News Share (Sept 1-15)

1. Xiamen helps expand China, ROK ties

Ties are expanding between the Republic of Korea and the city of Xiamen, located in East China's Fujian province. 

Highlighting the trend was the fact that it was guest country of honor at this year's China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), which opened on Sept 8 and concluded in Xiamen on Sept 11.

At the invitation of the foreign affairs office of Xiamen, delegates from China's representative office of the ROK's South Jeolla Province, as well as delegates from the representative offices in East China's Shanghai city from South Gyeongsang, North Chungcheong and North Jeolla provinces – as well as from the cities of Busan and Gwangju – participated in CIFIT.

They set up exhibitions at the fair to promote their country's business climate, key industries and investment policies.

On the first day of the fair, Zhang Quan, director general of Xiamen foreign affairs office, visited the ROK's pavilion at CIFIT. He said that China and the ROK had joined hands to overcome difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic and bilateral trade volume had risen, showing the strong resilience and huge potential of economic and trade between them.

Zhang urged all the representative offices to make full use of the CIFIT platform to seek more business opportunities. 

Lin Na, vice-president of the Xiamen Municipal People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, met with officials from ROK's representative offices on Sept 9.

2. Russian trade representative in China heads to 22nd CIFIT

A delegation led by Russia's trade representative in China, Alexey Dakhnovskiy, recently visited the city of Xiamen – located in East China's Fujian province – attending CIFIT, or the China International Fair for Investment and Trade, as well as the fair's key forums.

The 22nd CIFIT opened in Xiamen on Sept 8 and ran to Sept 11.

Supported by the foreign affairs office of Xiamen, the delegation participated in a Sino-Russian investment and cooperation roundtable, which was attended by government officials from both countries and over 60 company representatives.

During the roundtable, Russian government institutes, industry associations and companies introduced their featured industries, development trends, policies and recommended investment destinations.

On Sept 9, the delegation attended a meeting on investment opportunities in the Xiamen Area of the China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone.

The attendants agreed to expand Sino-Russian trade and commerce in a wide range of fields and discussed the use of China-Europe freight trains and bulk purchasing – as well as plane maintenance and founding Russian-invested companies in Xiamen.

The delegation also had a meeting with Guo Guirong, vice-chairman of the Xiamen Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, where they exchanged ideas on expanding Sino-Russian investment and trade.

3. Serbian delegation attends 22nd CIFIT

A delegation from the Serbian embassy to China, led by Ambassador Maja Stefanovic, recently visited Xiamen city – located in East China's Fujian province – to attend the 22nd China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) on Sept 8-11.

Joining the delegation was the embassy's economic counselor Milanka Stojakovic and Jelena Stefanovic, director of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Serbia Representative Office in Shanghai.

Under the arrangements of the Xiamen foreign affairs office, the delegation had a fruitful stay in the city.

On Sept 9, Li Weihua, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Xiamen Municipal Committee, met with Ambassador Stefanovic. Li talked about Xiamen's geographical advantages and development prospects.

Stefanovic spoke highly of Xiamen's environment, saying that her country was interested in cooperating with the city in medicine, automobiles, information technology, green energy and education, among other things.  

The China (Fujian) - Serbia Economic and Trade Innovation Cooperation and Development Promotion Conference was also held on Sept 9, which focused on promoting the construction of a project called Two Countries, Twin Parks in China and Serbia.

In addition – also under the organization of Xiamen foreign affairs office – the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia held a tasting session for the country's wines.

The Xiamen foreign affairs office also arranged for Ambassador Stefanovic and her delegation to visit local enterprises.

After being CIFIT's guest country of honor in 2019, Serbia returned to the fair to promote its best products.

During her stay in Xiamen, Ambassador Stefanovic said CIFIT had become one of the most important international investment and trade conferences in the world and she fully affirmed the platform's role and international influence.

4. Xiamen foreign affairs office plays important role in CIFIT

The foreign affairs office of Xiamen is widely said to have contributed a great deal to the 22nd China International Fair for Investment and Trade – held in the city of Xiamen in East China's Fujian province on Sept 8-11.

In addition to hosting receptions and offering language services to delegates from 43 countries and 51 foreign embassies, the Xiamen office has always utilized ties with its foreign counterparts to facilitate the city's opening-up and global trade and commerce.

In terms of the Belt and Road Initiative, a host of forums and events – including the Silk Road Maritime International Cooperation Forum and the Gulangyu Forum – attracted representatives from Switzerland, Hungary, Singapore, Thailand and other countries.

With help from the Xiamen foreign affairs office, many countries – including the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Iran and the Solomon Islands – promoted their investment and trade resources. Solomon Islands' ambassador to China, John Fugui, expressed the hope that CIFIT would help promote his country's products to the world.

The Xiamen foreign affairs office is also understood to have been very active at CIFIT in arranging meetings between foreign embassies and local companies. For example, the office helped Dawano Kedir, deputy head of mission of the Ethiopian embassy in Beijing, to visit Xiamen. The subjects of importing that country's coffee beans, operating airlines and setting up Chinese factories in Ethiopia were discussed during his trip.