The 2008 National Trade Promotion Conference was held in Beijing on January 28. Vice Premier Wu Yi attended the meeting and delivered an important speech. More than 300 delegates attended the conference, representing 88 local branches and industry branches of trade promotion system, as well as 16 overseas offices. CCPIT Chairman Wan Jifei has given an annual report at the conference.
Wu Yi stressed that national trade promotion system should implement the ideas suggested at the 17th CPC Congress, and the scientific concept of development. Efforts should be focused on the overall situation of national development, exploring the trade promotion work with Chinese characteristics, and finding a broader platform for circulation of international business rules and cooperation between enterprises.
Wu spoke highly of the achievements made so far in trade promotion. She pointed out that trade promotion system has grown by leaps and bounds since the reform and opening up, especially for the last five years. National trade promotion system has given full play to its advantages such as higher level, wider channel and broader field, serving the very interest of enterprises and state in terms of foreign trade and diplomacy. Efforts can be especially seen in the promotion of exhibition industry in China, serving the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.
Wu Yi stressed that the trade promotion organizations should pay close attention to the international and domestic situations, focusing on the diplomatic and economic development, as well as the macro state policies. For the current and future trade promotion work Wu has put forward four pieces of demand:
First, to strengthen economic and trade exchanges between China and the rest of the world, and to further strengthen cooperation with international organizations, in order to assist Chinese enterprises in export expansion and “going out”. Second, to be fully supportive for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. Third, to better serve enterprises in terms of information service and exhibiting. Those small and medium-sized enterprises should be targeted as service priority in respect to field expansion and quality upgrading. At the same time IPR services should be available for domestic and foreign enterprises. Fourth, to adapt to the new situations, seeking a trade promotion mode with Chinese characteristics. Efforts should be made towards a world-class trade promotion system.
Upon recalling the year 2007, Wan said that 2007 has witnessed a rapid and healthy development of China’s trade promotion. A number of high-level, wide-ranging exchanges with the rest of the world and trade promotion events have been carried out, such as exchanges with non-diplomatic partners, setting up bilateral and multilateral cooperation platforms, addressing heated economic and trade issues, implementing national and regional development strategies and facilitating exchanges with Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, all of which have effectively assisted China’s overall diplomacy and foreign trade strategy. Besides, services have also been provided such as information counseling, legal and intellectual property services. A total of 2300 plus overseas exhibitions or expos have been held in 2007, covering more than 18,000 enterprise exhibitors, with the total contract amount of more than 8.2 billion US dollars. More than 1000 exhibitions or expos have been held within China, covering more than 230,000 enterprises, with the total contract amount of over 68.8 billion US dollars. “Planning of IPR protection in overseas exhibitions” has been drafted in order to regulated overseas exhibitions; “Report on Chinese exhibition industry” has been issued at the International Cooperation Forum of Chinese Exhibition Industry, for the scientific development of Chinese exhibition industry; Preparation work for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo has been right in its course, including frequent contact with the BIE, cooperation with local administration, building the China Pavilion and exhibitor recruiting; The report on national trade promotion, the “File Managing concerning China trade system building”, the “Program of cooperation within trade promotion system”, and so on have been issued to improve China’s trade promotion system. The CCOIC Congress has been convened, marking the entry into another phase of entity operation of CCOIC.
Wan indicated that the trade promotion system should conscientiously implement the spirits suggested at the 17th CPC Congress and the Central Economic Work Conference. Trade promotion system should develop in line with the general course of reform and opening up, serving the very interests of enterprises. Opportunities lying in the reform of administrative system should be made full use of to bring something new to the national trade promotion.
Wan has put forward some expectations for the trade promotion in 2008. First of all, to further implement the “Outline for reform and development”; Second, to upgrade services in terms of quality and level; Third, to improve inner connections and the effectiveness of operations; Finally, to be vertically coordinated in system building.
Liu Jieyi, assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Fu Ziying, assistant to the Minister of Commerce made reports on foreign affairs and business environment, respectively. CCPIT VP Zhang Wei, Yu Ping, Dong Songgen and Wang Jinzhen all attended the meeting and made speeches.
At the meeting, delegates from Shenzhen Stock Exchange, Guangxi, Wuhan, Nanjing, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Ningbo, Jiangsu and other trade promotion branches, as well as the textile industry have shared their working experiences in trade promotion. They also exchanged views on how to build brands for trade promotion system, to promote business innovation, to strengthen party building, as well as to provide better services. In addition, the meeting announced the winners of the National Photo Competition in the trade promotion system, as well as the 2007 annual stars picked among nation-wide trade promotion organizations.
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