October 22, 2024. Shanghai – In a complex and rapidly changing global landscape marked by geopolitical competition, a move away from globalisation, and the rapid advancement of disruptive technologies, the world needs responsible, visionary, and globally minded business leaders. It also requires robust communication and exchange between China and Europe, two vital players on the world stage.

In the year that marks the 30th anniversary of CEIBS’ founding, the 10th Europe Forum 2024 was held today at dual venues in Brussels and Shanghai. Organised by CEIBS together with the EU-China Business Association and China Chamber of Commerce to the EU, the forum brought together decision-makers, entrepreneurs, and experts from China and the EU to explore the theme of “Transformative Leadership for Challenging Times: Cultivating China-EU Business Leaders”, ahead of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of EU-China diplomatic relations in 2025.

During her welcome address, CEIBS President Wang Hong pointed out that, overall, changes in the global economy are primarily being driven by two major forces: a disruptive technological revolution, and the emergence of a new kind of globalisation.

She further explained that, on the one hand, given the accelerated progress of the “fourth industrial revolution”, disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence are profoundly reshaping the global economic landscape and international business operations. On the other hand, global phenomena such as economic decoupling, supply chain disruption, and “small yard, high fence” approaches to competition have in recent years had a significant impact on global economic cooperation and trade.

“The world needs a new type of globalisation that is more open, inclusive, equitable, and structured around win-win outcomes, and China and the EU should play a key role as promoters of this transformation," President Wang said.

She added that as China’s only business school to originate from government-level collaboration, CEIBS is committed to educating responsible leaders versed in “China Depth, Global Breadth” and building a bridge connecting China with Europe and the world, noting that in the latest Financial Times EMBA Rankings 2024, the CEIBS Global EMBA programme has made a historic breakthrough by ranking first in the world for the first time.

Standing on the threshold of a new starting point on the 30th anniversary of the school’s founding, the times have entrusted CEIBS with an important mission and responsibility, and the school will continue to contribute its wisdom to strengthening the economic prosperity of China, Europe and the world, President Wang concluded.

Executive Director of the EU-China Business Association Gwenn Sonck, in her own welcome address, then underscored the depth of interdependence between the EU and China, each being the other's second-largest trading partner with daily traded goods totalling €2.3 billion a day.

“Despite global economic slowdowns and geopolitical tensions, China remains one of the fastest-growing major economies, with a projected growth of 4.8% for 2024, contributing one-third of global growth. The Chinese market is, and remains, too important to ignore,” she said.

In a time of reflection and transformation for businesses, Ms. Sonck highlighted that European and Chinese companies must adapt to navigate a challenging and increasingly uncertain business environment, and actually need certainty and clarity of rules and regulations.

“European companies need a new playbook for operating in China, and Chinese companies must also adapt to this changing environment,” she explained, adding that China’s leadership in innovation, particularly in AI and electric vehicles, attracts many companies to operate “in China, for China”.

Ms. Sonck then emphasised the need for transformative leadership, including adaptability and visionary thinking, in facing today's fast-changing market.

“European and Chinese CEOs must understand each other’s business environments, and we encourage business leaders to meet in person and engage in open, direct dialogue. Such exchanges will help bridge cultural gaps and pave the way for sustainable partnerships. In challenging times, transformative leaders have the power to turn obstacles into opportunities.”

In his opening address, Minister of the Mission of the People's Republic of China to the European Union Zhu Jing noted that “how the world will look in the future depends on the choices made by China and the EU,” adding that amid a complex international landscape, China and the EU, two major forces driving multipolarity, play a key role in facilitating global peace and stability for common development.

“Both China and the EU are participants and beneficiaries of globalisation, and we should join hands to support free trade, promote fair competition, maintain the stability of supply and industrial chains, and advocate for a more inclusive and beneficial economic globalisation to achieve common development,” Minister Zhu said.

“The essence of China-EU cooperation lies in complementing each other's strengths and achieving mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. The nearly 50-year relationship of China-EU relations has proven that differences do not mean that we stand against each other, and that disagreements do not hinder cooperation” he went on, emphasising that “the key is to have political will and resolve.”

