The city of Nantong, Jiangsu province, held the 13th executive meeting of the Roundtable Conference of China-Africa Cooperation on Sept 17.
Wang Dezhong, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Nantong committee met the participants headed by Ji Peiding, president of the Association of Former Diplomats of China (AFDC) and director of the Roundtable Conference of China-Africa Cooperation.
Wang extended thanks to the AFDC and Conference for their long-term support for Nantong enterprises doing business abroad and gave an outline of the city’s advantages in its regional and resource aspects.
Wang hoped the AFDC members could visit Nantong frequently and facilitate cooperation between Africa and the city.
According to Ji, Nantong is the cradle of the contemporary textile industry in China and one of the most developed cities in Central and North Jiangsu.
Some Nantong enterprises had enjoyed sound development in Africa, and AFDC would spare no effort to help those who also intended to do business in Africa, Ji said.
Nantong currently has more than 20,000 private entrepreneurs doing business in Africa, who also facilitated the cultural communication between China and Africa and were praised by local government and people.
The Roundtable Conference of China-Africa Cooperation, founded on October 10, 2010, is engaged in coordinating the cooperation between the Chinese and African governments and providing consultations and support to Chinese enterprises. The 4th conference was held in Wanning, Hainan province, in November 2013.
The NETDA Free Trade Zone got the original go-ahead, on Jan 3, 2013, from the State Council, for a 5.29-sq-km area, in two parts.
Suzhou-Nantong science & technology industrial park
Equipment manufacturing industrial park
Urban-rural commercial zone
Nengda central business district
New materials industrial park
Medical treatment & health industrial park
Sci-tech industrial park
Precision machinery industrial park