China-Korea Economic Cooperation Forum is Held in Beijing

China-Korea Economic Cooperation Forum is Held in Beijing

Co-hosted by CCIEE (China Center for International Economic Exchanges), Korea International Trade Association and the Chosun Ilbo, and supported by the Investment Promotion Agency of Ministry of Commerce, P.R. China, South Korean Embassy to Beijing and South Korea Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (Beijing), the China-Korea Cooperation Forum was held in Beijing on October 24, 2014. The theme of the forum is New Planning for Europe-Asia Cooperation & New Opportunity for China-Korea Cooperation, and the aim is to implement the strategies of One Belt and One Road, and Europe-Asia Initiative, proposed by Chinese and Korean leaders, hoping that the forum will further facilitate Europe-Asia and China-Korea Economic cooperation and development. More than 300 Chinese and Korean business leaders and scholars attended the forum. Park Geun-hye, President of Korea, sent a video of congratulation on the forum. Zheng Xinli, Vice Chairman of CCIEE, delivered a keynote speech and Wei Jianguo, Vice Chairman of CCIEE, addressed the opening ceremony. H.E Mr. Kwon Young-se, South Korean Ambassador to China and other South Korean officials also attended the forum.

On the video of congratulation, South Korea’s President Park Geun-hy said that China-South Korea cooperation is based on complementarity and the two countries have made remarkable development in areas such as politics and culture. In 2013, the total trade between China and South Korea reached 256.3 billion US dollar. Since the first negotiation on China-South Korea FTA held in Beijing last May, the cooperation between the two countries has entered into a new era and is closer than any other countries. She hopes that with in-depth discussion and active exchanges, this forum will become a new opportunity and bring China-South Korea economic cooperation to a new level.

Zheng Xinli believes that China is capable of making large scale foreign trade and investment. By revitalizing the Silk Road and enlarging cooperation with surrounding countries, China will help other countries to make the best use of China’s huge market and growing foreign investment to speed up their economic development. Eventually, this will make great contribution to peaceful and stable economic development in Asia. China’s construction of the One Belt and One Road project will surely bring more opportunity to China-South Korea economic cooperation. Furthermore, the construction of China’s 21st-Century-Sea-Silk-Road will provide South Korea with advantage to expand its international trade and shipping. China’s ever-growing foreign trade will increase China-South Korea trade, and the economic relationship between the two countries will become closer and gain broader space for development.

Wei Jianguo pointed out that China-South Korea economic and trade cooperation has gained significant progress and China’s investment in South Korea has also increased notably. At the forum, business leaders, scholars and officials gathered together to discuss how we can combine the two strategies of Europe-Asia Initiative and One Belt and One Road, realize complementary advantages of the two countries and make better use of the advantages of Chinese and South Korean entrepreneurs. The forum will become a strong driving force for economic development in Asia, Europe and even the entire world.

Experts and scholars from China and South Korea expressed their viewpoints on Europe-Asia cooperation and seize new opportunity to promote China-South Korea economic cooperation.