China’s local governments send delegations overseas to bring in export orders

Local governments in China’s export-oriented regions have stepped up support for business delegations, including chartering flights so they can fly them overseas to bring in more export orders and stabilize foreign trade, as the country relaxes its COVID control measures.

East China’s Zhejiang Province launches a campaign to organize 1,000 group trips overseas, joined by about 10,000 foreign trade companies looking to win export orders. (Photo/Bai Zhezhe)

On Dec. 3, east China’s Zhejiang Province launched a campaign to organize 1,000 group trips overseas. The drive was joined by about 10,000 foreign trade companies looking to win export orders and expand their overseas markets.

One day later, a business delegation consisting of officials from provincial departments, including the Department of Commerce of Zhejiang Province, and business representatives left on a six-day trip to Europe.

“We hope to give more positive signs to the companies by taking the lead in arranging overseas business trips so they will be more confident and willing to take the initiative to go abroad and find more opportunities to compete and cooperate with their international counterparts,” said Li Lin, secretary-general of the delegation.

Meanwhile, Jiaxing city in Zhejiang chartered a flight to Japan for a group of 96 representatives from 50 companies in Jiaxing as well as other cities in the province including Hangzhou, Ningbo and Huzhou on Dec. 4. The representatives attended the three-day Asia Fashion Fair (AFF), which kicked off in Tokyo on Dec. 7. This year, 60 enterprises from Jiaxing attended the AFF, compared to about 20 in previous years, according to the Jiaxing Municipal Bureau of Commerce.

Members of a business delegation from Jiaxing city, east China’s Zhejiang Province, for the Asia Fashion Fair in Japan pose for a group photo. (Photo courtesy of the Jiaxing Municipal Bureau of Commerce)

Zhang Haofu, an official from the Jiaxing Municipal Bureau of Commerce, explained that the city would arrange for six business delegations to participate in exhibitions overseas, including three delegations to Japan, one to Germany and France, and one to the United Arab Emirates in December this year.

Members of a business delegation from Ningbo city, east China’s Zhejiang Province, heading for the United Arab Emirates pose for a group photo. (Photo courtesy of the Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Commerce)

Ningbo city in Zhejiang has made similar arrangements. “Enterprises have a strong desire to expand their overseas markets,” said Zhang Shuiqing, head of a business delegation from Ningbo. He added that the companies are hoping to expand cooperation, as there will be many exhibitions and market opportunities in Europe, the U.S., West Asia, and Southeast Asia in the near future.

Photo shows Ningbo Kangda Electronics Co., Ltd. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Through its arrangements, Ningbo aims to secure new foreign trade orders worth $10 billion, build 200,000 square meters of new overseas warehouses, and ensure that the actual use of foreign direct investment will reach $4 billion before April 2023.

On Dec. 10, a group of more than 30 representatives from over 20 companies in Jinhua city, Zhejiang province, boarded a plane for Indonesia. It was the first time a business delegation in Jinhua had travelled abroad in nearly three years, according to an official from the Jinhua municipal commerce bureau.

On Dec. 6, Nantong city in east China’s Jiangsu Province organized a group of 105 people from 63 foreign trade companies to attend the AFF in Japan. This was the largest group organized by the city for an overseas exhibition since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Since November this year, the Nantong Bureau of Commerce has also arranged for enterprises to attend several other international exhibitions, including one in Germany and one in Australia.

At the same time, southwest China’s Sichuan Province has provided charter flights for delegations of foreign trade companies to visit France, Germany and Italy for trade events, according to the Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce.

Members of a business delegation from southwest China’s Sichuan Province, heading for Europe pose for a group photo at an airport. (Photo courtesy of the Sichuan Provincial Commerce Department)

Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce has established a task force to provide more efficient services for enterprises, such as reducing passport processing times by half.

Sichuan rolled out 10 measures supporting companies in expanding their overseas markets in October this year. Over 100 enterprises in the province recently attended international exhibitions and secured orders worth over 1 billion yuan ($143.8 million).

Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce plans to arrange for companies to visit Thailand, Vietnam and other Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership member states next year to further explore the Southeast Asian market.

In November this year, the Guangzhou Municipal Commerce Bureau in south China’s Guangdong Province sent over 100 representatives from about 40 foreign trade companies on chartered flights to exhibitions in the Southeast Asian region.

In the same month, a group of 43 representatives from 22 companies in Shenzhen city of Guangdong attended MEDICA, the world’s largest trade fair for medical technology in Germany, on a chartered flight.

For delegations traveling overseas to secure orders, Shenzhen also provided subsidies for international charter flights, according to a guideline issued by the Commerce Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality on Oct. 31.