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Participantsat a recent Road Communication Conference for Industrial Cooperation in Shanghai aired their views on the best way to facilitate the Belt and Road initiative and bridge the gap between demand and supply.
Forty-seven overseas participants from 16 countries, including officials in charge of planning, finance and business sectors spoke at the conference which was held at Shanghai Star Dynamics Innovation Space on September 22. It was co-sponsored by the International Silkroad Institute, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS) and CIFAL Shanghai International Training Center.
Zhou Yiping, dean of SASS International Silkroad Institute, said his institute provides a public cooperation platform to serve the Belt and Road countries, and hopes to integrate it with the UNSustainable Development Goals for 2030.
“Most countries along the Belt and Road are still in the initial stage of industrialization, and show strong market potentials and volition to use foreign investment. So far China has already set up over 50 cooperation zones in 20 Belt and Road countries, with accumulated investment of US$18.6 billion,” Zhou revealed, adding that such investment led to nearly US$1 billion in tax for host countries, and helped create hundreds of thousands of local jobs.
However, given the lack of experience and effective communication, there have been some bottlenecks that hindered development, and hence the need for better communication between the relevant parties to maximize the opportunities for the Belt and Road countries in socio-economical, environmental and humanistic terms.
Igor Savic, deputy general manager of the National Bank of Serbia, claimed that the initiative has already achieved spectacular success.
He said that Serbia has been trying hard to attract foreign investment, particularly from friendly countries like China, which has been active in supporting Serbia’s development. He said Serbia’s tax levels are below the average EU levels that has helped the country attract foreign investment significantly since last year.
With the launch of direct flights between Belgrade and Beijing, it will become convenient for more Chinese people to travel or conduct business in Belgrade.
Bojana Vasiljevic Poljasevic, advisor to Cabinet of President of Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, believes conferences like this were a good platform to share ideas and contribute to mutual understanding and reduce misunderstanding. Although the republic is not yet a member of EU, it would play a significant part in advancing the relations between China and central and east European countries.
Alexander Onyeka Irobi, Director of Foreign Service Academy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, said that all Belt and Road countries should be actively involved in building a bridge of friendship and cultural exchange to ensure the progress of the initiative.
He admitted that there is bound to be problems and obstacles, and the correct approach is to find a solution. He said Nigeria, with a population of 180 million, is a giant in Africa, and a paradise for investment. The country used to be solely dependent on its crude oil, but it is gradually growing in other sectors.
The government has been active in pushing through infrastructure development, development of renewable energy, and construction of power plants, and have created policies favorable to foreign investment.
Fan Mingzhi, deputy secretary-general of China Association of Urban Environmental Sanitation, shared her insight on China’s edge in garbage disposal.
Fan said that as a vast and densely populated country, China’s per capita garbage grows at 1.07kg a year, but there has been significant achievement in garbage disposal, with garbage at cities and townships 100 percent manageable.
“In a big country like China, garbage shows significant seasonable changes, with water content in mixed garbage reaching as high as 56 percent, making sorting and disposal difficult,” she said. In spite of this, China has emerged as a global leader in terms of technology, and has drawn up a whole set of standards for the sector.
She believed China’s experience and approach in this field can be relevant for developing countries still in the preliminary stage of garbage disposal.
Zou Lei, research assistant from Party School of Shanghai Committee of CPC, cited some problems Chinese enterprises are concerned about when going overseas, which include consistent policy, knowledge about local policy and law regarding taxation and labor.
Comprehensive development was also something Chinese enterprises should pay attention to when going abroad. It might be loss-making for a Chinese infrastructural company to build a single road, but the endeavor could be profitable when commercial establishments are built along the road.
By Wan Lixin
This article
is adapted from SHANGHAI DAILY, and is not what APD stands for.
(SHANGHAI DAILY)