Green industry and e-commerce dynamism highlighted at China trade fair

September 26, 2017

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has organized a forum to share the experience of China’s green enterprises, and to promote the development of e-commerce among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through public-private partnerships.

The BRICS plus Belt and Road Business Cooperation Forum, was held on the sidelines of the 2017 China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) taking place in the city of Xiamen in China’s southern Fujian Province from 18 to 21 September.

In his video address during the opening ceremony of the CIFIT on 18 September, LI Yong, the Director General of UNIDO, noted that “e-commerce is one of the world’s most dynamic areas of economic activity, offering innovative new business models and employment opportunities in all countries, including for women and youth. For SMEs, e-commerce through increased connectivity and increasing trade, as envisaged by the Belt and Road Initiative, offers huge potential for inclusive growth.”

CIFIT, which is organized by the Ministry of Commerce of China and the Fujian Provincial Government, in cooperation with UNIDO, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other partners, is one of the world’s largest international event promoting trade and investment. The 2017 CIFIT, with the themes, „Introducing FDI“ and „Going Global“, focuses on investment policy promotion and national and regional economic development.

The UNIDO Forum on 19 September, organized in cooperation with the CIFIT Organizing Committee and other partners, brought together decision-makers from BRICS countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – and other countries, as well as representatives from the private sector and academia.

With the aim of extending the benefits of cooperation between BRICS to countries along the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative linking economies between East Asia and Europe and beyond, the forum discussions focused on two important issues — BRICS E-commerce Public-Private Partnership and Chinese Enterprises‘ Green Investment and Financing.

During the forum, participants took stock of the benefits of e-commerce and discussed how to promote public-private partnerships and the development of SME e-commerce in BRICs and Belt and Road countries.

The E-commerce Development Report of the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises of BRICS Countries, co-drafted by UNIDO and the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, was also launched during the forum. Participants from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Germany, India, Iran, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Thailand, the US, Viet Nam, and other countries, delivered keynote speeches.

The Russian delegation to the event was comprised of Mr. Sergey Korotkov, Director of the UNIDO Centre in the Russian Federation, Mr. Igor Subow, Vice President for Logistics & International, National Association of Mail Order and Distance Selling Trade (NAMO), and Mr. Valentin Okunev, Vice President, Managing Director, Small Business Department, PSC VTB 24. The delegates presented their respective projects in the field of e-commerce promotion, as well as joint initiatives currently developed with the UNIDO Centre.

In relation to the Chinese Enterprises‘ Green Investment and Financing focus, Chinese enterprises shared their experience in green industrial development and discussed cooperation with foreign enterprises and organizations. Co-organized by the UNIDO-UNEP Green Industry Platform China Chapter Office, the Capital Institute of Science and Technology Development Strategy, and the UNIDO Centre for South-South Industrial Cooperation, the discussions also covered issues of corporate social and environmental responsibility. Participants from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Iran, Thailand, Vietnam and other countries proposed a range of sectors for cooperation between UNIDO, and showcased best practice in green investment and finance.

The UNIDO forum was followed by a matchmaking event involving 40 Chinese companies and organizations, giving participants from the countries present opportunities for both group and one-on-one networking and knowledge sharing.