On 6 July 2017, the Forum on Trade and Investment Opportunities in ASEAN, co-hosted by ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), the Department of Commerce and the Economic Cooperation Bureau of Gansu province, and organized by the School of Management of Lanzhou University, was successfully held in Lanzhou, Gansu province. More than 200 participants, including diplomats from the Embassies of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, officials from trade and investment agencies of Myanmar and Singapore, officials from relevant departments of Gansu Provincial and Lanzhou Municipal Governments, as well as the representatives from local enterprises attended the event.
Mr. Li Yuan, Director of Trade and Investment Division of ACC, chaired the Forum. He said that in recent years, ASEAN-China relations have continued to deepen and the cooperation between the two sides made good headway and embraced new opportunities. In the year 2016, the two way trade volume reached USD 452.2 billion, and the accumulated investment surpassed USD 170 billion. The ever-closer business ties and people-to-people exchanges have enhanced the friendship between the peoples of the two sides. ACC, playing the role as a bridge and bond, has conducted a series of trade and investment facilitation activities. ACC is willing to make joint efforts with all parties to grasp the important opportunity of the Belt and Road Initiative and raise the level of trade facilitation so as to raise ASEAN-China trade and investment cooperation to a new height and bring tangible benefits to the people of both sides.
Ms. Wang Yingling, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Commerce of Gansu province, delivered remarks at the Forum. She said that Gansu attaches great importance to the economic and trade cooperation with ASEAN. In 2016, the total value of import and export between Gansu and 10 ASEAN countries amounted to RMB 6.15 billion. Up to now, 23 Gansu enterprises have directly invested in ASEAN Member States and the accumulated investment reached USD 123 million. 90 enterprises of Gansu have been approved to invest in ASEAN, with the total amount of investment of USD 423 million and the contract use of foreign investment of USD 136 million. In jointly promoting the Belt and Road Initiative, the relevant agencies and enterprises of Gansu hope to further deepen the economic and technological cooperation with ASEAN countries, enhance the facilitation of trade and investment, draw on each other's strengths, share opportunities and realize common development for a brighter future.
Mr. Witit Teeramungcalanon, Minister (Commercial) and Ms. Donlaporn Ajavavarakula, Minister Counsellor (Investment Promotion) of the Embassy of Thailand, Ms. Razida Hanim Abdul Razak, Commercial Counselor of the Embassy of Malaysia, Ms. Elizani T.X. Nadia Sumampouw, First Secretary of the Embassy of Indonesia, Mr. Thet Lwin Oo, Trade Representative of Myanmar Trade Representative Office in Nanning, Guangxi, Mr. Tan Chuan Seng, Centre Director of West China Region of International Enterprise Singapore, gave presentations on the business environments and relevant trade and investment policies of their respective countries, and made an interaction with the representatives of local enterprises on the questions they concerned.
The participants had lively discussions and thanked ACC for organizing this activity, which provided Gansu with an authoritative channel to understand the trade and investment policies of ASEAN countries, encouraged local enterprises to invest in ASEAN, and therefore laid a stable foundation in promoting the business matching and cooperation between ASEAN and Gansu province in the future.
Before the forum, ACC organized the ASEAN officials to attend the Opening Ceremony of the 23rd China Lanzhou Investment and Trade Fair & Silk Road Cooperative Development Hind-end Forum, and visited the ASEAN Pavilion, which was set up by ACC, at the Gansu International Convention and Exhibition Center.