The Bilateral—A CCBC Podcast

In this episode of The Bilateral, we hear from Stuart Mercier, former Managing Partner of Strategic Initiatives, Real Estate at Brookfield Asset Management and a member of the CCBC Board of Directors. Brookfield was a Gold Award winner in the sustainability category at CCBC’s 8th Business Excellence Awards in 2022. With the nomination process for the 9th Business Excellence Awards now open, we wanted to highlight Brookfield as a notable recipient from the previous round.

In this insightful conversation, Mr. Mercier discusses Brookfield’s ESG initiatives and investments in renewable energy in China, and he reflects on the significant growth he has witnessed in Shanghai over the past decade.

In this episode of The Bilateral, we explore cognitive empathy — understanding how the other side thinks — in Canada-China business relations. We've seen how strained bilateral relations and limited government interactions have led to misunderstandings. Western media can often portray a one-sided view of China, missing the nuances necessary for a full understanding. Our focus in this episode is on building a deeper understanding and appreciation of another's perspective and feelings.

We welcome our guests, the Honourable Martin Cauchon, former Minister of Justice, counsel at DS Lawyers Canada LLP, and Vice-Chair of the CCBC Board of Directors, and Henry Liu, Vice-President at Power Corporation of Canada. Mr. Cauchon also chairs the CCBC Quebec Chapter Advisory Council, where Mr. Liu is a member. Both bring valuable insights from their extensive Canada-China experience as we examine the political and trade angles of the current bilateral relationship. 

In this second episode of a two-part series exploring the intricacies of intellectual property (IP) protection amidst China's evolving digital landscape, we hear from Brent Arnold, Partner, at Gowling WLG. Brent will provide an overview of new data protection laws and regulations, and highlight several case studies on data ownership and transfer. 

If you missed it, we recommend you listen to our previous episode for Part 1 on IP protection and registration in China with Jason Yang, Associate, Patent Agent at Gowling WLG.

Thank you to CanExport Associations for its support.

(0:38) Legal frameworks affecting international business relations between Canada and China
(1:19) China's new digital IP and data regulations and their significance for international businesses
(2:53) Data Security Law (DSL) and Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL)
(8:39) Comparing DSL and PIPL, their scopes and legal requirements
(17:16) Impact of DSL on businesses in China; compliance requirements
(25:19) PIPL for international companies
(31:28) Thank you and closing

In this first episode of a two-part series exploring the intricacies of intellectual property (IP) protection amidst China's evolving digital landscape, we hear from Jason Yang, Associate, Patent Agent, at Gowling WLG. Jason will guide us through the nuances of trademark registration, offer strategic insights into patent protection, and share a few case studies on enforcement and litigation. 

Tune into Part 2 of this discussion, slated for release mid-May, where we'll further examine China's emerging digital IP and data regime with Brent Arnold, Partner, Gowling WLG. 

Thank you to CanExport Associations for its support.

Welcome back, Bilateral listeners! Get ready for Season 2 of The Bilateral with Sarah Kutulakos and our new co-host, David Perez-Des Rosiers. David is moving from Quebec, Canada, to Beijing, China, next week and we're looking forward to his firsthand perspective on China's dynamic landscape. And with David as our resident CCBC Francophone, we're delighted to announce we'll be offering more French episodes this season.

Tune in to discover the exciting topics we'll cover this season.

Keep up with The Bilateral by following us on our social channels (LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram) and if you haven't already, please subscribe so you'll know exactly when new episodes drop. 

The Bilateral is proud to present its first-ever podcast episode in French. We are excited to welcome Vivian Desmonts, a Partner at Gowling WLG, who joins us from Guangzhou to discuss his extensive experience as a lawyer in China spanning over two decades.

In this episode, Vivian covers a wide range of topics, starting with an update on the COVID situation in China and briefly compares the response of North American and European businesses to China’s post-pandemic reopening. The conversation also delves into the evolution of data and IP protection laws in China, two hot topics at the moment. Along the way, Vivian shares some intriguing anecdotes with David Perez-Des Rosiers, CCBC Deputy Director of the Quebec Chapter.

