On 8 May 2019, the ASEAN-China (Anhui) Trade and Investment Promotion Seminar was successfully held in Hefei. The seminar was co-hosted by ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) and Bureau of Commerce of Anhui Province, and organized by Anhui Chamber of Commerce for International Economic Cooperation. Mr. Chen Dehai, Secretary-General of ACC and Mr. Zhang Jian, Director-General of Bureau of Commerce of Anhui Province attended the seminar among more than 200 people including officials of ASEAN diplomatic missions in China and business representatives of Anhui.

Director-General Zhang Jian said that thanks to BRI cooperation, the exchanges and cooperation between ASEAN countries and Anhui have been deepened with increasingly frequent personnel exchanges and fruitful results in economic and trade cooperation. Anhui will strive to explore new horizons of opening-up and work with ASEAN entrepreneurs investing in Anhui for shared opportunities and better future.

Secretary-General Chen Dehai said that the sustained development of ASEAN-China relations has brought tangible benefits to two billion people of both sides. Anhui has long been known for its tradition of encouraging trade by creating a sound business environment. In the new era, Anhui has rapidly developed strategic emerging industries and become the pioneer of innovation-driven development in China. The seminar aimed to provide a platform for ASEAN countries and Anhui to promote trade and investment policies and business environment, and help both sides to make optimal use of their respective advantages for mutual benefits and win-win development.

In the session of trade and investment promotion, Mr. Ling Xiao, Deputy Director of Department of Asian Affairs of China’s Ministry of Commerce, elaborated on the upgraded policies of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area for participating enterprises. Mr. Phoutsawanh Khounchantha, Commercial Counsellor of Embassy of the Lao PDR, Mr. See Chee Kong, Minister of Embassy of Malaysia, Mme. Donlaporn Ajavavarakula, Minister Counsellor of Royal Thai Embassy, Mr. Pham Trung Nghia, Director of Economic Division of Embassy of Viet Nam, and Ms. Sun Qian, Business Director of Consulate-General of the Philippines in Shanghai made presentations respectively on trade conditions and preferential policies for attracting investments. Business promotions were also made by representatives of Shushan Development Zone, Feixi Economic Development Zone, BBCA Group, Tongguan Mines Construction and AMATA Corp. PCL of Thailand.

After the seminar, ACC and Bureau of Commerce of Anhui Province organized a field tour for officials of ASEAN diplomatic missions to see some leading high-tech enterprises in Anhui including iFLYTEK, Dalong Cross-border E-commerce, BEACON and Datatang.