This event costs €10,- p.p. There is a reduced rate of €5,- for students.
During this China Café event, we will discuss with entrepreneur Aldo Spaanjaars and correspondent and journalist Eefje Rammeloo how the deteriorating political relations between the US and China are affecting foreign businesses, as well as the impact on Chinese investors in Europe.
We will explore the following questions: What is the extent of the impact of political differences on economic partnerships? How do Chinese entrepreneurs view collaborations with European companies, and what changes have occurred since Covid?
We will also examine the influence of domestic stress factors on economic performance and collaboration in China, such as the reduced economic growth (5%), high youth unemployment, and the effects of the real estate debacle, and discuss why this is important for European businesses.
In summary, we aim to provide insights into the world of entrepreneurship on both sides, exploring the extent to which politics dominates or is inevitable, and offering suggestions on how entrepreneurs can keep a level head when balancing political rhetoric and economic strategic choices.
Note: If you have any problems registering via the online form, please do not hesitate to email us (info@leidenasiacentre.nl).
Speakers
Aldo Spaanjaars has been involved in business in China since 1992, building bridges between Chinese and Western cultures. His vast China understanding, and experiences range from creating award-winning advertising, managing sports and fashion retail chains to investment management. Currently managing his own China advisory firm, Dragon Strategies, until end 2022 Aldo was Executive Vice President, Outdoor at Anta Sports, China’s #1 domestic sportswear company. Over his 25-year career in China, Aldo was VP Operations at Fosun Fashion Group, the CEO of Lacoste Greater China, the COO of Adidas Greater China, and is a co-founder of advertising agency J.Walter Thompson Beijing. His extensive business experience, both at multinationals as well as domestic firms has granted him a unique perspective of how to become and stay successful in China. Having worked alongside some of China’s most successful entrepreneurs led him to co-write the book “Dragon Tactics”: How Chinese Entrepreneurs Thrive in Uncertainty.
Eva Rammeloo has been working as a China correspondent since early 2014 for several European newspapers and magazines. Before moving to China, she was a traveling freelance journalist and writer. Between 2008 and 2011 Eefje worked at the foreign news desk of the Dutch national news broadcaster NOS. She also wrote two books on China: “Het Geluk van de Chinezen” (The Hapiness of the Chinese, 2017) and “Alles onder Controle – Leven onder de Kieren van de Chinese Dictatuur” (Everything under Control – Living under the Cracks of the Chinese Dictatorship, 2023).
