The 1st China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair and the 21st China Zhejiang Investment & Trade Symposium sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of China and Zhejiang Provincial People's Government were successfully held in Ningbo, China from June 8 to 12.
Starting this year, the CEEC Expo was officially upgraded to national level, and was renamed the China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair. Themed on "deepening open cooperation, and joining hands for mutual benefit and win-win", the1stChina-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair and the 21stChina Zhejiang Investment & Trade Symposium were organized under the principle of "one integration and three combinations". “One integration” refers to the integration of "three fairs", in which the CEEC Expo will enhance the brand of China Zhejiang Investment & Trade Symposium, which will in return enrich the content of CEEC Expo. “Three combinations” refers to the combination of import and export, which highlights the features of import, the combination of "bringing in" and "going out", which highlights "going out", and the combination of economic and trade cultural exchanges and diplomacy, in order to promote Zhejiang's opening up to the outside world. The holding of more than 20 forums, such as the China-CEEC Cooperation Forum, important events of economic and trade talks, trade exhibitions and people-to-people exchanges, and more than 30 events of leaders meeting Chinese and foreign guests have promoted the establishment of a large platform for economic and trade cooperation between China and CEE countries, enhanced Zhejiang's participation in international exchanges and cooperation, and accelerated the construction of Ningbo as a famous city. The event was highly appreciated by the State Council, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other national ministries and commissions, Zhejiang Provincial CPC Committee and Zhejiang Provincial Government, leaders of other provinces and cities, and guests and merchants at home and abroad. The overall results of the event far exceeded expectations.
1. High-Profile Guests & Participants
During this event, a total of 25,000 domestic and foreign guests and merchants from nearly 60 countries and regions gathered in Ningbo. More than 82,000 visitors attended the exhibition and communicated with exhibitors. A total of 18 vice-minister-level leaders and 166 bureau-level leaders were invited to participate in this event. Hu Chunhua, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, attended and addressed the China-CEEC Cooperation Forum. Yu Jianhua, Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy Representative for International Trade Negotiations, Wang Lingjun, Deputy Director of the General Administration of Customs, Tang Jun, Deputy Director General of the State Administration for Market Regulation, Zhang Shenfeng, Vice-chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Song Jingwu, Leaders of Vice-chairman of Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and leaders of National Chamber of Commerce for Importers and Exporters also attended the event. Che Jun, Secretary of CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee, Yuan Jiajun, Deputy Secretary of CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and Governor of Zhejiang, Jing Junhai, Deputy Secretary of CPC Jilin Provincial Committee and Governor of Jilin, Zheng Shanjie, Deputy Secretary of CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and Secretary of CPC Ningbo Municipal Committee, Chen Jinbiao, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and Secretary General of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government, Feng Fei, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and Executive Vice Governor of Zhejiang, Zhu Guoxian, member of the Standing Committee of CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and Director of CPC Zhejiang Provincial Publicity Department, Zhu Congjiu and Wang Wenxu, Deputy Governor of Zhejiang, Zhu Tianshu, Deputy Governor of Jilin, Qiu Dongyao, Deputy Secretary of CPC Ningbo Municipal Committee and Mayor of Ningbo, Yu Hongyi, Director of the Standing Committee of Ningbo Municipal People's Congress, Yang Xubiao, Chairman of Ningbo Municipal CPPCC, Wan Yawei, member of the Standing Committee of CPC Ningbo Municipal Committee and Director of CPC Ningbo Municipal Publicity Department, Chen Zhongchao, member of the Standing Committee of CPC Ningbo Municipal Committee and Executive Deputy Mayor of Ningbo, Li Guanding, Deputy Mayor of Ningbo, as well as other provincial and municipal leaders including Xu Yanan, Chen Bingrong, and Shen Min attended the event. More than 10 provincial and municipal government delegations from Xinjiang, Ningxia, Guangxi, Shaanxi, Hubei, Jilin, Shanghai and Shenzhen, and leaders of various cities in Zhejiang Province and heads of relevant provincial departments attended the event.
State leaders and officials from 17 CEE countries, the Republic of Belarus and Sweden also attended select events on invitation, of whom, 4 were of deputy-state-level status and 4 of minister-level status. Representatives from the customs, business associations, sister cities, as well as economic, trade, and cultural departments of CEE Countries also attended. Corporate participants of the Expo included Fortune Global 500 companies, international industry leaders and well-known business organizations such as Honeywell, Bosch Power Tools, Sanofi, Otis Electric, Air Products, Marubeni Corp and Walmart.
