The 5th International Investment Promotion Forum Held in Shanghai

On Oct. 20th, 2008, the 5th International Investment Promotion Forum was held ceremoniously in Shanghai International Convention Center.

Highlighting “Promoting Overseas Investment of Chinese Firms” as its theme, the Forum of this year was co-sponsored by Ministry of Commerce of the People‘s Republic of China (MOFCOM), China Council for International Investment Promotion (CCIIP) and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in collaboration with United Nations Industry Development Organization (UNIDO) and World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), and organized by Shanghai Pudong New Area Economic Commission, Shanghai Jinqiao (Group) Co. LTD and Federation of Investment Promotion Agencies of China (FIPAC).

The opening ceremony was presided by President of CCIIP Miao Gengshu. Zhou Yupeng, Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of Shanghai People’s Congress and Li Yiping, Deputy Secretary of Shanghai Municipal Government and also Director of Shanghai Pudong New Area delivered welcoming speeches. On behalf of international organizations, Vice President of WAIPA Emmanuel Ole-Naiko also addressed the audience. Vice Minister of MOFCOM of P. R. C. Chen Jian attended the Forum and gave the keynote speech on the development and policies of China’s overseas investment. Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD, was also invited to deliver an elaborate speech. Moreover, other speakers of the Major Forum included Senior Global Director of McKinsey James Hexter, Vice General President of China Minmetals Corporation Xu Siwei, Senior Industrial Development Officer of UNIDO Masato Tsukiji, Global Director of the Hay Group Andrew Herr, Dean of School of World Economic and Politics, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences Zhang Youwen, and Deputy Director of Shanghai Pudong New Area Economic Commission Xu Yeqing.

Over 200 guests including the officials from Chinese government and international organizations, deputies of domestic and international investment promotion agencies (IPAs), experts and scholars at home and abroad, high-level managers of TNCs, Chinese firms and investment and financing agencies attended the Forum and made joint research, discussion and communication on issues related to “the overseas investment of Chinese enterprises”.

The Advisory Board Roundtable of CCIIP also took place with the topic of “the latest development trends in global FDI policies, and their implications for China’s FDI” on the afternoon of Oct. 20. In addition, 3 seminars respectively focusing on business opportunities in major foreign countries or regions, overseas development of China’s service outsourcing industry and the financing issue of “Going-Global” enterprises were also held in the meantime.