European Chamber Speaks at the 8th Global Think Tank Summit

2024-07-05 | All chapters

On July 5th, European Chamber Secretary General Adam Dunnett spoke about global industrial and supply chains at the 8th Global Think Tank Summit, which was organised by the China Centre for International Economic Exchange in Beijing.

Dunnett commented on the changing picture of global supply chains, from efficiency to resilience. European companies in China have shifted from focusing predominantly on efficiency and building economies of scale, to increasingly seeking to mitigate risks and build resilience in their operations — a trend explored in the European Chamber’s Riskful Thinking Report.

Many Chamber members are now re-thinking the role of China in their global supply chains, with some beginning to take steps to silo and detach their Chinese supply chains from their global operations as a result. This was reflected in the Chamber’s Business Confidence Survey 2024. At the same time, actions currently being taken at the political level have the potential to lead to a heightening of geopolitical tensions and the raising of soft and hard trade barriers.

In conclusion, Dunnett called for both sides to find a balanced approach through dialogue. He said that the Chamber stands ready to act as a bridge between government and industry to ensure that the drivers, risks and opportunities associated with the restructuring of global supply chains are clearly understood.