2. Wide Influence of the Forum
The China-CEEC Cooperation Forum (main forum)
Hu Chunhua, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, delivered a keynote speech at the forum. Che Jun, Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee and Director of the Provincial People's Congress, and Yu Jianhua, Deputy Secretary and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Commerce, and Deputy Representative for International Trade Negotiations delivered speeches respectively. Jing Junhai, Deputy Secretary and Governor from Provincial Party Committee of the host province, Jilin Province, Virginijus Sinkevičius, Minister of Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania, Filip Vujanović, Honorary President of Montenegr, Alenka Bratušek, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure of Slovenia, Tomislav Tolušić, Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia, Richard Raši, Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia delivered speeches in order. The forum was hosted by Yuan Jiajun, Deputy Secretary of CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and Governor of Zhejiang Province. Zheng Shanjie, Deputy Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Ningbo Municipal Party Committee attended the forum. Before the forum started, Vice Premier Hu Chunhua visited the exhibition halls of the first China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair and met with present officials from Central and Eastern European countries.
Vice Premier Hu Chunhua pointed out that since China-CEEC cooperation was launched, it has achieved fruitful results in many fields, especially in trade, investment, and infrastructure construction. The cooperation has played an important role in contributing to the mutual benefit between China and Central and Eastern European countries and deepening of the comprehensive China-EU strategic partnership. China is willing to work with Central and Eastern European countries to strengthen the alignment of development strategies and plans, expand trade exchanges, deepen cooperation in investment and production capacity, accelerate connectivity of infrastructure, and continuously increase the breadth and depth of practical cooperation.
Vice Premier Hu Chunhua emphasized that China would unswervingly open wider to the outside world. China will continue to cut down on the negative list (special administrative measures), promote the all-round opening up of modern service industries, manufacturing and agriculture and accelerate laws and regulation support for foreign investment. China will also strengthen international cooperation in intellectual property protection, expand imports of high-quality goods and services, and implement policies for liberalization and facilitation of high-level trade and investment. Enterprises from Central and Eastern European countries are welcome to join hands with Chinese counterparts to seize the opportunity, tap the potential, and promote the cooperation between the two sides.
A total of 540 people including corporate executives and media representatives participated in the forum. Leaders from the Ministry of Commerce, the State Administration for Market Supervision, the General Administration of Customs, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and the National Friendship Association attended the meeting. Chen Jinbiao, Secretary-General and member of the Standing Committee of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, Zhu Guoxian, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and director of Zhejiang’s publicity department, Deputy Governor Zhu Congjiu and Wang Wenxu, Qiu Dongyao, Deputy Secretary of CPC Ningbo Municipal Committee and Mayor of Ningbo, as well as officials of Central and Eastern European countries, representatives of diplomatic envoys to China, representatives from international friendship cities, leaders from provincial and municipal governments, UL global vice president, SGS China president, Intertek China CEO and other well-known enterprises also attended the meeting.
Zhejiang Belt and Road Development Promotion Conference
More than 140 foreign guests from 60 countries and more than 200 representatives of Chinese and foreign entrepreneurs attended the meeting. For the first time, the conference released the list of the 56 BRI achievements in Zhejiang Province in the past 6 years. Among them, there were 3 cooperation initiatives, including the release of the Maritime Silk Road Index, the 16+1 Trade Index and the Ningbo Port Index. Representatives of 33 relevant institutions and enterprises from 13 countries, including China and Egypt, jointly established the port cooperation mechanism of the “Maritime Silk Road" and issued Ningbo Initiative on Maritime Silk Road Port Cooperation, which were both included into the List of Achievements of the second “Belt and Road” International Cooperation Summit Forum. Other achievements included 28 cooperation platforms; 16 investment projects, including the construction of the "Belt and Road" Dubai Station, which was included into the List of Achievements of the second “Belt and Road” International Cooperation Summit Forum and 9 demonstration parks. The conference exhibited highlights and cases of the promotion of the BRI construction, the top ten landmark projects, and the China-Indonesia Industrial Park. A number of investment projects were successfully signed at the meeting.
