Chairman ZHANG Yi Attends 2016 Horasis China Meeting
2016-11-08
From November 7th to 8th, 2016, Chairman ZHANG Yi, Deputy Secretary-General HU Zhenming came to the City of Interlaken, Canton of Bern, Switzerland and attended 2016 Horasis China Meeting. As the co-chair, Mr. ZHANG Yi expounded his viewpoints on the topic “China and World Economic Outlook” at the Opening Plenary. He said, in addition to the fact that the domestic market of China was in need of the necessary readjustment of industrial structure and the overall innovation, the current situation of China’s economy was in need of the mutually beneficial cooperation projects with Europe and other regions of the world at multiple aspects and through multiple channels, which would surely actualize the sustainable development of China and the world.
Mr. ZHANG Yi at the Meeting
Founded in 2005, Horasis China Meeting celebrates its 12th session in 2016. Horasis has become one of the foremost global business gatherings on China. ECMDC, Bern Economic Development Agency, and China Federation of Industrial Economics are the co-hosts of 2016 Annual Meeting with the City of Shenzhen, China is the partner city and China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the City of Interlaken as co-organizers. University of Bern is the supporting partner. Mr. Christoph Ammann, Minister of Economic Affairs and Member of the Government of the Canton of Bern, Mr. Christian Etter, Federal Council Delegate for Trade Agreements, Government of Switzerland, Mr. Denis Grisel, President of Bern Economic Development Agency, Mr. Urs Graf, Mayor of Interlaken, and Mr. GENG Wenbing, Chinese Ambassador to Switzerland, Mr. XUE Yanzhong, Chairman of Shanxi Provincial Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Mr. LIU Qingsheng, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen attended the opening ceremony and the related activities.
At the Opening Plenary, Mr. ZHANG Yi introduced to Swiss attendees the opportunities and challenges with which China’s current economic transformation was confronted. He provided the constructive advices from the perspective of ECMDC, a European NGO, namely to provide more chances and platforms for the down-to-earth cooperation between China and Europe. To integrate the advanced technologies and ideas of Europe into the vast market and the strong demands of China, and to provide the optimized solution plans to China’s economy, which was characterized with the increasingly distinctive features, these efforts would be very promising if the win-win cooperation between China and Europe was under way. ECMDC would spare no efforts to consistently serve the cooperation between China and Europe in the aspects of cultural exchange, economic cooperation, sci-tech innovation, and was determined to become the important cooperation platform between China and Europe. The attendees reciprocated the remarks of Mr. ZHANG Yi with the thunderous applauses.
At the meeting, Mr. ZHANG Yi conferred with Mr. Frank-Jurgen Richter, Chairman of Horasis on the in-depth cooperation, and reached the related consensus. Mr. ZHANG Yi introduced the preparatory work of China-EU Municipal Development Forum and its mission. Mr. Richter said, the current forums including Horasis Global Meeting, Horasis China Meeting and Horasis Asia Meeting would be open to China-EU Municipal Development Forum. Both parties would jointly create the brand of the forum with its unique features concerning people-to-people communication, and economic cooperation between China and Europe. Mr. ZHANG Yi said, ECMDC would join hands with Horasis and turn the Forum into the new type, which would be rotated in Chinese and European cities with the emphasis on those down-to-earth cooperation projects rooted in host cities. ECMDC would create the new operation mechanism that integrated the Forum into China-EU Municipal Development Cooperation Demonstration Zone as one entity. Mr. Richter appreciated the planning of Mr. ZHANG Yi, and indicated his full support to these ideas.
Mr. ZHANG Yi and Mr. Ms. Richter
Mr. ZHANG Yi met with Ms. Chitra Narayanan, Senior Advisor to ECMDC, the former Ambassador of India to Switzerland, Liechtenstein, the Holy See, Turkey, Sweden and Latvia. He introduced the current progress of the ongoing projects of ECMDC, including UNESCO-China Sci-Tech Innovation and Education Center, China-EU Municipal Development Forum. Ms. Narayanan said, it was her great honor to become Senior Advisor to ECMDC, and would actively facilitate the ongoing projects of ECMDC in Europe. She stood ready to offer her suggestions if needed. She said, it would be a good inspiration for India, which could learn from the current works and achievements of ECMDC in order to strengthen the partnership between India and Europe. She indicated her willingness of constructing the cooperation platform between ECMDC and India as well. Mr. ZHANG Yi extended his gratitude to these words, and said, the cooperation between China and India, two largest emerging economies would surely lay the foundation for the sustainable development of the world economy.
Mr. ZHANG Yi and Ms. Chitra Narayanan
Mr. ZHANG Yi also met with Mr. GENG Wenbing, Chinese Ambassador to Switzerland, Mr. XUE Yanzhong, Chairman of Shanxi Provincial Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Mr. LIU Qingsheng, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen who attended 2016 Horasis China Meeting. He introduced the ongoing work of ECMDC to them, who expressed their admiration for the efforts ECMDC had made to further win-win cooperation between China and Europe, and wished that ECMDC make greater contribution and China-EU Municipal Development Forum be successfully held.
Mr. ZHANG Yi and Mr. GENG Wenbing
Mr. ZHANG Yi and Mr. XUE Yanzhong
Mr. ZHANG Yi and Mr. LIU Qingsheng
At the banquet of closing ceremony of November 8th, Mr. ZHANG Yi met with Sir Nigel Knowles, Chairman of Sheffield City Region LEP. Sheffield would be the host city of 2017 Horasis China Meeting. Mr. ZHANG Yi and Sir Nigel Knowles reached the consensus concerning the preparatory work of 2017 Meeting. ECMDC would head the delegation with the members from the concerned provinces and cities to attend the meeting, which would become the extension of China-EU Municipal Development Forum in Europe.
During his stay in Interlaken, Mr. ZHANG Yi met with old, and new friends. The related discussions and evaluations had developed the more definite mission and role of China-EU Municipal Development Forum, which had been granted the full supports by Chinese and European friends of ECMDC.