On 29 October 2018, the Belt and Road Global Chambers of Commerce and Associations Conference (hereinafter referred to as the GCCAC) was held at Beijing Jianguo International Conference Centre. The Conference was co-hosted by the People’s Daily Online and the Global Times, and organized by Huanqiu Online. Nearly 800 people attended the opening ceremony of the Conference & Presidents Conference, including government representatives, chairpersons of business associations, heads of international institutions, experts and scholars from more than 60 countries and regions around the world. ACC representatives were also invited to attend the event.

Mr. Zhou Tienong, Vice Chairman of the 11th National People’s Congress Standing Committee, announced the opening of the GCCAC. Mr. Yu Qingchu, Editor-in-Chief of People’s Daily Online, Mr. Xie Rongbin, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Global Times, delivered welcoming speeches at the opening ceremony. Yu Qingchu said that NGO play an important role in promoting economic and social development as well as in international cooperation and global governance. The GCCAC is committed to building an international cooperation and exchange platform for interaction, integration and coordinated development between the chambers of commerce and associations from China and countries along the Belt and Road, so as to help the member enterprises access global resources, and achieve connectivity and mutual benefits under the principle of consultation, contribution and sharing benefits.

Mr. Yu Shiyang, Director of Big Data DevelopmentDepartment of State Information Centre, delivered a keynote speech entitled Finding the International Cooperation Trend of the Belt and Road from Big Data. Government representatives from Europe, Africa and Latin America as well as representatives of business associations of countries along the Belt and Road participated in round table dialogues under the themes of the Building of the Belt and Road and the New Pattern of International Economic & Trade Cooperation, and Innovation in Service System of Chambers of Commerce and Associations to Promote the Belt and Road. The speakers had dialogues and discussions on the situation of international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, the collaborative development of chambers of commerce and associations, and trade exchanges and cooperation at non-governmental level. All the attendees also witnessed the launching of the brand import programme “Bring You to China”.

Themed of “Pool Non-governmental Resources along the Belt and Road to Promote Common Development for Chambers of Commerce and Associations”, the GCCAC set up nearly 20 summit forums and seminars including the China-ASEAN Investment Promotion Seminar.