Seminar on Trade and Investment Facilitation for Madagascar Kicked Off

On the afternoon of June 8, 2022 (GMT+8), the opening Ceremony for “Seminar on Trade and Investment Facilitation for Madagascar” hosted by Ministry of Commerce and organized by MOFCOM Training Base for International Business Officials (Shanghai) was held online. Liu Beimin, investigator of the Foreign Economics and Cooperation Division of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Dai Ying, executive vice dean of International Education College of Shanghai Business School and Feng Shujun, chief expert and researcher of the Think Tank Center of our university, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Madagascar. Since its establishment, the two countries have always adhered to sincere friendship, equal treatment, mutual benefit and win-win situation, and mutual understanding and support on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns. The holding of this seminar is a pragmatic move to implement the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035, which is of great significance to continuously deepen South-South cooperation under the new situation, promote the development between the two countries, and enhance the effectiveness of pragmatic development.

Liu Beimin mentioned in her speech that investment and trade facilitation is an effective way to optimize a country or region’s business environment and improve its international competitiveness, as well as an important measure to promote economic development. China and Madagascar established a comprehensive partnership in 2017, signed agreements on mutual promotion and protection of investment, trade agreements and other agreements, and set up a mixed committee on economy and trade. The economic and trade cooperation has become an important part of the all-round and three-dimensional cooperation pattern between China and Africa. She hopes that this seminar will not only promote the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, but also help the friendly relations to reach a new level.

Dai Ying said that the “Belt and Road” initiative proposed by China is highly compatible with the development needs of Madagascar. Under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, China-Madagascar friendly cooperation has also been further developed. It is expected that both sides can take the seminar as an opportunity to further promote the transformation of mutually beneficial cooperation, injecting new impetus to the economic development of Africa, China and even the whole world after the epidemic, and adding new achievements to the practical cooperation between China and Madagascar. As the organizer of the seminar, our university has made adequate arrangements based on the needs of the officials. The experts will have in-depth discussions with them on various aspects such as China’s Pilot Free Trade Zone and the practice of system-based open innovation, innovation and change of China’s foreign investment law, and the construction of Shanghai International Trade Center.

Researcher Feng Shujun, the representative of the experts, mentioned in his speech that China-Madagascar relations are at the best time in history, showing strong vitality and broad prospects. It is hoped that this seminar can fully implement the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and further elevate the friendship between both sides. On behalf of the participants, Mr. Andriancasina Hanirarivelo Lindela, Director of E-Commerce and Consumer Information Division from the Ministry of Industrialization, Commerce and Consumption of Madagascar, expressed his sincere gratitude to the organizers. He believed that it is a good opportunity to promote the development of trade and investment in Madagascar, and hoped that through exchange and interaction, they can learn from China’s experience and jointly deal with new problems and challenges in this field.

The Seminar will last for 14 days and 19 government officials from departments under Madagascar’s Ministry of Industrialization, Commerce and Consumerism will participate.

Written by: Hong Xingzhi

Photos by: Li Zheng

Reviewed by: Chen Wei