A recent study by the European Chamber in China, The Road Less Travelled: European Involvement in China’s Belt and Road Initiative, argues that there is less European involvement than the BRI engagement of Switzerland, other European countries and institutions may suggest. European businesses have played a minor role in the BRI so far. While some opportunities have emerged, the report argues that these do not compensate for the fact that China’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) distort the global BRI competition. With BRI, not only international companies operating in China are affected, but also third country market competitions along BRI routes.

To what extent are European businesses and countries really involved in BRI-related projects? Is there a unified approach beginning to emerge from geographical Europe? How can BRI be reformed into a multilateral development initiative that is open and transparent? What sort of mechanisms are needed to guarantee an open market?

Jörg Wuttke, President of the European Chamber of Commerce in China, urges Europe to determine how to respond to China’s work model. Join the conversation of Jörg Wuttke with Markus Herrmann of Sinolytics, to find out more about possible ways forward.

About Asia Society Webcasts

Our webcasts offer access to latest developments and topics in the area of policy, art and culture presented by specialists and experts from all over the world.

Asia Society members can register for the webcasts to participate on the conference platform zoom. This offers you the possibility to comment and ask questions. Non-members are welcome to watch our webcasts live on Facebook.

All our webcasts are recorded and published along with key takeaways. Webcasts – no matter where you are, you can stay connected!

Jörg Wuttke is President of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. He currently serves as Vice President and Chief Representative of BASF China, based in Beijing. Since joining BASF in 1997, Mr. Wuttke has been responsible for helping guide the company’s investment strategies for China, negotiation of large projects and government relations. Before, Mr. Wuttke worked with ABB for eleven years in different positions, among others, in Beijing and Shanghai. From 2001 to 2004, he was the Chairman of the German Chamber of Commerce in China, and from 2011 to 2019, Chairman of the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) China Task Force of the BIAC to the OECD. From 2013 to 2016, and again since 2019 Mr. Wuttke is Vice Chairman of the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation (CPCIF) International Cooperation Committee, a group representing Multinational Companies in China’s Chemical Association.

Markus Herrmann, Director and Managing Director Switzerland of Sinolytics, is an experienced advisor to European corporate and public sector clients focusing on business-policy nexus topics including regulatory ratings/CSCS (Chinese Government’s system to monitor and guide companies’ behavior), the BRI, policy-based growth strategies, technology transfer- and partnerships or government affairs strategies. He combines deep business understanding with policy analysis expertise and six years working experience in China. Prior to Sinolytics, Markus worked as a Government Affairs & Advocacy Director with Bayer MaterialScience (now: Covestro) in China and as Management Consultant with The Boston Consulting Group in its Shanghai, Hong Kong and Zurich offices, focusing on financial services and industrial goods. Markus holds a MLaw from the universities of Bern and Geneva with focus on international public law and WTO law as well as a CAS in Public Policy from ETHZ.