Honorable Vice Governor Chen Weigen,

Distinguished Guests,

Dear friends from the press,

Good morning!

I would like to express my warm welcome, on behalf of the Ministry of Commerce of China, to all distinguished guests and journalists from home and abroad for attending the press conference. I also express my sincere appreciations for your interest and support of the Expo for years.

The holding of the Expo is a strategic move made by the Chinese government to promote China’s exchanges with other countries in Northeast Asia in the sectors of trade, economy, investment, culture and scientific technology and accelerate advancing the regional cooperation. The expo has come a long way in the past 6 years with the growing influence and popularity. Countries from Northeast Asia and the rest of the world become more enthusiastic in participating in the Expo. It has become a gateway for China opening to the Northeast Asia region. It has also become an important window and platform for countries of Northeast Asia to conduct cooperation with other countries around the world.

As the close neighbors, countries in Northeast Asia have vast territories and abundant resources, strong complementarity in industrial structure and great potential in development. And therefore we have advantages in cooperation. The Expo aims to enhance the mutually beneficial cooperation among countries of Northeast Asia to realize the common development, actively promote the facilitation of regional trade and investment; vigorously promote the pragmatic cooperation in transportation, tourism, scientific technology and culture, and constantly improve the mutual cooperation. The Ministry of Commerce of China, as one of the sponsors of the Expo, will take joint efforts with NDRC and the People’s Government of Jilin Province to create such a great platform serving for Northeast Asia. We will further improve its cooperation level, expand cooperation sectors and substantial effects, and make more contributions to promoting the regional exchanges and cooperation.

Dear friends, this Expo will be opened in Changchun, on September 6 this year. It is our sincere wish to invite you to attend the Expo to discuss cooperation for joint development. Meanwhile, I hope media from home and abroad could focus on this Expo and publicize it so that make more friends from home and abroad understand the Expo and take part in the Expo.

In conclusion, I wish this Expo a complete success!

Thank you.