European Business in China - Position Paper 2019/2020 Go back »
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Time2019-09-24 | 16:00 - 18:00
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Venue:The Westin Bund Center Shanghai
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Address:
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Fee:Members: Free* / 100 RMB |
Non Members: 400 RMB
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Each Shanghai Chapter member company may receive one complimentary ticket to the Position Paper launch event
One of the biggest challenges facing European companies in China is the perpetuation of China’s ‘economic caste system’, which distinguishes companies by ownership, and favours state-owned over private and local over foreign. This biased economic structure pits finance-starved private companies against the unnaturally enhanced, inefficient SOEs that are at the core of the China’s structural problems. The continuation of this system is doing little to inspire the European business communities’ long-term confidence in China’s economy.
Fortunately, there are some signs that a re-examination of China’s current economic course is needed, with loud and prominent voices from within the government having voiced support for the concept of ‘competitive neutrality’. This idea, originally developed in Australia and then embraced widely across OECD countries, begins with the simple premise that government should not provide special treatment to any given enterprise. Embracing this idea, while also reinvigorating SOE reform, can begin to resolve some of the foundational problems that are limiting China’s development.
To help achieve this, the European Chamber has proposed a series of bold recommendations to the Chinese Government, which require it to undertake considerable unilateral changes that are in its best interests. At the same time, the Chamber has proposed actions that the EU can take to better protect itself from the market distortions caused by China’s hand-picked ‘national champions’, while also strengthening the common market and creating the kind of environment in which all companies can thrive.
Please join the European Chamber to discuss these issues and their possible solutions, at the launch of its annual European Business in China Position Paper, on Tuesday 24th September 2019.
Agenda
15:30 – 16:00 Registration
16:00 – 16:10 Welcome remarks by Dr Ioana Kraft, General Manager, European Union Chamber of Commerce in China,
Shanghai Chapter
16:10 – 16:35 Presentation of the Executive Position Paper by Mr Carlo Diego D'Andrea, Chairman, Shanghai Chapter, Vice
President, European Union Chamber of Commerce in China
16:35 – 17:30 Panel Discussion and Q&A Session
Moderator: Dr Ioana Kraft, General Manager, European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, Shanghai
Chapter
Panellists:
- Mr Jens Eskelund, Vice President, European Union Chamber of Commerce in China
- Mr Jens Ewert, Board Member, European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, Shanghai Chapter and
National Chair of the Investment Working Group of the European Chamber
- Ms Holly Lei, Board Member, European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, Shanghai Chapter
- Mr Carlo Diego D'Andrea, Chairman, Shanghai Chapter, Vice President, European Union Chamber of
Commerce in China
17:30 – 17:40 Closing remarks by Dr Ioana Kraft, General Manager, European Union Chamber of Commerce in China,
Shanghai Chapter
Price:
- Members: free for the first participant and discounted price for additional participants from the same company
(100RMB/person).The free ticket for one participant per member company will be assigned on a first comes, first
serves basis. To confirm your membership status please contact Ms Laura Alvarez Mendivil
at lamendivil@europeanchamber.com.cn
- Non-members: 400RMB/person
Terms & Conditions:
Events have limited seating so to ensure your attendance we encourage advance online registration and payment for ALL events. We cannot guarantee entry to anyone not registered in advance.
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Cancellation Policy
If you cannot attend an event for which you have registered, please cancel your registration no later than one business day prior to the event. If you fail to notify us of your cancellation in a timely fashion, you will be charged for event costs.
To cancel you can: 1) email yangzhao@europeanchamber.com.cn, or 2) cancel online if you registered for the event through the website
Speakers
Dr. Ioana Kraft

Dr. Ioana Kraft
Ioana has been based in Shanghai since 2003 where she worked for the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (European Chamber) from 2004 to 2022. From 2009 to 2022 she served as General Manager of the Chamber’s Shanghai Chapter and was responsible for implementation and development of European Chamber objectives, visibility, and advocacy activities on a regional level in Shanghai and neighbouring regions.
Ioana is currently an Associate Director with X-PM Transition Partners, a leading European Executive Interim and Transition Management firm with teams in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong. X-PM is part of the WIL group, a network of 13 firms operating in 35 countries that deliver interim and transition solutions to clients around the world and offers a unique international “multi-sourcing” model that leverages the assets of each member firm and ensures the best assignments globally.
A German-qualified lawyer, Ioana practiced with a German law firm in Shanghai from 2003 and 2004. She also holds a PhD degree in law from Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, where she worked from 1999 to 2003 as a Senior Research Assistant focussing on the areas of Civil Law, Insurance Law, Comparative Law, International Private Law and Labour Law.
Mr. Carlo Diego D’Andrea

