Fair in Chengdu high-tech zone cements city's role as China-EU bridge

A vital platform for exchanges and trade cooperation, the 17th EU-China Business and Technology Cooperation Fair kicked off at the Business & Innovation Centre for China-Europe Cooperation, or CCEC, in the Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone on Friday.

The fair focused on exchanges and cooperation between China and Europe in areas such as carbon neutrality, new energy, the digital economy, vocational education and the green economy, and strived to boost bilateral economic and trade relations.

Co-hosted by the China Chamber of International Commerce and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, and co-organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Chengdu Council, the management committee of the Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone and the Chengdu Chamber of International Commerce, the two-day event comprised an opening ceremony, the China-EU Business Forum on Economic and Trade Cooperation, the Second China-EU Geographical Indications Cooperative Conference and other activities.

New highland

With the theme of "Challenge, Opportunity, Integration and Development", the conference attracted more than 600 representatives from EU member-state embassies and consulates in China, the Chinese Mission to the EU, business associations, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, relevant Chinese ministries, provincial governments, European industry clusters and organizations, and Fortune Global 500 companies.

Participants held in-depth discussions on China-Europe cooperation in areas such as open investment, digital economy, geographical indications, technological innovation, dual carbon goals and sustainable development.

Sun Xiao, secretary-general of the China Chamber of International Commerce, said that this year, China-EU high-level exchanges have intensified and the leaders of both sides have reached an important consensus on enhancing mutual trust, deepening pragmatic cooperation and strengthening coordination.

After nearly 20 years of development, the event is not only a platform for communication and exchanges between the Chinese and European business communities, but also a calling card for Chengdu's opening-up to Europe.

"Entrepreneurs from both sides should seize the opportunities to hold comprehensive discussions on how to adapt to development trends, utilize current advantages and promote long-term and in-depth cooperation in private economic and trade fields," he said.

Fu Cong, head of the Chinese Mission to the EU, delivered a video speech at the opening ceremony, in which he said: "After years of development, China and Europe have highly complementary advantages in markets, capital and technology, and there is enormous cooperation potential in the fields of digital economy, environmental protection, new energy and artificial intelligence."

He said that Chengdu has been selected as one of the pilot regions for the third round of China-EU regional policy cooperation plans and become a new highland for opening-up and cooperation, strengthening international gateway functions and promoting the inland opening-up strategy.

He hopes that European entrepreneurs will bring back what they have seen and heard at the event to Europe, so that more European entrepreneurs can feel the vitality of China, especially in the western region.

At the main forum of the conference, Zhang Lirong, secretary-general of the China Forum of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, gave a keynote speech titled Strengthening China-EU Economic and Trade Cooperation and Creating a Favorable Business Environment; Fang Dongkui, secretary-general of the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU, shared his insights into the theme of Connecting Europe and Creating Prosperity.

Representatives from BGI, the EU SME Centre and Siemens (China) also shared their interpretations on cooperation in the fields of bioinformatics, green and digital transformation.

As one of the most important investment, trade and technology innovation cooperation events between China and the EU, with the highest participation of EU member states, the widest participation of European companies, and the largest scale of China-EU exchanges, the conference has been held for 16 sessions, attracting more than 12,000 Chinese and European companies.

It has arranged more than 29,130 business matchmaking negotiations and signed 3,211 intended collaboration agreements.

International gateway

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the EU, as well as the 10th anniversary of China's launch of the Belt and Road Initiative.

China and the EU have long been important trading and investment partners.

Statistics show that the total trade volume of goods between Europe and China reached 856.3 billion euros in 2022, an increase of about 23 percent compared to 2021.

Chengdu achieved a total trade volume of 834.64 billion yuan in 2022, with an annual growth rate of 1.6 percent.

The trade value with the EU, one of Chengdu's top three trading partners, reached 120.97 billion yuan.

In 2019, CCEC, the permanent venue for the fair, was established in the Chengdu high-tech zone.

After years of construction, CCEC has not only gathered diplomatic service projects such as the Consulate General of Spain in Chengdu, the Sustainable Development Innovation Demonstration Project of the United Nations Development Programme and the China Investment and Technology Promotion Office of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, it also accommodates 177 key projects in trade, communication and services, such as the Asia-Pacific headquarters of Weber Shandwick, the Chengdu International Business and Legal Services Platform for the Belt and Road Initiative and the Sichuan Branch of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission.

It has become a new platform for comprehensive cooperation between Chengdu, Sichuan and Europe, as well as a new window for opening-up in western China.

As one of the regions in western China with the highest degree of economic openness and internationalization, the Chengdu high-tech zone is a crucial bridge for comprehensive cooperation between western China and Europe, continuously promoting the Chengdu-Europe cooperation.

In mid-April, a business delegation from the zone visited Switzerland, France, Germany and other European countries for a 10-day investment promotion and attraction activity, accelerating the investment of foreign-funded enterprises in Chengdu and promoting the exchanges and development of Chengdu-Europe enterprises.

The person in charge of the zone stated that the zone is vigorously building a hub for China-Europe communication, trade and services.

The zone will seize opportunities such as the BRI, the new land-sea corridor in western China and the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, integrate into the domestic and international dual circulation, facilitate the China-Europe trade cooperation, expand international exchanges and cooperation, accelerate the construction of a world-class science and technology park with global influence, and help Chengdu consolidate its position as an international gateway and hub city.