14th edition of China South Asia Business in June 2019 in Kunming, China

Leadership of SAARC CCI and CCPIT at the conclusion of the meeting

It was resolved during a meeting in Beijing, China, wherein leadership of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SAARC CCI) and CCPIT (China Council for Promotion of International Trade), agreed to jointly organise the 14th China South Asia Business Forum in Kunming, China on 12 June 2019. The leadership also agreed to give Chair of 14th edition China South Asia Business Forum (CSABF) to Sri Lanka.

SAARC CCI President Ruwan Edirisinghe chaired the meeting and applauded the foreign policies of the Chinese Government towards South Asian countries. SAARC CCI Vice Presidents, Chandi Raj Dhakal, (Nepal) and Dr. Rohita Silva (Sri Lanka), Executive Members, Zubair Ahmed Malik (Pakistan) and Keerthi Gunawardana (Sri Lanka), SCWEC Vice Chair Shaira Saleem (Maldives), and Director General Indian Chamber Dr. Rajeev Singh represented their respective countries in the meetings. SAARC CCI Secretary General Hina Saeed and Deputy Secretary General Zulfiqar Butt were also present to facilitate the proceedings. 

The objective of the meeting was to seek valuable input from members for a meaningful and productive 14th CSABF. The meeting aimed to foster economic and trade cooperation between China and South Asian countries through this forum. The meeting focused on the forum theme, invitees, boosting cooperation mechanism for CSABF 2019 and development of online portal to boost b2b meetings between SAARC and Chinese enterprises. 

CCPIT Chairman Liu also expressed his desire for Chinese investment in Industrial Parks of each member country for pilot projects. SAARC CCI welcomes this idea and requests CCPIT to come up with potential investors (FDI) for each member country and SAARC CCI will facilitate those investments in industrial parks in member countries.

CSABF is the first ever cooperation mechanism established for regional economic cooperation between Chinese and SAARC industrial and commercial circles in 2005, in the context of ever-increasing mutual trust in political affairs and continuous economic cooperation between China and South Asian countries under the aegis of CCPIT Yunnan Sub-Council and SAARC CCI.