The Bank of China, in partnership with EUROCHAMBERS, and supported by the EU-SME Centre and the EU-China Business Association (EUCBA), have organized the 2017 China- EU SME Cross-Border Investment and Trade Conference.

More than 200 companies took part in the event, and more than 100 Chinese companies were available to discuss business opportunities.

Several subsidiaries of the Alibaba Group were present, among which Ant Financial Services Group, formerly known as Alipay. This company operates the Alipay payment platform. It also runs the Zhima credit rating system.

Prior to traveling to Brussels for the EU-China Summit, Premier Li visited Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The main focus of the regular prime ministerial talks was promoting innovation, including in the fields of renewable energy and environmental protection. Both countries signed 11 cooperation agreements, including one between Beijing Automotive Group and Daimler on cooperation in new energy vehicles, and Baidu and Bosch on autonomous driving technology. Premier Li also called on Germany to help China’s large passenger plane, the C919, earn an airworthiness certificate from the EU. Premier Li Keqiang said that China would “steadfastly” implement the Paris climate deal as U.S. President Donald Trump was set to announce that the U.S. would withdraw from the accord. “China will continue to implement promises made in the Paris Agreement, to move towards the 2030 goal step by step, steadfastly,” Li said in a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. “But of course, we also hope to do this in cooperation with others,” he added. China has surpassed the U.S. to become the world’s top emitter of carbon dioxide in recent years.