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stars China symposium 2023

Re-Engaging with China – Business Opportunities and Challenges

22-25 October 2023

Shenzhen, Futian Shangri-La

In cooperation with our Programme Partner China Macro Group (CMG), Zurich, Munich, Beijing.

Objectives
  • Get on-the-ground impressions in Shenzhen and the Greater Bay Area (GBA) through visits and discussions with global high-tech champions
  • Understand the state of the Chinese economy, particularly the digital and green economy and the opportunities for foreign business, the demographic challenges and China’s foreign policy
  • Broaden the horizon to better understand major global trends, which will impact business and society over the next couple of years and act as a dialogue forum between China and the world
  • Engage in interdisciplinary and intercultural dialogue and contribute to the personal development to drive responsible and sustainable actions

Sunday, 22 October 2023 - Shenzhen
09:00 Opening of Conference Check-in
  • Foyer, 3rd Floor
09:30 Optional Early Bird Programme: Rendez-vous with China’s Youngest Metropolis (incl. optional 20-minute stroll back to the hotel)
  • GAO Yan (高岩)  Co-Founder and Principal Architect EPlus Design Group; Adjunct Associate Professor, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
  • Shangri-La Ballroom, 3rd Floor
11:30 Welcome Buffet Lunch
  • Foyer, 3rd Floor
13:30 Welcome Address and MC Introduction
  • Toni SCHOENENBERGER  Executive Chairman, stars Foundation, Weinfelden, Switzerland
  • ZHANG Lin (张林)  Director, Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Committee; Shenzhen, China
  • Klaus ZENKEL  Vice President, European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC); Chair of the South China Chapter, Shenzhen, China
  • Markus HERRMANN (陈瑞华)  Co-Founder and Managing Director, China Macro Group (CMG); Strategic Advisor Europe, Caixin Global; Member, stars Foundation Board, Zurich, Switzerland
  • Shangri-La Ballroom, 3rd Floor
14:15 China and Aging – Growing Old Before Becoming Rich?
  • PENG Wensheng (彭文生)  Chief Economist, China International Capital Corporation (CICC); President, CICC Research Institute, Beijing, China
15:15 Networking Coffee
  • Foyer, 3rd Floor
15:45 China, Greater Bay Area and Shenzhen - Where it is Heading?
  • XIAO Geng (肖耿)  Chairman at Hong Kong Institution for International Finance; Professor of Practice of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen; Founding Director, Brookings-Tsinghua Center for Public Policy, Beijing, China
  • Shangri-La Ballroom, 3rd Floor
16:45 China post-Covid – Reconnecting with the World, or not?
17:45 Time at your Disposal
18:30 Cocktails
  • Chairman's Terrace, 40th Floor
19:15 Dinner
  • Chairman's Room, 40th Floor
stars hosted Night Cap
  • Chairman's Terrace, 40th Floor
Monday, 23 October 2023 - Shenzhen
06:00 Individual Breakfast
  • Café Zen, 1st Floor
08:00 Recovery or Recession? China’s Future Economic Trajectory under Pressure
  • WANG Dan (王丹)  Chief Economist, Hang Seng Bank; Former Chief Economist, The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Shanghai, China
  • WANG Yong (王勇)  Academic Deputy Dean; Associate Professor, Peking University, Beijing, China
  • Shangri-La Ballroom, 3rd Floor
09:30 Networking Coffee
  • Foyer, 3rd Floor
10:00 Investor state Shenzhen – Chasing Strategic and Policy Impact with Angel Capital
  • CHEN Mo (陈默)  Director, Department of Funds and Projects Management, Shenzhen Angel FOF, Shenzhen, China
  • Shangri-La Ballroom, 3rd Floor
11:00 Building Businesses in China: Engineering Meets Entrepreneurship
12:40 Transfer to Tencent
  • Sandwich Lunch during bus ride  
  • Meeting Point: Hotel Lobby, 1st Floor
Site Visit 1: Tencent - Towards the Frontier of Tech Innovation
  • Nanshan District
14:50 Transfer from Tencent to Ping'an P&C
Site Visit 2: Having its Customers' Back - Ping'an P&C's Industry Leading Approach to Deliver Insurance Protection
  • LIANG Xiaoying  Head of Group Business, Ping’an Property and Casualty Insurance Headquarter, Shenzhen, China
  • SHI Derek  General Manager, Strategy and Development, Ping’an P&C, Shenzhen, China
  • Futian District
Visit of the 115-storey, 599.1 m (1,966 ft) supertall Ping An Finance Center skyscraper with Viewing Platform
17:45 Transfer from Ping'an P&C to Restaurant La La Land
18:30 Cocktails and Dinner at Restaurant La La Land
  • Restaurant La La Land
Evening Address
  • Ivan GONZALEZ  CEO Reinsurance China and China Country President, SwissRe, Beijing, China
Recommendation for individual gathering after Dinner: Lobby Lounge
Tuesday, 24 October 2023 - Shenzhen
06:00 Individual Breakfast
  • Café Zen, 1st Floor
08:00 Daring to Win – Case-Study of BASF’s Mega-Investment in Guangdong
