China

In March 2021, the EU-China agreement protecting geographical indications entered into force. The agreement protects 96 iconic EU agri-food names against imitation and usurpation, bringing trade benefits and introducing consumers to guaranteed, authentic products from European countries with rich culinary and cultural traditions. In the course of the next four years, the agreement will expand to cover an additional 350 GI names from both the EU and China. The Chinese market is the third destination of EU agri-food products, and at the same time is the second destination of EU exports of GI products, accounting for 9% by value. Chinese consumers appreciate the safety, quality and authenticity of European agri-food. Yet, Chinese consumers’ awareness of European GIs remains not as strong and deep as in other countries, requiring EU producers and exporters to adopt different and tailored approaches to communicate and promote the value of GI products in China.     Together with the EU SME Centre, of which the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce is the leading consortium partner, we are pleased to invite you to join the workshop “Communicating the value of European GI products to Chinese consumers”. The workshop will: Provide an overview of the EU-China agreement protecting geographical indications, including objectives and products covered Provide insights on the Chinese consumers’ awareness of EU GI products, highlighting the main opportunities and challenges for promotional and marketing activities Share specific examples of promotional activities done in China by representatives of three categories of GI products: wine, spirits, and cheese.   The workshop will take place on Friday January 21st 2022, at 09:00 – 11:00 (Brussels time) / 16:00 – 18:00 (Beijing time), online. Interested in joining? Reserve your place.   AGENDA 16:00 – 16:10 Welcome remarks and EU SME Centre intro 16:10 – 16:30 Presentation: the EU-China Agreement Protecting Geographical Indications - Damien Plan, Counsellor for Agriculture, EU Delegation in China 16:30 – 17:00 Presentation: overview of Chinese consumers’ awareness of European GIs, and opportunities and challenges for promotional activities - Pablo Recio Gracia, Managing Director, EIBENS Consulting 17:00 – 17:45 Case studies from three GI products: – Wine (Giampaolo Bruno, Italian Trade Agency) – Spirits (Conor O’Sullivan, Ireland Bord Bia) – Cheese (Alexander Macdonald, Business Development, London Food Ltd Shanghai) 17:45 – 18:00 Discussion and Q&A   The CICC Team

  The China-Italy Chamber of Commerce is pleased to invite you to our Christmas Lunch in Wuxi! Come celebrate together the upcoming festivities on December 12th, 2021 at 12:00 pm at Mammamia, Wuxi (No. 34 Yang Chun Xiang. No. 9 Yongle East Road, Wuxi 无锡市南长区永乐东路9号,阳春巷34号). We look forward to welcoming you for this Christmas event in Italian style with a tailor-made menu for the occasion.   Interested in joining? Write an email to sh.projects@cameraitacina.com to reserve your seat!  Deadline for registration: December 9th, 2021.   PRICE 398 RMB per person 200 RMB for children under 12 (for children under 6, registration is free)   Not a member yet? Send an email to: • Beijing office bj.members@cameraitacina.com  • Chongqing office infochongqing@cameraitacina.com  • Chengdu office infochengdu@cameraitacina.com  • Guangzhou office  infoguangdong@cameraitacina.com  • Shenzhen office infoshenzhen@cameraitacina.com  • Shanghai office  sh.projects@cameraitacina.com  • Suzhou office  infosuzhou@cameraitacina.com   The CICC Staff

