Looking ahead to 2022 – a message from BritCham’s Chair

A message from Julian MacCormac, Chair of BritCham China

Happy New Year!

As a Chamber all of our endeavours revolve around community, knowledge and advocacy, the three pillars at the heart of our strategy. Steven Lynch summarised the incredible programme of events, publications, briefings and meetings this team delivered in 2021 (link to post). It is a breathless list, and I am immensely proud and grateful to everyone for the continued support, energy and enthusiasm throughout. We have an exceptional team, all dedicated to deliver another ambitious programme for us in 2022.

As businesses here we all know the importance of focusing our energies on the things we can control. We have few resources and little time spend on anything beyond our control, even when it affects business. Our purpose as the British Chamber of Commerce in China is to provide a representative view of the challenges and opportunities British businesses face in China and to have a positive influence on such external factors where possible. 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the UK and People’s Republic of China. My wish is that in this auspicious year, we see further opportunities open and steps taken to temper some of the challenges we face in 2022.

As you, our members, have repeatedly pointed out, the single most immediate challenge facing us is the ability to travel with certainty into and out of China, to see family and friends overseas, to restore our personal connections with colleagues in the UK and elsewhere, and to bring foreign staff into China to work. We all crave for the resumption of international travel, and without it, I know even some of the China ‘stalwarts’ among us are increasingly struggling to balance a personal need to go with business needs to stay. The Chamber has campaigned relentlessly to raise this issue in 2021. Our wish for 2022 is that travel restrictions can ease and we are able to re-integrate our lives and businesses into the rest of the world.

For everyone here, the Chamber will continue to support our vibrant community, build our knowledge and understanding of business matters in China, and to champion the interests of our members in 2022. I encourage everyone to get involved.

Click the link to find out what we have coming up in 2022 – please feel free to get in contact with me if you would like to get involved.

All the best,