Refer China: CEIBS hosts China-EU Relations 50th Anniversary Forum

Celebrating five decades of partnership and looking toward a shared future.

CEIBS celebrated the 50-year anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the European Union and China on May 9 with an anniversary forum on its Shanghai campus, inviting leading figures from the political, diplomatic, academic, and business communities of Europe and China, as well as the China-based European diplomatic community and representatives of the European Union (including the member states) Chambers of Commerce in China, to reflect on five decades of cooperation and chart a constructive path forward for this vital relationship in a rapidly changing world. Organised by CEIBS with the support of the Delegation of the European Union to the People's Republic of China, the forum examined 50 years of existing cooperation and looked towards the future, exploring how China and Europe can work together to build another five decades of effective partnership in key areas such as global trade, investment, innovation, digital transformation and climate action.

China-EU Relations 50th Anniversary Forum

In 1975, China and the European Economic Community (EEC) established diplomatic relations, a moment that became an important milestone in global diplomatic history and instrumental in China's opening to the world. Over the past five decades, China-EU relations have gradually become a cornerstone of international relations and exercised a profound influence over world politics, security, trade, investment, technological innovation, and the environment. As an internationally renowned business school founded by China and the European Union, CEIBS is emblematic of the two powers' cooperation and a perfect example of how the world can benefit from their effective collaboration. Serving as an important and increasingly rare bridge connecting the economic, educational and intellectual communities of China and Europe, the school's success underlines the power of shared knowledge and mutual respect, and demonstrates the possibilities of cooperation across political, cultural and social divides in an increasingly fragmented world.

Former President of the European Council, Former Prime Minister of Belgium, and CEIBS Distinguished Professor Charles Michel

In a keynote speech at the forum titled "Challenges and Opportunities: Europe and China at a Crossroads," Charles Michel, former President of the European Council, former Prime Minister of Belgium, and CEIBS Distinguished Professor, stated that the world currently stands at a critical historical turning point, facing numerous challenges including trade protectionism, the opportunities and risks brought about by big data and artificial intelligence, and issues of national sovereignty and security. In response, he stated that "I have a very firm conviction that EU strategic autonomy is the only path forward – it is not a luxury, but a necessity." Describing the EU as "a success story", Prof. Michel highlighted the importance of free trade, stating that "our market is the backbone of healthy economic competition." Noting that the EU's motto of "unity in diversity" and China's credo of "harmony without uniformity" made them partners for collaboration, Prof. Michel highlighted addressing global challenges like climate change, mutual economic development, world peace and security, and support to developing nations as key areas of potentially significant collaboration. Finally, Prof. Michel expressed hope that China and Europe could draw lessons from past experiences, and suggested some ideas for the future relationship: one, that the EU-China relationship should be considered on the basis of its own merit, without being influenced by other powers, and two, that EU-China differences and divergences must be managed in a responsible way, with respect, transparency and sincerity to foster mutual understanding.

Former Minister of Commerce of China Chen Deming

This was followed by a second keynote speech delivered by Former Minister of Commerce of China Chen Deming, on the subject "Steady and Far-Reaching Strategic Cooperation Between China and Europe." He stated that over the past 50 years, China and Europe have become systemic, complementary, and mutually beneficial partners. "By respecting each other and adhering to rules-based multilateralism, we have injected new momentum into the sustained, healthy, and stable development of China-Europe relations," Mr. Chen said. However, he went on to contrast the stability of China-Europe strategic cooperation with today's global uncertainties, including a deficit in global governance, unilateral US trade policies that have severely undermined the global economic order, and escalating geopolitics and regional conflicts. He called on China and Europe to "unite and shoulder their historical responsibilities, ensuring that human civilization and our achievements since World War II do not regress." Mr. Chen added that "further rules-based openness between Asia and Europe will not only benefit businesses and the people in their respective regions, but also significantly strengthen the international multilateral economic order."

President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and CEIBS Chairman

In a welcome address to the forum, Ding Kuiling, President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and CEIBS Chairman extended a warm welcome and gratitude to the attending guests on behalf of both Shanghai Jiao Tong University and CEIBS. Drawing a vivid analogy from chemistry, his own area of expertise, he likened China-Europe relations to the stable bond between two atoms, which depends on two key factors: "first, the distance between them must be short - bond length - and second, they must complement and share with each other - electron pairing." Similarly, Prof. Ding added, "China-Europe cooperation thrives on two principles: first, frequent exchanges to shorten the physical and emotional distance between people and nations; second, leveraging complementary strengths and sharing achievements to deepen mutually beneficial collaboration in education, technology, talent, and other critical areas." Prof. Ding concluded by expressing confidence that, through joint effort, China-Europe relations will continue to strengthen and progress, contributing greater stability and certainty to the world.

