The 3rd China-Southeast Asia Business Forum Successfully Held (2019-06-13)

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On 13 June 2019, co-hosted by Yunnan Provincial People’s Government and ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), organized by CCPIT Yunnan Sub-Council, the 3rd China-Southeast Asia Business Forum was successfully held in Kunming, Yunnan Province. Mr. Li Zhengyang, Vice-Chairman of Yunnan CPPCC, Mr. Guo Chuanwei, Director of Trade and Investment Division of ACC, Mr. Nguon Mengtech, Director-General of Cambodian Chamber of Commerce attended the forum among 500 participants including government officials, business leaders, well-known entrepreneurs and media representatives from China and Southeast Asian countries.

Mr. Li Zhengyang, Vice Chairman of Yunnan CPPCC said that the Belt and Road Initiative makes Yunnan the forefront of opening-up. With its unique geographical advantages, Yunnan has developed closer exchanges with Southeast Asian countries and achieved fruitful results. He put forward four suggestions to further promote the relations between Yunnan and Southeast Asian countries. First, to deepen economic and trade cooperation focusing on green energy, green food and healthy living destination. Second, to speed up the building of network of road, aviation, energy, water and Internet for greater connectivity. Third, to improve the efficiency of customs clearance and promote the building of open platforms such as economic cooperation zones. Fourth, to deepen people-to-people exchanges and cooperation and further enhance friendship and mutual trust.

Mr. Nguon Mengtech, Director-General of Cambodian Chamber of Commerce opined that the China-Southeast Asia Business Forum has played an important role in promoting trade, investment, information exchange, legal service and regional economic cooperation. Cambodia looks forward to sharing experience with China and Southeast Asian countries and exploring more ways to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation.

Mr. Guo Chuanwei, Director of Trade and Investment Division of ACC mentioned that ASEAN and China are actively synergizing their development strategies, which has facilitated the implementation of a number of infrastructure and production capacity cooperation projects, breaking new grounds for cooperation between the two sides. All parties should seize the opportunity to find more common interests and inject new vitality into coordinated development.

Under the theme of “Belt and Road, Innovative Cooperation, Common Development”, Mr. Yu Hongjun, former Vice Minister of International Department of Central Committee of the CPC, Mr. Zhao Xiaoyu, Chairman of Entrepreneur Council for Green Development &Green Finance, together with leaders of chambers of commerce of Southeast Asian countries including Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Union of Myanmar Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Indonesia-China Business Council, Federation of Thai Industries, Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, made speeches respectively. The speakers believed that Southeast Asian countries and China should exert greater efforts for high-quality cooperation under the framework of BRI, and make more breakthroughs in policy, infrastructure, trade, financial and people-to-people connectivity. All parties should explore new ways for regional cooperation and strengthen trade and investment cooperation for common development and prosperity.

During the forum, a working conference on mechanism construction of chambers of commerce of China and Southeast Asian countries was held, where The Declaration on Business Cooperation of the 3rd China-Southeast Asia Business Forum was signed.

The annual forum plays an active role in promoting connectivity, sharing opportunities and breaking new grounds in win-win economic cooperation between China and Southeast Asian countries.