The 9th Central China Investment and Trade Expo (Central China Expo) was launched on 18 May 2015 in Wuhan International Expo Centre. H.E. Mr. Wang Yang, Vice Premier of China’s State Council, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech. H.E. Dr. Mohammed Gharib Bilal, Vice President of Tanzania, H.E. Mr. Li Hongzhong, Secretary of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee, H.E. Mr. Zhong Shan, Vice Minister of China’s Ministry of Commerce and other important Chinese and foreign politicians also attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches.
As the co-host of the Expo, ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) organized a delegation of Ambassadors, Counsellors and other diplomats from the ASEAN Embassies in China, including Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam, to attend the opening ceremony and tour the exhibition. Ms. Huang Ying, Acting Secretary-General and Director of General Affairs and Coordination Division (GACD, and Mr. Li Yuan, Director of the Trade and Investment Division (TID) of ACC, accompanied the delegation. During the tour, the delegates were interested to know more about the products at the exhibition, and exchanged views with the exhibitors. They expressed wishes to strengthen cooperation with the provinces in the central part of China in trade, investment and other related areas.