Sichuan Economy and Trade Trends

Monthly, June 2015

 Published by CCPIT Sichuan Council

Contents

Macro Economy

Sichuan's Tourism Investment in Excess of RMB 50 Billion

From this year, Sichuan tourism has been developing at top speed. The investment in the province’s tourism industry alone in the first five months has reached RMB 50 billion, almost a 3%-increase compared to the same period last year.

Centered on the aim and task of striving to fulfill RMB 100 billion of real tourism investment set forth at the economic working conference of the provincial Party Committee, Sichuan is vigorously implementing the double-hundred million-yuan tourism investment project: use tourism investment to accelerate the development of the tourism industry, to promote the establishment of tourism industry funds, to innovate the industry investment and financing mode, and to leverage more social funds for the tourism industry. In the first five months, the contracted amount of Sichuan’s tourist projects was about RMB 88 billion, increasing by approximately 94.6% compared to last year. 100 major tourism projects, such as Chengdu Daxigu Holiday Resort, Panzhihua Ashuda Huawurenjian Scenic Spot, Luzhou  Chinese Wine  Town·Chateau Tourist Area, Mianyang Baima Wanglang National Natural Scenic Area, are being constructed at a rapid pace. In June, theChina(Sichuan) International Tourism Investment Conference was held in Sichuan, where a high-end platform will be built to exchange, recommend and discuss tourism projects.

Sichuan’s tourism industry is gaining power from the expansion of consumption expansion and the stimulation of development. Through various forms of short break holidays and festivals across the province, numerous tourism promotions and marketing activities have been launched to display local features and haul travel consumptions. In the first five months, more than 70 marketing campaigns had been carried out across Sichuan and a variety of people-benefit measures and sales promotion means had been introduced to further strengthen visitor interactions between regions and to effectively fuel recreational travel consumptions. (June 14^th, Sichuan Daily/Zhu Li)

Industries above Designated Size with a Year-on-Year Growth of 7.9% in the First Five Months of 2015

On June 15, Sichuan Provincial Bureau of Statistics disseminated the main data of national economic indexes of Sichuan province between January and May: the incremental growth of industries above designated size rose by 7.9%, matching with the cumulative growth of the first four months, but 1.7% higher than the national average. The consumption and the investment growth remained smooth.

From the aspect of industries, 33 out of 41 major industries achieved incremental growth in increment. Among them, the added value of manufacturing industries of wine, beverages and refined tea went up by 14.5% and that of the automobile industry grew by 6.8%. From the aspect of products, the output of major industrial products increased faster. Among them, the generated energy was up by 3.5%, chemical pesticides by 28.7%, wine by 5.8%, automobiles by 12.7%, and mobile communication handsets by 384%. Related officials from Sichuan Provincial Bureau of Statistics said the industrial economy of Sichuan province was running smoothly and steadily as a whole, but still pressed for the economic downturn.

Investments continued to grow rapidly. In the first five months, the total investment in fixed assets was RMB 1007.06 billion, up by 10.6% compared to the same period of the previous year. From the perspective of paid-in investments, between January and May, the funds available were RMB 1128.86 billion in total, increasing by 5.6%. What’s worth noting is that it was turned from negative to positive by introducing foreign investments, namely, changing from a 28.4% of decrease to a 37.9% of increase during the first four months. From the perspective of real estate exploitation, between January and May, the investment in real estate exploitation was enhanced by 13.5% compared to the same period of the previous year. Under the influence of a series of new policies, the sales of commercial housing were apparently recovered, with the sales area growing positively for three consecutive months after dropping by 5.7% for two successive months (January-February). The growth rates in the first quarter, the first four months, and the first five months were 0.7%, 2%, and 3% respectively.

The growth of consumption remained steady. In the first five months, total retail sales of consumer goods were RMB 542.45 billion, going up by 11.7% compared to the same period of the previous year, 1.3% higher than the national average. (June 16^th, Sichuan Daily/Dong Shimei)

Over 40,000 Local Enterprises Sold Nearly RMB 170 Billion of Sichuan-made Goods

By the end of May 2015, Sichuan had organized and conducted over 940 activities that were attended by more than 43,000 companies, such as Shopping in Sichuan (in favor of Sichuan people), Sichuan-made Goods Travel Nationwide, Enterprises Going Abroad, Three Major Activities of the 2015 market expansion. The sales value or intended turnover amounted to RMB 168.367 billion—a volume equivalent to 14.4% of the provincial consumption large-cap of last year.

The Shopping in Sichuan campaign was initiated by seizing the peak selling opportunity during festivals and activities in combination with the regional consumption and industry features. In the first five months, Sichuan organized 41800 companies to participate in 910 Shopping in Sichuan activities and fulfilled RMB 163.1 billion in sales volume. Among them, over 8,100 firms participated in multiple discounts and promotional campaigns and gained RMB 14.8 billion of sales volume. Relying on well-known exhibitions, Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce launched the Sichuan-made Goods Travel Nationwide in Beijing and Guangzhou to display superior local consumer goods. More than 200 corporations attended the activity and the cumulative trading volume was RMB 0.555 billion. At the Tea Expo, Guangzhou 2015 curtained on June 1, the trading volume realized by the companies from Sichuan was RMB 0. 389 billion, among which the contract value of tea supplies and distribution was RMB 0.224 billion and the amount of agreement of intention was RMB 0.162 billion.

