ECCU to set up office in Shenzhen

"THE European-China Commercial Union (ECCU) will set up an office in Shenzhen late this year," said Wang Haixi, secretary-general of the ECCU, on Monday.

According to Wang, the ECCU, an international institution to boost the economic cooperation between China and the European Union (EU), will discuss the details of the establishment of the office later this month after the ECCU delegation finishes their investigation of the city.

"We'll communicate with the Shenzhen Municipal Government to see what programs we can cooperate with in the future," said Wang.

The success of the China Hi-tech Fair (CHTF) in the past years, and the fast developing economy in Shenzhen have attracted EU members to do business in the city and set booths at the fair. At the seventh CHTF, besides Germany, France and other traditional EU members, new EU members like Poland and Hungary also sent delegations to attend the fair.

"Because Shenzhen has accumulated much experience in its successful holding of the CHTF for six times and its modern exhibition centers like the Convention and Exhibition Center, we will make some exhibitions of Europe and EU in Shenzhen in the future," said Wang.

In the past ten years, EU made its overseas investment mainly in Japan and made more than 70 European exhibition fairs there. China's rapid developing economy attracts EU and EU has set up an investment plan in China for the next ten coming years.

"Shenzhen has changed a lot and the CHTF has impressed me deeply. We want to be with you in your economic development," said Antoni Negre I Villavecchia, ex officio president of the Eurochambres. "We come here not only to find opportunities for EU countries to do business here, but also to attract Shenzhen companies do business in Europe."

According to Villavecchia, the cooperation between Shenzhen and EU can be a system from businessmen-businessmen to chambers-chambers.

Consisted of ten people including Mr. Jacques Santer, the former chairman of EU, bankers, economists and hi-tech experts, the delegation of the ECCU arrived in Shenzhen on Sunday and visited the CHTF on Monday morning.

Source: Shenzhen Daily