The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) : Reshaping the Global Value Chain

30 January 2018, 14.00 – 18.00, followed by a cocktail reception

Residence Palace, Brussels

The Europrean Movement International, ACCA (the association of Chartered Certified Accountants), the EU-Asia Centre, and UEAPME  held a multi-stakeholder conference on The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): Reshaping the Global Value Chain, to discuss the implications of China’s initiative to link Asia and Europe together via new large-scale infrastructure projects in Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans.

See the report of the event here.

Agenda

13.45 Registration and coffee

14.00 Welcome remarks, Maggie Mc Ghee, Director of Professional Insights, ACCA

14.05 Opening remarks, Counsellor Shi Wei, Mission of China to the EU

14.15 Opening remarks, Xavier Coget, Cabinet of Vice President of the European Commission Jyrki Katainen

14.25 Panel debate on economic and policy implications of the BRI

Moderated by Fraser Cameron, Director EU-Asia Centre

• Luc Devigne, Director of EAST — Russia, eastern partnership, Central Asia, Regional cooperation and OSCE at the EEAS
• Anna Saarela, European Parliament, DG EXPO, Policy Department
• Natasha Khanjenkova , Managing Director Central Asia & Russia EBRD
• Venerable Ji-jing, Chief Monk of Shanghai Dragon Monastery and Chengdu Daci Monastery
• Liina Carr, Confederal Secretary, ETUC

15.40 Q&As

16.00 Coffee break

16.20 Panel on Business experiences, moderated by Ada Leung, Head of ACCA China

• Gwenn Sonck, Executive Director, EU-China Business
• Dilek Aydin, EU representative of Turkonfed at  UEAPME
• Maurice Fermont, Adviser, BusinessEurope
• He Liquin, General Manager, Bank of China Belgium
• Alain Baron, EU-China Connectivity platform,  DG MOVE

17.30 Q&A

17.50 Concluding remarks, Jo Leinen, MEP, Head of the EP EU-China Delegation

18.00 Cocktail reception

Background
Launched in 2013 as “One Belt, One Road”, the BRI is hugely ambitious and already has the support of the EU, the World Bank, the EBRD and many other financial and economic institutions.

But what is the experience to date? How can financing for projects be secured? And what are the economic and policy implications of the BRI? This conference will discuss the state of play with leading policy makers and business representatives from Europe and China. It will also provide an insight into the opportunities and challenges of the BRI for European business.