On 26 October 2018, the delegation from the Regional Economy Division of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the China Chamber of Commerce in the UK (CCCUK) held a seminar on “Coordinated Development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Innovation of Government management.” WU Shulin, Deputy Director of Regional Economy Division of the NDRC; CAO Li, Vice Chairman of the CCCUK and General Manager of China Telecom (Europe) Co., Ltd.; WU Lin, Secretary-general of the CCCUK, and 18 members of delegation from Regional Division of National Development and Reform Commission and related divisions in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei attended the seminar.

The seminar on Coordinated Development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Innovation of Government Management

CAO Li, Vice Chairman of the CCCUK and General Manager of China Telecom (Europe) Co. Ltd. addresses the meeting

CAO Li began his speech with a briefing on China-UK relations, the current situation and prospects of China-UK economic and trade cooperation, and the development of the CCCUK in the UK. He said that as China further opens up to the world, it has become an important trend for a growing number of Chinese enterprises to “Go Out”. In recent years, Chinese enterprises operating in the UK have performed well with fruitful achievements in finance, technology manufacturing, communications, energy, infrastructure and other industries. Committed to providing quality services, the CCCUK has played an important role in promoting the development of Chinese enterprises in the UK. In the future, the CCCUK will continue to offer a good platform for high-level exchanges and create opportunities for cooperation between leading enterprises from the two countries.

WU Shulin, the Deputy Director of the Regional Economy Division of the NDRC delivering a speech

WU Shulin, the Deputy Director of the Regional Economy Division of the NDRC, said that China-UK cooperation has reached a new level in recent years, and that the two countries will enjoy broader prospects for cooperation as momentum grows on the Belt and Road Initiative. The delegation’s visit to the UK is aimed to discuss and exchange ideas on the “Coordinated Development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region and Innovation of Government Management”. He hoped that the effort of “go-out” and “bring-in” can lead to more understanding of the development and effective experience of the UK in urban construction and governance. He said that the seminar has laid a good foundation for the delegation’s upcoming visit to the UK, and hoped for closer exchanges and cooperation with the CCCUK in the future.

Professor HUANG Jun, Partner and Design Director of WEI Yang & Partners, and expert of the National Design Evaluation Board of Wales shared his view on urban renewal and innovation trends in China and the UK based on a series of typical cases and practices. He pointed out that, as the world is facing economic transition, environmental degradation and population aging and other problems, it is of vital importance to “update” the original core urban areas and pursue coordinated development of ecology, economy, and culture.

An in-depth discussion was conducted at the meeting on smart city and other relevant issues. Both sides hoped to carry out broader interaction and communication in the future, take full advantage of the high-quality resources of China and the UK, and make greater contribution to the development and governance of cities around the world.