Incheon, Weihai Mark “10 Years of Korea-China FTA” With Unwavering Partnership… Expand Economic, Tourism Exchange

Expanding Economic and Tourism Exchange. The Incheon Metropolitan City government (Mayor Park Chan-dae) announced that it took part in the ‘9th Incheon-Weihai Local Economic Cooperation Joint Committee,’ held on October 29 in Weihai, Shandong Province, China, where the two cities discussed, from multiple angles, ways to achieve mutually beneficial development as pilot cities for the Korea-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The joint committee is a regular consultative body that the two cities have held alternately in Incheon and Weihai each year.

[The Korean Today] Incheon, Weihai Mark “10 Years of Korea-China FTA” With Unwavering Partnership… Expand Economic, Tourism Exchange (사진 제공: 인천광역시)

Since being designated as Korea-China FTA local economic cooperation pilot cities in July 2015, the two cities have taken the lead in pursuing 41 projects across seven major fields, including trade, e-commerce, and tourism, earning recognition as a model case of Korea-China local diplomacy. The meeting was attended by key government, academic, and industry officials from both cities, including Seo Mi-suk, Director of Incheon’s International Cooperation Division, and Zhang Shandong (张善东), Deputy Mayor of Weihai, as well as representatives from the two cities’ chambers of commerce, universities, and trade promotion committees.

At the meeting, the two cities set agendas in key fields expected to drive future growth — ▲eco-friendly energy cooperation, ▲boosting e-commerce, and ▲expanding cultural and tourism exchange — and agreed to activate concrete cooperation channels to respond to the rapidly changing trade environment. In particular, this visit served as an occasion not only for the joint committee meeting but also to confirm the current state of friendly cooperation between the two cities as they mark its 11th anniversary.

Ahead of the joint committee meeting, on the 28th the Incheon delegation paid a courtesy visit to Weihai Mayor Kong Fanping (孔凡萍), reaffirming the trust the two sides have built as Korea-China FTA pilot cities and renewing their commitment to cooperation. Officials from the China Office of the Governors Association of Korea and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Qingdao also attended, adding weight to the cooperation between the two cities. The delegation then attended the ‘10th Anniversary Ceremony of the Incheon (IFEZ) Economic and Trade Representative Office in China,’ which was attended by about 130 people, including local business figures and buyers.

The Incheon (IFEZ) Economic and Trade Representative Office in China is a key hub dedicated to helping Incheon-based small and medium-sized enterprises enter the Chinese market and open export channels, as well as to promoting trade exchange and attracting investment between the two cities. The delegation looked back on the office’s achievements and track record over the past 10 years and checked on the progress made by outstanding local small and medium-sized enterprises in developing local sales channels. Seo Mi-suk, Director of the city’s International Cooperation Division, said, “The Korea-China FTA pilot city model that Incheon and Weihai have built together is a pioneering milestone in local economic cooperation between the two countries,” adding, “We will speed up follow-up discussions so that the key agendas discussed at this joint committee meeting can lead to tangible economic results.”

Meanwhile, based on the outcomes of this visit, Incheon plans to further solidify its regular cooperation channel with Weihai and continue to expand practical exchange projects in future new industry fields such as eco-friendly energy and e-commerce that local companies can tangibly benefit from.

※ Photos from the joint committee will be posted on the Incheon Metropolitan City website’s ‘Press Releases’ section after 4:30 p.m. Commerce Bureau Hope to build inter-city industrial cooperation exchange system City International Cooperation Division Incheon Chamber of Commerce and Industry Economic and Technological Development Zone Commerce Bureau Build information-sharing mechanism between cities’ semiconductor parts companies City Incheon Chamber of Commerce and Industry -Promote advancement of customs clearance simplification cooperation with Weihai Commerce Bureau Culture and Tourism Bureau Foreign Affairs Office Trade Representative Office Build alternative sourcing platform Commerce Bureau Culture and Tourism Bureau

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