Zhejiang BRI Think Tank Forum
Under the theme of "Implement the province to promote BRI and high-quality cooperation", over 140 foreign guests from more than 60 countries and regions around the world and senior experts from the "Belt and Road" think tank cooperation alliance in Zhejiang Province, and representatives of local governments, financial institutions, and entrepreneurs to discuss the construction and cooperation of the "Belt and Road". The speakers focused on Zhejiang’s participation in the BRI construction, exchanged and shared the latest achievements and research results in their respective fields, and deeply analyzed the current pain points, difficulties and blocking problems mainly from the perspective of industrial standards, financial support, education cooperation, talent training, cultural exchanges, and non-governmental communication to discuss in-depth on the ways of high-quality cooperation between Zhejiang and countries along the route, and explored future-oriented strategic choices and designs.
2019 Zhejiang Foreign Investment Enterprise Roundtable
Before the meeting, Yuan Jiajun, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Governor met with senior executives of foreign-invested companies such as Sanofi (Hangzhou) Pharmaceutical for opinions and suggestions of representatives from enterprises on the business environment in Zhejiang. Representatives of 22 Fortune Global 500 companies and leading enterprises in their respective industries with investment in Zhejiang attended the meeting. At the meeting, Sheng Qiuping, Director of the Provincial Department of Commerce reported on Zhejiang’s measures of creating high-quality gathering and optimizing the business environment for foreign capital. Representatives from businesses said that in recent years, they have deeply felt the support from Zhejiang governments at all levels for foreign-invested enterprises and have proposed 25 suggestions including tax and burden reduction, solid waste treatment, blue-collar recruitment, children’s enrollment, clearance of goods, intellectual property protection, bidding, talent introduction and life and medical treatment of foreigners, which were responded by relevant provincial departments. Vice Governor Zhu Congjiu attended the meeting and delivered an important speech, requesting governments at all levels to carry out in-depth policy of the "three services" activities to effectively solve the problems reported by enterprises and create a first-class business environment.
The 4th China-CEEC Customs Inspection and Quarantine Cooperation Dialogue
Wang Lingjun, Deputy Director General of the General Administration of Customs, Zheng Shanjie, Deputy Secretary of CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and Secretary of CPC Ningbo Municipal Committee and Tomislav Tolušić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture of Croatia delivered speeches respectively. Sun Wenkang, Chief Inspector of the General Administration of Customs and Shi Huifang, Member of the Standing Committee of Ningbo Municipal Party Committee and Secretary-General attended the meeting. Under the theme of "Building a mutually beneficial and win-win partnership between customs enterprises", the meeting included exchanges and consultations on deepening customs business cooperation, ensuring trade security, and optimizing the business environment. A total of over 150 Chinese and foreign guests from customs, inspection and quarantine agencies and Chinese and foreign companies from 12 Central and Eastern European countries, one observer country (Belarus) and one specially invited country (Sweden) participated in the dialogue. Two memorandums were signed on spot: the General Administration of Customs of China and the National Veterinary and Food Administration of the Slovak Republic signed the “Memorandum on the Veterinary Health Certificate for South American Tapirs Exported to China”, and the General Administration of Customs and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Republic of Albania signed “Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation on Import and Export Food Safety”.
The 3rd China-CEEC Mayors Forum
Altogether 150 people were present at the meeting, including former officials and heads of provinces and states of Central and Eastern European countries including Emil Boc, former Romanian Prime Minister and current Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, Maurodas, Governor of Baranya Region, Hungary, mayors of 23 Central and Eastern European countries including mayors from Alytus, Lithuania; Martin,Slovakia; Kladno, Czech Republic and Novi Sad, Serbia, leaders from Hefei, Shaoxing, Zhoushan and other Chinese cities and representatives from business and media. Under the theme of " New Ideas for Further Development ", this forum discussed on topics such as "Review traditional friendship between China and CEEC" and "New Development Ideas to Promote High-quality Development of Local Cities". The meeting put forward four suggestions on promoting cooperation and exchanges between cities in China and CEEC: First, further deepen economic and trade cooperation. Ningbo will launch a cross-border e-commerce campaign for CEEC commodities to be sold to China through these platforms; Second, deepen cooperation in investment. Ningbo will encourage enterprises to invest and set up factories and build overseas industrial parks in CEEC. Likewise, Central and Eastern European companies are welcome to invest in Ningbo and settle in the Central and Eastern European Industrial Park and the Central and Eastern European Trade and Logistics Park; Third, deepen cooperation in innovation. Ningbo will facilitate to carry out joint research, build laboratories, and expand pragmatic cooperation in the fields of digital economy, financial technology, and smart cities; Fourth, deepen cooperation in humanities. Ningbo will further promote exchanges of student visits, teacher training, and scientific research between universities of both sides, and continue to expand exchanges and cooperation in tourism, health, and think tanks.
