On the afternoon of May 30, 2022, the AICM Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held online. Nearly 60 people attended the meeting including all AICM board members, senior representatives, committees’ chairs and AICM staff.

The AGM this year consists of four parts: Chairman’s review and Directors’ remarks, AICM administration and financial report, members’ status quo survey update and executives’ sharing on COVID updates.  

1.      Chairman’s review and Directors’ remarks

Jeff Zhu, Senior Vice President, President of Performance Additives, President, Asia Pacific Region Cabot Corporation, who have reached his full terms as AICM chairman, reviewed the major accomplishments as well as challenges during his 4 years tenure.

Ÿ   Achievements

– AICM was granted permanent observer of ICCA, very welcome at the international level, and intensified high-level exchanges with international industry associations

– AICM maintains independence and neutrality by keeping a healthy financial position

– A series of programs have been conducted to promote Responsible Care ^® (RC) and sustainable development

– AICM has developed and maintained a healthy relationship with CPCIF, supporting their agenda for healthy industrial development

Ÿ   Challenges

Uncertainties of the business environment, severe challenges in term of administrative policies continuously issued over recent years with the chemical park location campaign, safety inspection campaign, air pollution campaign, one kilometer river campaign, carbon campaign, and power curtailment campaign.

Jeff Zhu also mentioned the project of members’ status quo survey which based on the common interests on MNCs investment in China. Every member is encouraged to respond to the survey.

At last, Jeff Zhu announced that Nicolas Poirot, President & CEO, Air Liquide greater China was elected as the next AICM Chairman. In addition, Paul Lindblad, President Wacker Greater China, who have also reached to his full term will also step down as Vice Chairman and as Board Director. He focused on the community importance in the course RC promotion. Both Jeff and Paul will still be active and supportive in their capacity as members of the advisory board.

Nicolas expressed his appreciation to the Board to appoint him as new Chairman, he will further the RC achievements while putting on cooperation with universities and colleges. Then he emphasized to mobilize the resources, to use media more effectively as a means of AICM’s communication, to be best communicating platform between member-companies and government departments and representatives.

He also he announced 2 new board directors, Julie Zhang, President Arkema Greater China and Fuliang Xia, President of Evonik in China and Head of Smart Materials Asia., and new elected vice chairman, Lei Li, SABIC Vice President and Regional Head, North Asia, who will be working with the other Vice Chairman Fernando Vallina, Chairman, ExxonMobil (China) Investment Co., Ltd.. They will join in the new board with Andy Walti, Vice President, Head of Region China & APAC, Clariant and Dr.Bradley Morrison, Senior Vice President, Operations & Site Management BASF Greater China.

Li Lei gave a few quick reflections about AICM’s succusses, thanked Jeff and Paul for leading AICM overcome the difficulties in the past and expressed to looking forward to work with Nicolas and rest of the leadership team.

2.      AICM administration and financial report

AICM Executive Director, Beryl Ma delivered the administrative and financial report to all delegates. She started with the updates with AICM’s structure by adding Expert Panel, and rephrasing Plastic Advocacy to Circular Economy Advocacy Sub-Committee under PRCC. The key highlights of 2021, maintained high participation rate of 97%, increased members to 66, recruited 2 staff, signed MoU with MEM-CCSA on legislation collaboration, maintained good cooperation with gov. authorities, co-organized Mayor forum during CPCIC and AICM panel discussion, promoted best practices and Responsible Care^® by organizing workshop and OTP programs not only in member companies but also launched in Chinese companies in Zhenjiang Chemical Park, awarded member companies made contribution and effort in 2020-2021 on promoting RC, issued 1st AICM sustainable development report and AICM position on China Energy Curtailment, and enhanced the function of online platform.

She also summarized key highlights of the past five months of 2022, initiated important project on mapping of operations of MNC chemical companies in China, organized Executives’ exchanges on Shanghai Covid lock down, internal sharing on COVID controls, issued a series WeChat articles on members’ contribution in fighting against Covid-19, AICM’s letter on “Some challenging status along with some advice during the upsurge of the COVID pandemic”, held many meetings on the matter of Tianjin RC promoting, OTP planning, University Lab Safety Program, Carbon Neutrality policies and plans, attended ICCA Steering Committee meeting and RCLG meeting online, as well high level exchanges with CEFIC and ACC on regional regulatory.

Then she moved on the major events calendar of the forthcoming months, some events/activities’ date are still not fixed because Covid pandemic, committee chairs will endeavor to manage all planned events be conducted in the 2nd half of the year.

At last, Beryl presented the financial report on 2021 actual expenses vs. budget, cash flow status and the proposed budget for 2022. All the expenses in 2021 were within the budget and effectively used for planned activities. The Audit Report 2021 was also adopted on the meeting.

3.      Members’ status quo survey update

The SAI project team presents the key contents of the report, including project objectives, progress, and main deliverables. They also urged member companies who have not completed their survey or submit only partial data to make their contribution. If any member wants a more detailed understanding of the data, can contact SAI separately or through AICM. We’ll see if it can be done with the existing data, and whether necessary to incorporate in the report

4.      Executives’ sharing on COVID updates

Beryl Ma described the work done by AICM in the past two months. In April AICM collected the feedback from members summarized 5 challenges and propositions in the letter, including stop in international cargo, flight and custom clearance, intercity transportation and logistics limit, production capacity constrain and resumption, access of necessary personnel, and time to resume relevant professional on duty. The letter was circulated to relative authorities such as MOFCOM, NDRC, MEM and Shanghai related associations. However, the governments emphasized the “zero-Covid” policy as an ultimate goal even they understood the difficulties. There was no clear way to resolve these issues at that time.

In May, AICM held meetings and conducted survey on members’ difficulties in logistics, closed-loop management, and supply chain. Also, a couple of online internal sharing were organized on emergency response, staff care, onsite management, reopen preparation and practices in various areas in Shanghai. These are prepared in the materials for the members’ use.

Nicolas served as the moderator in the discussion session. He started by addressing and appreciating the importance of members’ sharing in the personal and company perspectives under such tough time. As an international organization we have to adapt in this situation very carefully and balance the short term and long-term goals. Then senior representatives were invited to introduce the recent events they have participated in, so to share how do they see Chinese government’s view recently on foreign investors.

Senior representatives had lively discussions on topics such as the challenges brought about by the epidemic, how China views foreign investment, and members' prospects for business in China. Some members introduced their participation in the CCPIT 70th anniversary celebration and exchanges with Prime Minister; some members shared some suggestions to first vice premier at the Boao Forum; some members expressed the global headquarters' concerns and declining confidence in China's status quo; others Members expressed the inconvenience of international personnel exchanges caused by the current epidemic control, which made it impossible for the headquarters to visit China to understand the business situation, and some members discussed the situation of "decoupling" between China and the world. In addition, energy and safe production are also aspects of concern to members. At the same time, the participating representatives also emphasized the importance of China and the efforts made to develop the Chinese market in this challenging situation.

Nicolas appreciated all members. Said that we are not sitting here telling the HQ the China market is too big to miss but have to do better than the others. We have to be more reliable and safer and cleaner. Focusing on the CO2 and climate change, we will win the support from HQ because they will realize that this is the place to make difference. They cannot achieve it without China.