On Wednesday, 15th October, Brand Finance hosted the China Brand Forum 2025, bringing together industry leaders to explore the evolution of Chinese brands on the global stage.
The forum examined how innovation, cultural confidence, and a new generation of entrepreneurs are driving a powerful transformation across China’s brand landscape - reshaping international perceptions and setting new benchmarks in technology, fashion, consumer goods, and more.
Attendees gained insights into the strategies behind China’s global brand growth, the role of storytelling and design in brand-building, and the opportunities for collaboration between Chinese and international companies.
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Chinese Airline & Hotel Brands’ Connection to Global Opportunity:
Trip.com Group’s global expansion strategy
James Spalding highlighted how Trip.com’s customer-first approach and China’s advanced service infrastructure enable multilingual support, localised services, and AI tools for global users.
Air China’s cultural branding and innovation
Chinese Cities as Global Brand Hubs:
Economic powerhouses – Shanghai & Jiangsu
Marketing and cultural branding challenges
| 16.30 - 17.00 | Registration |
| 17.00 - 17.10 | Welcome Address David Haigh, Chairman, Brand Finance |
| 17.10 - 17.40 | Guest Speaker Presentations Li Zhang, Director, China National Tourist Office in London Gao Dekang, Chairman, Bosideng Wang Dufu, Chairman, ICBC-AXA Life |
| 17.40 - 18.20 | Panel Discussion- Chinese Airline & Hotel Brands’ Connection to Global Opportunity James Spalding, Regional Director for Northern Europe, Türkiye and North America, Trip.com Xia Baohui, General Manager, Air China UK David Haigh, Chairman, Brand Finance (Moderator) |
| 18.20 - 18.55 | Panel Discussion- Chinese Cities as Global Brand Hubs Jack Zhang, Representative, London Office, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce Zhen Zhang, Director, China Jiangsu Provincial Economic & Trade Office in the UK David Haigh, Chairman, Brand Finance (Moderator) |
| 18.55 - 19.00 | Closing Remarks David Haigh, Chairman, Brand Finance |
| 19.00 - 20.30 | Networking Reception |
ICBC (Industrial and Commercial Bank of China) (中国工商银行), is one of the largest and most influential banks in the world. Established in 1984, ICBC has grown rapidly to become the world’s biggest bank by total assets, market capitalization, and customer deposits. It is a state-owned commercial bank headquartered in Beijing and operates under the direct control of the Chinese government.
ICBC provides a full range of financial services, including corporate banking, personal banking, and investment banking. Its offerings span loans, deposits, credit cards, wealth management, international trade financing, and electronic banking. The bank serves both domestic and international clients and has a significant global footprint, with branches and subsidiaries in more than 40 countries across Asia, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa.
Often regarded as one of China’s "Big Four" banks (alongside Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and Agricultural Bank of China), ICBC plays a central role in supporting China’s economic development and overseas investment. It is also a key participant in major initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative, providing financing and banking services to infrastructure and trade projects worldwide
ICBC-AXA Life is a prominent life insurance joint venture in China, established in 2012 through a partnership between the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the French insurance giant AXA Group, and China Minmetals Corporation. Headquartered in Shanghai, the company was formed with a registered capital of RMB 12.505 billion and operates with a shareholder structure of 60% ICBC, 27.5% AXA, and 12.5% China Minmetals.
The company offers a comprehensive range of insurance products, including life, health, accident, critical illness, travel, retirement, and investment-linked insurance plans Pacific Prime. These services cater to both local residents and expatriates across China, supported by a network of 19 provincial branches and an asset management subsidiary.
Bosideng (波司登) is a leading Chinese clothing company best known for its high-quality down jackets. Founded in 1976 by Gao Dekang in Jiangsu Province, the brand has grown from a local manufacturer into China’s largest producer of down outerwear and one of the country’s most recognized fashion names. While its core business remains in down jackets, Bosideng has expanded its portfolio to include men’s wear, women’s wear, and children’s clothing. The company is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the code 3998.HK and has increasingly positioned itself as a global competitor to luxury outerwear brands such as Canada Goose and Moncler. In recent years, Bosideng has expanded its international presence, opening flagship stores in fashion capitals including London, Milan, and New York. Known for combining warmth, comfort, and style with technical innovation, the brand continues to strengthen its reputation both domestically and abroad.