3. Prominent Results Obtained through Economic and Trade Negotiations
During the conference, a total of 68 two-way investment projects were signed, with a total investment of USD19.4 billion (134 billion RMB), showing an increase of 68%, of which 57 were foreign investment projects and 10 were foreign investment projects. The projects mainly come from 21 countries and regions including Indonesia, Singapore, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and Hong Kong, involving smart manufacturing, auto parts, equipment manufacturing, digital economy, mining, health care and others.
Among them, 20 projects were signed contracts at Belt and Road Development Promotion Conference, with a total investment of 100 billion yuan, by enterprises from 12 countries and regions. At the China-CEEC Investment Cooperation Conference, 143 investment projects from 7 Central and Eastern European countries including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, Latvia completed docking on site, involving industries of agriculture, infrastructure construction, aviation, information technology and other. At the Overseas Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone and Yangtze River Delta Enterprise Matchmaking Event, 18 cooperation zones for overseas economic and trade within and outside the province, as well as South Korea’s Gwangyang Bay Economic Circle, and enterprises and business associations in Yangtze River Delta completed project docking. At the opening ceremony in Ningbo, Zhejiang Innovation Center of Fudan Science and Technology Park, 10 projects were signed, covering finance, new energy, artificial intelligence and other fields.
China-CEEC Investment and Cooperation Fair
Under the theme of "innovation and opening up to build a new platform for investment and cooperation", it is divided into the keynote forum and negotiation. Zhu Congjiu, Vice Governor of Zhejiang Province, and Liu Dianxun, Director of Investment Promotion Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce, attended and delivered speeches on the keynote session. Shen Min, Vice Mayor of Ningbo was the host. Foreign officials presented their respective situations in the nation, including Richard Raši, Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia, Virginijus Sinkevičius, Minister of Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania, Pilha, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, Voicile Valantis, Secretary of State, Ministry of Business Environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship, Romania and Ferenc, Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Economy, Latvia. Guests from the Institute of European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Bank of China Zhejiang Branch and other institutions and enterprises shared their experiences in finance and culture between Chinese and CEEC enterprises. Negotiations and matchmaking sessions attracted 143 investment projects from 7 Central and Eastern European countries including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia and Latvia to conduct matchmaking discussions on site, covering agriculture, infrastructure, aviation, information technology and other fields. At the same time, a consulting zone for professional institutions has also been set up to provide services in financing, insurance, and law for companies that intend to "go global".
International Intelligent Manufacturing Investment and Cooperation Symposium
Vice Governor Zhu Congjiu attended and delivered a speech. Under the theme of “New Era, New Opportunities -- Promoting Practical Cooperation and Upgrading Zhejiang Intelligent Manufacturing”, it highlighted the characteristics of “professionalism, efficiency and pragmatism”. More than 80 foreign companies from nearly 20 countries and regions including the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Canada, and Ireland participated in the conference. More than 50 well-known enterprises in the field of intelligent manufacturing in Zhejiang Province, one third of which are Top 100 Enterprises in Zhejiang, and over 100 representatives from commerce bureaus, development zones, and investment promotion agencies in 11 cities and regions discussed with participants about cooperation sincerely for mutual opportunities. During the round-table dialogue, the two parties exchanged suggestions and difficulties on the layout and integration of smart manufacturing, software and hardware, and business management. At the end of the meeting, according to the pre-project cooperation intention matching, enterprises from Zhejiang and foreign companies conducted on-site matchmaking negotiations. A number of companies including Air Chemicals, Siemens, and FANUC expressed their intention to invest and cooperate in Zhejiang.
Matchmaking Session between Foreign Investment Cooperation Zones and Yangtze River Delta Enterprises
Vice Governor Wang Wenxu attended the meeting and delivered a speech. The purpose of the conference is to promote development in the cooperation zone and of the Yangtze River Delta enterprises guided by the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration to promote the joint development of integrated foreign investment and cooperation in the Yangtze River Delta. During the meeting, the construction of Dubai Station, which was listed as an important achievement of the “Belt and Road” Summit Forum as a solid first step.