In the first five months, Sichuan organized a total of 36 provincial-level Enterprises Going Abroad activities. Over thirty percents of them were related to the countries and regions along the One Belt One Road and 1,023 corporations were pushed to "go out" to explore the international market. The event resulted in $ 0.76 billion of intended turnover and the signing of 103 contracts. (June 24^th, Sichuan Daily/Pan Pengshan, Zeng Xiaoqian)

Foreign Trade

Sichuan Tourism New Image’s First Show in Northern Europe

To explore the Nordic outbound tourism market and promote Sichuan inbound tourism market, a ten-day tourism marketing campaign themed as Greetings from Pandas was convened inSweden,Finland, andDenmarkon May 27^th, 2015.

During the activity, Sichuan Tourism Delegation launched the Sichuan Tourism Promotion Conference at the first stop—Stockholm, the capital city ofSweden. More than 60 distinguished guests from the governments, tourism industries and media were present at the conference, including Chen Yuming. Ambassador from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Kingdom of Sweden, Kent, Chairman of Sino-Swede Friendship Association, and Ms. Eva, Marketing Director from Stockholm Travel and Tourism Administration. Chen Yuming pointed out in his speech that, at the 60^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations betweenChinaandSweden, the arrival of Sichuan Tourism Delegation embodied the continuously deepening of exchange and cooperation of the two countries. He also stated that this visit would strengthen the cooperation of Sichuan andSwedenon tourism development.

In addition, Sichuan Provincial Tourism Administration released the new logo of Sichuan tourism and the publicity slogan “Sichuan, more than pandas” in Europe for the first time. The awarding policies of Sichuan inbound tourism and the investment policies of tourism industry were interpreted to the same trade in Sweden; the Travel Across Sichuan’s World Cultural and Natural Heritage was introduced to Sweden. The first appearance of Sichuan tourism has caused a sensation from the Swedish peers, who felt a strong need to cooperate with Sichuan tourism industry and expressed their desire to go on a field trip to Sichuan, to know more about Sichuan, and to sell Sichuan tourism products.

On May 28^th, Sichuan Provincial Tourism Administration and Air China Limited Sweden Office jointly participated in the Swedish Business Travel Show, which was one of the business tour exhibitions of a larger scale and influence in Sweden. All other attendants were the professional suppliers of business travel services in Northern Europe. The show is expected to raise Sichuan’s brand visibility in Northern Europe. In the following days, Sichuan Tourism Delegation will visit local tourism bureau and tourism firms and then go to Copenhagen and Helsinki to initiate promotion activities. (June 3^rd, Sichuan Daily/Liu Xing)

The 15^th Anniversary Hosted in Chengdu by the British Consulate-General Chongqing

On June 9^th, The British Consulate-General Chongqing held the 15^th anniversary & the British Queen’s birthday reception in Chengdu. The Vice Chairman Yang Xingping from Sichuan Provincial Committee of the CPPCC was invited to the event and made remarks.

The district of British Consulate-General Chongqing covers Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, and Guizhou. Since its opening in March 2000, it has made a positive contribution to the practical cooperation between Southwest China (Sichuan included) and theUnited   Kingdom. For the past few years, the two countries have become increasingly closer in exchanges and communication of science & technology, education, tourism, culture and sister cities and have constantly intensified economic and trade cooperation and bilateral investment. The friendly communications have resulted in plentiful and substantial outcomes. In 2013, British Prime Minister Cameron visited Sichuan, which has pushed the amicable cooperation betweenBritainand Sichuan to a higher level. The setup ofUKvisa application center in Chengdu and the opening of Chengdu-London direct flight have greatly facilitated the two-way communication and economic cooperation between Southwest China and theUnited Kingdom. In 2014, the total import-export volume between Sichuan and theUnited Kingdomwas up to $ 1.38 billion. At present, there are more than 30 UK-funded enterprises investing and opening branches in Sichuan.

Yang Xingping said he hoped that British Consulate-General Chongqing would continue to devote more efforts to strengthening the exchange and cooperation between Sichuan and theUnited  Kingdomand to introduce Sichuan to more British friends. He believed that, with the joint efforts on both sides, Sichuan and theUnited Kingdomwould reach a higher level of exchange and cooperation.

An Yong, Envoy from the British Embassy Beijing, and Tina Redshaw, Consul-General from the British Consulate-General Chongqing delivered remarks at the reception. (June 10^th, Sichuan Daily/Liu Miaomiao)

Sino-German Joint Ventures Settled in Suining to Bring Tens of Billions in Growth to the Equipment Manufacturing Industry

On June 11^th, the first Sino-German business corporation in Suining—Sichuan Herrenknecht Baoshi Hydraulic Drill Co., Ltd. officially opened. The joint venture will manufacture spare parts for intelligent all-hydraulic deep-well oil rigs, exploit markets, and conduct technological innovation throughout the city of Suining, opening up a new space for the expansion of Suining’s equipment manufacturing industry.

