On Tuesday evening, over 100 participants will gather at the Chamber of Commerce in Kirchberg for a conference focusing on Luxembourg as a European gateway for China in the private equity and M&A sectors.

“There is an increasing appetite of Chinese corporations in acquiring European technologies and a foothold in Europe,” said Jérôme Wittamer, president of the LPEA (Luxembourg Private Equity and Venture Capital Association). “So Luxembourg isn’t the reason they invest more in Europe, it’s a consequence of its openness and sophistication as a cross-border investment hub.”

Tuesday’s event, organised jointly by Chinalux and the LPEA, will explore inbound and outbound investment policy and include testimonies from Chinese banks.

For decades, Luxembourg has attracted financial institutions and built its reputation in cross-border transactions. Furthermore, its political stability is of “paramount importance to Chinese investors”, Wittamer said, adding: “They appreciate being able to deal in Chinese with their own bank in Luxembourg.”

Chinalux’s president and executive director, Dirk Dewitte, thinks Luxembourg can--and should--differentiate itself on the global market.  

“There’s a gateway syndrome in Europe,” Dewitte said. “Each important European country sees itself as a gateway for China, and you see that level of competition even in private equity and M&A.”

“Luxembourg has a big differentiator in that it has specific industry experience, and we can fall back on that.”

To register for the event, contact Sandy Wong at Chinalux on (+352) 621 188 143, or email [email protected].