The main body of Dubai station, which includes Zhejiang Seaport Group, Small Commodity City, China Textile City, Yuantong Express, Huazhang Technology, and Zhiyu Information, jointly signed to establish a domestic platform company. The Zhejiang Overseas Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone Development Alliance jointly initiated by the Thailand-China Rayong Industrial Zone, Sino-Vietnam Long Jiang Industrial Park and Hangzhou Silicon Valley Collaborative Innovation Center was officially launched. A total of 18 overseas economic and trade cooperation zones within and outside the province and South Korea’s Gwangyang Bay Economic Circle have docked with enterprises and business associations in the Yangtze River Delta. Zhejiang Provincial International Investment Promotion Center signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Korean Gwangyang Bay Area Economic Free Zone Agency. The Zhejiang Branch of the Export-Import Bank of China delivered the "Evaluation Report of Huafushan Industrial Park in North America, Mexico" to Holley Group.
The sixth China-CEEC Business Association Cooperation Conference. Zhang Shenfeng, Vice Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and Zhu Guoxian, Member of the Standing Committee of CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and Director of CPC Zhejiang Provincial Publicity Department presented at the meeting and delivered speeches. Wan Yawei, Member of the Standing Committee of the Ningbo Municipal Party Committee and Minister of the Propaganda Department hosted the meeting. Dissislava, Chairman of the Bulgarian-China Industrial Development Chamber of Commerce, Nicollet Kaparoni, Chairman of the Greece-China Economic, Trade and Cultural Exchange Union, and Naku Florina Clau, First Vice Chairman of the China Economic Cooperation Committee of the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry presented at the meeting respectively. Altogether 36 representatives from business associations of 17 Central and Eastern European countries and countries along the “Belt and Road”, more than 20 domestic provincial and municipal trade promotion agencies and enterprises attended the meeting. At the meeting, 7 business cooperation projects were signed, namely, the cooperation between Ningbo Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the North Macedonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Public Administration for Corporate Internationalization and Foreign Investment, the Moldova-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry, World Tour Technology and the Greek-Chinese Economic trade and cultural exchange alliance, the Ningbo Furniture Association and the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Association China Economic Cooperation Committee, the Ningbo Toys and Baby Products Industry Association and the Indonesian Toy Association.
CEEC Cross-Border E-Commerce Market Promotion Activity
Xu Yanan, Vice Mayor of Ningbo, and Xu Gaochun, Inspector of Zhejiang Provincial Department of Commerce, attended the meeting and delivered speeches. Chen Lizhen, Secretary-General of the Organizing Committee Office, introduced "17+1 China-CEEC Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone " and "CEEC Cross-Border E-Commerce Market Promotion Activity". The Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy of Latvia, the Deputy Consul General of Hungary in China, and the Director of the Trade and Investment Department of the Estonian Embassy in China participated in the event. Provincial and municipal leaders and important guests from Central and Eastern European countries took the stage together to launch the cross-border e-commerce business in CEEC. More than 40 enterprises from Central and Eastern European countries brought over 200 special products on the scene, attracting the attention of nearly 200 domestic e-commerce enterprises, platforms, foreign trade companies and other buyers. At the scene, nearly 40 domestic buyers and 15 brands from Central and Eastern European countries have shown willingness for procurement, and about 5 brands have shown willingness in forming offline channels. Ningbo Zhongji Tianshi Supply Chain and Latvia E-Commerce Harbor signed a framework agreement on the establishment of a strategic partnership.
Jilin Province Promotion Conference - "Northeast China Revitalization – an Open and Hospitable Jilin"
Jing Junhai, Deputy Secretary of CPC Jilin Provincial Committee and Governor of Jilin, presided over the conference and introduced the basic situation and economic development of Jilin. Milan Bacevic, Serbian Ambassador to China, delivered a speech. Changchun New District, Changchun Economic Development Zone and Hunchun International Cooperation Demonstration Zone made special promotions. Representatives of Entrepreneurs Mao Jianhong and Zhou Xiaofeng made speeches. At the meeting, Sheng Qiuping, Director General of Zhejiang Provincial Department of Commerce and Wang Zhiwei, Director General of Jilin Provincial Department of Commerce jointly awarded the "Jilin Excellent Products Demonstration Store", and officially opened the online cooperation platform of "Jilin-Zhejiang One Code Pass".