Our Intellectual Property Working Group (IPWG) is glad to invite you to the webinar “Protect Your Brand Against Infringement and Counterfeiting - From Investigation to Action” on December 15th, 2021, starting from 4:00 pm (China Standard Time) / 9:00 am CET.      This is part of a series of activities organized by our IPWG aiming at providing practical tools in IP-related matters to companies – operating in different sectors – in the Chinese market. This webinar is co-organized with CICC Mechanical Engineering Working Group (MEWG).   How to deal with trademark infringement and counterfeiting?  Often foreign companies are caught off-guard on how to react. Trademark holders need to realize that it is up to them to organize and manage the evidence collection process in view of the possible administrative or judicial remedies against the suspected infringer or counterfeiter. Facing this challenge requires deep understanding of the local business environment and knowledge of the regulatory requirements for the evidence to be used in the administrative or judicial proceedings.  The purpose of this webinar is, in particular, to provide, through practical cases, suggestions on how to carry out anti-counterfeiting investigation in a (cost) effective manner and which are the enforcement options once evidence material is collected.     AGENDA 16:00 – 16:15  Opening Remarks, Carlo Geremia, IPWG Coordinator  Introduction, “Challenges and Needs of SMEs in Protecting Their Brand”, Carlo Nizia, MEWG Vice Coordinator 16:15 – 16:35 “Brand Protection and Anti-Counterfeiting: Remedies Available”- Felice Meli, Partner and Head of Anti-Counterfeiting operations, Ferrante IP 16:35 – 16:55 “Conducting an Investigation to Protect Your Brand” – Federico Bartolini, IP Consultant, HongFangLaw IP & Legal Practice 16:55 – 17:20 Q&A    Interested in joining? Reserve your place here.   EVENT DETAILS Event fee: CICC Members: free of charge Non- Members: 150 RMB Event Language: English    SPEAKERS Federico Bartolini, IP Consultant, HongFangLaw IP & Legal Practice Mr Bartolini is a Sinologist, studying and then working in China since 2009, a soon-to-be IMBA graduate with vast experience in the Chinese market. In the last 6 years, he has been employed at a Chinese law firm, with a focus on intellectual property practice. Mr Bartolini is a consultant on Trademark for foreign clients, and an active member of the inhouse investigation team for HFL, with a record of over 20 investigation cases completed with successful results. Felice Meli, Partner and Head of Anti-Counterfeiting operations, Ferrante IP Felice holds two Law Degrees from the University of Bologna in Italy and from the University of Glasgow's School of Law in Scotland. Living and advising on IP matters in China Mainland since 2012. With his legal background and experience in both civil and common law jurisdictions, Felice has built through the years extensive experience assisting enterprises from a wide range of industries in assessing and enhancing their intellectual property rights portfolios, providing strategies on registration and prosecution actions in China and south-east Asia. His experience extends also to enforcement of IP rights in China, from fighting the sale of counterfeits both online and in the marketplace to enforcement at trade fairs as well as customs border brand protection.   The CICC Staff

  The China-Italy Chamber of Commerce (CICC) and the EU SME Centre are pleased to invite you to a webinar where we will launch our new report on the industrial robot market in China.   RESERVE YOUR PLACE Scan the QR code to sign up!   Since 2013, China has been the world’s largest market for industrial robots, maintaining sustainable and stable growth over the years. The market is creating enormous business opportunities, attracting global industrial robot enterprises scrambling to enter the Chinese market.     The European industrial robot industry has its unique advantages in providing state-of-the-art products and solutions for high-end industrial applications: in most cases, these needs cannot be fully satisfied by Chinese local suppliers. However, entering the Chinese market is a time-consuming process that requires a significant amount of resources and time; many European companies, especially SMEs, are not fully aware of how to begin. This report aims to give answers to these issues, by providing a comprehensive, up-to-date picture of the industrial robot market in China.  Specifically: • The first section provides an overview of the Chinese market for industrial robots, including its size, driving factors, main product categories and application fields – both traditional such as automotive, as well as new emerging ones. This section also indicates the most important regional clusters in China for industrial robots, as well as the key players dominating the market – largely foreign enterprises, which are facing increasing competition from domestic producers. • The second section elaborates in detail on the role of government policies and incentives in pushing forward the development of industrial robots in China. The industrial robots industry is officially classified as a key strategic sector in the Made in China 2025 strategy; it is also an encouraged sector for foreign investment, and it is also central in the 14th Five-year Plan (2021-2025). This translates into a myriad of preferential policies, incentives, grants, subsidies and other forms of administrative support – at all government levels, from district to municipal, from provincial to national – granted to foreign investors who introduce their technologies and products in China. • The third section examines in detail the market access requirements that industrial robots must meet in order to be exported to China. Specifically, it introduces the five mandatory national standards in the sector – which are identical to (IDT) ISO/IEC standards; it also introduces the requirements, processes and costs for obtaining the main certification scheme, i.e., the China Robot certificate – which although not mandatory, is often considered as a strong asset especially when applying to government subsidies and procurement. Finally, this section analyses the requirements, pros and cons for investing in China, with a special focus on the risks that European investors may face. • The fourth section summarises the main opportunities and challenges that European SMEs face in the Chinese market for industrial robots. Opportunities are significant and can largely outweigh the challenges – but only with meticulous planning, knowledge of the sector and informed decisions. Finally, this report is enriched by two case studies that were developed through interviews with representatives of European companies in China. The first, a leading Italian company in the industrial automation field, highlights the strong support that local administrations in China give to enterprises operating in the industrial robots sector – as a way to attract investment and facilitate growth. The second case study, presenting the experiences of a Finnish SME and a leading German company, highlights the importance of localisation in China, achievable through on-the-ground presence and developing partnerships with local players.   Click here to download the report!   AGENDA 16:00 – 16:10 Welcome remarks & Introduction of EU SME Centre and CICC 16:10 – 16:45 Presentation of the report - Ms Melanie Li, Consultant of BESTAO  16:45 – 17:00 Q&A   The CICC Staff