Leaders from multinational corporations and prestigious institutions representing over 20 countries and regions convened in Jinan last week, for the 2024 Shandong International Trade and Investment Advisors Roundtable.
The gathering, focused on enhancing Shandong’s high-level opening-up and driving high-quality development, provided a platform for participants to offer strategic insights aimed at accelerating the province’s economic progress.
Lim Gait Tong, President of the China-ASEAN Business Association, highlighted that ASEAN has been Shandong’s largest trading partner for five consecutive years. He suggested that Shandong could capitalize on the favorable policies under the Belt and Road Initiative and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to deepen collaboration with ASEAN in sectors such as infrastructure construction, e-commerce, logistics, and artificial intelligence, according to a report by China Daily.
“Shandong has a large and dynamic economy, offering numerous opportunities for foreign enterprises seeking win-win cooperation,” said Victor Cadena, Executive Vice-President of the Mexican Chamber of Commerce in China. He emphasized Shandong’s pivotal role in China’s economic and social development and praised the ease of conducting trade with the province. Cadena affirmed the Chamber’s commitment to continuing its collaboration with Shandong, aiming for shared prosperity and expanding its business footprint in the region.
In his address, Zhan Jingtao, Vice-President of Siemens China, shared that Siemens has already forged partnerships with Shandong enterprises in areas like digitalization and decarbonization. He cited the Siemens Qingdao Innovation Center’s collaboration with the Qingdao West Coast New Area in building a science and technology innovation hub. Zhan further noted that Siemens and Shandong enterprises would work together to pioneer low-carbon, high-quality development for the province.
Si Junjie, Director of the China region for the Investment Promotion Agency Qatar, remarked on the increasing number of Shandong enterprises “going global” and entering Middle Eastern markets. “As a special guest, I will do my utmost to provide more support and resources for Shandong enterprises in their overseas expansion and foreign investments,” he added.