[Video/guanhai.com.cn]

At 9:00 a.m. on the 26th, 2021 SCO International Investment and Trade Expo & SCO Qingdao Forum on Local Economic and Trade Cooperation were grandly opened at the Fang Yuan Sports Center in Jiaozhou, Qingdao, Shandong Province, where many guests from home and abroad, including 76 envoys from 30 countries, gathered in Jiaozhou to seek common cooperation and development with deep friendship.

Vladimir Norov, Secretary General of the SCO Secretariat, Zhang Shaogang, Vice President of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and China International Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the SCO China Industrialists Committee, and Zohir Saidzoda, Ambassador of the Embassy of Tajikistan in China, and other guests delivered speeches.

After the guests' speeches, Li Kuiwen, spokesman of the General Administration of Customs of China and Director of the Department of Statistics and Analysis, released the China Trade Index with SCO member countries. The index shows that as trade between China and SCO member states grows closer, the total value of China's imports and exports to SCO member states grows from $17.14 billion in 2001 to $244.85 billion in 2020, with an average annual growth rate of 15%.

At the opening ceremony, the Liaison Office of the SCO China Industrialists Committee and the Liaison Office of the Former Commercial Diplomats Joint Meeting Mechanism of the Ministry of Commerce were inaugurated; representatives of 4 friendly cities and 19 friendly parks from 17 countries, using a combination of online and offline methods, signed a memorandum of friendship and cooperation with Qingdao and the SCO Model Zone, and signed 20 projects with a total investment of RMB 66.8 billion, covering commerce and trade Logistics, new energy, high-end manufacturing, cultural tourism, biomedical and other fields.

The guest keynote speech then began, chaired by Zhao Ai, chairman of the SCODA Development Expert Advisory Committee and Executive Vice President and Secretary General of the China Society for Economic Reform. Liu Jianjun, member of the Standing Committee of Qingdao Municipal Committee, Secretary of Jiaozhou Municipal Committee, Secretary of the Party Working Committee and Director of the Management Committee of SCO Demonstration Zone, introduced the relevant information of China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone. Five important guests, including Koishybayev, Ambassador of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in China, Secretary General of China-ASEAN Center Chen Dehai, Moin ul Haque, Ambassador of the Embassy of Pakistan in China, Yang Xiumin, Second Inspector of the Department of Eurasia of the Ministry of Commerce, and Guo Guangchang, Chairman of Fosun International, delivered speeches on the theme of "Strengthening multi-bilateral local economic and trade cooperation and promoting higher level of opening up under the new international situation".

The General Assembly believes that in today's world, the century-old changes and the impact of the epidemic are intertwined and superimposed. Therefore, instability and uncertainty have increased significantly. However, the trend of multipolarization in the world has not fundamentally changed, economic globalization has shown new resilience, and the call for upholding multilateralism and strengthening communication and collaboration has become stronger. We are living in a challenging time, and a time of hope. As long as we adhere to mutual respect and trust, equality and consultation, openness and innovation, and stand side by side, we will definitely be able to create a new future of prosperous development of China- SCO local economic and trade cooperation.

Mr. Xiang Zhiqiang, Deputy Director of the Management Committee of SCO Demonstration area, read out the Qingdao Initiative on Jointly Promoting RCEP Regional Economic and Trade Cooperation. The initiative said that since the establishment of the SCO, the SCO countries have been closely communicating and deeply cooperating, and have achieved significant development in counter-terrorism security, economic development and humanistic interactions. The initiative calls on the SCO, the world's most populous regional cooperation organization, to hold high the banner of the "Shanghai Spirit", deepen local economic and trade cooperation, smooth international logistics corridors, promote investment and trade facilitation, and contribute to the development of local cooperation in the SCO. The initiative emphasizes that 2021, the 20th anniversary of the SCO, will also open a new era of bilateral and multilateral cooperation and development, which will uphold the principle of consultation, contribution and shared Benefits to cooperate in good faith and work together to promote greater development of the regional economy.

After the meeting, the guests visited the exhibition area of the image pavilion of each country.
The construction of the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area has opened a new chapter of regional economic and trade cooperation in SCO countries. The SCO Expo, which came into being, has become an important platform for promoting regional economic and trade cooperation in SCO countries.

2021 SCO Expo, with such international organizations as the SCO Secretariat and the China-ASEAN Center, a total of 76 envoys from 30 countries to China (including 8 ambassadors and 4 ministers), 442 offline exhibitors and more than 1,400 online exhibitors, is the most professional exposition in Qingdao's history with the largest number of participating countries, the largest number of ambassadors and the largest number of exhibits.
"With the success of the fair, the demonstration area will have bigger 'circle of friends', more 'partners', and higher 'visibility'. " Xiang Zhiqiang said. He also said that the expo has built a broader platform for foreign exchanges and cooperation, and the next step is to open up international exchange and cooperation channels, focus on the construction of the "four centers" to build a new platform for international cooperation on the Belt and Road and expand economic and trade cooperation.

It is reported that the 3-day expo mainly includes the opening ceremony, Qingdao Forum, the SCO Countries Diplomatic Envoys Promotion & Enterprise Investment and Trade Fair, etc. From April 27-28, the expo pavilion will be open for free, and the public can make appointments to visit through the official website of SCO Expo by official website or Official Accounts. It also allows public to watch the exhibition online through the live platform on the official website that day. (By Fanying)