President of EFMD Global and CEIBS Vice Chairman Eric Cornuel

President of EFMD Global and CEIBS Vice Chairman Eric Cornuel then delivered his own welcome address. Reflecting on 50 years of EU-China relations, he noted how bilateral trade has evolved from modest beginnings in 1975 to today's deep and expansive cooperation, before adding that the EU-China relationship is "about more than economic complementarity: it is about shared values, a commitment to international rules, and openness." Prof. Cornuel then asserted that "the story of CEIBS beautifully illustrates the transformative power of these principles", praising the school as a successful model of EU-China cooperation and noting that EFMD, through its work with CEIBS, had witnessed how economic ties drive social progress. "Academic partnerships work as a bridge and a catalyst and generate lasting value for society," Prof. Cornuel said, before concluding by calling on China and Europe to uphold openness, fairness, and dialogue, laying a foundation for international stability and cooperation.

Ambassador of the European Union to China Jorge Toledo

This was followed by Ambassador of the European Union to China Jorge Toledo, who delivered an opening address in which he spoke highly of CEIBS and China-EU relations more broadly. Mr. Toledo reviewed key milestones in the 50-year diplomatic relationship, noting China's rapid growth and the multiple transformations undergone by the EU, before affirming that today the EU stands as the world's largest single market and one of China's top trading partners, and that the pair engage in robust cooperation in areas such as climate change. He then added, however, that "the next 50 years are unlikely to resemble the past 50 years." Looking ahead, he stressed the need to rebalance the trade and economic relationship, uphold the principles of fairness and a level playing field, explore new forms of collaboration, and deepen the partnership for mutual benefit. "In such an insecure and unstable world, EU-China engagement is more important than ever, but engagement must be fair and address imbalances," Mr. Toledo said. In conclusion, he called on the EU and China to come together in the global pursuit of stability and prosperity and elevate the relationship to new heights.

CEIBS President Wang Hong

In her role as host of the forum, CEIBS President Wang Hong emphasised that "bridging China and Europe" remained one of CEIBS' strategic priorities. She noted that the school has served as a vital link in facilitating economic and trade dialogue, people-to-people exchange, and policy development between China and Europe, asserting that CEIBS has successfully established itself as a "global meeting place" that enhances mutual trust and cooperation through international engagement, and has consistently elevated its global education standards to strengthen academic and cultural cooperation. By sharing insights into China's business world, creating international think tanks, and building platforms for high-level dialogue between policymakers, business leaders, and scholars like the annual "Europe Forum", CEIBS has become a hub of knowledge, she continued. Looking ahead, President Wang pledged that CEIBS will continue promoting China-Europe dialogue and collaboration in critical fields, striving to become the world's most respected international business school.

CEIBS President (European) Dominique Turpin

CEIBS President (European) Dominique Turpin ended the forum by delivering closing remarks. Reflecting on both the past successes and the possible future of EU-China relations, President Turpin paid tribute to CEIBS as "of course, a great example the success of the EU and China" before emphasising that, in today's complex global climate, "we all have the duty of optimism." He highlighted the terms "mutual respect", "compromise", "openness", "communication", and "trust" and concurred with their importance in seizing mutual opportunities and forming a shared future for China and Europe in difficult times. For CEIBS, he added, this means acknowledging the school's remarkable success while continuing to innovate, maintain a deep connection with the business world through its exceptional alumni network, and continuing to be agile. In ending the forum, he expressed his confidence that CEIBS would continue to grow and remain the forefront of global management education.

Panel Discussion on "The Fifty-Year Journey: Shaping a New Future for China-Europe Economic and Trade Cooperation"

