Ambassador Liu Xiaoming
May 15, 2007
Honorable Vice Minister Ri Ryong Nam,
Honorable Vice Chairman Yu Ping,
Honorable Representatives of the Diplomatic Missions,
Comrades and Friends:
On the occasion of the opening of the 10th Pyongyang Spring International Trade Fair, I am glad to hold the reception for the "Day of China Pavilion" together with Mr. Yu Ping, Vice Chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT). I want to extend my warm welcome to all guests present today. And my sincere thanks go to the departments concerned of the DPRK for their generous support and help to the Chinese delegates and entrepreneurs.
As a comprehensive international trade fair in the DPRK, the Pyongyang International Trade Fair (PITF) has been successfully held for 10 years. Both its scale and influence are on the rise. Being an important window for economic exchanges and cooperation with foreign countries, the PITF has provided a unique platform for entrepreneurs from China, the DPRK and other countries to share information, increase mutual understanding and promote cooperation. The Chinese Government has always attatched great importance to the PITF. With the help of the CCPIT, Liaoning and Jilin provincial governments, more than 80 Chinese enterprises and 250 entrepreneurs are participating this session of the PITF. Among them are world-known enterprises like Haier Group, KONKA Group and CHANGHONG Group. The China Pavilion covers an area of 1000 square metres with exhibits from various sectors such as the electrical facilities, machinery, machine tool and fittings, household appliances, automobile, food, chemical industry, light industry, medicine and etc. All this has fully demonstrated China's willingness to further develop the mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation with the DPRK and other countries.
China and the DPRK are friendly neighbors. The two countries have great potentials for trade and economic cooperation. Our two countries enjoy political advantage in traditional friendship, geographical advantage in closeness and economic advantage in mutually complementary structure. In recent years, China-DPRK trade and economic cooperation has witnessed thriving development thanks to the active guidance by the governments, vigorous promotion by non-governmental organizations and passionate participation by enterprises of the two countries. To develop China-DPRK trade and economic cooperation not only serves the interests of both peoples, but also is conducive to the economic development and prosperity in the region. China is willing to work with the DPRK to carry out the consensus by our top leadership and strive to fulfill the potentials of trade and economic cooperation so as to enhance mutual benefit and common prosperity for the two countries.
In conclusion, I wish all participating enterprises a bumper harvest and the PITF a great success.
Thank you!