This episode is sponsored by Gowling WLG.

The Bilateral is delighted to welcome Jacob Cooke, Co-Founder and CEO of WPIC Marketing + Technologies, who joins us in Beijing to discuss his nearly 20 years as an entrepreneur in China. WPIC won Gold in the Exceptional SME category.

Jacob and his organization have grown from a fledgling tech startup in China to serving major multinationals from around the world with their in-house expertise and native big data analytics for China’s e-commerce landscape. In this wide-ranging talk, he discusses WPIC’s incredible growth story, his views on the Chinese consumer mindset post-COVID, new adaptations in retail, case studies in fintech and logistics, and much more with The Bilateral co-host Noah Fraser, CCBC Managing Director, China.

This multi-part miniseries is sponsored by SnapPay. 

Our next episode in the awards miniseries is with Tianpeng WANG, Founder of Trustiics RealTime Global Counsel, Silver winner in the Exceptional SME category. Trustiics, which is kind of like Uber for legal services, helps SMEs affordably navigate legal services. Trustiics works as a one-stop solution for SMEs to get connected with trusted lawyers in China and other overseas markets. It is the world’s first online platform connecting international businesses with pre-vetted English-speaking lawyers in China. It allows SMEs to mitigate their business and legal risk, expand and grow in international markets, and reduce legal expenses.

Key takeaways from Tianpeng:

• The biggest legal risks for Canadian companies doing business in China are IP infringement, partner risk, contract risk, and regulatory risk. 
• Some typical assumptions about the legal system are now outdated due to the rapid maturity of the system.
• Best ways to protect your IP include early proactive action/registration, good legal due diligence, and out-innovating the competition.
• Why developing trust with your partners is still crucial.
• How it always seems like the Chinese side wants to change things after a contract is negotiated, and how to prevent this.

Tianpeng’s China recommendations:

• Movie: To Live by ZHANG Yimou
• Book: DENG Xiaoping and the Transformation of China by Ezra Vogel

This multi-part miniseries is sponsored by SnapPay. 

The latest in our awards miniseries is Bright Mega Capital Corporation, Bronze winner in the Outstanding Member category. This episode features Sarah’s conversation with Bright Mega’s president, Toronto-based Bernard HE Jun, who describes the unique role Bright Mega plays in delivering Canadian products into the hands of China’s middle class consumers. Key takeaways from Bernard:

• There is a big demand for products from Canadian SMEs, and Bright Mega provides “strength in numbers” by combining companies that might not be able to go it alone. Bright Mega has TMall Global specialty stores in the “mom & baby” and “healthy food” categories. Bright Mega combines products in these categories, buys them ex works, ships to a bonded warehouse in China, and handles store setup, translation, online promotion, and social media marketing.
• He cites an example, Simply Protein, which appeals to consumer desire for high protein, low sugar products. Using the Winter Olympics and athletes, the company quickly doubled, tripled, then quadrupled its sales month over month. The product received great reviews from people who love the taste, from kids, to adults, to seniors. Once brand awareness is established, momentum can take a company a long way.
• What does a company need to start selling via cross-border ecommerce to China? First, it must have strong sell-through and brand awareness in Canada, in well-known retailers. Second, it needs competitive products, at competitive price points. Third, a budget to invest in this market expansion. Fourth, it needs to use PR and trade shows. And fifth, it needs a China business plan for the next couple years, supported by senior management who are keen on expansion and patient with the time it will take.

This multi-part miniseries is sponsored by SnapPay.

China is on a globally unprecedented mission: to green its economy, to broadly increase quality of life for its citizens, and to create a sophisticated, fair and modern market for business. At the macro level, these goals would inspire increased confidence from most foreign executives seeking to trade and invest in this complex landscape – but what are the on-the-ground commercial implications for companies operating in these shifting tides?

CCBC and PwC China have co-authored a report which seeks to unravel that question through the lens of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) guidance for Canadian organizations in China. Tune in to the latest episode of The Bilateral with co-host Noah Fraser, Managing Director, China, CCBC for a discussion of the findings of this critical research with co-author Callum Douglas, Beijing-based director of ESG for China and APAC for PwC.