Meeting with Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng

2024-05-28 | Shanghai

On 28^th May, a European Chamber delegation met with Gong Zheng, mayor of Shanghai Municipal Government.

Chamber President Jens Eskelund and Chamber Vice President and Shanghai Chapter Chair Carlo D’Andrea led the chamber dialogue with Mayor Gong Zheng, who was joined by the secretary general of the Shanghai Government along with senior leaders from the municipality’s Financial Regulatory Bureau, the Commerce Commission, the Ecology and Environment Bureau, the Science and Technology Commission and the Economy and Information Technology Commission.  

The Chamber delegation was comprised of representatives from the Executive Committee (ExCo) and the Advisory Council, representing various sectors including automotive, automotive components, chemicals, environmental services, financial services, manufacturing and pharmaceuticals.

Eskelund expressed his appreciation for Shanghai’s continuous efforts to improve the business environment and reiterated European businesses’ commitment to the market. Eskelund pointed out the obstacles and market access restrictions present in some industries that are hindering additional inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI), and called for better policies to address the issues.

D’Andrea stressed the importance of strengthening industry-to-government dialogue to enhance foreign businesses’ contribution to the economy of Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta Region. He highlighted the challenges facing the Chamber’s Shanghai-based members and welcomed further engagement with the Shanghai Government, at both municipal and district levels, along with strengthened collaboration in areas such as personnel exchange and intellectual property rights (IPR) protection.

Gong recognised the Chamber’s significant role in acting as a communication bridge between the government and European businesses, as well as addressing industry concerns. He expressed hope that the Chamber will continue to provide recommendations to the Shanghai Government to help further optimise the city’s business environment.

Representatives from both sides exchanged views on a number of topics, including European Union-China trade relations, sustainable development, the opening of the financial sector, stable energy supplies for foreign businesses and attracting highly skilled professionals from Europe.