Symposiums and Fairs in Retrospect

The 1st Symposium was held in Ningbo during June 8—12, 1999. The Symposium consisted of three parts, namely, investment meetings, trade exhibition, and introduction of talent. The exhibition hall was divided into 16 exhibition areas such as provincial central hall, city hall, tourism hall, technology and talent hall, key industry hall and development zone hall. This Symposium launched such activities as investment meeting, export goods exhibition, tourism exhibition, talent introduction, and hi-tech results presentation.

The 2nd Symposium was held in Ningbo during June 8—12, 2000. According to features of Zhejiang’s open economy, in addition to the foreign investment and export goods presentation & meeting, this Symposium actively implemented the strategy of going global by adding 4 exhibition areas including foreign-funded enterprise hall, information and technology hall, foreign economic cooperation hall and foreign enterprise hall. Besides, for the first time it integrated introducing capital with that of talent and technology, which attracted wide public attention. The Symposium also held 4 seminars on special topics, in which experts, scholars, entrepreneurs and senior officials addressed brilliant lectures concerning the opportunities and challenges WTO brought Zhejiang.

The 3rd Symposium was held in Ningbo during June 8—12, 2001. Based on the experience of past two Symposiums, this Symposium determined on 4 major parts summed up as “one meeting, double exhibitions, three forums and double introductions”. One meeting referred to investment & trade meeting; double exhibitions referred to 2001 Zhejiang Import and Export Commodity Fair as well as China (Zhejiang) International Information Technology Application Exposition; three forums meant hi-tech and investment forum, China (Zhejiang) Taiwan businessmen investment forum, and development zone progress strategy forum; double introductions referred to introduction of talent and technology.

The 4th Symposium & 1st Fair was held in Ningbo during June 8—12, 2002. Set against the background of China’s entry into WTO, setting its theme as “Optimize Investment Environment & Enlarge Investment Sphere”, it started to incorporate the 1st China International Consumer Goods Fair, and organized such activities as one meeting, one exhibition, four forums and double introductions. As for the forum, this Symposium mainly launched “credit service & investment environment forum”, “forum on economic & trade cooperation between Mainland & Taiwan”, “overseas investment forum”, “international trade and e-commerce forum”. The addition of the 1st Fair made the Symposium more authoritative, far-reaching and international.

The 5th Symposium & 2nd Fair, due to SARS, was postponed to Sep 22—26 in 2003 in Ningbo. In terms of form and content, this Symposium inherited those of past Symposiums and Fair and made innovation. Investment meetings demonstrated the investment environment of the cities in Zhejiang province, focusing on promoting the key projects. Trade exhibition was divided into 5 exhibition areas respectively on: international buyer, home textile and garment, household electrical appliances, light industry & artwork, food & special local produce, attracting 18 international buyers including Metro, Carrefour, Auchan, Hymall for purchase. Opening-up forum invited Long Yongtu, chief negotiation representative of China in WTO and general secretary of Boao Forum for Asia; Zhang Xiaoyan, Director of China Taiwan Businessmen Development Promotion Association; Hu jingyan, director of foreign capital department of the Ministry of Commerce; Gao Chang, general secretary of Taibei SMEs Promotion Association. These senior officials offered brilliant lectures concerning special topics including Zhejiang’s going-global strategy and industrial cooperation between Zhejiang and Taiwan. The talent introduction of this Symposium held activities including 2003 Zhejiang · Ningbo International Famous School Hi-tech Fair, meetings on introducing overseas intellectual projects, starting undertakings by overseas Chinese students, and employment of talent on foreign investment and foreign trade. Besides, it also held the 3rd China (Ningbo) International Communications & Information Technology Exposition.

The 6th Symposium & 3rd Fair was held in Ningbo during June 8—12, 2004. This Symposium & Fair focused on the theme of “New Opportunity, New Opening-up, New Development”, and followed the guideline of “Connect Shanghai, Join Yangtze River Delta, Create Advanced Industrial Base”. It arranged 4 major activities of investment meeting, trade exhibition, opening-up forum and introduction of talent and technology. Investment meeting exhibited opening-up profile and investment environment of each city in Zhejiang province, organizing 12 special matching sessions and 10 promotional conferences of cities (development zones). Trade exhibition set 8 exhibition areas for home textile, garment, etc., containing 1646 booths and attracting 12 international purchasing groups. Opening-up Forum invited 33 scholars and officials to offer brilliant lectures including Huang Hai (assistant minister of the Ministry of Commerce), Wei Jie (famous economist & professor from Tsinghua University). In terms of the introduction of talent and technology, it organized 2004 Zhejiang · Ningbo Domestic Famous College Technological Results Fair, meeting on absorbing overseas intellectual projects, and exchange conference for studying-abroad organizations.

The 7th Symposium & 4th Fair was held in Ningbo during June 8—12, 2005. With “Enlarge Cooperation and Development Space” as its theme, according to new situation and requirements of zhejiang’s opening-up, this Symposium & Fair arranged 4 major activities of investment meeting, trade exhibition, Zhejiang opening-up forum and introduction of talent and technology. Based on the past Symposiums & Fairs, five major features were highlighted: the Ministry of Commerce started to sponsor the Fair; its booths surpassed 2,000 and exhibitive commodities over 100,000; for the first time it held press conference for mayors meeting journalists from home and abroad, over 400 journalists with mayors from 11 cities in the province face-to-face exchanged new thoughts and measures concerning economic development; for the first time it established investment meeting zone in the exhibition hall for each city instead of the former city profile exhibition, thus enhancing the functions of projects discussion and information sharing with guests; for the first time it set investment discussion area for international investment promotional agencies, inviting 16 agencies from 10 countries to meet enterprises from Zhejiang province; in the “going-global” activities, for the first time it held “Germany Hall Day” which was a highlight of “going-global”. In addition, it held activities such as project signing, industry matching, promotion session, and investment and trade inspection by international organizations and buyers.

The 8th Symposium & 5th Fair was held in Ningbo during June 8—12, 2006. With “Cooperation, Mutual benefit & Win-win” as its theme, and with the initiation of Zhejiang’s 11th Five-year Plan as the opportunity, this Symposium & Fair held investment matching, trade exhibition, opening-up and development forum, and exchange & cooperation of talent and technology. Investment matching organized such activities as 11 matching meetings on investment projects, meetings & project signing with Zhejiang’s international friendship cities, presentation of “going-global” investment. Trade exhibition increased 800 booths amounting to 3,000 booths involving 1,550 enterprises with 80 national name brands and 150 provincial or municipal name brands. Opening-up and development forum organized China Daily President Roundtable Forum, with over 70 people participating who were presidents from World Top 500 Enterprises, officials from national ministers, and provincial and municipal officials from the Yangtze River Delta area. The introduction of talent and technology covered a wide range, launching the 8th Zhejiang Overseas Talent Fair as well as the 4th Zhejiang · Ningbo Technological Results Fair, which attracted scholars and experts from many universities and reaped substantial achievements.