On 20 May, European Chamber Vice President Klaus Zenkel was invited to speak at the 2025 Guangzhou Key Foreign-invested Enterprises Roundtable. The event was chaired by Mayor Sun Zhiyang of the Guangzhou Municipal Government and attended by Party Secretary Guo Yonghang and related Guangzhou department heads.
Zenkel emphasised three major local challenges: the delayed enforcement of the Greater Bay Area Individual Income Tax Incentives in Guangzhou, difficulties accessing green energy, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises, and uncertainty regarding cross-border data transfer policies. He expressed hope that the Guangzhou Government could engage in further working-level discussions to address these issues, enhance cooperation and jointly foster a more supportive business climate for European businesses.
Guo urged government officials to work together to solve the problems raised by Zenkel. The Guangzhou Development and Reform Commission, the Cyberspace Affairs Office of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee and the Guangzhou Tax Bureau have since contacted the Chamber for further policy communication and a better understanding of the exact problems.