2019 Wenzhou (Ningbo) Investment Environment Briefing
Representatives of the Wenzhou Investment Promotion Bureau introduced the broad prospects of investment in Wenzhou to the guests and merchants, mainly focusing on four aspects: high-quality soft and hard conditions, industrial base, government support and institutional mechanism. The representative of Pingyang County Government as well as the representative of Management Committee of South Zhejiang Science and Technology City introduced the local investment projects and investment environment respectively. During the discussion, guests from American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, investment intermediary agencies in Shanghai and representatives of overseas Chinese businessmen in Ningbo enthusiastically delivered speeches and expressed their strong willingness to invest in Wenzhou.
2019 Shaoxing Intelligent Manufacturing Industry Matchmaking Fair
Wang Jian, Deputy Director-General of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Commerce (director level) attended and delivered a speech. With the theme of "Intelligent Manufacturing, Together for Future", the Matchmaking Fair aims to accelerate the transformation from "Shaoxing Manufacturing" to "Shaoxing Intelligent Manufacturing" and promote the upgrading and development of Shaoxing intelligent manufacturing industry. About 100 guests from Fortune 500 companies attended the meeting, along with representatives with multinational enterprises, leading manufacturers, overseas business organizations and establishments, including those from Siemens, Johnson Controls, SMC, Cisco, Marubeni and Air Products. At the meeting, Shaoxing Investment Promotion Center launched nearly 20 key investment projects. The investment promotion departments of Shaoxing Yuecheng District and Binhai New Town made investment promotion around the four major industrial chains: integrated circuits, high-end equipment, new materials and biomedicine. Representatives of Japan Baoye Daiwa, a settled enterprise, made a speech on sharing the investment experience in Shaoxing, and representatives of foreign participating enterprises shared their investment intentions and project site selection.
Aksu Prefecture (First Division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar City)-Zhejiang Province Signing Ceremony for Project Cooperation
A total of 24 projects were successfully signed, with a contracted amount of 6.184 billion yuan, covering energy and chemical industry, textiles and clothing, agricultural and sideline products processing, real estate, building materials, equipment manufacturing and other fields, of which investment projects in Zhejiang Province accounted for 61%, and the contracted amount accounted for 80%. Among all the projects, there are 5 textile and garment projects and 4 agricultural and sideline products processing projects, accounting for the most.
4. Outstanding Trade Shows
CEEC National Image Exhibition and European Commodities Exhibition
The exhibition took place in Hall 8 and Hall 5 of Ningbo International Convention and Exhibition Center, with a total area of about 15,000 square meters. A total of 525 enterprises set up exhibitions, and 4,412 purchasers from 3,079 purchasing enterprises all over the country entered the pavilion to negotiate and purchase. Participating countries have expanded from 16 countries in Central and Eastern Europe to Germany, France, Austria, Russia and Moldova, etc. Greece participated in the exhibition for the first time as a new member of cooperation between China and Central and Eastern Europe. Compared with last year, intelligent technology, sporting goods, household appliances, environmental life, wood, paint, logistics, tourism and so on were added to the exhibits.
The accumulated intentional turnover of the China-CEEC Expo is USD 296 million.
The China Pavilion
Covering an exhibition area of 8,000 square meters, the China Pavilion (Hall 7) is themed "Cities and Demonstration Parks”. It shows the national strategies of the belt and road initiative, revitalization of Northeast China and integration of Yangtze River Delta, and shows the great achievements made by Comrade Xi Jinping in the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The themes included China–CEEC Cooperation, the Belt and Road (the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road), Revitalization of Northeast China (Jilin), Yangtze River Delta Development Zone, City of Charm (Shaoxing), Window of Opening-up, Cross-Border E–commerce Comprehensive Pilot zone, Famous Enterprises, etc. 105 enterprises from 40 business parks in 7 provinces (including Zhejiang, Jilin and those from the Yangtze River Delta and other regions) made their debut. Since its opening, China Pavilion has welcomed nearly 30,000 visitors from Serbia, Poland, Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, Greece, Macedonia, Mexico, Brazil, India and China’s other provinces and cities, and reached cooperation intentions with 564 customers.
International Consumer Goods Fair
International Consumer Goods Fair took place in Hall 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, and 10 of the Ningbo International Convention and Exhibition Center, covering an exhibition area of 85,000 square meters and a total of 3,000 booths. Hall 1 is the quality products Hall, Hall 2 and 3 is for the daily necessities, Hall 4 is the service trade hall, and Hall 9 and 10 are the Perennial Pavilions of Imported Goods. A variety of products were on display, including household appliances, home textiles, household items, kitchen and toilet products, gifts, handicrafts, outdoor leisure products, cultural and sports goods and stationery. There are 971 exhibition booths, 661 exhibitors, 17 domestic and overseas exhibition groups, and 324 square meters (i.e., 36 standard booths) of “Pin Label” brand exhibition area led by Zhejiang Market Supervision Bureau. During the period, two matchmaking meetings for purchasing household goods and consumer goods were held, and some enterprises reached cooperation intentions with many overseas purchasers.