Established in 2018, Cheng International Co. Ltd is a trading company mainly engaged in the importing and exporting of high-end Chinese Baijiu and its culture across Europe.
Gao Dekang
Chairman of Textile & Garment Chamber of Commerce, All-China Association of Industry & Commerce
Chairman of the Board and President of Bosideng International Holdings Ltd.
Gao Dekang is a typical representative of the first generation of entrepreneurs since China's reform and opening up. He has been focusing on the textile and garment industry for 49 years, specialising in building his own brand, and has written a warm history of struggling for ‘China's global leadership in down apparel’, and driven the development of China's down industry to become an advantageous industry with global market competitiveness.
As an entrepreneur with a strong sense of social responsibility, Mr. Gao Dekang, returns to the society, promotes the revitalisation of the countryside, contributes to the common prosperity, and is enthusiastic about charity and public welfare, with a cumulative total of more than 1.4 billion RMB of donations to the society.
With over thirteen years of leadership in promoting economic growth and industrial development. Working in the Invest Shanghai London office with a focus on strengthening bilateral trade and investment between China Shanghai and the UK. Committed to strengthening bilateral economic ties with the mission of creating business cooperation and exchanges that are beneficial to both regions.
James joined Trip.com in 2018 as the group started its expansion in the European market. He now leads a successful commercial team focused on growing our flights business for our travellers and our airline partners.
James is London based with 20+ years in the travel industry. Prior to Trip.com was Head of Air Product at Expedia and held various roles within the sale team at Virgin Atlantic.
ICBC-AXA ASSURANCE CO., LTD. (ICBC-AXA Life) was jointly established by global business giants such as Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), the AXA Group, and China Minmetals Corporation. It has now become a leading force among bancassurance and joint-venture life insurance companies in China. Under the leadership of Mr. Wang Dufu, the company is committed to safeguarding the people's better life and striving to write a new chapter in high-quality development.
Mr. Wang Dufu has previously worked at ICBC for over 30 years, during which he has held leading positions in a number of core departments and key branches. He boasts rich experience in financial management and has led the institutions under his charge to achieve remarkable results on many occasions. Meanwhile, he is an entrepreneur with a strong sentiment of family and country and a high sense of social responsibility. Relying on the unique advantages of ICBC-AXA Life as a joint venture financial institution, Mr. Wang Dufu has actively played the role of a bridge and link in Sino-foreign exchanges and cooperation, fully demonstrating the governance wisdom and development model of China's financial industry to the world.
Air China was founded in 1988. It is the only national flag carrier in China. As a member of Star Alliance – the world's largest airline alliance – Air China also served as the official air passenger transport partner for the 2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. It leads the domestic industry in air passenger transport, cargo transport and related services. In 2024, assessed by the World Brand Lab, Air China's brand value reached RMB 259.695 billion, ranking first in China's civil aviation sector.
CAAC launched the Beijing-Karachi-Frankfurt-London route on 15NOV,1980, marking the beginning of flight operations to the United Kingdom. Air China established its European Regional Headquarters in 2005, and Air China London Office is a Category-II office of Air China under the jurisdiction of this European Regional Headquarters. In London, Air China is responsible for passenger and cargo transport as well as support services for Air China and Shenzhen Airlines in the UK and Ireland regions, and also maintains liaison with local governments.
General Manager Xia Baohui,was born in June 1980 in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. He joined the Xi'an Office of Air China in July 1999 .
July 1999 - September 2008: Served in the Xi'an Office of Air China, holding successive positions including Ticket Agent, Sales Representative, Sales Supervisor, and Sales Manager.
