On 11 June 2017, the Welcoming Ceremony of South & Southeast Asia Commodity Expo and Investment Fair (SSACEIF) was held at Intercontinental Hotel in Kunming. Mr. Chen Hao, Secretary of Yunnan Provincial Party Committee, Mr. Ruan Chengfa, Governor of Yunnan Province, and about 300 participants from Southeast Asian and South Asian countries attended the ceremony. H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), attended the meeting and interacted with the participants.

Governor Ruan delivered welcoming remarks. He stated that Yunnan province is connected with South Asian and Southeast Asian countries by mountains and rivers as well as similar cultures. Yunnan is a gateway of the opening-up of southwest China and a pivot province for two economic corridors, namely China and Indo-China Peninsula Economic Corridor and Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar Economic Corridor. It has conducted fruitful cooperation with South Asian and Southeast Asian countries. Yunnan is well-placed to promote the Belt and Road Initiative with its rich history, solid cooperation foundation and broad development prospects. Yunnan hopes to cooperate with various partners to implement the Belt and Road Initiative for a better future by holding the SSACEIF.

This year’s SSACEIF will begin from 12 to 18 June. It is co-organized by China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC), South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SAARC CCI), ASEAN-China Center (ACC), China-South Asia Expo and Kunming Import & Export Fair Secretariat under the theme of “Creating New Opportunities for New Development” with a focus on South Asian and Southeast Asian countries’ commodities demonstration and investment and trade promotion between South and Southeast Asian countries and China. During the SSACEIF, a series of meetings and activities will be held, including China-Southeast Asia Business Forum, 2017 Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Series, China-South Asia Business Forum.

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