Sichuan Herrenknecht Baoshi Hydraulic Drill Co., Ltd. is co-invested by German Herrenknecht AG, CNPC Baoji Oilfield Machinery Co., Ltd., and Sichuan Glory Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. Last August, the first intelligent all-hydraulic deep-well oil rig developed by German Herrenknecht AG was successfully assembled, locally matched and jointly debugged at Suining Herrenknecht Rig Base, and then delivered to China National Petroleum Corporation to search for oil and gas within Sichuan province. Later, under the efforts of multiple parties, German Herrenknecht AG decided to transfer the businesses and production of drilling rig parts to Suining. After the joint venture stated above was founded, the project, which is to be constructed in three stages, will produce 40 intelligent all-hydraulic deep-well oil rigs annually and bring approximately RMB 10 billion of gross output. (June 12^th, Sichuan Daily/Ou Huan, Ren Hong)

Consulate-General ofPolandOpened in Chengdu

The Consulate-General ofPolandwas opened on June 18^th in Chengdu. As the 4^th consulate-general ofPolandinChina, Sichuan  Province, Guizhou Province, Yunnan Province and Chongqing City are affiliated with the Consulate-General ofPolandin Chengdu.

Over the years, Sichuan andPolandhave always maintained a friendly exchange and the multilevel and wide-ranging friendly relationship between both parties grew closer in recent years. As the cooperative relationship between both countries has steadily strengthened,Polandhas become one of the largest economic and trading partners of Sichuan in Eastern Europe. The total export-import volume of Sichuan andPolandreached $ 133.42 million with a year-on-year growth of 3.9%. Friendly cooperative relationships have been respectively established between Sichuan Province and Lodz Province as well as Chengdu and Lodz. High-level reciprocal visits and the political, economic and cultural exchanges between both sides are increasingly frequent. The Chengdu-Europe Express Railway opened in April, 2013 has become a new logistics channel of the Silk Road Economic Belt and an important link between Western China and Europe. On the basis of friendly cooperative relationships on both sides,Polanddecided to establish a consulate-general in Chengdu to further enhance the cooperation between Sichuan andPolandin terms of economy and trade, agriculture, education, culture, government communication, etc.

Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland-Katarzyna Kacperczyk paid a visit to Sichuan and indicated that Sichuan Province and Chengdu are special forPoland. Chengdu will be closely linked to Lodz via the Chengdu-Europe Express Railway and the opening and operation of the Chengdu-Europe Express Railway will be favorable toChinaandPolandto propel the strategic implementation of the One Belt One Road. And it is believed that the relationship betweenPolandandChina, especially betweenPolandand Sichuan, will be increasingly closer once the Poland Consulate-General in Chengdu is opened. Vice Governor Wang Ning, member of the Standing Committee of Sichuan Province and Katarzyna Kacperczyk unveiled the nameplate of the Poland Consulate-General in Chengdu together. Polish Ambassador in China-Tadeusz Chomicki, Provincial Governor of Lodz Province-Witold Stepien and other honored domestic and foreign guests attended the opening ceremony. (June 19^th, Sichuan Daily/Liu Miaomiao)

Key Projects

Commencing of COMAC Civil Aircraft Demonstration Industrial Park to Promote and UpdateChinaChengdu Civil Aviation Industry

One June 3^rd, the COMAC civil aircraft demonstration industrial park with a total investment of RMB 2 billion officially commenced.

The COMAC civil aircraft demonstration industrial park project is an important constituent part of the national large aircraft major special project medium and large passenger plane project. Four business sectors including flight simulation training, aircraft maintenance, material support and engineering technology support will be created and an all-around security system will be established to support and provide services for the commercial operation of domestic aircraft. A civil aircraft customer service system covering the southwest and northwest regions ofChinaand radiating into the Southeast Asia region will be gradually established in the industrial park to promote the development of the Chengdu civil aviation industry and update the airport economy in Chengdu.

The industrial park project is located at the intersection of the 2^nd runway of Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and Dajian Road with a gross building area of about 340,000 m², mainly used to build maintenance hangars, special garages, aerodrome oil depots, spare storage, production directing centers, operation & management centers, etc. (June 3^rd, Sichuan Daily/Luo Xiangming)

Industries

Panzhihua’s Largest Cold Chain Logistics Center to Be Complete by the End of June

Panzhihua’s ten thousand-ton fruit and vegetable air-conditioned store cold chain logistic center will be complete by the end of June. After being put into production, the shelf life of mangoes will be lengthened by about one month to relieve the limited sales window caused by concentrated listings. It is predicted that the unit price of mangoes will rise by about RMB 2 per jin after peak-shifting.

The ten thousand-ton fruit and vegetables air-conditioned store cold chain logistic center, with a gross investment of about RMB 110 million and total building area of 27,427m², can propel the development of the fruit and vegetables base with an area of more than 50,000 mu and radiate the development of the fruit and vegetables base with an area of more than 150,000 mu. (June 4^th, Sichuan Daily/Lv Yaofu, Kou Minfang)

Another Strategic Alliance of Industrial Technology Innovation Established in Sichuan

A national strategic alliance of new-type energy storage batteries and industrial technology innovation was established in Daying County of Suining, which symbolizes that Sichuan  Province has taken an important step forward in the aspect of developing the new-type energy storage battery and industrial technology innovation.

