With the weight of the global COVID-19 outbreak now well upon us in Canada, it feels like ages ago that CCBC and its members were dealing only with its impact in China. In early February, we felt it necessary to reach out and assist China, much as China (which is now largely returning to normal) is now in turn offering support to Canada and other countries around the world. Click here for an update on COVID-19 relief efforts.

The coronavirus has brought most in-person CCBC events to a standstill, but we are actively engaging and finding alternate ways to support and connect members. Our China offices have been very busy assisting members to secure masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) to restart their operations. Noah Fraser’s latest Beijing Dispatch article describes some commercial survival strategies for entities in China as their attention is now on the home front. Across all seven of our chapters, you will soon see more online events and training, including the launch of our survey report in April, and our China team is supporting members whose usual in-China interaction is halted by border closures and flight cancellations. We encourage members to use our Beijing and Shanghai teams to support your business — please call on us. In addition to our business incubation platform, we are happy to provide in-person support for meetings with clients or partners, spot checks at suppliers, and other needs, including travelling outside Beijing and Shanghai, which is slowly becoming possible.

The CCBC team has seen some organizational changes to allow us to better weather the COVID-19 storm, and I’d like to announce that Philippe Jeanneau has assumed directorship of the Quebec Chapter in the last week. Much like so many of you, our teams across all five Canadian offices are now working remotely but remain eager to help — do not hesitate to reach out as usual.

We know that events of late may have slowed down many members’ China expansion plans, but rest assured CCBC remains laser-focused on the bilateral commercial relationship, and is here to support you and help you prepare for both current and future opportunities in both markets. China’s recent shift back towards normal business operations shows us there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Our CCBC China team has been back in their offices for well over a month already, and reports of normal activity, like going out to restaurants, are heartening to those of us stuck at home in Canada. Keep in mind we are likely 6-8 weeks behind China’s progress, so in the meantime, stay well and let us know how the Council can be of support in these challenging times. 加油!