The European Union currently has one of the most open investment regimes in the world. It is an important destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which in turn creates over 16 million jobs for Europeans. However, in times of economic vulnerability, the EU has implemented a framework for the screening of FDI to protect companies from risky investments on 11 October 2020.
What does the EU framework for the screening of FDI mean for Belgian and European companies? What are the implications for Chinese investments? Will Chinese companies still be interested in investing in Europe? What will be the effect of the new Comprehensive Agreement on Investments recently signed between the European Commission and the Chinese government on Chinese investments in our country?
In order to discuss the implications of this EU policy, the Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce (BCECC) organized their online panel debate on the topic ‘Are Chinese investments still welcome in Belgium and the European Union?’ on 26 January 2021. During this virtual event, 3 prominent speakers from Liège Airport, Port of Antwerp and S2S Europe & Asia expressed their points of view on China in a lively debate which was moderated by our Chairman, Mr. Dewit.