CCG speaks to OECD, CDU/CSU meeting in German Bundestag

Policy exchange session with OECD ambassadors and panel discussion at the CDU/CSU meeting after Ursula von der Leyen's speech - Highlights of CCG engagements following the Paris Peace Forum

A Center for China and Globalization (CCG) group was visiting Europe recently at the moment and we are sharing some of their recently highlighted activities.

Following CCG's activities at the Paris Peace Forum, on Nov. 15, the OECD headquarters in Paris hosted a special policy exchange session for Henry Huiyao Wang, who was invited to deliver a speech. Henry talked about China's economic development in the post-pandemic era, China's role in global governance, and how to strengthen global multilateral cooperation.

His audience was ambassadors and representatives to OECD from 32 countries and international organizations, as well as their officials.

During the meeting, the participants and Henry engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as China's economic development in the post-pandemic era, China's cooperation with the United States, the European Union, and the world in addressing climate change, whether inclusive economic globalization is still the prevailing trend, and how international institutions in the new multipolar world can collaborate.

Following the meeting, Henry and Dr. Mable Lu Miao, co-founder and secretary-general of CCG, had a lunchtime discussion with some of the ambassadors, as well as a Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD and the OECD's G20 Coordinator.

Henry was invited to take part in the Panel Discussion: Interdependencies in the global economy of the Congress | Strategic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific: reducing dependencies, expanding trade, implementing the China strategy by the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag on November 16, 2023.

The panel was preceded by a Welcome & Introduction by Friedrich Merz, Chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag, a speech by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and a conversation between von der Leyen and Jens Spahn MP, Deputy Chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag.

Henry joined the panel discussion with Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Mercedes-Benz Group, Prof. Dr. Scott Kennedy, senior adviser and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and Julia Klöckner, Chairwoman of the Economics Working Group, CDU/CSU.

Henry underlined that China's economic and trade relations are integral components of the global economic and trade ecosystem. Efforts to "de-couple" from or "de-risk" China would disrupt global economic and trade interdependence. Simultaneously viewing China as a "partner," "competitor," and "systemic rival" is akin to having traffic signals flashing green, yellow, and red all at once, leaving businesses uncertain about how to conduct trade. China and Germany are vital partners in the global economic and trade ecosystem, with Germany's total exports of goods and services to China accounting for 3% of Germany's GDP—the highest among European countries and more than double that of France, Italy, and Spain. Extensive cooperation opportunities exist between China and Germany. Faced with these global challenges such as climate change and public health, China, the United States, and Europe can collaborate and take collective action.