Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce - Southeast Chapter’s Post

Discussion on the importance of transatlantic relations in Düsseldorf As part of the celebrations to mark the 248th Independence Day of the United States of America, Oliver Hermes, President & CEO of the Wilo Group, and US Consul General Pauline Kao met for discussions at the racecourse in Düsseldorf. The event on the occasion of what is probably the United States’ most important national holiday marks one of the highlights of the current NRW-USA year. Under the motto “A perfect match”, players from politics and business have been drawing attention to the importance of strong transatlantic relations since June 2023. “In times of unbridled protectionism, politics and business are under particular pressure. Multilateral structures and processes are and remain essential for efficient and sensible economic and social action around the world”, explains Hermes. “The Wilo Group maintains strong transatlantic relations and will step these up in the future. The Independence Day event and the NRW-USA year as a whole are good opportunities to celebrate and strengthen these relationships.” Wilo has been active in the North American market for more than 20 years. In 2022, the regional headquarters in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, was inaugurated, where Wilo USA’s activities are concentrated. Other sites include Collierville, Tennessee, and Sandfort, Florida. With around 500 employees and recent sales growth of 20 per cent, Wilo has long exemplified best practice in the German-American business community. U.S. Consulate General Duesseldorf #TransatlanticRelations #NRWUSA #BusinessRelations #IndependenceDay #USConsulate

🌏 Akhil Ramesh, Director of the India Program & Economic Statecraft Initiative at #PacificForum, discusses the benefits of non-aligned partners like India for Hawaii in his latest article for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Highlighting the efforts of organizations like the East-West Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa, and the recent Pacific Forum-India Foundation dialogue on Kauai, this piece provides insights into how Hawaii is becoming a pivotal point for global engagement. 📖 Read the full article to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gNyuE_mz #Hawaii #India #Geopolitics

How can Greece navigate the challenges and harness the opportunities of digitalisation and tax reform? Sharing my thoughts in the latest issue of American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce's Business Partners magazine.

Thanks South China Morning Post SCMP for quoting me on Taiwan's bid to attend the World Health Assembly (WHA). James Yifan Chen, a professor of diplomacy and international relations at Tamkang University in New Taipei, suggested that Taiwan’s participation in the WHA appeared increasingly unlikely following Lai’s “tough” stance towards Beijing in his speech on May 20. During the speech, Lai said that “neither the ROC nor the PRC are subordinate to each other”. “Although Lai’s narratives fitted into the conventional wisdom in Taiwan, the nuances within his speech could not fool mainland China,” Chen said, adding that this was why the People’s Liberation Army conducted two days of military exercises around the island last week. He said Beijing’s position and the state of cross-strait relations would determine Taiwan’s prospects of joining other major or UN-related organisations during Lai’s term over the next four years. “Even though the US, Japan, and some European countries have spoken out for Taiwan’s ‘meaning participation’ in UN-related organisations, without China’s support, it seems very difficult for Taiwan to get the admission tickets,” he said. This was particularly challenging given the US’ consistent opposition to Beijing’s interpretation and application of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 in recent years, which asserts that the mainland represents Taiwan in the UN, Chen said. “Now, it’s an issue not only for Taiwan but also in terms of US-China competition,” Chen said. He also said there was also a big risk that Taiwan could lose more diplomatic allies, as Beijing intensified efforts to isolate Taipei on the international stage. https://lnkd.in/gNnPfAAm

🇫🇷🇪🇺🇨🇳 EU chief von der Leyen invited to Xi-Macron summit in Paris next week French President Emmanuel Macron has invited Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission chief, to a trilateral meeting with visiting Chinese leader Xi Jinping next week. Brussels-based von der Leyen is considered one of Europe’s most hawkish leaders on China and is the architect of the bloc’s de-risking strategy towards Beijing. Von der Leyen’s spokesman confirmed she would be in Paris on May 6 at Macron’s invitation for a meeting with the Chinese president. For Xi, the trip will mark his first trip to Europe in five years. #France #EU #China

Xi Jinping visited Europe to divide it. What happens next could determine if he succeeds. My latest article delves into the key takeaways from Xi Jinping's visit to Europe, published on the Atlantic Council's New Atlanticist blog. Explore the insights on this significant diplomatic event. #xijinping #china #france #serbia #hungary #uschina #chinaeurope #geopolitics

In a surprising twist, President-elect Trump and President Xi Jinping have re-engaged, marking a pivotal moment in U.S.-China relations. Their first direct conversation in years and China's decision to send Vice President Han Zheng to Trump’s inauguration represent strategic political gestures rather than a complete thaw in tensions. Han's attendance as Xi's special representative—historically significant—underscores China’s cautious yet respectful approach. By not sending Xi, China avoids potential pitfalls in a political landscape rife with Trump’s outspoken allies. While these moves are encouraging, we must ask: can diplomatic tone translate into substantial policy shifts amidst trade disputes and national security concerns? The coming months will reveal whether this dialogue fosters cooperation or merely serves as a symbolic nod in a complex relationship. As business leaders, we must stay vigilant, recognizing both the opportunities and risks these developments present in our global market strategies.

This afternoon, I joined an engaging discussion with Dr. William Stanton, former director of the American Institute in Taiwan, on the implications of a Trump win in the US election for Taiwan, future arms sales, and the rise of a third political party. Dr. Stanton provided valuable insights into Taiwan's strategic approach and advice for those interested in diplomatic careers. Special thanks to Arthur Wong for moderating and making the event a success! #Taiwan #InternationalRelations #USelections #Taiwanpolitics #geopolitics

王沪宁 reiterates Beijing's commitment to reunification - The message by China's top political adviser and the lead architect of the Taiwan reunification strategy was loud and clear. In many ways, the essence of 王's speech was "老调重弹." Regardless, dedicated cross-Strait observers are now monitoring who will represent Shanghai at this year's 雙城論壇, to be hosted in Taipei. Last year, Taipei mayor 蔣萬安 (KMT) attended the annual event in Shanghai and met with his counterpart Shanghai mayor 龔正. While this is a city-to-city forum, it is within the purview of the DPP central government to decide on the entry application of the Shanghai representative. Analysts agree this is one opportunity for the Lai-led administration to signal a friendly overture by granting entry to 龔正 or, at the very least, to Shanghai's vice mayor overseeing Taiwan affairs. Meanwhile, the working delegations from both Taipei and Shanghai have recently completed preparatory discussions, and are looking at the latter part of July or August for this year's 雙城論壇. Speaking of cross-Strait ties and Beijing's call for reunification, unreported by any media is that there has been preliminary exchanges of ideas, behind the scenes, in bringing down the temperature of the contentious cross-Strait tensions. One initiative is for designated academicians from both sides to meet for a series of informal meetings. The suggested locale under consideration I am told is Macau. #china #taiwan #reunification #crossstrait