We have the pleasure to inform you that Mr Jochum S. Haakma, has been elected Chairman of the EU-China Business Association. This was decided at the Extra-Ordinary Assembly of EUCBA, which took place on 8 December in Brussels.

Mr Haakma is a lawyer, former career diplomat and an expert in a.o. the field of trade and investment promotion. He was from 1978 assigned to a number of Dutch Embassies abroad (Rome, Lusaka, Bonn). From 1997 until 2002 he served as Consul-General in Hong Kong/Macao and from 2002 until 2006 as Consul-General in Shanghai. In 2006 he was appointed Managing Director of the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency. In September 2007 he moved to the private sector and was appointed Global Executive Director Business Development of the TMF Group BV in Amsterdam. Mr Jochum Haakma is also in the Board of several business organisations and Chairman of the Executive Board of the Netherlands Council (NCH) for Trade Promotion, Chairman of the China Business Council of the NCH. Mr Stephen Phillips, Chief Executive of the China-Britain Business Council has stepped down as Chairman of EUCBA. The members thanked Mr Phillips for his work over the last decade.

The FCCC plays a leading role in the EU-China Business Association. Mr Philippe Van der Donckt, Business Development Director Asia at Umicore, Vice-Chairman FCCC takes up the Vice-Chairmanship of EUCBA, while Gwenn Sonck, Executive Director FCCC, takes up the role as secretary general of EUCBA.