CIF and LLM have become significant events in the area of international relations

The China Investment Forum (CIF) 2014 and the Local Leaders Meeting (LLM) 2014 have become very important events in the field of international relations. In order to develop cooperation between the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEE) and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), hundreds of international and Czech guests participated in the Forum. The Prague Castle was during 28 and 29 August 2014 venue of an unprecedented meeting with such a large number of participants as never before. This happened during the 65th anniversary of the establishment of mutual diplomatic relations between the Czech Republic (CR) and the PRC.

CIF 2014 and LLM 2014 have been attended by almost six hundred guests from the PRC, about two hundred delegates from the CEE countries and more than eight hundred participants from the CR. The most important guest was the First Vice Premier of the State Council of the PRC, Mr Zhang Gaoli. This has become the most senior political state visit from the PRC in the CR within the recent years. Mr Gaoli was accompanied for example by the Minister of Transport of the PRC, Mr Yang Chuantang, and the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Trade of the PRC, Mr Zhong Shan or the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Health of the PRC Mr Ma Xiaowei.

Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli together with the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Mr Bohuslav Sobotka have begun the two-day event with their ceremonial speeches. They were also present and oversaw the signing of the “Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic and the Secretariat for Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries on promotion of the establishment of the Association of Governors of Provinces of the People’s Republic of China and Representatives of Regions of Central and Eastern European Countries”. With respect to the extension of cooperation between various regions and provinces, China sent to Prague the largest delegation of regional governments in its history – representatives of 15 Chinese provinces and municipalities at the provincial level.

The Vice Premier of the State Council of the PRC, Mr Zhang Gaoli has also met the President of the CR, Mr Miloš Zeman, and they officially initiated the Gala Dinner. Together with the President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Mr Jan Hamáček, these gentlemen were the main speakers during the closing ceremony in the Prague Castle Gardens.

In several panel discussion during the two days of the Forum, there have been discussed very specifically the possibilities and potential opportunities for cooperation on many levels, whether it was mutual trade and investment, tourism, visa policy and flight connections, as well as for example transportation and aviation, financial sector, industry and engineering, information technology and telecommunications, health or science, research and new technologies. Several ministers of the Government of the CR, senior state officials of the Chinese government, representatives of Chinese provinces, Czech governors, and representatives of governments and regions of the CEE countries and also representatives of public authorities as well as private sector across the attending states have contributed with their presentations.

The organizers of the LLM/CIF 2014, led by the Czech China Chamber of Collaboration, have received many acknowledgements for successful organization of these events, including official thanks – one of them from the State Secretary for European Affairs of the Government of the Czech Republic, Mr Tomáš Prouza. His statement can be found HERE.