China event in the dancing towers: A view to the investment landscape in China and Germany

Osborne Clarke Germany’s China Group, in conjunction with the Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade (BWA), hosted yet another successful event in April. We were thrilled to have registrations from approximately 20 China-enthusiasts from various industries and backgrounds. This time, the participants gathered at Osborne Clarke’s Hamburg office in the “dancing towers” for a lively discussion on the current M&A landscape in China and Germany for foreign investors. To open the event, Dr Andrea Schmoll and Dr Fabian Christoph extended a warm greeting to the diverse audience and introduced the distinguished speakers.

The discussion began with a focus on China and Hong Kong and was largely lead by the partners Guohua Zhang from Shanghai and  John Koh from Hong Kong. They provided fascinating insights on the current opportunities and challenges for foreign investors in these jurisdictions as well as on the flow of investment into Europe that can be expected to continue. Our external speaker, Gérard Millet of MILMA & Co., also highlighted the potential for future cooperation between the east and west, especially in light of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Mr Millet’s provocative presentation, titled “Cross border M&A: A commercial perspective”, raised many talking points and fostered a riveting atmosphere for further dialogue after the event.

The perspectives of China and Hong Kong were followed by insights from Europe by Fabian Christoph and external speaker Mikko Houtari of MERICS (Mercator Institute for China Studies). Topics such as greater regulatory control and enhanced foreign investment review and their impacts on the M&A landscape in Germany were examined in detail. Although these measures could potentially lead to more hurdles in this area, the experts are optimistic that the close cooperation between China and Europe will continue to thrive.

Those at the event then partook in a networking lunch after the presentations, giving them an opportunity to have more in-depth and personal conversations with one another as well as the speakers. Many shared their own stories and experiences on the issues and formed valuable connections. The China Group of OC Germany is pleased to have made a meaningful contribution to the ongoing discourse on M&A developments between China and Germany and looks forward to hosting similar events in the future. Given OC’s growing stake and presence in the Asian markets, we are confident that ties between our colleagues in Germany and Asia will be further strengthened.