On 15 January 2026, the EU SME Centre and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China hosted an Inter-Chamber SME Working Group meeting on the topic of the current geopolitical situation including US-China relations, recent developments in Latin America and their impact on the EU and EU-US-China relations. The event featured presentations by Damien Ma, Director of Carnegie China, and Daniel Lansberg-Rodriguez, Head of Geopolitics, Risk, and Strategy practice at Aurora Macro.
Damien Ma provided an overview of the state of play and outlook for the US–China relationship, arguing that the relationship is undergoing a major paradigm shift and that, while strategic competition will persist, 2026 represents a window for achieving a meaningful stabilisation in bilateral relations. Daniel Lansberg-Rodriguez then discussed recent US actions in Latin America and their implications for both China and other players, including the EU. The meeting concluded with a discussion and Q&A session.
