On the afternoon of May 28, Jinhua held a forum for Central Zhejiang. Xu Ningning, the executive director of the China-ASEAN Business Council, was invited and presented a special report titled “RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) Brings Opportunities, Challenges, and Countermeasures for the Development of Jinhua’s Open Economy” for the forum. The Theory Learning Group of the Jinhua Municipal Party Committee, leaders of the Jinhua Municipal Government, and heads of some municipal departments attended the meeting. Shao Guoqiang, deputy mayor of Jinhua, presided over the meeting.

Before the meeting, Chen Long, secretary of the Jinhua Municipal Party Committee, met with Xu. Xing Zhihong, deputy secretary of the Jinhua Municipal Party Committee and mayor of Jinhua, also engaged in discussion with Xu.

At the meeting, Xu stated that RCEP is a comprehensive free trade agreement that will provide a boost for China to establish a new open economic system in the new era and form a new development pattern of “dual circulation” (within China and with other countries). It will bring new opportunities for promoting the development of Jinhua’s open economy at many levels.

Xu pointed out at the meeting that the trade volume between Jinhua and the remaining 14 RCEP member states last year reached 73.415 billion RMB, and the foreign trade exports increased 40%. The RCEP area is the largest source of foreign capital in Jinhua and the destination for Jinhua’s companies to go global and invest as well. Jinhua should seize the opportunity of RCEP, create new growth points for high-quality trade development, and open up new areas of two-way investment in order to create a new pattern for open economic development. The city should make good use of a series of platforms, such as the Jinyi Area of the Zhejiang Free Trade Zone, the Jinyi Comprehensive Bonded Area, and the Yiwu International Trade Comprehensive Reform Pilot Zone, to develop into an open demonstration city for RCEP.

In addition, Xu led a delegation to visit Lanxi for investigation. Wang Xinfeng, deputy secretary of the Lanxi Municipal Party Committee and mayor of Lanxi, and Zhang Xiaohua, chairman of Hongshi Group, welcomed the delegation. Wang introduced Lanxi’s economic and social development and its advantages in industries, resources, transportation, and the environment. He also put forward the ideas of seeking mutually beneficial cooperation regarding the cotton quota of the textile industry, interconnection and interaction with ASEAN on water transportation, investment in the cultural tourism of Wong Tai Sin’s hometown, and the construction of the industry chain of the textile industry. Zhang introduced the development and related needs of Hongshi Group. Xu fully affirmed Lanxi’s economic and social development, industrial foundation, and resource advantages. He believed that the two parties could establish long-term cooperation. He pointed out that Hongshi Group is an outstanding representative of China’s building materials industry. The company actively participates in the Belt and Road Initiative, enhances the development of the cement industry, achieves remarkable business performance, and shoulders social responsibilities. The two parties discussed how to grasp the opportunity of RCEP and reach cooperation for the better development of Belt and Road projects.

Shao Yinghua, member of the Party Group of the Jinhua Municipal Bureau of Commerce and vice president of the Jinhua Committee of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and Fang Jianliang, member of the Party Group of the Lanxi Municipal Government, accompanied the delegation. (By Yu Yiying, translated by Jin Haiqiong, edited by Kendra Fiddler)