Events

China-Northern Europe Forum on Economic and Trade Cooperation Held in Shanghai

2018-11-13 13:35:24

On the afternoon of Nov. 6^th, the China-Northern Europe Forum on Economic and Trade Cooperation, co-sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce and Hubei Provincial People’s Government, was held in Shanghai in the heat of China International Import Expo (CIIE). Wang Bingnan, Vice Minister of Commerce, addressed the opening ceremony.

Wang hailed CIIE as a milestone in the history of international trade, and a significant move for China to give firm support to trade liberalization and actively open its market to the world. As China’s reform and opening-up is going on at a higher level and towards a higher goal, a new historic opportunity is presented in front of Northern European companies seeking partners in the country. In 2017, China-Northern Europe trade volume counted nearly USD 43 billion, with two-way direct investment topping USD 21 billion. Both sides should deepen cooperation and coordinate development ideas to fight unilateralism and trade protectionism; coordinate the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Connectivity Strategy to facilitate multimodal connectivity; build a diversified trade cooperation framework and expand the connotations of existing mechanism; and work closer to capitalize on the construction of Yangtze Economic Belt and the integrated development of Yangtze Delta.

The inaugural CIIE was unanimously lauded by foreign guests. They hope the Forum will help them unleash their strengths in clean technology, infrastructure, electric car, fishery, food and energy in cooperation with China, further tap into the potential of bilateral trade, and benefit all peoples.

Over 350 people attended the Forum, including Wang Xiaodong, Governor of Hubei Province; Tomas Eneroth, Minister for Infrastructure of the Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation of Sweden; State Secretary of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries of Norway; Gunnar Snorri Gunnarsson, Icelandic Ambassador to China; other government officials from China and the five Northern European countries, foreign diplomats, and delegates of chambers of commerce, trade associations, and companies.

During the Forum, 21 major cooperation agreements were concluded by Chinese and Northern European companies, involving chemical industry, paper-making, aquatic products, health and other sectors. The Matchmaking session was attended by 74 Northern European companies including Volvo, Ericsson, Lego, Maersk, Kongsberg, and Finnair. They shook hands on some big deals with their Chinese partners.