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SRCIC
2019 Silk Road Business Summit
7 Dec 2019

 

On December 7, the 2019 Silk Road Business Summit was successfully held in Xi'an. More than 400 delegates from 73 Belt and Road countries and regions participated in the event, including government officials, diplomats to China, leaders of international organizations, presidents of business associations, and representatives of multinational enterprises.

 

 

The Summit was hosted by the Silk Road Chamber of International Commerce, and received vigorous support from the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) , Chinese Association for International Understanding, China Public Diplomacy Association, China Chamber of International Commerce, Silk Road Planning and Research Center, Municipal Government of Xi'an, China Association for Friendship, Shaanxi Federation of Industry and Commerce, and CCPIT Shaanxi Sub-council.

 

 

 

The participants are made up of government representatives from 16 countries, diplomats from over 20 countries, presidents of business associations from 50 countries and more than 20 mayors. The Summit is themed "Write a New Chapter for Win-Win Cooperation, Build a New World for Mutual Benefits". Expert-led discussions surrounded topics including Belt and Road cooperation in the new era, and joint construction of an open, diversified world economy, and a shared future for all.

 

Opening Ceremony

 

 

Chen Yuan, President of the Silk Road Planning Research Center, addressed the Summit and announced its opening.

 

"The Summit allows the business sector and non-governmental organizations to play their role to promote the stable and sustainable development BRI, and make it more open, inclusive, balanced and win-win."

 


 

Fang Guanghua, Vice Governor of the People's Government of Shaanxi Province and Chairman of the Shaanxi Federation of Industry and Commerce addressed the opening ceremony.

 

"Since the BRI was proposed six years ago, Shaanxi Province has turned a grand blueprint to concrete implementation. We will continue to promote Shaanxi's development towards an economic hub with mobility and an economic gateway for Belt and Road cooperation. We will build Shaanxi into a center for Belt and Road transportation, trade and logistics, international capacity cooperation, technology and education, international cultural tourism and Silk Road finance. We will accelerate the construction of a corridor focusing on the "International Transport Corridor" and "International Aviation Hub", and an open platform represented by the Free Trade Pilot Zone, providing entrepreneurs at home and abroad with a better, more convenient business environment."

 

 

Alexander Tomov, Former Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria, addressed the opening ceremony.

 

"This Summit has not only adopted new initiatives, but also expanded new projects. The delegates contributed new ideas and connotations to the development of BRI."

 

Vice President of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and Vice President of China Chamber of International Commerce Chen Jian'an, President of China Public Diplomacy Association Wu Hailong, and Vice President of Chinese Association for International Understanding Ai Ping also addressed the opening ceremony.

 

Chen Jian'an

 

Wu Hailong

 

Ai Ping

 

 

Lu Jianzhong, Chairman of Silk Road Chamber of Commerce (SRCIC) and President of the China Cultural Chamber of Commerce for the Private Sector, presided the opening ceremony.

 

"SRCIC will serve as a bridge, liaison and platform for resource integration, economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchanges. It strives to enable SRCIC members to grasp the opportunities and benefit from China's development by sharing development experience and strengthening cooperation. SRCIC aims to play the role of 'Super Liaison' for Belt and Road construction."

 

Keynote Speeches

 

The attendees below gave keynote speeches at the plenary session:

 

Ge Honglin, member of the CPPCC Standing Committee;

 

Zheng Zhijie, member of the 13th CPPCC National Committee;

 

Wang Yong, Deputy Mayor of Xi'an Municipal Government;

 

Aliaksandr Yarashenka, Head of Great Stone China-Belarus Industrial Park Administration;

 

Jusong Lee, Executive Director of ICC Asia;

 

David Saganelidze, Chairman of the Georgia-China Intergovernmental Trade and Economy Commission;

 

Taleh Ziyadov, Director General of Baku International Marine Port of Azerbaijan;

 

Inna Mietielieva, Deputy Minister of the Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine.

      

Other participants include Qiu Jun, Deputy Secretary General of China Association for Friendship; Gao Yang, Deputy Secretary General of Shaanxi Provincial Government; Zhang Meiwen, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of Hainan Provincial Party Committee; Zhang Peng, Deputy General Manager of China National Complete Plant Import and Export Group Corporation Limited; Fang Jieling, Vice President of the Shanghai Branch of the Bank of East Asia (China) Limited.

 

 

 

Ning Yong, Vice Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of China, delivered a keynote speech at the Forum for High-quality Development of BRI through Joint Efforts.

 

The Export-Import Bank of China (CEXIM) is an important fund provider for construction of BRI. At present, it has sponsored 1,800 projects in Belt and Road countries and offered loans of over 1 trillion yuan, more than one third of which was  invested in infrastructure projects to increase connectivity.

 

Important Meetings        

Fang Guanghua, Vice Governor of Shaanxi Provincial Government met with Alexander Tomov, Former Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria, and other foreign government representatives and ambassadors to China. 

 

       

SRCIC Chairman Lu Jianzhong, SRCIC Honorary Chairman Jemal Inaishvili (R), and Secretary General of the China Foundation for Peace and Development Xu Jianguo (M) unveiling the Silk Road Sunshine Fund of China Foundation for Peace and Development.

