As a significant overseas trade body under the Shenzhen government, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shenzhen Municipal Committee (CCPIT Shenzhen) released an annual work report recently, presenting its efforts and achievements in facilitating Shenzhen enterprises’ business cooperation and exchanges with foreign countries.
Currently, CCPIT Shenzhen has set up liaison offices in eight foreign cities in India, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Egypt, Kenya, Thailand and Mexico. These organizations provide Shenzhen corporations with a wide range of business services, such as product exhibition and promotions, and legal consultations.
As of October, the liaison offices have visited 38 overseas firms 45 times to learn their needs in order to address challenges Shenzhen firms face when entering the global market amid the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, the Egyptian liaison office matched a leading Shenzhen-based medical equipment manufacturer and a logistics company to assist it in customs clearance processing for an export shipment.
Additionally, as of November 2021, the overseas liaison offices have released 2,450 pieces of information about their location’s local trade and economy and completed eight industrial research reports, such as the Report on Ghanaian Agricultural Investment.
The other focus of CCPIT Shenzhen's works lies in organizing a series of online and offline economic and trade communication activities.
In 2021, eight liaison offices organized 49 themed meetings. Five African liaison offices invited executives from investment and export administration departments in African countries to introduce local laws, financial measures, investment policies and development potentials for Shenzhen companies. In reaction to the Suez Canal crisis, the Egyptian liaison office organized an online meeting with the Chinese Embassy in Egypt and a local Chinese business association within 48 hours after the crisis occurred.
In the past year, CCPIT Shenzhen also took an active role in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic across the world, according to the work report. An Indian liaison office transported 60 oxygen generators to India, which was severely affected by the pandemic. With the aid of CCPIT Shenzhen, a Chinese employee with COVID-19 from a Shenzhen company in Ghana received online medical advice and treatment in a hospital.
Moreover, CCPIT Shenzhen teamed up with Shenzhen Daily in holding Expats Eye Shenzhen photo exhibition international tour from June to July and set up a display and trade center featuring Shenzhen’s products in Thailand.