Minister Zhu added that as next year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, China-EU relations are at a critical juncture. “We sincerely hope that our friends in the business community can seize this opportunity, uphold a pioneering spirit of hard work and innovation, and serve as a bridge to promote dialogue and cooperation between China and the EU,” he encouraged.

During her keynote speech, Former Vice President of the European Parliament Dita Charanzová emphasised the importance of communication and collective leadership, stating that the crucial element for the success of future leaders will be the ability to adapt to challenges and fast-moving developments and communicate their vision in a way that people can understand and follow.

“In the face of multiple challenges in today’s world, a potential leader might be able to network, to talk their way into a position; however, it takes a team to actually lead well,” she said, highlighting the importance of effective communication and collaboration in leadership.

“Every generation is a bridge to the next [...] a true leader must always be a bridge. If you only speak to one generation, you will always leave one part of our society behind, so we must build bridges. We must build bridges between our politicians, between our businesses and our politicians, between different cultures, and between different societies. This is a task for CEIBS for the next 30 years,” she concluded.

The event also featured two roundtable discussions on the themes of Innovative Leadership Amid Disruptive Business Transformations and Cross-Cultural Leadership in the Context of Corporate Globalisation, moderated by Founder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Aspen Institute Central Europe Ivan Hodac and CEIBS President (European) and Professor of Marketing Dominique Turpin, respectively.

In his closing speech, Former Director General of the World Trade Organisation and CEIBS Distinguished Professor Pascal Lamy emphasised the importance of the trade and investment relationship between the EU and China, highlighting that both economies require open trade to sustain growth.

“China and the EU share a fundamental similarity: we need open trade [...] Both the EU and China are facing shrinking demography and slower growth potential. Thus, we increasingly need open trade to access dynamic markets and grow our economies,” he said.

Prof. Lamy also stressed the necessity for open communication channels to manage trade relations amid rising complexities. He advocated for greater understanding and collaboration between business leaders from both sides, highlighting the role of education in fostering this understanding.

“I believe that for businesspeople, whether old or young generations, such as our students at CEIBS, it is now even more important than in the past to try and use our teaching to bring more knowledge and understanding to the relationship between the EU and China,” he concluded.

To wrap up the event, Secretary General of the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU Fang Dongkui expressed his deepest gratitude to all the participants who made the event a tremendous success.

He noted that the rise of disruptive technologies presents new challenges to business leaders in both China and the EU, requiring them not only to have a visionary outlook but also to maintain resilience and effectively engage in cross-cultural communication.

“China-EU trade and cultural cooperation are vital not only to the people of the two regions, but also for the peace and stability of the world. Next year marks the 50th anniversary between China and the EU; over these 50 years, business leaders from each have set many successful examples of collaboration by embracing a spirit of openness, cooperation, and pragmatism,” he said.

The forum was hosted by CEIBS President (European) and Professor of Marketing Dominique Turpin, who in his closing remarks summarised the key learnings of the event with the acronym “CARE”; C for choice, commonalities, cross-communication, and courage; A for adaptability and agility; R for mutual responsibility and respect; and E for education and the engagement of different generations.

About CEIBS

Founded in 1994, CEIBS was jointly established by the Chinese government and European Union and is the only business school in China founded by government-to-government collaboration. With five campuses in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Zurich, and Accra, the school offers MBA, Finance MBA (FMBA), EMBA, Global EMBA, Hospitality EMBA, DBA (Switzerland), PhD, and Executive Education programmes. CEIBS has been named #1 in Asia in the Financial Times ranking of global MBA programmes for eight consecutive years and was recently named #1 in the world in the Financial Times 2024 EMBA Ranking.

Since its launch in 2012, the CEIBS Europe Forum Series has hosted nearly 30 overseas forums in ten countries and regions, featuring more than 200 keynote speakers and attracting more than 8,000 participants from government, industry, and academia. With a focus on the most pressing issues of the day, the forums serve to maintain open dialogue between China and the world and to promote cooperation in tackling the challenges that affect us all.