 

 

Huang Shao-Mei (M), Director and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of New World China Land Limited, Xia Fuxi (R), CEO of Tang West Market Group, and Huang Dahai (L) , Chairman of Datang Capital Management Co., Ltd. unveiling the Silk Road Development Fund

 

 

Jean-Guy Carrier (M), SRCIC Executive Chairman, Xia Fuxi (R), CEO of Tang West Market Group, and Zhang Lin (L), Vice President of Tang West Market Group unveiling the Silk Road Yijia International Cultural Artwork Trading Platform.

 

Parallel Forums

 

Four parallel forums have been successfully held, including the High-quality Development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) through Joint Efforts, Integrated Development of Culture, Business and Tourism as a New Business Model, Belt and Road Financing and Pragmatic Cooperation, and Belt and Road Commerce, Trade and People-to-people Exchange. These forums have provided theoretic and intellectual support for seizing the historic opportunity of BRI, promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and exploring new models of economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchanges among the landlocked countries and Belt and Road countries.

      

Chief Expert of the China Association of Trade in Services Zhang Wei, President of Reference News Agency Wang Chaowen, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Guangming Daily Shen Weixing delivering keynote speeches at the parallel forums.

 

Upper: Zhang Wei;

Lower: Wang Chaowen(L) and Shen Weixing(R).

 

Business-to-Business Meeting

 

 

Over 100 participants from nearly 30 countries including Bulgaria, Italy, Belarus and Australia conducted exchanges and consultations in the aspects of energy, infrastructure, tourism, finance, and overseas industrial parks, reaching cooperation intention and signing initial cooperative agreements. This platform for pragmatic cooperation was highly appreciated by the participants.

 

SRCIC 9th Executive Board and General Assembly meetings of SRCIC

 

SRCIC held the 9th Executive Board and the General Assembly meetings in Xi'an, China, and approved the new team of Chairmanship and Executive Board members. Mr. Lu Jianzhong was re-elected as Chairman of SRCIC.

 

 

Chairman Lu gave an account of China's important development plannings, including the Belt and Road construction, the integrated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province, the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the construction of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the integration of the Yangtze River Delta, the construction of a free trade port in Hainan Province in 2020, and China's goal for poverty alleviation by 2020. The participants expressed their enthusiasm and confidence as business associations to do business with China and participate in its development course.

 

Award Ceremony

 

Chambers of commerce and industry joined SRCIC as new members. They are the Nigerian Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Côte d'Ivoire, the Tajikistan Silk Road International Economic Union (L3), the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Moldova-China, and the China Sweden Business Council.

 

 

SRCIC gave awards to the leaders of international business communities who made outstanding contributions to promoting economy and trade cooperation and cultural exchanges under the framework of BRI.

 

2019 SRCIC Outstanding Leadership Award winners:

David Saganelidze, Chairman of the Partnership Fund of Georgia ;

Aliaksandr Yarashenka, Head of the Administration of the “Great Stone” Industrial Park. 

 

 

SRCIC Friendship Envoy Award winners:

Said Sharif, Former Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Tajikistan;  

Oyunchimeg Magvan, Former CEO of the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry;

Nino Chikovani, Former President of Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; MD. SHAFIUL ISLAM, Former President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce & Industry.

 

 

2019 SRCIC Outstanding Contribution Award winners:

Tariq M.A. Rangoonwala, Chairman of ICC Pakistan;

Sergey Kalashnikov, Chairman of Russian Association for International Cooperation;

Romualdas Gėgžnas, Vice President for Business Development at Association of Lithuanian Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Crafts.

 

 

Xi'an Consensus on Jointly Building an Open World Economy

 

The outcome document - Xi'an Consensus on Jointly Building an Open World Economy, was adopted by all participating organizations, highlighting the following initiatives:

  • to work together to build an open world economy, and drive the high-quality development of global economy by uniting the strengths of business communities.
  • to carry out technical exchanges and cooperation to unleash the potential for innovative economy.
  • to promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and jointly build a world economy that is shared by all.
  • to maintain a global free trade system based on the rules of the World Trade Organization, and foster an enabling business environment that is based on market principles, governed by law, and up to international standards.
  • to promote people-to-people exchanges to build the foundation for inclusiveness, trust and cooperation.

 

Silk Road Urban Alliance

 

After the Summit in Xi'an, over 200 delegates from 25 countries attended the 2019 (Zhangjiajie) Silk Road Urban Alliance Annual Conference, jointly organized by China Association for Friendship, Zhangjiajie Municipal People's Government and Silk Road Chamber of International Commerce. The delegates discussed how to enhance exchanges, deepen friendship and promote cooperation among Belt and Road cities.

 

 

Focused by media and Widespread attention

 

The summit has been widely covered by Chinese and foreign mainstream media, including Xinhua News Agency, People's Daily, Guangming Daily, Economic Daily, China News Service, Phoenix Satellite TV, as well as media in the Philippines, Azerbaijan, Croatia, etc.

 

The 2019 Silk Road Business Summit (Xi'an) is an non-governmental diplomatic event held on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of BRI. It is instrumental in eliminating trade barriers, promoting economic globalization and trade liberalization, and strengthening people-to-people exchanges.