We were delighted to host the third annual Brand Finance China Brand Forum at the prestigious Mansion House in the City of London, bringing together business leaders, industry experts and representatives from China and Europe to explore how Chinese brands can build trust, relevance and sustainable growth across international markets.
Under the theme Sunrise in the East: Chinese Brands Going Global – Building Trust, Relevance and Growth Across International Markets, the event featured keynote presentations, special addresses and panel discussions examining the opportunities and challenges facing Chinese brands as they expand internationally. Discussions focused on how brands can build meaningful consumer relationships, leverage emerging technologies and adapt to local markets while maintaining a consistent global identity.
A big thank you to all our speakers, partners and guests for contributing to an fantastic evening of insight, discussion and celebration.
Scott Chen, Managing Director of Brand Finance China, presented the findings of the inaugural China City Index, assessing the brand strength and perceptions of 70 Chinese cities. With Beijing leading the ranking, Scott explored the key factors shaping city reputation and attractiveness, highlighting differences between local and external perceptions. He also outlined how Chinese cities can leverage their distinctive strengths, improve international familiarity and reputation, and strengthen their appeal to visitors, investors and businesses.
| 16:30 – 17:00 | Registration |
| 17:00 – 17:20 |
Host Introductions
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| 17:20 – 17:35 |
Guest Speaker Presentations:
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| 17:35 – 18:05 | Panel Discussion | Chinese Brands Going Global: Building International Success Chinese brands are becoming increasingly influential across international markets, but some sectors offer greater opportunities for global growth than others. From technology and automotive to fashion, e-commerce and social media, this panel will explore where Chinese brands have the strongest competitive advantages, what is driving their success, and which sectors could produce the next generation of truly global Chinese brands.
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| 18:05 - 18.10 |
Special Address |
| 18:10 – 18:40 | Panel Discussion | Breaking Barriers: The Challenges of Going Global As Chinese brands expand internationally, they must navigate a very different set of commercial, cultural and geopolitical challenges. From language, localisation and consumer perceptions to tariffs, market access, marketing costs and established distribution networks, this panel will explore the barriers Chinese companies face overseas – and what it takes to overcome them and build lasting global brands.
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| 18:40 - 18:55 | China City Index Presentation Scott Chen, Managing Director, Brand Finance China |
| 18:55 – 19:00 | Conclusions David Haigh, Chairman, Brand Finance |
| 19:00 – 20:30 | Drinks Reception |
Xinhua News Agency, or New China News Agency, is the official state news agency of the People's Republic of China. It is a ministry-level institution of the State Council. It is the country's largest media outlet.
The China Brand Global Journey is an initiative launched by the Xinhua News Agency to systematically elevate the global presence, value, and influence of Chinese brands.
Founded in Paris in 1983, Nouvelles d'Europe is one of Europe’s largest Chinese cultural and media groups. It operates five regional offices across the UK, Germany, Central and Eastern Europe, Italy and Spain, supported by a network of representatives in more than 20 countries. Its UK edition, launched in 2011, has a weekly circulation of over 35,000 copies across 21 cities in the UK. Its English media brand China Minutes reaches more than 3 million followers across social media, while its media IPs generate over 1 billion annual views on TikTok and Instagram. The organisation also specialises in business and cultural exchange consultancy, film distribution, art curation, festivals and live performance production.
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.
The People's Insurance Company of China Limited, known as PICC Group or just PICC, is a Chinese listed insurer. The Chinese Central Government is the controlling shareholder. The group contains the major subsidiaries: PICC Asset Management, PICC Life as well as PICC Property and Casualty.
JD Logistics, also known as JINGDONG Logistics is a Chinese supply chain management and logistics company. It is a subsidiary of JD.com.
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.
