Staff Reporter :
The six-day 4th China-South Asia Expo (CSA) and the 24th China Kunming Import and Export Commodities Fair kicked off in Kunming Sunday, with the Chinese authorities pledging more support to South Asian and Southeast Asian countries in promoting trade and investment.
The colourful ceremony was held at the Dianchi International Convention and Exhibition Centre, overlooking the tall reeds in the Wujiatang Wetland Park of the Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan province.
The function hall was packed with invited people from different provinces of China and the countries from and beyond South Asia. There were policymakers, entrepreneurs, business leaders and experts in regional connectivity and trade.
“Making China a major source of foreign direct investment (FDI) for South Asian and Southeast Asian nations through industrial capacity building is one of the major targets of the Chinese government”, Chinese Vice President Zhang Gaol told the inaugural ceremony.
He said the Kunming Fair would strengthen the relations between China and South Asia and South Asia to promote both-way trade and investment.
However, he said China had already showed its strong commitment towards regional economic development by promoting its investment in different countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan covering major infrastructure and power sector.
“This year’s expo is aimed at taking the China’s cooperation with Southeast Asian and South Asian countries to the next level,” he said, noting that there would be more cooperation from China for the development of trade investment towards attaining higher economic growth.
He suggested all the countries concerned to ease their visa and customs process and introduce more direct flights among them, which would help trade, business and tourism as well.
Chinese Vice Minister for Commerce Gao Yan said her government has been working on various issues like FTA (Free Trade Agreement) so the trade and investment between China and South Asia and Southeast Asia increase further.
Vice President Li Yuanchao and President of Yunnan Chen Hao addressed the inaugural function, among other leaders from the host country and South Asia. “Under the theme of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, this year’s expo aims to promote trade and economic cooperation between China, South Asia, Southeast Asia and rest of the world,” Gao Shuxun, the chairman of the executive committee of this year’s expo told a pre-fair press conference.
Participants from around 72 countries from around the world are taking part in the 4th China-South Asia Expo. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal are participating from South Asia region.
A total of 18 exhibition pavilions have been set up at the expo venue, which was built last year for holding the China-South Asia expo. Around 5,000 exhibitors will showcase their produces at 8,000 booths for the next six days till June 17. More than 74,000 tickets of the fair have already been sold out to visitors.
Some important conferences like International Production Capacity Cooperation Forum, China -South Asia Business Forum and Meeting on Cooperation Federation on Chambers along Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor have been organised during the Expo.
Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, high officials and business delegations from Bangladesh are participating in the Expo and the side events.
Introduced in 2013, the CSA Expo is a flagship annual event of the Yunnan province. The first Expo attracted 467 foreign leaders and guests, 35 delegations from various countries over 600 professional buyers from State-owned enterprises, private corporations and financial institutions, investors and nearly 50,000 visitors in professional fields. There were at least 1,200 foreign exhibitors who made business deals worth $17.466 billion.
The six-day 4th China-South Asia Expo (CSA) and the 24th China Kunming Import and Export Commodities Fair kicked off in Kunming Sunday, with the Chinese authorities pledging more support to South Asian and Southeast Asian countries in promoting trade and investment.
The colourful ceremony was held at the Dianchi International Convention and Exhibition Centre, overlooking the tall reeds in the Wujiatang Wetland Park of the Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan province.
The function hall was packed with invited people from different provinces of China and the countries from and beyond South Asia. There were policymakers, entrepreneurs, business leaders and experts in regional connectivity and trade.
“Making China a major source of foreign direct investment (FDI) for South Asian and Southeast Asian nations through industrial capacity building is one of the major targets of the Chinese government”, Chinese Vice President Zhang Gaol told the inaugural ceremony.
He said the Kunming Fair would strengthen the relations between China and South Asia and South Asia to promote both-way trade and investment.
However, he said China had already showed its strong commitment towards regional economic development by promoting its investment in different countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan covering major infrastructure and power sector.
“This year’s expo is aimed at taking the China’s cooperation with Southeast Asian and South Asian countries to the next level,” he said, noting that there would be more cooperation from China for the development of trade investment towards attaining higher economic growth.
He suggested all the countries concerned to ease their visa and customs process and introduce more direct flights among them, which would help trade, business and tourism as well.
Chinese Vice Minister for Commerce Gao Yan said her government has been working on various issues like FTA (Free Trade Agreement) so the trade and investment between China and South Asia and Southeast Asia increase further.
Vice President Li Yuanchao and President of Yunnan Chen Hao addressed the inaugural function, among other leaders from the host country and South Asia. “Under the theme of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, this year’s expo aims to promote trade and economic cooperation between China, South Asia, Southeast Asia and rest of the world,” Gao Shuxun, the chairman of the executive committee of this year’s expo told a pre-fair press conference.
Participants from around 72 countries from around the world are taking part in the 4th China-South Asia Expo. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal are participating from South Asia region.
A total of 18 exhibition pavilions have been set up at the expo venue, which was built last year for holding the China-South Asia expo. Around 5,000 exhibitors will showcase their produces at 8,000 booths for the next six days till June 17. More than 74,000 tickets of the fair have already been sold out to visitors.
Some important conferences like International Production Capacity Cooperation Forum, China -South Asia Business Forum and Meeting on Cooperation Federation on Chambers along Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor have been organised during the Expo.
Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, high officials and business delegations from Bangladesh are participating in the Expo and the side events.
Introduced in 2013, the CSA Expo is a flagship annual event of the Yunnan province. The first Expo attracted 467 foreign leaders and guests, 35 delegations from various countries over 600 professional buyers from State-owned enterprises, private corporations and financial institutions, investors and nearly 50,000 visitors in professional fields. There were at least 1,200 foreign exhibitors who made business deals worth $17.466 billion.
