The "Workshop for European Diplomats" Jinan Economic Cooperation Exchange Meeting was held in Jinan, capital city of Shandong province on Aug 17. 

Attendees included leaders from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, diplomats from 24 European countries and EU institutions, leaders from investment promotion departments of different counties, districts and industry parks in Jinan, and delegates from Jinan's key enterprises which cooperate with European countries.

The meeting, on the agenda of the 13th European Diplomats Seminar, is designed to provide European diplomats with a better opportunity to know more about Jinan's economic development, to showcase the city's development prospects and to build an information and resource sharing platform between Jinan and European countries.

Pang Long, deputy director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the Jinan municipal people's government, gave a keynote speech.

He said that Jinan has been maintaining good economic and trade exchanges with European countries. Well-known European enterprises have come and invested in Jinan, such as German electrical and pneumatic enterprises Siemens, Bosch and Festo; British multinational oil and gas company BP plc; French automobile company Peugeot; Swedish rotating equipment supplier SKF, and Swedish furniture company IKEA. In the meantime cooperation between the two sides has been vigorous, with more and more companies located in Jinan beginning to invest in Europe. 

Dang Wenqing, deputy director of the Jinan investment promotion bureau, said at the conference that as the capital city of Shandong province, which is the third largest economy in China, Jinan attaches great importance to the development of industries. With rapid development of equipment manufacturing, electronic information and the financial industry, the city has a strong impetus for development. He also expressed that with an open mind, Jinan will forever welcome friends and investments from all over the world.

Liu Xuedong, deputy director of the Jinan overseas Chinese affairs office, said that Jinan has forged sister-city relationships with 23 cities around the world and established friendly cooperation relationships with 42 others; nine of the sister cities and 19 of the friendly cooperation cities are in Europe. Jinan will on the one hand strengthen friendships with these cities, and on the other hand double the channels of communication over the next five years to enhance its level of opening up and internationalization. Furthermore, by taking advantage of high-level diplomatic events like the European Diplomats Seminar, Jinan will boost wider and more effective cooperation with European countries.

As the first training and exchange project set for the European region by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Diplomats Seminar held from Aug 15 to 18 was a good opportunity to tell Jinan's stories and spread its voice to the world. It also helped to start a new chapter in Jinan's opening up and development.                                          

Pang Long, deputy director of the overseas Chinese affairs office of the Jinan municipal people's government, gives a speech as host of the meeting. [Photo/zhonghongwang.com]

Diplomats from 24 European countries and EU institutions attend the meeting held in Jinan, the capital city of Shandong province on Aug 17. [Photo by Li Xuhao/haiwainet.cn]

Liu Xuedong, deputy director of the Jinan Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, gives a talk on Jinan's "sister city development in Europe" during the meeting on Aug 17. [Photo/zhonghongwang.com]