Patrick Laredo, founder of X-PM shares his insights on the latest Cercle International session.

"On June 28th, Joerg Wuttke, President Emeritus, European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, lead an incredibly rich session of the Cercle International dedicated to the recent changes in the Chinese business environment and their impact on European companies: "China, Shall I stay or shall I go".

The exchanges were supported by the results of a recent study ordered by the Chamber to a leading consulting firm.

My personal conclusion at the end of the session was:

1. The business environment in China is very challenging and not going to get much easier

2. If you can afford it, fight and leapfrog rather than flight: your company will make significant progress

3. In any case revisit your supply chain as suppliers and customers are relocating and new regulations apply

4. As far as the supply chain is concerned India is now seriously on the map together with the South East Pacific region

5. While large corporates manage their way through the obstacles and opportunities, SMEs are under pressure and need help

I take the opportunity to thank Joerg once more for his stimulating address, and you too for your loyalty to Cercle International."

For those of you who want to watch the session again, here is the link:

The next session will take place during the second semester and be dedicated to Vietnam.