September 2008 - May 2012: Served as Sales Manager at the Bangkok Office of Air China.
May 2012 - August 2013: Served as General Manager at the Bangalore Office of Air China.
August 2013 - August 2014: Served as Sales Manager at the Taipei Office of Air China.
August 2014 - October 2017: Served as General Manager at the Mumbai Office of Air China.
October 2017 - September 2018: Served as General Manager at the Delhi Office of Air China.
September 2018 - December 2023: Served as Deputy General Manager at the New York Office of Air China.
January 2024: Transferred to London and assumed the position of General Manager at the London Office of Air China.
An MPA graduate and Mason Fellow from the Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, with 30 years of experience conducting cross-border programs and fostering people-to-people exchanges at the central government level in China. Currently the director of CNTO London. Passionate about sustainable development and social responsibility research.
Mr. Zhang Zhen has been the Director of the Jiangsu Economic and Trade Representative Office in the UK since November 2023, and is fully responsible for the economic and trade cooperation between Jiangsu Province and the United Kingdom. Previously, he served as the economic and trade representative of Jiangsu Province in Sweden from 2017 to 2023. Mr. Zhang Zhen has extensive experience in promoting bilateral trade and investment cooperation.
During his time in Sweden, Mr. Zhang successfully facilitated the important project of Swedish heavy-duty truck manufacturer Scania to set up its third production site in Jiangsu Province, which is Scania's largest overseas investment in nearly 70 years.
Mr. Zhang Zhen graduated from Nanjing University with a solid professional background and international perspective. Over the years, he has focused on promoting international economic and trade cooperation, and has made remarkable achievements in the introduction of major projects and the development of bilateral relations, demonstrating excellent negotiation and coordination skills and strategic vision.
Currently, Mr. Zhang Zhen is based in London and is committed to deepening practical cooperation between Jiangsu and the United Kingdom in trade, investment, scientific and technological innovation, and building a bridge for exchanges and cooperation between enterprises in the two places.
David is the Chairman of Brand Finance Plc – the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. He has worked in the area of branded business, brand, and intangible asset valuation since 1991. He specialised entirely in the field after becoming the Director of Brand Valuation for Interbrand in 1995. He subsequently left Interbrand in 1996 to launch Brand Finance which is celebrating 25 years in business this year.
David represented the British Standards Institution in the working parties responsible for crafting international industry standards: ISO 10668 on Brand Valuation in 2010 and ISO 20671 on Brand Evaluation in 2019.
David is a passionate writer and has authored many articles on brand valuation, published in numerous marketing and finance newspapers and magazines, such as: Financial Times, Accountancy Age, and Marketing Week. He has also lectured on the topic of brand valuation for Harvard, Chicago, and London Business Schools.
David graduated from Bristol University with an English degree, qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse in London, and obtained a postgraduate diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). He is a Fellow of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and has a practising certificate with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).
Scott co-founded Brand Finance China where he is currently Managing Director for the company. Over the years he has led the China team, jointly with the UK headquarters and other international offices branches of Brand Finance, to lay a solid foundation for the Greater China business. Scott is involved in project discovery, pitching, planning, technology input and final delivery across all China related projects, both domestically and internationally.
Scott has more than 25 years of experience in branding and marketing services within China where he experienced the start of Chinese branding from the 1980s after China's Opening Up Policy, and subsequently accumulated rich knowledge and expertise of the Chinese market. In addition to this, Scott has spent over 10 years both studying and working in the UK where he undertook his Postgraduate and Doctoral studies in Finance and Investment. His experience includes financial management and project investment for a world class insurance group and project management for global giants such as State Grid, Apple, Alibaba, Shell and COFCO, etc.
In addition to this, Scott is responsible for the daily management and operation of all other areas of Brand Finance China. He holds thorough expertise in technology, brand valuation and the strategic consulting for brand value growth and it is this unique vantage point of the Chinese market that gives Scott the ability to spot new opportunities and strengthen networks continuously and steadily in the region.