China and Europe: 'Is this forever'?

Like a couple of careful suitors, Chinese and European businesses and governments have been developing their relationship over time, leading the London Business School China Club to ask: ‘Is this forever’?

London Business School’s Chinese student community is growing every year and for this, the third China Business Forum they lined up a panel that included authorities on finance, trade and government.

The School’s Dean, Professor Sir Andrew Likierman, said greater ties were needed: "We need only to see the effect on stock markets round the world when the estimate of China’s growth rate is changed (as it has been recently) to see just how central China is to the world economy."

Debate covered Chinese capital investments in the post-recession Europe, China eCommerce penetration, the globalization of the RMB as well as Chinese IPO trends.

There were sessions on sustainable economic growth in China, cooperation between east and west, the role technology plays in improving quality of life, and Chinese brands.

China Business Forum organiser and London Business School MBA student, Michael Tao, said: "This is just a beginning of a marriage between China and Europe. Mutual respect, understanding and support are the keys to long term growth. This commitment requires both parties to make efforts to learn about each other, communicate, share and sometimes compromise. ​Both parties must look beyond the barriers of language, culture, belief and political differences and truly understand that allocating and sharing resources efficiently is the key to keeping the honeymoon everlasting."

Full details about the speakers and agenda can be found at London Business School China Business Forum 2014.