The alliance was jointly launched and formed by 9 members including Daying Energy-Gathered Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd., Chengdu Science and Technology Development Center of the CAEP, Dongfang Electric Corporation, Shenzhen Zhuoneng New Energy Co., Ltd., etc., aimed at deepening the cooperative mechanism between governments, enterprises, schools and research institutes, jointly breaking through the technical bottleneck during industrial development and propelling the upgrading of Chinese new-type energy storage batteries and material industries.

A strategic alliance of industrial technology innovation is one of the three carriers of implementing national technology innovation projects. (June 9^th, Sichuan Daily/Dong Shimei)

Convention & Exhibition Economy

World’s First Open-Type 3D Printing Application Service Platform Proposed to Settle in Chengdu

One June 4^th, the 3^rd World 3D Printing Technology Industry Conference and the 2015 World 3D Printing Technology EXPO were kicked off in Chengdu. More than 1200 representatives from more than 10 countries and regions made an in-depth discussion with the topic of ushering in the era of 3D printing 3.0 and held a special discussion about the applications of 3D printing technology in the fields of industry, biomedicine, cultural innovation, etc.

Chengdu, as an important regional central city in Western China, has many favorable advantages to develop emerging technologies and emerging industries, said by CEO of the World 3D Printing Technology Industry Alliance-Luo Jun. As a national-level new industrial area, Tianfu New Area needs the strategic support of 3D printing technology, robotics and other advanced technologies. This conference was convened in Chengdu and brought about 3 gift packs: the first open-type 3D printing application service platform in the world-the Southwest Headquarter of China 3D Printing Innovation Center, the authoritative internet platform in the 3D printing industry-the Southwest Headquarter of 3D Printing Online (www.3D2013.com) and the 3D printing think tank organization integrated with 3D printing educational training standards, 3D printing talent education and training as well as 3D printing industrial research-the Southwest Headquarter of 3D Printing Research Institute have been decided to be located in Chengdu. The three projects may probably change the whole ecosystem of the 3D printing industry.

The 2^nd World 3D Printing Technology EXPO was also opened on the 3^rd in the New International Convention Center in Chengdu. More than 100 domestic and overseas enterprises fromGermany,AmericaandBelgiumbrought their latest 3D technologies and the most awesome products. The items on display include wedding dresses, necklaces, human organs, etc. that can all be printed. The EXPO with an unprecedented exhibition area of 16,000 m² is the largest conference and exhibition in 3D printing industry over the world. (June 5^th, Sichuan Daily/Zhang Yuxi, Zhang Shoushuai)

The 3^rd China(Mianyang) Science & Technology City International High-Tech Expo Held in Early September

The 3^rd China(Mianyang) Science & Technology City International High-Tech Expo with a theme of technological innovation, military and civilian integration, opening cooperation will be held in early September of this year. This Expo will last for 4 days, mainly focusing on scientific & technological achievements trading, scientific and technological information and policies issuing and international scientific & technological exchange and cooperation. It is predicted that about 10,000 distinguished guests and about 800 domestic and overseas guests and merchants will attend the expo.

This year, the science & technology expo will aim at intensively developing Mianyang’s 4+3 high-end growth-type industries and focus on showcasing information security and IOT, new energy automobiles, energy conservation and environmental protection, aviation and gas turbines, Beidou satellite navigation, new-generation display technology, 3D printing, robotics and other strategic emerging industries. 7 important events including the International Military-civil Integration Innovation Development Forum, the International Advanced Manufacturing Industry Conference, the Release and Trading Fair of Scientific & Technological Achievements and Patented Technologies, the Scientific & Technological Talents Exchange and Achievement Exhibition, the Guest Country Day and Concentrated Signing Ceremony, etc. Furthermore, 4 special activities including the Promotion Event of Investment in Mianyang-the Science & Technology City, the Concentrated Promotion Event of Sichuan Four-Economic Area, the Purchaser Negotiation Meeting, etc.

Mianyang has invited more than 30 national-level high-tech zones to take part in the exhibition and more than 230 businesses have been called together to make special negotiations. This Expo with a total exhibition area of 80,000 m² will be divided into 5 exhibition areas, including an exhibition area for high-tech products from guest countries, exhibition and trading area for high-tech products, national independent innovation demonstration area and exhibition area for scientific & technological achievements of national-level high-tech zones, Sichuan four-economic exhibition area and exhibition area for large equipment and popular science.

Guest countries shall be chosen firstly at this time. Currently, the Czech Republic andChinahave reached a primary intent of holding the post of guest country. Czech will display its new high-tech products at the event. (June 11^th, Sichuan Daily/Zou Junchuan)

2015 Sichuan the First Southern Sichuan E-Commerce Expo Unveiled to Boost E-Commerce

The 3-day 2015 Sichuan the First Southern Sichuan E-Commerce Expo will be kicked off in Neijiang on June 11^th. More than 300 domestic and overseas experts and scholars, representatives of different cities in southern Sichuan, 27 famous e-businesses at home and abroad including Alibaba, Jingdong, Amazon, etc. and representatives of more than 40 local e-business enterprises gathered here and discussed how to propel the e-commerce development and realize economic transformation and upgrading under the tide of IOT+.

Focusing on the theme of transformation development and win-win cooperation, 11 activities including the 2015 (1^st) Aiqidaqian E-Commerce Innovation Summit Forum, the Rural E-Commerce Forum Session, the Transformation Forum of SMEs of IOT+ of Alibaba, etc. will be carried out at the event.

