workers, the elderly, and the children that reside in villages and migrant communities across the nation. They are Scott Rozelle's "Invisible China". But how do these people fit into the China Dream and the state's plans to become an economic super power? 

In this episode, Joe Cash speaks to Scott Rozelle, a professor at Stanford University, whose research focusses on the economics of poverty and inequality. Scott is the author of a new book titled "Invisible China", in which he argues that while China has managed to transform its Eastern seaboard into a modern, urban technologically, savvy economic powerhouse, unless the state acts to provides similar opportunities in its Western provinces the country may find itself stuck in the Middle Income Trap. 

When does a big tech giant become too big? It’s a question that seems to have been on the mind of officials within China’s State Administration for Market Regulation of late. But why have Jack Ma’s fintech subsidiary Ant Group and the food-delivery platform Meituan attracted the attention of the regulators recently? In this episode, Joe Cash talks to the CBBC’s UK-based policy analyst Torsten Weller on the competition that is shaping up between China’s state-owned banks and the private fintech companies to provide digital payments solutions, the tactics that the private tech firms use to compete with one another, and how China’s big tech scene dwarfs what consumers in the UK are used to. 

China’s political leaders have just completed their big annual meetings known as the ‘Two Sessions’ or lianghui. The meetings are important every year, in that they demonstrate Beijing’s priorities for the economy in the year ahead. This year’s event held even more significance than normal, as the leadership finalized and passed its latest Five Year Plan for the country.

Torsten Weller, CBBC's London-based China policy analyst, joins Andrew Peaple to discuss the meetings' outcomes and the key takeaways for business.

It's been a busy few weeks in the world of international trade deals. The UK has sealed a free trade agreement with the EU, and is now applying to join the CPTPP, which to date has had only Asian and North American members. Meanwhile the EU has inked a big investment deal with China. CBBC's two China policy analysts, Joe Cash and Torsten Weller, are on hand to explain how the main points of the different deals, and how they all fit together.

2020 was tough year for anyone involved in business, as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world. But with China's economy already well on the way to recovery, there are signs of hope for British companies that export to or do business in the world's second-largest economy.

In this episode, CBBC chief executive Matthew Rous talks about the year ahead, and the opportunities 2021 may present -- especially with the UK set to host COP26, a major international meeting on climate change. 

For more on these topics and other information on the UK business relationship with China, please visit our website at www.cbbc.org

China's top policy makers have been meeting to decide on their economic and foreign policy agenda for the coming year. In this episode, CBBC policy analyst Torsten Weller talks us through the main points that have become clear to date. 

China is set to be one of the very few major economies to experience positive growth this year. But there are plenty of challenges ahead, as the government renews its efforts to place more reliance on Chinese consumers to drive the economy. Meanwhile China has much to do in the realm of foreign affairs, particularly as a new US president comes into office.

For more on these topics and other information on the UK business relationship with China, please visit our website at www.cbbc.org.

In the second episode of this new podcast from the China-Britain Business Council, Andrew Peaple talks to CBBC executive director for public affairs Lise Bertelsen about two interesting recent reports that shed light on the state of economic ties between the UK and China, and the benefits those ties can bring.

The first report, from Cambridge Econometrics, found that well over 100,000 jobs in the UK can be attributed to the country's goods trade with China, along with the increasing numbers of Chinese students and tourists coming here. Among the report's findings is the fact jobs related to China are well spread around Britain. For more details, please follow this link:

http://www.cbbc.org/news/uk-jobs-dependent-on-links-to-china-cbbc-repor-(1)/

The second report, from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in the UK, looked at Chinese companies' attitudes towards investing in the UK.

Fore more information about the council, visit our website www.cbbc.org

This is the first episode of a new podcast from China-Britain Business Council entitled ‘China Business Brief’, in which we will discuss topics that are important for anyone doing business in or with China. In this episode,  Andrew Peaple talks to CBBC analyst Torsten Weller about the UK’s new National Security & Investment Bill: How it changes the UK's system for monitoring inward investment and what it means for companies.

For more information about the council, visit our website www.cbbc.org