I made two presentations to EMBA delegations from the University of Irvine, California (Paul Merage School of Business), on 27 August (Crowne Plaza) and on 14 September (Grand Hotel Beijing). The topics range from doing business in China, working with the government, the attitude of the Chinese and of course the Olympics.

Challenging as usual to address the audience – they not exactly “kids”… So, real very nice to receive this message from their Faculty Chair:
“Again, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to your wonderful presentation on Beijing Olympics and Doing Business in China. Students have given me very positive feedback about your talk. I hope we will have the honor of having you speak to our students in the future.”
I wish all people would be so nice…

So, the “new” EUCCC (European Chamber) launched its Position Paper. New because we have a new president (Joerg Wuttke) and a new secretary general (Michael O’Sullivan).

New also because I was pleasantly surprised not to have to listen to the usual bland pep talk on how we are all so happy in China where we are really so profitable and only have some tiny tiny suggestions for our Chinese “friends”.
Finally some plain and hard facts were put on the table. In a diplomatic way, yes, but some facts are not that “pleasant” to hear.
I am always put off by the sugar and honey talk of western officials when they address local audiences or by the naïve attitude from “seasoned businesspeople”.
Well, this is still much a free for all and merciless environment where foreign businesspeople often bite the dust.
Nationalism and “protection of the precious national assets” is now again much in vogue. Forget transparency, open markets etc.
Fact is, in 2006 the EU exported some 63 billion euro to China. China exported to the EU some 192 billion euro. The excuse that the EU “does not have the right products or prices or something like that” is ridiculous.
IPR protection? Still much of a joke despite some real progress. To get rich is good, to get rich by copying even better.
Poor China can’t handle al that IPR enforcement?
You must be kidding.
As the IHT wrote once something like this:
“Just let some FaXXXGong guy open a protest sign anywhere and ten guys jump on him. So, not to be able to stop pirated goods is laughable, if they would let the millions of security people open their eyes it would be cleaned up in one day.”

Curious to see later how the 130 journalists in the room will understand and interpret all that.
And, by the way, the opinion expressed here is mine and also of many people I know. I am not talking here as the chairman of one of the EUCCC working groups.