Events of the Guest Country of Honor
This year's dual "Guest Country of Honor"-Slovakia and Lithuania held opening ceremonies of exhibition areas respectively. Zhu Congjiu, Vice Governor of Zhejiang Province, and Shen Min, Vice Mayor of Ningbo, attended the opening ceremony. Richard Raši, Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia, Algirdas Stoncaitis, Government Chancellor of Lithuania, and relevant government officials and ambassadors of the two countries attended the event. At the same time, the special promotion of Slovakia and Lithuania and the business matchmaking meetings also attracted many enterprises. Lithuania Special Promotion Conference and business matchmaking event: Zhu Congjiu, Vice Governor of Zhejiang Province, Gao Yi, Deputy Secretary General of the provincial government, Sheng Qiuping, Director of the Provincial Department of Commerce, Shen Min, Vice Mayor of Ningbo, and other provincial and municipal leaders attended the meeting. Vice Governor Zhu Congjiu delivered a speech at the meeting. Algirdas Stoncaitis, Government Chancellor of Lithuania, Virginijus Sinkevičius, Minister of Economy and Innovation of Lithuania, Lithuanian delegation and officials of embassies and consulates in China attended the meeting. Lithuanian guests introduced the business and investment environment, financial technology environment, trade development and tourism development, and about 100 exhibitors and purchasers attended the event. At the meeting, Ningbo Best Buy E-Commerce signed contracts with Lithuanian Enterprise Agency, Jiangyin Port Economic Development Zone signed contracts with Klaipeda Free Economic Zone, and TBEA signed contracts with SOLITEK CELLS respectively.
Slovakia Special Promotion Meeting and Business Matchmaking Event
Wang Wenxu, Vice Governor of Zhejiang Province, Fu Xiaofeng, Deputy Secretary-General of the Zhejiang Provincial Government, Li Guanding, Vice Mayor of Ningbo, and other provincial and municipal leaders attended the meeting. Vice Governor Wang Wenxu delivered a speech at the meeting. Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia Richard Raši, State Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (Deputy Ministry) Ferenc, Slovak delegation, officials of embassies and consulates in China and representatives of Slovak enterprises attended the meeting. Slovak guests introduced the business and investment environment, and 24 Slovak exhibitors communicated with nearly 40 domestic purchasing enterprises.
5. Splendid Cultural Exchanges
Culinary Culture Exchange Event “A Bite of Zhejiang and CEEC” with the theme “Delicious Food & Beautiful Life”
During the Expo, the culinary culture exchange event “A Bite of Zhejiang and CEEC” with the theme “Delicious Food & Beautiful Life” was successfully held in the Laowaitan in Jiangbei District, Ningbo. Zhu Guoxian, Member of the Standing Committee of CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and Director of CPC Zhejiang Provincial Publicity Department announced the opening ceremony. Chu Ziyu, director of Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and Wan Yawei, member of the Standing Committee of Ningbo Municipal Committee and Director of Publicity Department, delivered speeches respectively. Xu Gaochun, inspector of Zhejiang Provincial Department of Commerce, Lu Yuedong, deputy director of Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Virginijus Sinkevičius, Minister of Economy and Innovation of Lithuania, government officials and entrepreneurs from central and eastern European countries such as Lithuania and Latvia, and provincial and municipal department officers attended the event. Chefs from the 17 CEE countries and over 100 counties from 11 cities in Zhejiang showcased their cooking skills, attracting many local residents and visitors. Lithuanian cheese dumplings, Slovak potato pancakes, etc. appeared together with Ningbo dumplings, Jinyun sesame seed cake, Jiaxing Zongzi, etc. At the same time, performances with local characteristics of Zhejiang cities were also performed, attracting a large number of people to visit and taste. Through the encounter of Chinese and Western cuisine and culture, this activity collided with the spark of civilization exchange between China and CEE countries.