At the Summit Forum, Director of the Center for Information Study-Wang Xiangdong indicated that propelling e-commerce development has become a main trend inChina. The western region during the beginning of timeframe shall give full play to its advantages to realize the regional cooperation development in the eastern and middle regions. (June 12^th, Sichuan Daily/Zeng Xiaoqing, Zhangxiao)

China E-Commerce Logistics Conference First Opened in Chengdu

The 6^th China E-Commerce Logistics Conference sponsored by the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing was held in Chengdu for the first time on June 11^th.

With the rapid development of e-commerce, e-commerce logistics became a subdivided field that develops the fastest among other logistical fields and has driven the development of related logistical fields including express delivery, urban delivery, storage, equipment technology, etc. With a theme of IOT + Logistics: new normal, new thinking and new patterns, the conference was carried out with one main forum and five sub-forums. Relevant people from the government, enterprises, research institutes, schools and other fields gathered together and discussed how to propel the establishment of a standard, orderly, high-efficient and sound e-commerce logistical development environment, looking far ahead into the future of e-commerce logistics in the IOT era and opening up discussion on many hot issues including cross-border e-commerce, financial payments, O2O integration, green logistics, etc. (June 12^th, Sichuan Daily/Zhao Ruoyan, Chen Yan)

Sichuan International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition Settled in Deyang

The 51^st Paris Air Show closed not long ago, the People’s Government of Deyang City signed a cooperation framework agreement with Farnborough International Ltd. and EU Project Innovation Center (EUPIC), aimed at creating a brand new international air show-Sichuan International Aviation & Aerospace Show in Deyang with a joint effort.

The Sichuan International Aviation & Aerospace Show will be a biannual exhibition which will be first held in Deyang in September 2017. The show will last for 5 days in total as it will be opened to professional personnel for 3 days, and then, opened to the public for 2 days. 60 planes will be displayed on the ground and 70 planes will be flown above the audience, with the purpose of showing the manufacturing, maintenance and supporting services of civil and commercial aviation, revealing the rapid development of international business in Sichuan and providing opportunities for aviation enterprises all over the world to join into theChinaaviation supply chain. (June 24^th, Sichuan Daily/Zhao Ruoyan)

CCPIT Sichuan Council

Sichuan Commodities Welcomed at the ASEAN Market

CCPIT Sichuan Council and Sichuan Provincial Agricultural Department altogether organized 39 people from 17 enterprises (wherein, 11 enterprises paid a visit to the CCPIT Sichuan Council for the first time) to make up the Sichuan Provincial Economic and Trade Delegation to attend The 10^th China Machinery and Electronic Products Exhibition in Indonesia from May 20^th, 2015 to May 29^th, 2015. Meanwhile, the CCPIT Sichuan Council and Sichuan Provincial Agricultural Department will hold The 3^rd China Sichuan Commodity (Indonesia) Exhibition and will conduct The Economic and Trade Matching Conference inThailandandMyanmar. According to statistics, the sum of the agreements and intended cooperation at the conclusion during the event totaled $ 2.6 million.

The Sichuan Commodity Exhibition in Jakarta has set 17 standard exhibition booths and has an exhibition floor space of 450m², of which 14m³ are used for centralized transportation of items on display, to show over 70 Made in Sichuan products in agricultural machinery, lighting equipment, communication wires and cables and automobile spare parts. Sun Weide, Minister-Counselor of Commerce of the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia, Ali Rehman, Deputy Director of the Heavy Industry and Agricultural Machinery Department of the Ministry of Trade Republic of China, and Wang Guiqing, Vice Chairman of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCMB) attended the opening ceremony and visited the Sichuan commodity exhibition area. The exhibition has accumulated nearly 3,000 visitors at the Sichuan exhibition area, of which professional visitors are about 300 people. 14 Sichuan enterprises, 82% of all the exhibitors, have conducted transactions at the site or reached an intention of cooperation with an aggregate amount of $ 1.2 million.

The delegation has held the 2015 China Sichuan-Thailand Business Matching Conference and 2015 China (Sichuan)-Myanmar Business Matching Conference respectively in Bangkok,Thailandand Myanmar Rangoon. Lv Furong, Vice Chairman of CCPIT Sichuan Council and Zhu Jun, Deputy Director General of Sichuan Provincial Agricultural Department have given presentations on the economic, trade and agricultural conditions of Sichuan Province; Zhang Peidong, Commercial Counselor of Chinese Embassy in Thailand, Niyong Walapani, Vice Chairman of the Thai-Chinese Chamber of Commerce (Thailand Trade Council) and Miu De, Vice Chairman of UMFCCI have attended matching conferences and have given speeches. The enterprises in Sichuan Province have conducted one-on-one matching talks with 57 Thai and 48Myanmarenterprises with a sum of $ 1.4 million in intentional cooperation.

