On 30 May 2018, co-hosted by ACC and the Huanggang Municipal Government, ASEAN-Huanggang Trade and Investment Forum was successfully held in Huanggang, Hubei. Mr. Chen Jiawei, Vice Mayor of Huanggang, and Mr. Guo Chuanwei, Director of Trade and Investment of ACC addressed the opening of the forum on behalf of the sponsors. More than 150 participants including officials from ASEAN embassies and the Huanggang Municipal Government, representatives of ASEAN and Huanggang enterprises as well as the local media attended.
On behalf of the Huanggang Municipal Government, Vice Mayor Chen Jiawei extended a warm welcome to all the guests. He mentioned that at present, with the implementation of important national strategies such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the Rise of Central China and the Revitalization and Development of the Dabie Mountains Old Revolutionary Base, Huanggang ushers in an important period of strategic opportunities.There are similarities and complementarities between Huanggang and ASEAN countries. He stated that Huanggang will strive to build a high-level business environment and attract more ASEAN investment. Meanwhile, Huanggang will further expand its cooperation with ASEAN by building more communication platforms and increasing business convenience for Huanggang enterprises to invest in ASEAN.
On behalf of ACC, Director Guo Chuanwei highlighted in his speech that both ASEAN and China are at a critical juncture for greater development at present. ASEAN-China relations face new opportunities. He encouraged government organs, industry institutionsand enterprises from both sides to enhance communication and understanding, give full play to their respective advantages and promote mutually beneficial cooperation to achieve win-win results.
At the forum, Ms. IreneSim, Economic Counsellor of the Singapore Embassy in China, delivered a speech on behalf of ASEAN's rotating presidency this year to introduce new opportunities for ASEAN development. Minister counsellors and commercial counsellors from the Embassies of Laos, Thailand and Viet Nam,as well as officials from Enterprise Singapore introduced their national conditions and preferential policies for attracting Chinese investment. Officials of Huanggang Commerce Bureau, Huanggang Investment Promotion Bureau and Tourism Bureau recommend the city’s location advantages, competitive industries, preferential policies and tourism resources respectively.
In the session of business interaction, Singapore Alpha Process Solutions (Wuhan) Co. Ltd, Thailand Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group), Indonesia Sandreatex Group and China Fortune Land Development (CFLD) shared their investment experience, environmental, real estate and new industrial city projects in China.Local enterprises in Huanggang had exchanges with ASEAN enterprises and counsellors of the ASEAN embassies on such topics as agricultural products sales, railway construction, educational cooperation and tourism.
On the afternoon of 30 May 2018, accompanied by the staff of Huanggang Commerce Bureau, officials of ACC and the embassies of ASEAN Member States as well as representatives of ASEAN enterprises visited the local Southlake Industrial Park, Yili Yogurt Project and Zhejiang Grerial Environmental and Renewable Resources Utilization Project.