A summit of opportunities

With the opening of EU-China Business Summit 2007 and on behalf of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and China International Chamber of Commerce (CICC), I would like to express my warm congratulations on the opening of the conference and offer my sincere greetings to all the participants from both sides, EU and China.

With the efforts made by traders and businesspeople from both sides and the support from the EU and Chinese governments, EU and China have made great achievements in trade and investment cooperation since the establishment of the EU-China diplomatic relations, regarding each other as their most significant trade partners.

China, the largest developing country, and EU, the largest trade and economic entity, will play a crucial role in promoting world economic growth and stability under the background of the continuous development of economic globalization.

The upcoming 10th Meeting between Chinese and EU Leaders to be held in Beijing is regarded as a grand affair in the history of China and EU and is expected to bring new blood for in-depth development of China-EU relationships.

It is the fourth time for the CCPIT and its partners to hold the China-EU Business Summit.

At present, the summit is set as a top-level platform for China and EU businesspeople and entrepreneurs to communicate and dialogue directly.

Meanwhile, the Chinese and EU leaders are also expecting the summit to be a platform for their elaboration and deliver in-depth cooperation and development.

Both sides have grasped the main topics and projects during the annual summit, exchanging their ideas and discussing further development, seeing them bear fruit each year.

Premier Wen Jiabao and EU leaders have attended the summit for four consecutive years and delivered speeches every time, which indicates a high regard for the development of bilateral relationship from the EU and Chinese leaders.

The businesspeople and entrepreneurs from both EU and China will push the mutual benefits and cooperation to a new high.

The CCPIT has been dedicated to the improvement of cooperation between EU and China.

Organized by the CCPIT and the European Commission, the EU-China Cooperation Partner Fair was held last year. Regarded as the fair with the largest scale in history, it has reached a number of achievements, exercising great influence on both sides.

The EU-China Managers Exchange and Training Program, implemented by the CCPIT, is going smoothly. China has sent 200 managers for the first time to the EU countries for training and provided almost 200 young managers from the EU countries with language, culture and business training as exchange.

Just as in the past, the CCPIT will continue to promote the exchange and cooperation between the EU and China, especially providing small and medium-sized enterprises with training, exhibition and information services.

I which everyone both from EU and China to take the summit as a good opportunity to promote cooperation, friendship and win fruitful business achievements.

The author is CCPIT chairman

(China Daily 11/28/2007 page19)