In particular, Sichuan Xudong Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd. and Indonesian Colmar Co., Ltd. have reached intentions in agricultural machinery export totaling $ 1 million; Sichuan Huili Agricultural Chain Co., Ltd. has sought out potash development partners in Indonesia, Thailand and Myanmar and has reached intentions with them in potash export totaling $ 607,000; Sichuan Yibin Pushi Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. and Myanmar Sanlong Energy Co., Ltd. have reached intentions in export of 8 numerical control machine tools totaling $ 800,000; Chengdu RongBao Biological Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd. is planning to invest in a lucid ganoderma planting and processing base; Sichuan Huafeng Agricultural Equipment Co., Ltd. has reached 24 cooperative intentions in solar energy lifting irrigation (pumping) systems, solar power stations and agricultural product processing machines; Sichuan Huinong Machinery Co., Ltd., Sichuan Aimashi Science Technology Co., Ltd. and Sichuan Jiusheng Communication Science and Technology Co., Ltd. have sought out agent partners in Thailand and Myanmar. After the exhibition and matching conference, Chengdu RongBao Biological Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd., Leshan Dongchuan Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Sichuan Huafeng Agricultural Equipment Co., Ltd. and Sichuan Huili Agricultural Chain Co., Ltd. have investigated the local enterprises and market.

The delegation also made official visits to Kadin Indonesia Komite Tiongkok (KIKT), the Indonesian Chinese Chamber of Commerce, DITP of the Thailand Ministry of Commerce, Federation of Thai Industries, Myanmar Ministry of Commerce, and Myanmar Yangon Trade Association, and has toured Wudu Agricultural Comprehensive Function Park in Yangon, Myanmar to introduce major economic trade events like Western China Convention Exhibition, China, Sichuan Imported Commodity Fair and Chengdu Automobile Parts Fair.

ShangbaoIndonesia, Sin Chew Daily, International Daily News, Harian   InHua,MyanmarDaily and 7 Days New Journal have interviewed and reported on the activities of the delegation.

The exhibition has set up a good platform for Sichuan enterprises to further know and expand in the ASEAN market. The members of the delegation all expressed that they could intentionally seek out cooperation partners and their confidence to expand into the international market could be strengthened via exhibition, discussion and direct relationships with foreign enterprises and business associations We hope that CCPIT Sichuan Council will organize more special activities to help enterprises go global and speed up the progress of corporate internationalization.

CCPIT Sichuan Council Organized Sichuan’s Business Delegation to Attend Exhibitions and Initiate Trade Activities in Lebanon, Bahrain, and Iran

CCPIT Sichuan Council organized the Sichuan enterprise delegation (altogether 13 people) on May 24^th, 2015 to attend the 6^th China-Arab Business Conference & the 4^th Investment Seminar inLebanonand carried out economic trade activities inBahrainandIran.

The delegation attended the 6^th China-Arab Business Conference & the 4^th Investment Seminar in Beirut, the capital ofLebanon. The conference, themed as Together Building up the Silk Road Economic Belt, was attended by over 500 entrepreneurs fromChinaand 15 Arab countries. Wang Zhengwei, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Salam, Prime Minister of Lebanon attended the opening ceremony and gave speeches. The enterprises on both sides will be together devoted to the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt with the conference as an opportunity, will establish multi-level channels for communication and cooperation and strengthen cooperation in key sectors like energy, agriculture and food processing, machinery mechanical, light industry and textiles, infrastructure, finance and investment.

The delegation held the China Sichuan-Iran Enterprise Forum in Tehran, the capital ofIran. Li Gang, Chairman of the CCPIT Sichuan Council, Tang Zicai, First Secretary of the Economic-Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in Iran, Chen Lianjun, Secretary-General of the Middle-East Market Special Committee of the Sichuan International Chamber of Commerce, Asigeluoladi, Chairman of the Iran Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China and Halili, Vice Chairman of the Iran Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China respectively gave speeches at the conference. The delegation has further known the Iranian trade and investment environment, has held one-on-one talks with 25 local enterprises and has reached many cooperative agreements.

The delegation has reached many cooperative agreements and made tangible results through the China-Arab Business Conference & Investment Seminar, the Sichuan China -Iran Enterprise Forum and other economic trade activities. Sichuan Xiang Yuan International Trade Co., Ltd. and Aliansen Group have held talks about intentional agreements on natural gas pipeline projects and oil equipment accessory supply projects from Dubai to Abu Dhabi; Sichuan Guangmang New Energy Co., Ltd. and Dubai Energy Company have reached intentional agreements on solar energy and LNG natural gas compression projects; Sichuan Zangdun Biotechnology Co., Ltd. and Iranian enterprises have reached intentional agreements on supplying tea-leaves; Deyang Zhengguang Electromechanical Equipment Co., Ltd. and three Iranian companies have reached preliminary cooperation intentions to provide sample data, offer and agreed sale contracts on the basis of the real demand of foreign sides; Sichuan Xiang Yuan International Trade Co., Ltd. has made intentional agreements in Iran about educational equipment, medical system service, natural asphalt mining and Iranian featured calico.

The countries mentioned above and other Arab countries are important on One Belt One Road Initiative”. Therefore, the delegation has established new relationships and intensified cooperation through these opportunities and platforms provided by the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum to lay a foundation for us to seize the chance of the One Belt One Road Initiative and strengthen pragmatic bilateral cooperation.

