On August 26, 2015 an official meeting and negotiations of the Joint Ukrainian-Chinese Business Council’s co-chairmen – Mr. Ren Hongbin(head of the UCBC’s Chinese part, president of China National Corporation of Machine-building Industry - SINOMACH) and Mr.Robert Brovdi (head of UCBC’s Ukrainian part, chairman of the “Association of Ukrainian-Chinese Co-operation”) were held in Beijing. This event has become an important event in eight-day (24-31 August, 2015) working visit program of the of UCBC’s Ukrainian part delegation to the capital of China.
It should be noted that since 2013 it was the first personal contact at the level of the Joint Ukrainian-Chinese Business Council’s two-sided top management . Since then, lots of major changes have happened in Ukraine’s internal and external situation. Due to objective reasons several certain international projects has lost momentum or even stopped completely. A sort of operational pause has occurred at the level of bilateral bodies of co-operation . Therefore, due to the urgent need to intetsify Ukrainian-Chinese trade and economic relations and to reformat UCBC’s Ukrainian part, the time has come to restore and accelerate the communication of business circles of Ukraine and China within the Business Council format, by Ukraine’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry facilities and at the level of existing industries’ and public associations. Exactly this has become was the key goal and the main motif of the UCBC co-Chairmen Beijing meeting.
Since the moment of Joint Ukrainian-Chinese Business Council creation in 2010 upon the initiative of the Presidents of Ukraine and China, China's government has been taking very seriously such a format of bilateral co-operation. To confirm that high status given to the Business Council by official Beijing, Mr. Ren Hongbin, one of the most influentual state business leaders (minister-ranked member of CPC Central Committee), president of a mighty multidisciplinary SINOMACH corporation has become Chinese part’s chairperson.
Currently, the SINOMACH corporation is included to the Fortune Global list of the 500 largest and most profitable companies in the world. It has more than 40 subsidiary companies and 180 foreign service centers where over 120 thousand workers are employed. Having successfully approached the markets of over 170 countries, SINOMACH achieved a solid profile of business activity. It includes heavy industry (mechanical engineering, automotive, shipbuilding), light industry, metallurgy, energy, transport, engineering and construction, agriculture, forestry, trade.
The main office SINOMACH which became a meeting place for leaders of UCBC Ukrainian and Chinese parts is located in Zhongguancun - the most famous business, technological and scientific area of Beijing. In foreign media it received the name "China Silicon Valley" (over 23 thousand of companies, including representative and local offices of more than 100 global corporations from the list of Fortune Global 500 are located here).
Personal acquaintance of UCBC co-Chairmen – Mr.Robert Brovdi and Mr. Ren Hongbin took place at the entrance of SINOMACH HQ’s lobby. After the ceremonial greetings, Ukrainian guests were led to the big conference hall where the official scheduled meeting took place.
It was held in different formats. Firstly, it was general exchange of views and suggestions, following were talks in expanded format and at the end there was the summarizing round and discussion on current issues.
Ukrainian and Chinese colleagues has started with the discussion devoted to the current situation and future trends of UCBC activity. It was stated that the potential and possibilities of joint Business Council are being used not in full. As a platform for establishing and maintaining business contacts, initiating interesting and mutually beneficial investment projects, for resolving problems in doing business in both countries, UCBC can and must do much more than now. Its value and usefulness should be felt by the authorities and businesses structures. For this, both parts of UCBC should ensure constant mutual dialogue, information exchange, conducting of joint measures, effective protection of the interests of business circles, and support improvement of the business climate between Ukraine and China.
As a result of discussion, the parties agreed to implement a series of practical steps: to create and synchronize the work of the Secretariats of Ukrainian and Chinese parts of the Business Council; to form a joint working group on development of current and future plans of UCBC, on organizing and holding joint activities; to manage to include the representatives of UCBC to the respective parts of the Intergovernmental Commission on co-operation and to its specialized Sub-commissions ;to prepare and carry out the 3rd joint meeting of UCBC and bilateral Business Forum at the beginning of the next year; to open reception offices of UCBC in Kyiv and Beijing; to establish specialized bilingual web resources etc.
The second part of the meeting was held in extended format of negotiations. UCBC co-Chairmen were joined by the head of the International Relations Department of the China Council for Promotion of International Trade -CCPIT (this organization is similar to Ukrainian CCI, it is the co-founder of the Chinese UCBC) Mr. Guo Peidong, the Vice-President of SINOMACH Mr. Xie Biao and heads of subsidiary corporations of SINOMACH, which are the UCBC’s Chinese part members and implement bilateral projects in Ukraine on various stages, including: president of China CAMC Engineering Co., Ltd. (CAMCE) Ms. Luo Yang, president and CEO of China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) Mr. Zhang Chun and the Vice President of China National Complete Engineering Corporation (CCEC) Ms. Yang Jing.
During the business dialogue, a range of issues on trade and economic co-operation between two countries (present condition, problems and the peculiarities of Chinese investment and infrastructure projects, the condition of mutual trade and the prospects of a free trade zone, visa regime, the prospects of participation of Chinese businesses in the privatization process in our country, the potential of Ukraine's participation in the “New Silk Road” project and others.) was discussed. It was agreed to summarize the most urgent problematic issues which worry the business community of both countries and to initiate their solving by State authorities.
At the end of official meeting, the parties exchanged memorable gifts. Also, the head of Ukrainian part of UCBC Robert Brovdi has invited his Chinese counterpart Mr. Ren Hongbin to visit Ukraine with a business trip.
Therefore, members of Ukrainian and Chinese parts of UCBC were able to summarize the meeting and to communicate in an informal atmosphere.
In general, the meeting of leaders of the UCBC two parts on 26 August, 2015, and the whole eventful eight-day working visit of Ukrainian delegation to Beijing, can be attributed to the most significant events in the activity of the Joint Business Council for last three years. After a prolonged pause and the period of uncertainty, personal contacts and direct dialogue was renewed at the level of the leadership and the most active participants of the UCBC’s both parts. The analysis of the real state of bilateral business ties was made, and the most necessary steps for their gradual activation were specified. Chinese Side has clearly demonstrated its support, understanding and interest in developing relations with Ukraine, and doing joint business with Ukrainian companies. And in the current domestic and external circumstances, this means really a lot for our country.
Read more:
Sergii Kuzyara chairs the Ukrainian part of the UCBC
Sergii Kuzyara: 10 objectives of the Ukrainian-Chinese Business Council
The UCBC Ukrainian Part Summed Up the Outcomes of 2018 and Presented Plans for the Next Year