The Third China-UK Regional Leaders Summit Successfully Held in Belfast
2017/12/14

The third China-UK Regional Leaders Summit was successfully held in Belfast from 1 to 3 December.

More than 200 delegates attended the Summit. They represented government, business and academies from China and Northern Ireland, including the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries(CPAFFC), National Development and Reform Commission(NDRC), China's provinces and cities as Liaoning, Shanghai, Hubei, Jilin, Shenyang, Dalian and Changchun.

The theme of Summit was Co-operation between Industrial Regions with four focuses like agri-food, health services, innovation and knowledge economy, and creative industry. Both sides did clear presentation and had fruitful exchanges with a number of cooperation intentions. Liaoning and Hubei provinces signed friendly relationship agreements with NI respectively. Changchun City signed memorandum of developing friendly relationship with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. It was widely acknowledged that the Summit was informative, impressive and productive.

Mr. Speaker Robin Newton hosted a splendid welcome dinner at Parliament Buildings and spoke highly of the steady growth of NI-China relationship. He emphasized that there would be great potential for in-depth cooperation and beneficial exchange between NI and China despite of long distance. Mr. David Sterling, Head of NI Civil Service, also expressed at the Summit that NI would be implementing new industrial development programme and hope to explore more potential and opportunities for NI-China collaboration through the Summit and China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Mr. Song Jingwu, Vice President of CPAFFC and head of Chinese delegates, pointed out that regional cooperation has been important basis of China-UK global comprehensive strategic partnership for the 21st century. Through the Summit, China-NI industrial regional cooperation would be expected to become new growth of the Golden Era of China-UK relations.

Consul General Wang Shuying also highly commented on the development of China-NI friendly cooperation in various fields in recent years, and believed that the Summit would be a milestone in China-NI relationship and propel the mutual beneficial cooperation between China and NI up to a new stage.

CONSULATE-GENERAL OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA IN BELFAST ALL RIGHTS RESERVED