Promoting Development within South Asia Using the “One Belt One Road” Strategy

The 6^th SAARC–Sichuan China Business Cooperation Round-Table Conference (hereinafter referred to as Round-Table Conference) co-hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Sichuan Provincial People’s Government and SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry had its grand opening in Chengdu on June 15^th, 2015, which was organized by the CCPIT Sichuan Council. Prior to the conference, in his meeting with Duminda Dissayanake, Minister of Agriculture of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and other guests, Wei Hong, Vice-Secretary of the Sichuan Provincial CPC Committee and Governor of Sichuan Province, indicated that the Round-Table Conference has been held 5 times with notable results and that thanks to the guidance of the One Belt One Road National Strategy, Sichuan is leading the pack in the cooperation between China and South Asian countries, and he expected more proposals on cooperation and broader consensus from the conference. Moreover, Sichuan Province also values its friendship with South Asian countries and supports all kinds of exchanges and cooperation between Sichuan enterprises and their South Asian counterparts. It is hoped that all parties can explore new cooperation models, create new cooperation platforms to pursue common development and achieve win-win results through joint efforts. Vice-Governor Ganlin, ministers of relevant South Asian countries and chairman of SAARC CCI attended the Round-Table Conference and delivered speeches.

Vice-governor began his speech by extending a warm welcome to the guests and entrepreneurs from South Asian countries in attendance, and expressing his sincere sympathy to the victims and their losses in the mega earthquake of magnitude 8.1 inNepalnot long ago. He pointed out that Sichuan Province, a major player in the westernChinain economy, population and resources, boasted a GDP of $ 467 billion, up by 8.5% year on year, ranking 8^th in the country and 1^st in westernChina. As a highland of an inland province opening to the outside world, Sichuan has established economic and trade relations with more than 210 countries and regions. Currently, 283 out of Fortune 500 Companies have invested in Sichuan with 210 foreign ones, and 14 countries, includingIndia,PakistanandSri  Lanka, have set up consulates here and Sichuan has 82 international routes, including direct flights to Mumbai, Karachi and Kathmandu. An open Sichuan is showing a flourishing and growing momentum. He underlined that in line with the overall national strategy of the One Belt One Road and One Belt One Road Strategy and 251^st Three-Year Action Plan of the Sichuan Provincial CPC Committee and Provincial People’s Government, Sichuan will put emphasis on promoting investment cooperation with South Asian countries and carry out pragmatic cooperation, expand bilateral economic and trade exchange and pursue mutual benefits and win-win results by centering on the theme of Infrastructure Construction and Development in South Asia and Investment Trade and Industrial Transfers.

In his speech, Ismail Asif, President of SAARC CCI, remarked that the Round-Table Conference has been held 5 times, which shows cooperation between South Asia and Sichuan is both sincere and friendly. Delegations fromIndia,Sri Lanka,Afghanistan,Pakistanand other South Asian countries have attended the Western China International Fai, Imported Commodities Fair. On the other hand, since 2013, more than 150 Sichuan enterprises have attended conferences and exhibitions or held their own ones inIndia,Nepal,PakistanandBangladeshwith signed contracts totaling $ 860 million. It has been proven that the Round-Table Conference is not only a platform for economic and trade cooperation, but also for equal communication, cooperative development and friendship between South Asia and Sichuan. He expressed wishes for the Round-Table Conference to play a greater role in the Chinese government’s One Belt One Road national strategy and enjoy further development.

Duminda Dissayanake, Minister of Agriculture of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Sunil Bahadur Thapa, minister of Commerce and Supplies of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, chambers of commerce and industry of South Asian countries, officials of embassies and consulates and members of parliament described investment policies, investment environments, investment projects, tourism and cultural exchanges in their respective countries and expressed their will to enhance exchange and deepen cooperation with Sichuan Province to assist in Sichuan integrating into the One Belt One Road strategy and keeping its position as the forerunner in western China, thus realizing common development. The China Development Bank Sichuan Branch, centering on the Silk Road Fund, and the Institute of South Asian Studies, Sichuan University, centering on The Pivotal Role of South Asian Countries in the Construction of the One Belt One Road, delivered brilliant speeches.

Sichuan Ming Chuan Chengyu Co., Ltd. signed an RMB 8 billion thermal power project agreement with the Pakistani Government, Power China Chengdu Engineering Corporation Limited signed a $ 900 million water conservancy and irrigation engineering cooperative project with the Non-Starvation Organization of the Ministry of Agriculture of Sri Lanka. In addition, the Lito Group ofBangladeshand Chengdu Bus Co., Ltd signed a memorandum of understanding, the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the CCPIT Sichuan Council signed a memorandum of cooperation.

There were other three parallel meetings held during the Round-Table Conference. In the first meeting, Sunil Bahadur Thapa, Minister of Commerce and Supplies of Nepal made a presentation on post-disaster reconstruction projects inNepal, Pakistani members of parliament gave an explanation of the status quo and prospect of economic development of the Punjab Province and Uttar Pradesh ofIndiagave a presentation on cooperation projects. In the second meeting, 72 Sichuan enterprises and 48 enterprises from South Asia have held face-to-face talks. In the third meeting, participants made in-depth exchanges and discussions centered on the topics of the next Round-Table Conference and rotating country. 92 guests from South  Asia, including Sunil Bahadur Thapa, Minister of Commerce and Supplies of Nepal, would pay a visit to the Wenchuan post-disaster reconstruction projects and Wangpai Vehicle Co., Ltd.

