As Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Commission to China and Mongolia, I would like to offer my congratulations to the Municipal Government of Shangyu and Macro Euro-China Entrepreneurs Club for organizing the Euro-China Business Meeting in Shangyu 2007.

This event is a key opportunity for European and Chinese companies to meet and establish long-term partnerships and further develop economic co-operation between the two regions. I am especially pleased to see the strong commitment shown on the European side to the EU-China business relationship.

Being one of the first coastal opening cities in China, Shangyu offers an excellent model for economic development . Apart from its beautiful scenery and cultural heritage, it has been proactive in fostering an attractive business environment . Like Shangyu, China as a whole is offering more and more concrete opportunities and rewards of European business.

Europe, in turn, is an increasingly attractive partner for trade and investment. Already now the EU is China’s biggest trading partner and the top investor in China, whereas China is the EU’s second largest trading partner after the US, with ample scope for further expansion of European investment in China.

Our experience in organizing such EU-China match-making events has shown that, beyond the deepening of mutual understanding between the two sides, it is a great opportunity for sharing ideas and practices in mutually significant sectors , as well as establishing long-lasting commercial relations. For these reasons , I am confident that this event will be a resounding success and will yield meaningful results for the partners and participants alike.

I therefore wish every success to each participant of the Euro-China Business Meeting and to express my support to the host city of Shangyu for this promising initiative.

Serge ABOU
EU Ambassador