Mr. Carlo Diego D’Andrea
Founder and Managing Partner of D’Andrea & Partners Legal Counsel, and Founder of DP Group.
Graduated in Law at the University of Teramo (Italy), he then subsequently obtained a Masters’ degree in Corporate Advisor at LUISS University in Rome and a Diploma in Chinese Studies at Nanjing Normal University and is a member of the Italian Bar Association.
Mr. D’Andrea arrived in China in 2005 and is fluent in Italian (mother tongue), English, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. He mainly deals with cross-border mergers and acquisitions, assistance in ODI/FDI and intellectual property rights.
He is also acting as Vice President of the European Chamber and Chair of the Shanghai Chapter.
Mr. Jens Eskelund

Mr. Jens Eskelund
Jens Eskelund was born in 1970 in Aarhus, Denmark. He holds an MA in philosophy and has studied at University of Aarhus and University of Texas at Austin. He has also pursued studies in Chinese at Renmin University in Beijing. Coming to Beijing as a student in 1998, Jens Eskelund began his career in China as Commercial Officer at the Danish Embassy to China before taking on a position in marketing for Maersk Line in Beijing in 2000. He has since held positions as General Manager for Public Affairs for Maersk Line in China and later Director of Public Affairs for North Asia before assuming his present role as Chief Representative for Maersk in the Greater China Area and North-East Asia. Primary focus areas comprise engaging government entities, institutions and trade associations on matters of policy, regulatory environment and business development on behalf of the companies within the Maersk Group.
Jens Eskelund is a former Chairman of the Danish Chamber of Commerce in China as well as the Vice President and Chair of Maritime Working Group of the European Chamber. Jens was elected as the President of European Chamber in May 2023.
Jens Eskelund is married and has two sons.
Mr. Jens Ewert

Mr. Jens Ewert
Jens Ewert, a Senior Partner with Deloitte China, has over 30 years of working experience in the professional services, based in Shanghai since end 2002 – he has been a member of Deloitte China Eastern Region Management team since then. Jens is the national leader for Deloitte China Life Science & Health Care Industry, leading a dedicated industry team comprising over 1000+ partners and professionals. He also covers our full range of multidisciplinary services, from consulting, risk & financial & tax advisory and audit & assurance, offering to Multinational Clients in China.
Jens has received the ‘Magnolia Silver Award’ from the Shanghai Government in September 2021, recognizing foreign business leaders for their special and outstanding contribution to the City’s development. He is also a Board member at the EUCCC Shanghai and the National Vice-Chair of the Investment Working group at the EU Chamber in China.
Prior to moving to China, he has been working in numerous countries always in professional services, such as France, Hungary, Vietnam and Indonesia. He hold a Master degree from University Paris X Dauphine in Business & Finance and a Diploma of Political Science from Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris. He also attended numerous executive programs at IMD and Insead. He is married to Christine and calls France his home.
Ms. Holly Lei

Ms. Holly Lei
Holly Lei (Senior Vice President, Covestro Group, President of Covestro China) is the first local female leader for this position in Covestro China.
Lei started her career at Bayer MaterialScience (the predecessor company of Covestro) in 1999 as a technical representative, and has since increased responsibilities focusing on sales, marketing and R&D . She held various management positions in China, the APAC region and globally, and devoted her cross-industry insights and customer centric mindset to develop Covestro’s business globally.
As a seasoned leader strong at managing dispersed teams, Lei is also an affectionate people leader and excels at fostering an environment that allows people to flourish and develop to their fullest potential. As an avid ambassador of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at Covestro, she is actively involved in promoting Female leadership in the workplace and DEI culture with outstanding contribution and social influence.
Lei holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Dalian University of Technology in China and a master’s degree in material science from Université de Sherbrooke in Canada. She has also received executive training at INSEAD Business School in France.
Lei is also a supervisory board member of GEA Group AG, Vice Chair of the Shanghai Chapter of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, and she was granted with several awards, such as 2020 China Women in Tech by Forbes, 2021, 2022 & 2023 China Most Powerful Women by Fortune, etc.