Professor Michael Mainelli KStJ OMRI PhD MPhil BA FCCA FCSI(Hon) FBCS FRSA CITP FIC CMC MEI is a qualified accountant, securities professional, computer specialist, and management consultant, educated at Harvard University and Trinity College Dublin. He gained his PhD at the London School of Economics where he was also Visiting Professor of Innovation & IT. Originally a research scientist in aerospace (rocket science) and computing (architecture & cartography), after directing mapping projects in Switzerland he became a senior partner with accountants BDO Binder Hamlyn directing global consulting, and Corporate Development Director for Europe’s largest R&D firm, then the Ministry of Defence’s 14,000 strong Defence Evaluation & Research Agency. During a mergers & acquisitions spell in merchant banking with Deutsche Morgan Grenfell, he founded Z/Yen in 1994, the City of London’s leading think-tank, promoting societal advance through better finance and technology, renowned for its Global Financial, Green Finance, and Smart Centres indices.
Michael is Chairman of Z/Yen Group; Emeritus Professor of Commerce & Life Fellow of Gresham College; Senior Independent Director of the United Kingdom Accreditation Service and AIM-listed Wishbone Gold plc; Visiting Professor at UCL’s Bartlett School and City St George’s University; Fellow of Goodenough, King’s, and Birkbeck Colleges; Trustee of Morden College. Awards include UK Foresight Challenge Award for the Financial Laboratory; UK Smart Award for AI prediction software; Technology Strategy Board Challenge Award for financial avatars; British Computer Society Director of the Year; Commendatore, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana; Consigliere del Senato Accademico of L’Accademia Tiberina; ‘Hons’ award from the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment; Knight of the Order of St John; Honorary Bencher of Middle Temple. Michael is active in seventeen livery companies, past Master of the World Traders, an Alderman of the City of London for Broad Street, late Lord Mayor of London (2023-2024), and Sheriff (2019-2021), with charity interests in the environment, education, and care.
Michael has published over 60 journal and 250 commercial articles. The Price Of Fish: A New Approach To Wicked Economics And Better Decisions, won the Independent Publisher Book Awards Finance, Investment & Economics Gold Prize.
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.
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.
Born in 1985, of Chinese nationality, holds a bachelor’s degree. Bono graduated from Lanzhou University in 2008, majoring in marketing. He joined BYD in the same year. In the past 18 years, Bono acted as Country Manager, Network Development Manager, Key Account Manager, Sales Manager, and Business Development Manager in Europe/Middle East & Africa Automotive Sales Division.
Currently, Bono serves as the BYD UK & Ireland Country Manager.
Afiah Kofie is a brand, communications and PR expert with 10 years of experience across retail, FMCG and recruitment technology. She currently leads PR and communications at POP MART London, overseeing communications across European markets, with a focus on EU communications, brand partnerships, celebrity relations and PR strategy. Afiah brings a commercial, audience-first approach to storytelling, building brand visibility and creating meaningful connections with consumers.
Suwei is an audit and deals partner by background and has been dealing with all aspects of China and ASEAN inbound and outbound businesses across UK and Europe for the past 16 years.
Her expertise covers delivering market access, M&A transactions, capital markets and financing projects, and advisory engagements for private and public sector clients both in the UK, in China and Southeast Asia. She has experience of advising companies from a range of sectors including renewable energy, financial services, retail and consumer and technology.
Suwei was born and brought up in China. She joined PwC London in 1998, qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2001 and obtained an MBA in International Business with Distinction from Bristol University. She is the first mainland Chinese who was admitted into partnership in a Big 4 firm in the UK and is the first female Ambassador of the “Women in Finance” China network of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). She currently sits in the Advisory Board of the Confucius Institute for Business at the London School of Economics.
A graduate from Oxford University and Peking University with a specialism in Chinese society and law, Pippa Ebel has spent the past ten years working in China. She has worked with consumer brands, governments and institutions, specialising in market entry, research and insights. As market strategist at Hot Pot China, her clients included Liberty London, Ahmad Tea and the British Government. Most recently, she supported China's leading outdoor sports brand Kailas enter the European and UK markets. As International Partnerships Manager, she oversaw their market entry and PR strategy, including the opening of their first overseas flagship store.