William Wu, CEO attends the 11th World Chinese Economic Forum

Hangzhou hosted the 11th World Chinese Economic Forum (WCEF) from December 11 to 12, 2019. The forum was announced at a press conference in Beijing, with Hon. Leung Chun-ying, Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, in attendance.

Under the theme "Realising the Vision of Shared Development for a Better World," this year's WCEF focused on the development of global trade in the digital era, the opportunities provided by the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), as well as the impact of advanced technologies, notably 5G, in promoting business cooperation.

Some 1,000 delegates from various business sectors and government institutions from 28 countries around the world attended the forum, shedding light on issues such as business integrity, BRI and global trade, the future of media in a digital world, new technologies, and the long-term partnership between China and ASEAN.

Cheah Chyuan Yong, Founder and Chairman of the International Strategy Institute (ISI), spoke at the press conference on the role China will play in the 11th WCEF.

"The WCEF is meant to bring China closer with not only overseas Chinese but also BRI nations for business and investment opportunities. So, the focal point of this event must be in China; this is the new direction for the next 10 years. WCEF Roundtables will also be organised in different cities around the world in order to engage more overseas Chinese," Cheah said. He also explained the advantage of having the forum in Hangzhou, saying that "Hangzhou is where small ideas actually become big and go global. This inspires us and we want to use this to explore more possibilities at the forum."

In regard to the further development of economic globalisation and China's new round of opening-up, Wu Meng, Director General of the Bilateral Cooperation Department of the China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC), noted the remarkable opportunities facing overseas Chinese. "The CCOIC and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) will spare no effort to support overseas Chinese, encouraging their participation in international economic and trade cooperation. We will work to promote the high-quality development of economic globalisation, contributing our part to China's opening-up as well as the implementation of the BRI," Wu added. The forum this year was co-hosted by the ISI and CCPIT and organised by CCOIC.

First held in 2009 by the Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute, WCEF aims to promote communication between East and West and encourage business activities and cooperation among overseas Chinese. William Wu, from TOKO Group Ltd, was invited as a VIP to attend the forum.