Chengdu, China — On the morning of October 22, the 19th Europe–China Business & Technology Cooperation Fair (EU-CN Fair), co-hosted by the China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC) and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC), opened in Chengdu, Sichuan province. Liu Jiannan, vice chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and vice chairman of CCOIC; Chen Zhiyong, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Chengdu Committee and vice mayor of the People’s Government of Chengdu; Adam Dunnett, secretary-general of the EUCCC; and Cándido Creis Estrada, consul-general of the Consulate General of Spain in Chengdu, delivered remarks at the opening ceremony. Cai Run, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and head of the Chinese Mission to the European Union, delivered a video address. Dang Hong, deputy secretary of the Party Committee of CCOIC, presided over the opening ceremony.

Following the opening ceremony, a plenary session was held, where representatives from all walks of life of China and Europe held thematic discussions on «Building Consensus, Deepening Mutual Trust — Cooperation Prospects under the China-Europe Economic and Trade Consultation New Mechanism» and «New Dynamics of Competition and Cooperation, New Opportunities for Growth — China-Europe Green and Digital Innovation Cooperation.» The session also featured a presentation on the industrial development and business environment of the Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone.

Themed «Dialogue and Cooperation for Shared Benefits and Prosperity,» the EU-CN Fair is scheduled from October 21 to 23 this year at the Centre for China-Europe Cooperation (CCEC) in Chengdu. Under the «1+11+2» framework, the event features one opening ceremony and plenary session, 11 thematic exchange sessions, park visits and related exchange activities, and two B2B matchmaking sessions, focusing on key areas such as new energy and environmental protection, biomedicine, agricultural food, intelligent robotics, frontier technologies, vocational education, and commercial law services to comprehensively expand new opportunities and new space for China-Europe cooperation. In parallel, relevant provinces and cities held four investment promotion and project presentation events. Based on preparatory demand survey and precise matchmaking, approximately 200 Chinese and European enterprises conducted nearly 400 «one-on-one» business meetings on site, driving practical cooperation to tangible results. Representatives from nearly 700 enterprises and institutions of more than 20 countries and regions attended in person.

The EU-CN Fair was launched in 2002 at the initiative of the European Commission. Since it settled in Chengdu in 2006, the event has attracted over 14,000 Chinese and European enterprises and signed more than 3,000 intentional cooperation agreements, making it the investment, trade, and innovation cooperation platform with the largest presence of EU member states, the broadest participation of European enterprises, and the greatest scale of China-Europe exchanges.