A delegation from Zhanjiang city, led by its mayor Wang Zhongbing, visited Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia from Dec 3 to 12 for economic and trade talks.

The trip aimed to enhance the role that Zhanjiang plays as a pivotal city on the path of the country's newly-implemented Belt and Road Initiative.

The delegation first visited Indonesia's Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries on Dec 4. They met with Nilanto Perbowo, the director general responsible for the competitiveness of marine and fisheries products of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.

Wang said that Zhanjiang is striving to develop its marine economy, and that Zhanjiang and Indonesia should enhance economic ties and marine economic cooperation. Zhanjiang intends to import more high-quality seafood products from Indonesia and support exchange and cooperation between the two sides' enterprises.

He also invited Indonesia to take part in next year's China Fisheries & Seafood Expo and the China Marine Economy Expo in Zhanjiang. Nilanto Perbowo spoke highly of Zhanjiang's comprehensive governance and showed interest in the city's concept of urban management of a "footprint city".

He said that Chinese enterprises including Zhanjiang's are welcomed to invest in Indonesia. He hoped that Indonesia's high-quality seafood could be distributed all over China via Zhanjiang. He also suggested Zhanjiang and Indonesia build a marine and fishery industrial park on Indonesia's Morotal Island.

Zhanjiang delegation led by mayor Wang Zhongbing meets with Indonesian government officials in Indonesia on Dec 4.

The delegation also had talks with officials from the Indonesian Commerce Department. Pradnyawati Sekretaris, director-general of the Indonesian Foreign Trade Department, hoped Zhanjiang will play an active role in expanding bilateral trade between China and Indonesia. He promised to provide one-stop service for Chinese enterprises that invest in Indonesia.

Wang responded that from January to October this year, Zhanjiang's imports from Indonesia increased by 1.3 times over the same period last year. In the past five years, Zhanjiang enterprises have invested $100 million in Indonesia.

He added that there are many Zhanjiang enterprises doing business in Indonesia, and that economic and trade ties between the two sides are expected to expand.

After the talk, the delegation inspected an industrial park of Indonesia's Millennium Danatama Group. Zhanjiang's Fenyong New and High-Tech Development Zone and the Group signed a framework cooperation agreement to build an industrial park.

Zhanjiang Fenyong New and High-Tech Development Zone and Indonesia' Millennium Danatama Group sign a framework cooperation agreement to build an industrial park, Dec 4.