In the Closing Meeting of Parallel Meetings, Ismail Asif, President of SAARC CCI, remarked that this Round-Table Conference is clear in theme, rich in content and notable in results. For example, a large number of projects related to transportation, energy and tourism, especially infrastructure construction were promoted, quite a few substantial agreements were signed, exchange and communication between companies from the two sides were strengthened and a proposal to include the Round-Table Conference in one of the important economic and trade cooperation platforms for South Asia and Sichuan integrating into the One Belt One Road strategy and to enable this platform to be more influential and attractive to enterprises was put forward.

Around 380 guests, including Cai Jing, Deputy Secretary-General and Director of the General Office of the Sichuan Provincial People’s Government, Wu Xiankui, Director of the Counselor’s Office of the Sichuan Provincial People’s Government, heads of the Agriculture Department, Department of Commerce and Department of Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs, Head of the South Asia Chamber of Commerce, officials from the embassies and consulates of South Asian countries to China and representatives of entrepreneurs from South Asian countries and Sichuan, attended the meetings and conference. Li Gang, president of CCPIT Sichuan Council, Abdul Matlub Ahmad, President of the FBCCI, the Rotating Presidency, Ikeba Tabish, Secretary-General of the SCCI and Li Li, Vice President of the CCPIT Sichuan Council presided over the meeting.

“Work Together withSingapore, Radiate Across ASEAN, Look at the World”SingaporePromotional Conference Held in Chengdu

On June 23^rd, 2015, the promotional conference with a theme of Work together withSingapore, Radiate Across ASEAN, Look at the World was held in Chengdu, which was co-hosted by the Singapore Business Federation, China Council for the International Trade Sichuan Council and International EnterpriseSingapore. Lue Furong, Deputy President of the China Council for the International Trade Sichuan Council, participated in the conference and gave a speech. Other people have given keynote speeches, including the Deputy President of Singapore Business Federation Fu Chun’an, the Consul General of Singapore to Chengdu Gan Teng Kiat, the Deputy Director of the Greater China of International Enterprise Singapore Zhang Delong, the Director of West China of International Enterprise Singapore Chen Quancheng as well as Singaporean professionals from such areas as finance, law, tax administration and accountancy. There were more than 60 participants from 48 Sichuan Companies covering real estate, construction, catering and science and technology.

Professionals from the Singaporean RSM Chio Lim Accounting Firm, Rajah & Tann, United Overseas Bank, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp and Singapore International Arbitration Center introduced services applied in finance, law and accounting inSingaporeand the advantages ofSingaporeas an important platform for Sichuan companies to enter ASEAN.

Sichuan entrepreneurs posed a lot of questions on their concerns, such as financing and international product market development at the promotional conference. Throughout the conference, Sichuan companies have obtained more information aboutSingaporeand renewed their attitudes on the advantage ofSingaporeas a platform. According to the view of the Singapore Business Federation, the Consulate General of Singapore to Chengdu and International EnterpriseSingapore, this promotion conference has realized the expected goals, and all of them feel very satisfied.

The 5^th China(Sichuan) Import Commodities Fair & The 3^rd China(Sichuan) International Household Decoration Expo Held in Chengdu

The China Council for the International Trade Sichuan Council held the 5^th China (Sichuan) Import Commodities Fair (hereinafter referred to as the Import Commodities Fair) and the 3^rd International Household Decoration Expo (hereinafter referred to as the Household Decoration Expo) to thoroughly proceed with beneficial shopping in Sichuan, promoting greater consumption and upgrading and facilitating economic quality and efficiency improvements. Close to markets and consumers, the two exhibitions made good achievements, and both of them were supported by the actions of the beneficial shopping in Sichuan. Lasting for four days, the exhibitions have attracted more than 30,000 consumers and professional traders and closed deals valuing more than RMB 3 million.

The Imported Commodity Fair covered 10,000  m². More than 170 companies and organizations from 25 countries and regions such asFrance,Germany,South Korea,Sri  LankaandTaiwanparticipated in the exhibition, bringing featured products of 8 categories divided into thousand types that included consumer electronics, food & drinks, jewelry and household decorations. Korean products were displayed together in its national pavilion for the first time, and their featured products, such as cosmetics, clothing and small household appliances were very popular. The Hurom juicers have brought in more than RMB 200,000 at the exhibition. Cheju UNI cosmetics company has found a commercial agent.

The Household Decoration Expo covered 10,000m², and its two productions were the smart city and smart household as well as arts and crafts Ｍasterpieces were in the spotlight, both of which were supported by the Sichuan Province Economic and Information Commission, Sichuan Communications Administration and the Sichuan Arts and Crafts Industry Association. Several famous companies, including China Telecom, Mobile and Unicom, as well as 320 other companies from Chongqing  Municipality, Yunnan Province, Guizhou Province, Xinjiang Province participated in the exhibition that comprehensively displayed the smart city management system, smart home life, modern household decorations and traditional arts and crafts Ｍasterpieces. Two more activities with a theme of Intelligence Changes Cities, Intelligence Leads Life were held during the exhibition, which were the 2015 Western China International  Smart City and Smart Home Industry Development Summit Forum and the 7^th Sichuan Craft Ｍaster Rating.