Forum on Global Production Capacity and Business Cooperation Held in Wuhan

On 6 June 2016, the Forum on Global Production Capacity and Business Cooperation, with the theme of Pragmatic Cooperation and Mutual Benefit, was held in Wuhan. The Forum was co-hosted by China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Hubei Provincial Government, and co-organized by the Provincial Governments of Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan and Hunan. H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) attended the Forum upon invitation.

H.E. Mr. Xu Shaoshi, Director of NDRC, H.E. Mr. Wang Chao, Vice Foreign Minister of China, H.E. Mr. Vladimir Zinovskiy, Minister of Economy of Belarus and H.E. Mr. Li Hongzhong, Secretary of CPC Hubei Provincial Committee, delivered keynote speeches at the opening ceremony. 

Director Xu Shaoshi said that China’s international production capacity cooperation was showing an accelerating momentum. First, the enterprises were getting more profits in the trans-boundary businesses. Second, bilateral and multilateral cooperation were promoted more rapidly. China had matched with ASEAN, African Union, EU and Community of Latin American in capacity cooperation. Third, cooperation with developed countries had been accelerated. Fourth, financial platforms were set up. Fifth, milestone cooperation projects were taking roots in different countries. Sixth, cooperation among governments, enterprises and associations were closer. NDRC would continue to give its support in cooperation mechanism and financial platforms to promote the Central China provinces to make new achievements in international production capacity cooperation.

Vice Foreign Minister Wang Chao made four proposals to enhance international production capacity cooperation. First, to take the Belt and Road Initiative as an opportunity, take full advantages of the beneficial policies and cooperation platforms, and try to achieve early harvest. Second, to make the capacity cooperation a new growth point for economic development by adopting an innovative way of cooperation. Third, to integrate with the national development plan of the cooperation countries, and find the right place to start with. Fourth, to encourage enterprises to actively participate in cooperation, and provide a fair and open cooperation environment.  

Minister Vladimir Zinovskiy said, 2016 was the launching year for China’s 13th Five-Year Plan, as well as the first year for Belarus’ Social and Economic Development Plan for 2016-2020. Belarus would enhance its capacity cooperation with China, with the principles of mutual benefit and enterprises playing the leading role, and on the basis of market orientation, to inject new impetus to the economic development of both countries.  

Secretary Li Hongzhong said, Hubei was an important province in Central China, and had made remarkable progress in economic development since China’s opening up to the outside world. Hubei sincerely welcomed friends from all over the world to jointly build a closer community of shared destiny, promote common development, expand common interests so as to make greater contribution to the regional development and prosperity.

H.E. Dr. Kwaku, Minister of Water Conservancy and Housing of Ghana, H.E. Mr. Khandker Anwarul Islam, Vice Minister of Road, Traffic and Bridge of Bangladesh and the leaders of the six Central China Provinces introduced the advantages and demands of their respective countries or provinces, and welcomed investment from all over the world.

More than 2000 participants from the central and local government sectors, international organizations, business associations, business circles, academia and media from 72 countries attended the Forum.