CDA Invited to Talks at EU Embassy in Beijing – Meetings with Officials from the Delegation of the European Union to China and European Investment Bank

Vienna, Beijing 10 April 2025 – The EU and the People’s Republic of China are two of the world’s three largest economies and innovation systems. Both are located on the Eurasian continent – the largest landmass on earth. This year they commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations. Since its foundation CDA provides an independent, non-partisan platform for dialogue between these two economic and scientific powers. CDA’s goal is to promote peace and development with a focus on innovation, deep-technologies and green transformation in the 21st century. Repeatedly CDA welcomed officials and high representatives of the European Commission, the Delegation of the European Union to China and the European Investment Bank as speakers during the think-tank’s international dialogue formats. On 7 and 12 November 2024 CDA officially visited the EU Embassy in Beijing following invitations for talks on senior expert level. The focus was on EU-China collaborations re climate change and green transition as well as science, technology and innovation. On 12 November President Welzl met with Laurent Bardon, First Counsellor and Head of the Green Transition Section of the Delegation of the European Union to China. In this meeting the focus was on perspectives of bilateral talks between the EU and China addressing climate change, the EU Green Deal as well as China’s efforts towards zero carbon transition and circular economy. Laurent Bardon also emphasized President Ursula von der Leyen‘s political blessing to the ‚Research Center for Thoughts of Xi Jinping on Ecological Civilisation’. Bardon underlined the fact that climate, environment, energy and oceans became one of the main channels for collaboration between China and the EU with discourse formats like the EU-China High Level Environment and Climate Dialogue (HECD). Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič and Vice-Premier of the People’s Republic of China Ding Xuexiang chaired the Fifth EU-China HECD on 18 June 2024 in Brussels, Belgium. Commissioner for Environment and Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius and Commissioner for Climate Action Wopke Hoekstra also participated for the EU side. On the sidelines of the HECD, Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra and Minister Huang Runqiu signed an updated Memorandum of Understanding to Enhance Cooperation on Emissions Trading.

From right to left: Laurent BARDON (First Counsellor, Head of the Green Transition Section of the Delegation of the European Union to China), Alexander G. WELZL (President, CDA)

On 7 November CDA President Alexander G. Welzl met with Katarzyna Zelichowska, Head of Science and Technology Section of the EU Delegation, and Auvo Kaikkonen, Minister Counsellor and Head of Regional Representation of European Investment Bank in China. At the core of the talks were opportunities and framework-conditions provided by the European Commission for Sino-European research collaborations as well as aspects of green finance and infrastructure investments in China.

From left to right: Auvo KAIKKONEN (Minister Counsellor, Head of Regional Representation of European Investment Bank in China), Katarzyna ZELICHOWSKA (Head of Science and Technology Section of the Delegation of the European Union to China), Alexander G. WELZL (President, CDA)

European Union and European Commission Officials as Speakers on CDA Dialogue Formats

In the recent years several officials and high representatives of the EU and European Investment Bank contributed to international CDA dialogue formats focused on innovation, science and technology, finance, green transition and climate change. In January 2024 Teresa Czerwińska, Vice President of the European Investment Bank and former Minister of Finance of the Republic of Poland, gave remarks on ‘The EIB as the EU Climate Bank - Financing Innovation for a Sustainable and Resilient Future’ during CDA’s trilateral (EU, China, United States) conference on ‘Building the Green, Digital and Inclusive City of the 21st Century’. She also published a post on her X-account addressing her contribution to thisconference co-hosted by CDA, the George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations (United States), the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (China) and The Carter Center (United States). Furthermore Vojko Bratina, Policy Officer and S&T Attaché at the Science and Technology Section of the Delegation of the European Union to China in Beijing, contributed to the same CDA conference giving remarks on ‘Climate Change and Sustainable Urbanization as Part of Europe-China Science and Technology Relations’. In 2022 Auvo Kaikkonen, Head of Regional Representation of European Investment Bank in China, delivered remarks on ‘The EIB Group Climate Bank Roadmap 2021-2025’ during the CDA-webinar on ‘Innovation and Green Finance - Gearing Capital, Corporates and Science towards a global Circular Economy’ co-hosted by CDA and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 2020 Cristina Martinez, Deputy Head of Unit Smart Mobility and Living at European Commission’s DG CONNECT, gave remarks on ‘Boosting the Green and Digital Transformation of Cities and Communities in the European Union’ during the CDA-conference on ‘Metropolitan Innovation Systems on the Eurasian Continent in the 21st Century’ co-hosted by CDA and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.