4. The guanxi challenge

Chinese companies in the EU often don't understand the need for a broader network of supporters. Guanxi, or connection, is as common in the EU as it is in China. It looks a little different. It is less discussed and business people don't refer to their contacts in the same way as Chinese businesspeople do in China. Still, networks are at least as important in the EU as in China.

As low-carbon development is a highly political issue, it is very important for Chinese companies to understand how they can provide policy support to low-carbon solutions. In the EU, Chinese companies should ensure that they are in regular contact with those who work with low-carbon development and that they keep them updated to progress in different kind of collaborations. Here it is also important that Chinese companies understand the important role of non-governmental organizations and engage with them.

5. The vision and passion

Chinese low-carbon companies, especially solar companies, play an important symbolic role in the relationship between China and the EU. But Chinese low-carbon companies are often seen as only focusing on making money and selling the cheapest solar panels at any cost. Few in the EU are aware of the fact that some of the Chinese solar companies are led by passionate visionaries for global low-carbon development.

The exhibition in headquarters of companies such as Trina Solar, Suntech and the displays in Baoding, a solar power city in North China's Hebei province, should be brought to the EU so that people understand that the vision of a sustainable future is something that they share with Chinese companies. The CEOs should also ensure to participate in policy dialogues in the EU.

These five challenges will take time to overcome, but we need to start now and within one year leading low-carbon companies from China should have done the following in collaboration with stakeholders in EU:

Calculate and report how much CO2 they have helped reduce in the EU in collaboration with EU companies.

Calculate and report how many new sustainable jobs they have helped create in the EU in collaboration with EU companies.

Present how they support innovation in collaboration with EU companies.

Present policy positions where they give suggestions for what kind of collaboration

in the EU would help to deliver new, smart low-carbon solutions.

Help support and accelerate the low-carbon domestic market in China and invite EU (and other) companies to help in this work.

Low-carbon companies from the EU should do the same in China, and where possible the same teams that do work in EU should also work in China to highlight the synergies.

These initial steps will allow the China-EU collaboration to move to the next level and avoid increased tension and trade conflicts that we will not be able to totally avoid. We will see more exciting collaboration with concrete results that will help deliver the solutions we need and support a collaborative culture.

It is urgent to act now. And we hope better communication is demonstrated at COP17 (the 17th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) in South Africa later this year.

The author is the director of UN Global Compacts Low-Carbon Leader Project and founder of the initiative, China's Global Media Image, which will launch a website later this summer.