Vice Chairman of the European Chamber South China Board Meets with Guangzhou’s Mayor

2024-09-05 | South China

On September 5th, Fabian Blake, Vice Chairman of the European Chamber South China Board, delivered a speech at the Guangzhou Foreign Enterprises Roundtable Meeting. The event, hosted by Tan Ping, Vice Mayor of Guangzhou, was also attended by Sun Zhiyang, Mayor of Guangzhou and Deputy Party Secretary. This roundtable served as a crucial platform for discussing business development, investment priorities, and the challenges faced by major foreign-funded enterprises in Guangzhou, with the goal of bolstering confidence in the long-term growth and stability of these companies. The European Chamber was the only chamber invited to this event, where it voiced advocacy issues on behalf of its members.

In his speech, Fabian Blake addressed several critical issues and offered recommendations raised by European Chamber members. Key topics included the incomplete implementation of the GBA Preferential Individual Income Tax Policy, challenges related to green energy initiatives and carbon footprint management, and operational difficulties faced by EU SMEs, particularly in the realm of intellectual property protection. He also presented key findings from the 2024 Business Confidence Survey, highlighting a decline in national business confidence among European firms due to the broader economic slowdown.

Regarding the GBA Preferential Individual Income Tax Policy, the Guangzhou government reported that the material collection phase has been completed and the review process is currently underway. Subsidies for the years 2021 and 2022 are expected to be distributed by the end of 2024, with the application process for 2023 subsidies set to begin shortly thereafter. Concerning green energy and carbon footprint management, especially for EU SMEs, the government shared the latest regulations and encouraged European Chamber members to participate in an upcoming policy interpretation seminar aimed at helping businesses navigate the evolving regulatory landscape. Additionally, updates were provided on efforts to streamline administrative processes and strengthen intellectual property protection, reaffirming the government’s commitment to supporting the sustainable growth of European enterprises in Guangzhou.

At the conclusion of the roundtable, Fabian Blake presented Sun Zhiyang with a physical copy of the 2024 Business Confidence Survey. During their discussion, Fabian Blake also mentioned the upcoming launch of the 2024/2025 Position Paper, scheduled for October 17th in Guangzhou.