  • Joerg WUTTKE (tbc)  Former President, European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC); Member of the Board, Robert Bosch Internationale Beteiligungen; Member, stars International Board, Beijing, China
  • Shangri-La Ballroom, 3rd Floor
09:15 Being Strategic in China – A Look Inside China’s Food Security and Tech Innovation Opportunity
  • Matilda HO  Serial Entrepreneur and Investor; Founder and Managing Director, Bits x Bites, Shanghai, China
10:15 Networking Coffee
  • Foyer, 3rd Floor
11:00 Doing Business in and from China – Success, Realities and Adaptation
  • Francine HADJISOTIRIOU-TERSIGUEL  General Manager, European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC) South China Chapter, Shenzhen, China
  • Jayne PLUNKETT  Group Chief Risk Officer, Member, Group Executive Committee, AIA; Member, stars International Board, Hong Kong, China
  • Joe ZHENG  Head of External Alliance, China Innovation Center, Roche China, Shanghai, China
  • Shangri-La Ballroom, 3rd Floor
12:30 Sandwich Lunch in Hotel and Time at your Disposal
Optional Park Visit, followed by Transfer to Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE)
  • Meeting Point: Hotel Lobby, 1st Floor
14:00 Stroll to Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE)
  • Meeting Point: Hotel Lobby, 1st Floor
Site Visit 3: Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE) – Intermediating Capital for China‘s Aspiring Champions, at Home and Overseas“
  • Futian District
16:15 Stroll back to Hotel and Time at your Disposal
18:15 Cocktails and Dinner
  • Guangdong Room, 3rd Floor
Journalism on China – Recounts and Reflections
  • FANG Kecheng (方可成 )  Former Journalist, Southern Weekly; Assistant Professor, School of Journalism and Communication, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • ZHENG Wei (郑维)  Senior Correspondent, South China Morning Post (SCMP), Hong Kong
Recommendation for individual gathering after Dinner: Alcove Bar
Wednesday, 25 October 2023 - Shenzhen
06:00 Individual Breakfast
  • Café Zen, 1st Floor
08:00 BRI After 10 Years: Status and Prospects – Greener and Transformational?
  • Shangri-La Ballroom, 3rd Floor
09:00 China’s Foreign Policy – the World Through the Lens of Beijing
  • HAO Yufan (郝雨凡)  Director of Global Studies Program; Presidential Chair Professor, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
09:30 Networking Coffee
  • Foyer, 3rd Floor
10:00 Navigating a More Multipolar World – Where are we Heading?
  • Marjut HANNONEN  Head of Trade Section of the Delegation of the European Union to the People’s Republic of China, Beijing
  • HAO Yufan (郝雨凡)  Director of Global Studies Program; Presidential Chair Professor, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
  • Harley SEYEDIN  President, American Chamber of Commerce in South China, Guangzhou, China
  • Shangri-La Ballroom, 3rd Floor
11:15 A Wide-Ranging Conversation with Uli Sigg – Art, Diplomacy and Business
  • Uli SIGG  Art Collector, Business Leader, Former Swiss Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, North Korea and Mongolia; Member, stars China Advisory Panel, Mauensee, Switzerland
12:30 Concluding Remarks
12:45 Lunch
  • Guangdong Room, 3rd Floor
14:00 Optional Programme: Departure to M+ Hong Kong
  • Meeting Point: Hotel Lobby, 1st Floor
17:00 stars Hong Kong Alumni Chapter Meeting
  • M+ Hong Kong
Guided Tour of the M+ Sigg Collection
  • Uli SIGG  Art Collector, Business Leader, Former Swiss Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, North Korea and Mongolia; Member, stars China Advisory Panel, Mauensee, Switzerland
Apéro riche
19:30 End of Optional Programme

MC / Moderation:

  • Markus HERRMANN (陈瑞华), Co-Founder and Managing Director, China Macro Group (CMG); Strategic Advisor Europe, Caixin Global; Member, stars Foundation Board, Zurich, Switzerland

Moderation:

  • Kelsey CHENG (郑菊然), Company News Chief, Caixin Global, Beijing, China
  • Mark DITTLI, CEO and Editor, The Market, Zurich, Switzerland
  • HUANG Shan (黄山), Senior Advisor, China Macro Group (CMG); Deputy Managing Editor, Editorial Board Member, Caixin Media; stars Alumnus, Zurich, Switzerland
  • Patrick RENZ, Swiss Representative to the Board of Directors, Asian Development Bank; stars Alumnus, Manila, Philippines
  • Michael SETTELEN, Senior Consultant, China Macro Group (CMG); stars Alumnus, Zurich, Switzerland
  • Danli ZHOU, Deputy CEO, Swissnex, Shanghai, China

 

Media Coverage and Chatham House Rules:
Media representatives may attend the symposium. The symposium is held under the Chatham House Rules.

stars reserves the right to make any necessary changes to the programme. The full terms and conditions of stars are available here.

24 October 2023

Programme Speakers / Moderators Partners Application