6. Extensive media coverage
The upgrade the Expo to a national-level event meant opportunities for coverage by larger media outlets. On May 29th, a national press conference was held in the State Council Information Office to report the Expo. Many mainstream central media, such as People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency and CCTV, focused on this event with special topics or in-depth reports from a global perspective. News of the Expo was promoted on many news outlets, including digital media platforms, including CCTV (channels 1, 2, 4 and 13), WeChat and TouTiao APP, etc. The organizers also produced short videos for popular platforms such as TikTok and Vigo Video, which inspired widespread interest. The organizers invited many media representatives to attend the conference and focus on Ningbo elements in their covreage. During the event, more than 400 Chinese and foreign journalists from 145 domestic and overseas media, including People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, CNR, CCTV, The Paper, NHK, Polish News Agency, Phoenix Satellite TV, Hong Kong Wen Wei Po and Hong Kong Economic Daily, attended the event and made multi-angle and comprehensive reports. It has further expanded the influence of the Expo at home and abroad and the popularity of Ningbo city. As of 10: 00 on June 12, a total of 9,200 pieces of information related to the event were published through various platforms and channels, which successfully drew the attention of the public to the event.
7. Improved Environment, Improved Urban Image
As the organizer and host, Ningbo, with a sense of responsibility and mission, has done a good job of city publicity and environmental beautification by striving for perfection, fully demonstrating the beautiful image of Ningbo city, which is "storing ancient and modern books and connecting with the world".In preparation for the Expo, the government mobilized more than 11,000 workers from 160 public and private organizations, including municipal administration, landscape maintenance and environmental sanitation to place 720,000 pots of decorative flowers and 3 million pots of plants along city roads. 22 large thematic floral installations in the shape of the Expo’s mascot, a giant globe, traditional bridges, camels, and more were erected across the city. The maritime culture of Ningbo and the characteristics of Central and Eastern European countries were reflected. The skyscrapers of Sanjiangkou were all lit up as part of a spectacular seven-day light show, reflecting the theme “Beautiful China, Maritime Silk Road and Interconnectivity”. Ningbo completed the coloring of 1,223 bus shelters, and equipped 89 bus lines with bilingual broadcasting. Ningbo also completed English translation of 247 bus stations around the key areas of the event, as well as the setting of public service advertisements in important city gateway areas, primary and secondary roads and public places. The International Convention and Exhibition Center optimized and upgraded the regional environment, paid close attention to the transformation of green landscape, and promoted the greening quality around the Central Square and Convention and Exhibition Road. Ningbo also built theme green sculptures; finished the cleaning, painting and maintenance of external walls and floors in the whole area; added the north and south lobbies, renovated the conference buildings, upgraded the monitoring system, and equipped with high-tech security equipment such as face recognition system. This Expo showed a beautiful urban environment and displayed strong activity atmosphere, creating a first-class city image for the first China-CEEC Expo.
8. Making Guests Feel at Home
Ningbo City gave full play to the spirit of ownership, and provided services and convenience to the participants in detail, which has won unanimous praise from all walks of life. Ningbo elaborated the guest reception plan, and specially designed one-to-one personalized reception for important guests, and implemented the "Five Ones" principle for reception of domestic government delegations at all levels. During the Expo, nearly a thousand volunteers participated in the reception of guests, organization of events, and language support, gaining praise from international guests. Four special bus lines and shuttle buses from Metro stations to conference venues were arranged. Over 4,500 taxi cabs joined to provide transport. More than 1,055 food safety supervision officers were dispatched to inspect more than 965 hotels, centralized catering and distribution units, convention and exhibition centers, and the Laowaitan Food Street, and 984 batches of food were detected quickly. Municipal hospitals and emergency centers participated in 10 on-site medical support stations, opened 8 emergency green passages in general hospitals, and organized emergency departments and other specialties to set up 150 emergency echelons for 24-hour emergency standby. Different sectors, including power supply, communications, food supply, security and firefighting, offered full support to guarantee a safe, successful and orderly event.
The 1st China-CEEC Expo& International Consumer Goods Fair as well as the 21st China Zhejiang Investment & Trade Symposium brought together common grounds for cooperation and development between China and other countries in the world, identified the meeting points of exchanges and cooperation among all parties, and improved the willingness, degree, effectiveness and satisfaction of participation of all parties, formed a new consensus and achieved new results. The events are unprecedented in terms of level, scale, effectiveness and influence. In particular, the successful holding of the 1stChina-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair has not only added impetus to the construction of the Belt and Road Comprehensive Pilot Zone and the 17+1 Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone, but also started a new chapter for deeper and more exchanges and cooperation between China and CEE countries.