Time: 2026-11-13 | 15:30 – 17:00
Language: English (no interpretation)
Venue: European Chamber Office Shanghai, 22nd Floor, Unit 2204
Address: Unit 2204, Shui On Plaza, 333 Huai Hai Zhong Road 淮海中路333号瑞安广场2204室
As China prepares to host the 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen, the expected meeting between General Secretary Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump is likely to dominate headlines. For European businesses, the prospects for easing trade tensions, addressing persistent trade imbalances and reaching further negotiated agreements will be closely watched.
Beyond the diplomatic headlines, China will be looking to showcase its growing strengths in advanced technology, innovation and the green transition. Yet significant questions remain over the outlook for domestic consumption, the property market and the country’s broader growth trajectory.
Against this backdrop, the European Chamber, in partnership with Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB), invites members to take stock of China’s economic outlook at a pivotal moment for its domestic economy and international trade relations.
Bringing together leading economists and senior business executives, the discussion will assess the prospects for a recovery in consumer confidence, China’s evolving competitive landscape and the implications for European companies navigating an increasingly complex business environment.
Moderator:
Ms. Ira Zaka heads Global Marketing and Communications at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB). Established in November 2002, CKGSB is China’s first faculty-governed and independent business school. Today, CKGSB has more than 40+ full-time professors, many of whom held tenured positions at leading business schools like Wharton and Yale, and over 20,000 alumni, more than half of whom are at the CEO or Chairman level and, collectively, lead one fifth of China’s most valuable brands.
Since 2010, Ira has enhanced CKGSB’s brand by organizing global business forums, overseeing public relations and social media, and managing partnerships worldwide. She has also enabled CKGSB’s growth in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
A graduate of Princeton University, Ira has spent over 30 years in China, where she has studied and worked for companies like Amazon and Hogan Lovells, primarily managing public relations and communications efforts.
Ira is fluent in Albanian, Chinese and English.
Professor of Strategy and Economics and Associate Dean for Europe, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB)
PhD, Princeton University
Areas of Expertise: Economics of Strategy and Organization, China Business and Economy, International Economics
Email：zgtao@ckgsb.edu.cn
Zhigang TAO is Professor of Strategy and Economics at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business. He taught at University of Hong Kong from 1998 to 2021, and at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology from 1992 to 1998. Professor Tao received his B.Sc. in management science from Fudan University in 1986, and PhD in economics from Princeton University in 1992. He has published in various economics and management journals, and his work has been widely cited.
