SCO Industrial and Supply Chains Forum & 2023 SCO International Investment and Trade Expo Opened

On June 15, the SCO Industrial and Supply Chains Forum & the 2023 SCO International Investment and Trade Expo were opened at Qingdao · SCODA Pearl International Expo Center. Ling Ji, Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy China International Trade Representative, and Song Junji, Vice Governor of Shandong Province and Secretary-General of Shandong Provincial People's Government attended the opening ceremony and delivered keynote speeches. Yermekbayev, SCO Deputy Secretary-General delivered a speech, and Zhao Haozhi, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Qingdao Municipal Committee, Mayor of Qingdao attended the opening ceremony. Zhang Xinzhu, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Qingdao Municipal Committee, and Secretary of the Party Working Committee of SCODA, presided over the opening ceremony.

Ling Ji pointed out that organizing the SCO Industrial and Supply Chains Forum & the 2023 SCO International Investment and Trade Expo is a concrete measure of implementing the important statement of President Xi Jinping at the SCO Samarkand Summit. He pointed out that China stands ready to work with all parties to promote the alignment of economic development strategies, enhance the resilience of regional industrial and supply chains, and make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all.

Song Junji emphasized that Shandong attaches great importance to practical cooperation with SCO countries, builds SCODA at a high level, and has achieved fruitful results in industrial investment, logistics trade and friendly exchanges. We hope to strengthen cooperation with SCO countries in deepening industrial cooperation, expanding trade, cooperation in scientific and technological innovation, and building logistics channels. We hope to leverage the role of platforms such as the Qingdao International Energy Exchange, promote the implementation of a number of cooperation projects, deepen cooperation in key areas such as industrial and supply chains, and build an even closer SCO community with a shared future.

Yermekbayev said that stable and efficient industrial and supply chains are vital to the SCO region and the world at large. In order to establish stable and sustainable industrial and supply chains and strengthen cooperation among enterprises and business associations of SCO countries, it is particularly important to align specific business projects and entrepreneurial initiatives. Against this backdrop, the SCO Industrial and Supply Chains Forum and the 2023 SCO International Investment and Trade Expo, as well as a series of industrial sub-forums were held in Qingdao, attracting the participation of business and industry representatives. We believe that the timing is right.

Some heads of economic and trade departments of SCO countries delivered video messages.

At the opening ceremony, Zhao Haozhi released and announced the Qingdao Initiative of the SCO Industrial and Supply Chains Forum. The Version 2.0 of the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Comprehensive Service Platform was released, and the Establishment of the China-SCO Industrial Parks Alliance was launched.

Among them, the Qingdao Initiative of the SCO Industrial and Supply Chains Forum calls for strengthening industrial and supply chains cooperation within the organization and the world, strengthening coordination and cooperation within the organization, supporting investment cooperation that is conducive to the stability, security, and resilience of industrial and supply chains, improving the digital intelligence level of industrial and supply chains, and supporting the development of green and sustainable industrial and supply chains. This initiative, put forward by the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation on the basis of soliciting opinions and suggestions from relevant parties, includes eight initiatives to maintain the openness, efficiency, stability and resilience of regional and global industrial and supply chains.

Version 2.0 of the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Comprehensive Service Platform focuses on a series of practical demands of common concern among SCO countries, such as export promotion, local currency settlement, barter trade and mutual recognition of regulations. It has made innovations in SCO cross-border payment and settlement system, the new cross-border barter trading system, the air logistics system, the used car export information management system, and the taxpayer supply chain information query service system. It is the first to realize the cross-border flow of goods and domestic settlement of funds, which will effectively solve the problem of settlement channels among SCO countries and effectively reduce the cost of comprehensive logistics.

Themed on Win-Win Collaboration for a New Future of Regional Economic Cooperation, the forum is hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and Shandong Provincial People's Government, aiming to create a new pragmatic cooperation platform for SCO countries, and set up a safe and stable, smooth and efficient, open and inclusive, and mutually beneficial industrial and supply chain system. The forum consists of a main forum and a number of supporting activities such as the 2023 SCO International Investment and Trade Expo, 6 parallel forums, and 4 on-site matchmaking sessions.

The exhibition area is full of creativity and dazzling products. The 4-day 2023 SCO International Investment and Trade Expo kicked off in Qingdao · SCODA Pearl International Expo Center. The expo was organized by Qingdao Municipal Government and China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shandong Sub-council, with the theme of "Gathering at SCODA for a Better Life". The total exhibition area is about 44,000 square meters. A total of 330 enterprises and institutions from 34 countries and regions of the SCO and countries along the "Belt and Road" have participated in the event, which owns the largest exhibition area ever. The expo mainly includes the image exhibition area of SCO countries, the SCODA achievements exhibition area, the thematic exhibition area of international cooperation, the exhibition area of SCO high-quality industries, the exhibition area of high-quality enterprises in Qingdao, and the outdoor image exhibition area. The exhibition areas of the United Arab Emirates, Myanmar, RCEP, and other special commodities were newly established, and the imported special commodity categories increased from 5,000 to more than 10,000.

Akram Zeynalli, Azerbaijani Ambassador to China, Sergey Manasaryan, Armenian Ambassador to China, and Hussain Hammadi, the UAE Ambassador to China attended the opening ceremony. Li Gang, Deputy Secretary of the Party Working Committee and Executive Deputy Director of the Administrative Committee of SCODA attended the opening ceremony.

The opening ceremony was also attended by representatives of the SCO Secretariat, diplomatic envoys of SCO countries in China, institutions and business associations in China, heads of relevant ministries and commissions of the state, heads of relevant departments of Shandong Province and Qingdao, representatives of member organizations of the China-SCO Industrial Parks Alliance, and representatives of relevant financial institutions and enterprises.