On 31st August 2006, HEC Paris launched a new Executive MBA in Beijing, under the watchful eye of the powerful State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC.) Primarily created to respond to the needs of Chinese State businesses, enabling them to compete in the global economy more sucessfully, HEC’s EMBA program 'SASAC' aims to reinforce the Chinese executives’ technical and leadership skills. The first class intake graduated on 13th June 2008. Building on the success of the EMBA in Beijing, HEC Paris created a new course for its Shanghai Program, with the NDRC, an agency dedicated to the development of reforms and to the promotion of the exposure and development of China on the international scene.