First B＆R City Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum inaugurated today

First “Belt and Road” City Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum opened in Shenzhen today.

The forum themed “Silk Road City, Win-Win Cooperation”, aims to construct a regular economic and trade cooperation platform for international cooperation between Shenzhen and core cities of those countries along the Belt & Road route, provide policy and intellectual support for the new model and mechanism of international cooperation among cities, and promote the integration of economic, trade, industry and investment projects among enterprises.

Chen Biao, Party member of Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, said that the report to the 19th CPC National Congress pointed out to focus on the construction of “Belt and Road”, implement both the strategies of “bringing in” and “going out”, adhere to the principle of “co-consultation, co-construction and sharing” and enhance cooperation in innovation in an open way so as to form an open and interactive pattern connecting both home and abroad, the east and the west.

Chen Biao, Party member of Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government

“Xi’s report has pointed the direction of building a new open economy in the future for us,” said Chen.

As a window and experimental field of China's reform and opening up, Shenzhen has become an important economic center in China after more than three decades of development. In the future, Shenzhen will take full its advantages in terms of geographic location, industry, capital and opening up in the "Belt and Road Initiative," leading enterprises to go global, deepen capacity cooperation and optimize industrial structure so as to achieve mutual benefits and win-win results, he said.

The governmental official also stressed the city will accumulate experience in the construction of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, providing reference for building an innovation-oriented economy.

Sun Zhenyu, president of China Society for World Trade Organization Studies (CWTO), China's first envoy of permanent mission to the World Trade Organization, said President Xi emphasized in the report to 19th CPC National Congress that establishing a community of human destiny is a very ambitious goal.

Sun Zhenyu, president of China Society for World Trade Organization Studies (CWTO), China's first envoy of permanent mission to the World Trade Organization

"It is a very great idea to share achievements we have made in the 30 years of China's reform and opening up with other countries, especially developing countries,” said Sun.

Most of 65 countries along the "Belt and Road" are developing countries, he said.

“If we can introduce Chinese experiences to them and help them increase their productivity and improve people’s living standards through China's wisdom and China's model, China will make significant contributions to the world,” said Sun.

Shenzhen boasts unique advantages in terms of geographic location, industry, capital, policy and infrastructure and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, he noted.

“We have accumulated rich experience in the construction of the special economic zone. We should popularize the Shenzhen model. Sun said, who added，"We will share it with the foreign governments in the principle of ‘co-consultation, co-construction and sharing’."

Chen Biao, Party member of Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, Sun Zhenyu, president of China Society for World Trade Organization Studies (CWTO)，Gao Zhan, director of Shenzhen Fair Trade Bureau，Li Jinghe, President of Shenzhen B&R Institute for Economic and Trade Strategy, Jin Wensheng, President of Asia Pacific Daily, started this forum together on the stage.

In the one-day conference, the guests will discuss the implementation of the Belt & Road initiative on the fields of economic and trade international cooperation, the development and cooperation of cities, international finance, and innovation on technology.

The forum invited 280 participants including representatives of Shenzhen government departments, representatives of the cities along Maritime Silk Road, foreign embassy counselors in China/representatives in Shenzhen, think-tank experts and scholars, person in charge of key export-oriented enterprises/ listed companies, person in charge of industry associations, person in charge of investment institutions, as well as domestic and foreign media personnel.

The forum is sponsored by Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, with China Society for World Trade Organization Studies (CWTO) as the co-sponsor. Economy, Trade and Information Commission of Shenzhen Municipality together with Shenzhen Fair Trade Bureau, Shenzhen B&R Institute for Economy and Trade Strategy, Asia Pacific Daily, Shenzhen Cooperation Alliance for Outbound Strategy organize the forum with Shenzhen Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export, European Chinese Chamber of Commerce, American-Chinese Friendship Association, Shenzhen UNIFORTUNE Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd, China Water Industry Group Limited as co-organizers.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)