The event also featured a pair of panel discussions highlighting the key topics shaping the EU-China relationship. The first, moderated by host of CCTV's "Dialogue" Chen Weihong, focused on "The Fifty-Year Journey: Shaping a New Future for China-Europe Economic and Trade Cooperation". The panellists were Former President of the European Council, Former Prime Minister of Belgium and CEIBS Distinguished Professor Charles Michel, Former Minister of Commerce of China Chen Deming, CEIBS Professor of Economics and Finance and Wu Jinglian Chair Professor in Economics Xu Bin, CEO of Saint-Gobain Asia Pacific Ludovic Weber, Founder, Chairman of the Board and President of Bosideng Group and CEIBS alumnus Gao Dekang, and Chairman of EVE Energy and CEIBS alumnus Liu Jincheng. Prof. Charles Michel highlighted carbon pricing as a potential area of cooperation to together overcome the challenge of climate change, by developing common climate standards and creating a more level playing field. He also emphasised trust, balance, and transformation as key elements of a successful future EU-China economic relationship. Chen Deming asserted that China-EU cooperation must be grounded in mutual respect, trust and observance of multilateral rules. Prof. Xu Bin called for the EU and China to overcome non-economic barriers to deepen technological collaboration, particularly in electric vehicles, for their mutual benefit. Ludovic Weber drew on the example of Saint-Gobain, a world leader in light and sustainable construction, and their localisation of the innovation chain in China, allowing European companies to keep pace with the rapid development of the Chinese market. Gao Dekang shared his experience of successfully exploring the UK market via London through the Belt and Road lnitiative, and said that Bosideng's path to internationalisation vividly reflected a successful China-EU economic and trade cooperation, allowing more people around the world to witness the innovative power of Chinese brands. Finally, Liu Jincheng said that although occasional trade frictions between China and Europe do occur, Chinese investment projects in Europe have increased the amount of business integration, which can play a positive role as a facilitator, reduce the intensity of friction, and enhance mutual trust and cooperation. Looking ahead, all the panellists agreed that China and Europe should adhere to principles of fair competition and sustainable development, deepen industry-academia-research collaboration, and jointly build new models of international business cooperation to inject fresh momentum into the shared mission of attaining global economic stability.

Panel Discussion on "Working Together for a Sustainable Future"

The second panel discussion of the event, moderated by CEIBS Vice President and Dean Frank Bournois, focused on "Working Together for a Sustainable Future", taking in themes of environment, social, and governance (ESG) in both enterprises and the broader EU-China relationship. The panellists were Executive Council Member of China Energy Research Society (CERS) and Former Director General of National Centre for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC) Li Junfeng, CEIBS Professor of Marketing, Associate Dean (Research) and Research Area Director of ESG Wang Yajin, Senior Vice President of Sungrow and CEIBS alumnus David Zhao, Executive Vice President China Strategy of Stellantis Grégoire Olivier, and Head of Sustainability of Merck China Fu Yumei.

Prof. Bournois emphasised CEIBS' ongoing efforts to promote ESG principles through teaching and research. He also added that, while many challenges remain, the experiences and wisdom of the panellists gathered gave ample reason for optimism in regard to the EU and China's efforts at collaboratively building a sustainable future. Li Junfeng emphasised that ESG principles require special attention to the sustainable development capabilities of enterprises, namely stable growth and profitability, saying that companies should therefore not only emphasise the reduction of costs but also the creation of value; only through value creation, Mr. Li said, can sustainable development be achieved. In reflecting on her own hopes for a sustainable future, Prof. Wang Yajin expressed the belief that companies should not view ESG as simply a source of increased costs and additional compliance pressure, but rather integrate it into their business, using it to drive innovation, enhance brand value, and generate real value creation for the enterprise. Ultimately, she said, she hoped that in the future there would be no need for business schools to teach ESG courses, as these principles must eventually become fully ingrained into business practice. Zhao Wei highlighted vast opportunities for China-EU collaboration in new energy technologies and ESG standard alignment, urging firms to transform ESG into commercial value through technological innovation. Grégoire Olivier emphasised the importance of electric vehicles in global efforts to meet the ambitious goal of full energy transition, which in turn would mean more partnerships between Chinese and European enterprises – key to this, Mr. Olivier said, would be the nurturing of business leaders that understand both European and Chinese business contexts. Fu Yumei emphasised the role of sustainability in Merck's supply chain, and its optimisation across various global markets, as an example of how to effectively enshrine ESG principles into company operations, while noting that collaboration between enterprises, governments, NGOs, and academia would also be crucial to drive innovations in ESG.

In a ceremony prior to the forum, CEIBS was proud to announce the official launch of its Global Master in Management (Global MiM) CEIBS (Switzerland) – ESCP Double Degree Programme, a dynamic new addition to its programme portfolio. Delivered jointly by CEIBS and ESCP - two of the world's top-ranked business schools - and spanning the four global business hubs of Shanghai, Paris, London, and Zurich, the new programme offers students a transformative experience designed to foster a new generation of global business leaders, aimed at providing "China Edge, Global Experience".

The previous day, on May 8, 2025, CEIBS had celebrated the appointment of Mr. Charles Michel as Distinguished Professor with an appointment ceremony at the school's Shanghai campus. Mr. Michel's appointment represents CEIBS' ongoing efforts to establish itself as a bridge between China and Europe.