At the invitation of the Changchun Municipal Government, Wang Qifeng, Head of Asia at Bin Omeir Holding Group of the United Arab Emirates and President & CEO of Gatoson (Holdings) Limited, led a delegation to Changchun from January 4 to 6 for project discussions and cooperation. This visit served as a significant opportunity to deepen industrial investment collaboration between Changchun and West Asian countries.

The delegation focused on four key areas of cooperation: automotive trade, biopharmaceuticals, hydrogen energy technology, and ice-snow cultural tourism. With a well-organized and targeted itinerary, they comprehensively assessed the city's industrial strengths and engaged in multi-level exchanges and partnering activities.

First, government-enterprise dialogues enhanced mutual understanding. The delegation met with municipal government representatives and held dedicated discussions with officials from the Changchun Development and Reform Commission, the Industry and Information Technology Bureau, the Economic Cooperation Bureau, and the Foreign Affairs Office. They gained detailed insights into the city's industrial planning, priorities for investment attraction, and international cooperation initiatives, while exchanging in-depth views on strengthening industrial ties and expanding communication channels between Changchun and the UAE.

Second, targeted industry visits facilitated precise collaboration. The delegation visited FAW Besturn Co., Ltd., where initial intentions were reached for the purchase of FAW Besturn sedans and FAW Jiefang heavy trucks. They also toured the Jilin Provincial Hydrogen Energy Industry Comprehensive Research Institute, engaging in technical exchanges on pathways for purifying and converting by-product gray hydrogen from petrochemical processes into green hydrogen. Additionally, they visited the Changchun New Quality Productive Forces Development Promotion Center to systematically understand the city's platform advantages and support capabilities in innovation resource allocation, service aggregation, accelerated R&D commercialization, and scenario-based application demonstrations.

Thirdly, cultural tourism experiences highlighted local features. The delegation conducted on-site inspections of renowned cultural tourism brands in our city, including the Wanda Mall commercial complex and indoor ski resort, the Arbitrarily River Snow Carnival, and the Tiandingshan Ice and Snow New World. These visits offered an immersive experience of the unique appeal of Changchun's ice-snow tourism and showcased the innovative outcomes of integrating the "powder snow economy" with cultural tourism development.

This visit not only provided the delegation with a comprehensive and multi-faceted understanding of Changchun's industrial foundations and development potential but also marked a breakthrough in project exchanges and cooperation between the city and the UAE. It has laid a solid foundation for expanding economic and trade collaboration with the West Asian region.

Source: Asian Affairs Division of CCFAO  Editor: Liu Jiadi