The EU SME Centre and the China Britain Business Council (CBBC) are happy to invite you to the hybrid workshop “Government Engagement & Strategic Communication for European SMEs in China”, which will take place on 17 November from 16:00 – 18:00 (CST) | 09:00 – 11:00 (CET). The workshop will take place offline in Beijing as well as online on Zoom.
Government affairs (GA) in China has always been a critical point on the agenda for foreign companies. While large multinationals have dedicated GA teams and budget, many European SMEs still see this area as of secondary importance, maintaining mostly a passive attitude, e.g. dealing with inspections or getting approval or permits. In reality, the benefits of shifting to a proactive approach by engaging strategically government authorities in China are enormous and European SMEs should not be afraid of doing so even if their size and resources are limited.
Through best practices and case studies, this workshop aims to provide European SMEs with guidance and tips on how European SMEs can approach, engage and negotiate with the Chinese government, at both the regional and national level, through different approaches and channels, including chambers of commerce, public events, academics, but also Chinese media.
You can find the recorded webinar on YouTube here:
15:45-16:00 Arrival & registration (for offline participants only)
16:00-16:10 EU SME Centre introduction
– Alessio Petino, Knowledge Coordinator, EU SME Centre
16:10-16:30 Presentation 1 – Advocacy for beginners
– Joe Cash, Policy Analyst at CBBC
– Introduction to China’s Advocacy Environment (Preconceptions Vs. Realities)
– The Role of Business Organisations in Supporting Foreign Firms in China:
– How Business Organisations Interact with Government
o Case Study: CBBC’s Municipal Government Dialogues
o How Business Organisations interact with their own Governments
o What Lobbying Looks Like in China
– Routes to Dialogue with the Chinese Government:
o Conferencing
o Ties with Academics in R&D
o Media…
o Smaller Chinese Governmental Institutions
– Strategies
o Examples of companies that have managed this well
o Importance of reading Chinese news/localised staff
o Know your rights…
– Conclusion
16:30-16:45 Q&A 1
– Joe Cash
16:45-17:15 Presentation 2 – Govt affairs environment, strategies and tactics to strengthen corporate reputation
– Robert Magyar, Senior Executive Director at Sandpiper North Head
– Introduction of Public Affairs (PA) and Government Relations (GR) in China
o Managing relationships with government agencies.
– How to strengthen corporate reputation and relationships with the Chinese government
o Introduction of the general GR environment, strategies and tactics
– PR and communications tools that can help achieve your business objectives.
– Conclusion
17:15-17:30 Q&A 2
– Robert Magyar
17:30-18:00 Discussion: Best practice sharing from companies in the room (offline)
Q&A
About the speaker
JOE CASH China-Britain Business Council’s policy analyst
He received his M.Phil. in Modern Chinese Studies from the University of Oxford. Previously, Joe was the Confederation of British Industry’s policy adviser for China, Northeast & Southeast Asia, where he was responsible for devising policy positions to support the CBI’s 190,000 member companies in trade talks involving the U.K. and the markets of the Asia-Pacific region. Joe has extensive trade policy-making experience, having worked within the multilateral frameworks of the B7 & B20 and BusinessEurope as well as with Japan’s negotiating team and the Keidanren during the U.K.-Japan CEPA negotiations. He is the host and editor of the CBBC’s podcast, the China Business Brief.
Robert Magyar Senior Executive Director, Sandpiper North Head
With more than 15 years of experience in government relations, public affairs, and public relations campaigns across the globe, Robert is an experienced advisor and effective project manager. He is one of the founding partners of North Head, a consultancy based in Beijing offering a unique perspective to companies, NGOs, and governments from other parts of the world, who are seeking to cope with the fast-paced changes of Asia, while also assisting emerging Asian companies with ambitions for operating beyond their home markets. In the past 10 years, while managing North Head, he has been supervising issue campaigns across Asia, focusing on topics such as sustainability, rural development, and poverty alleviation. Robert also leads the Life Sciences Practice at North Head, including work conducted for the pharmaceutical industry, medical device makers, companies in the animal health sector, hospital management groups, and insurance companies.
Robert is a native of Hungary, speaks English, Japanese, French, and Hungarian, and is learning Mandarin. Before moving to China in 2009, he worked in Japan for Weber Shandwick, concentrating on public affairs and government relations for the healthcare and telecommunications sectors. Robert holds degrees from Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, Japan and Georgetown University in Washington DC, USA. He is also the author of the chapter: “Public Affairs in China: At a Crossroads?” in the book “Public Affairs: A Global Perspective” published in 2016.
JOE CASH CHINA-BRITAIN BUSINESS COUNCIL’S POLICY ANALYST
He received his M.Phil. in Modern Chinese Studies from the University of Oxford. Previously, Joe was the Confederation of British Industry’s policy adviser for China, Northeast & Southeast Asia, where he was responsible for devising policy positions to support the CBI’s 190,000 member companies in trade talks involving the U.K. and the markets of the Asia-Pacific region. Joe has extensive trade policy-making experience, having worked within the multilateral frameworks of the B7 & B20 and BusinessEurope as well as with Japan’s negotiating team and the Keidanren during the U.K.-Japan CEPA negotiations. He is the host and editor of the CBBC’s podcast, the China Business Brief.
JOE CASH CHINA-BRITAIN BUSINESS COUNCIL’S POLICY ANALYST
He received his M.Phil. in Modern Chinese Studies from the University of Oxford. Previously, Joe was the Confederation of British Industry’s policy adviser for China, Northeast & Southeast Asia, where he was responsible for devising policy positions to support the CBI’s 190,000 member companies in trade talks involving the U.K. and the markets of the Asia-Pacific region. Joe has extensive trade policy-making experience, having worked within the multilateral frameworks of the B7 & B20 and BusinessEurope as well as with Japan’s negotiating team and the Keidanren during the U.K.-Japan CEPA negotiations. He is the host and editor of the CBBC’s podcast, the China Business Brief.
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