A member-driven, non-profit, fee-based organisation founded in 2000, which supports and advocates for the business interests of European businesses in China. It has built around 26 working groups and 8 fora, with around 1,700 members in 7 chapters operating in 9 cities: Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Chongqing and Tianjin. It is recognised by the European Commission and the Chinese government as the official voice of EU business in China. Membership provides access to what they call "ABC"; Advocacy, Business Intelligence and Community, as well trainings, workshops, the membership directory, and events. The Shanghai chapter was opened in 2002 and is currently the largest chapter in terms of the number of member companies. It hosts over 21 active Working Groups and three Forums, as well as the China Desks for a number of European industry associations, such as the European Heating Industry (EHI).