From November 13 to 23, amidst Changchun's efforts to implement the guiding principles of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, the Fifth Plenary Session of the 12th CPC Jilin Provincial Committee, and the Seventh Plenary Session of the 14th CPC Changchun Municipal Committee, Mayor Wang Zilian led a delegation to France, the UK, and Russia for economic and trade exchanges. The visit aimed to share development opportunities, deepen economic and trade cooperation, strengthen project coordination, integrate more closely into the "Belt and Road" Initiative, and advance the city's high-quality development through high-level opening up.

 

The focus of the visit was to promote international economic and trade cooperation.

 

In France, Wang Zilian engaged in an in-depth discussion with Patrick Koller, CEO of FORVIA, a globally influential and well-known automotive technology supplier with over 20 years of cooperation with Changchun. Wang Zilian hoped that, based on existing cooperation, FORVIA would seize opportunities presented by the "new four modernizations" in the automobile industry and fully utilize Changchun's scientific and educational resources. He called for further investment in Changchun and joint efforts in technology R&D, achievement transformation, and product and equipment upgrades, as well as deepened efforts in establishing R&D centers and enhancing cooperation in auto parts and the Sino-French Intelligent Industrial Park. Patrick Koller expressed confidence in Changchun's development potential and pledged to leverage its resource and technological advantages to introduce more new projects, technologies, and products to the city, including modular seats, vehicle lighting, and renewable eco-friendly materials such as recycled plastics, thereby achieving mutual benefit and win-win results.

 

In the UK, Wang Zilian met with Alan Rides, CEO of West London Chambers, one of the most influential chambers of commerce in the region. During their discussion, Wang Zilian expressed his hope for enhanced communication and coordination between the chamber and the Changchun Federation of Industry and Commerce to establish closer ties and continually promote economic and trade exchanges between the two regions. He also encouraged deepened exchanges in science and technology talent to foster collaboration in talent cultivation, technological R&D, and achievement transformation, as well as increased interaction in culture and tourism to encourage "two-way travel" between visitors from both regions. West London Chambers highlighted the policy advantages of investing and starting businesses in the UK and shared practical insights on legal and tax matters for businesses investing in the UK, further facilitating Changchun enterprises to expand internationally.

 

In Russia, with which Changchun shares geographical proximity and maintains close cooperation in fields such as automobiles and auto parts, high-end equipment manufacturing, biomedicine, agricultural planting and processing, and technological innovation, Wang Zilian held discussions with Vitaly Mankevich, Chairman of the Russian-Asian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, to promote Changchun's industrial development strengths and investment policies. He expressed the hope that both sides would further improve regular communication mechanisms to facilitate connections between Chinese and Russian entrepreneurs, enhance interaction through mutual visits and participation in exhibitions and conferences, and continuously deepen economic and trade contact, technological cooperation, and talent exchanges. In a meeting with Zhou Zhenyuan, President of the Jilin Chamber of Commerce in Russia, Wang Zilian learned about the investment and business operations of Changchun enterprises in Russia. He encouraged the chamber to provide robust support and services for these enterprises and seize favorable opportunities to promote more Changchun enterprises and products abroad, thereby strengthening economic and trade exchanges between Changchun and Russia. Meanwhile, Changchun will continue to foster a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized, to create favorable conditions for the development of foreign-funded enterprises in the city.