On July 27, the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Commerce and the Jiangxi Branch of the Bank of China jointly hosted a trade and economic matchmaking event to deepen the implementation of the “West-West Strategy.” This initiative is an important step taken by Jiangxi to promote both “attracting investment” and “going global.” It also reflects the Jiangxi Branch of the Bank of China’s commitment to putting into practice the Head Office’s strategy of “assuming social responsibility and becoming the best bank,” and represents a pragmatic move to fully support the province’s development of an open economy. The purpose of this meeting is to build a bridge for Jiangxi enterprises to engage in mutual cooperation with Brazil, and to help Jiangxi companies “going global” gain a deeper understanding of the Brazilian and broader Latin American markets.

　　Twenty-two government officials from eight Brazilian states, along with leaders and experts from China Bank headquarters, the Jiangxi Branch of the China Development Bank, the Jiangxi Branch of the Export-Import Bank of China, the China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation, Brazil Haitong Investment Bank, and other relevant domestic and international financial institutions, as well as senior executives from more than 40 key “going global” enterprises within the province, attended this matchmaking event.

　　To encourage more Jiangxi-based enterprises to forge partnerships with Brazil, the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Commerce and the Bank of China Jiangxi Branch have signed a Strategic Cooperation Agreement aimed at boosting the development of key provincial enterprises and supporting them in “going global.” Officials from Bahia State in Brazil presented an overview of Brazil’s investment climate, while the head of the China-Latin America Economic and Trade Cooperation Park delivered a project presentation. Boleng Group, China-Latin America Economic and Trade Park, and Feishang Forestry Products each signed letters of intent for cooperation with Haitong Bank of Brazil.

　　Government, banks, and enterprises join forces to build a large-scale communication platform.

　　The “Xixi Strategy” Economic and Trade Matchmaking Conference is a concrete initiative that fosters close collaboration among government, banks, and enterprises to accelerate the establishment of a new pattern of comprehensive opening-up. It also serves as an important event for promoting practical cooperation with BRICS countries. The scale of bilateral trade between Jiangxi and Brazil is steadily expanding, and its level is continuously improving. A number of strong Jiangxi-based enterprises—such as Jiangxi Copper, Jiangxi National Economic Corporation, and Jiangxi Iron & Steel Investment—are actively exploring international markets and seeking cooperation with foreign companies, including those in Brazil, thereby continuously enhancing their level of internationalization.

　　Wang Shuiping, Director of the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Commerce, stated that while Jiangxi and Brazil continue to expand the scale of their bilateral trade, Jiangxi welcomes Brazilian enterprises to invest and develop in Jiangxi. He also encouraged businesses to fully leverage Jiangxi’s strategic advantages as a key node along the Belt and Road Initiative and as a vital support for the Yangtze River Economic Belt, enabling their products and services to enter the vast Chinese mainland market and even countries along the Belt and Road. Jiangxi will also continue to encourage enterprises with the necessary conditions and strength to capitalize on the favorable opportunities presented by Brazil’s economic development, actively pursuing investment cooperation in sectors such as infrastructure, manufacturing, and agriculture in Brazil, thereby promoting mutually beneficial economic development between the two sides.

　　Deepen the “West-West Strategy” to boost international exchange and cooperation.

　　This “West-West Strategy” economic and trade matchmaking event is an important initiative by the Bank of China Jiangxi Branch, based on Jiangxi Province’s specific conditions, aimed at implementing the Belt and Road Initiative and supporting the development of economic and trade exchanges between Jiangxi and Brazil. In alignment with this initiative, the Bank of China has closely coordinated with relevant institutions, promoted the implementation of related projects, and achieved remarkable results.

　　With a century of rich history, the Bank of China is the most internationally integrated and diversified commercial bank in China. It enjoys a leading edge in the global cross-border services sector and serves as a financial cornerstone and vital bridge for the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative. Over the years, the Bank of China Jiangxi Branch has actively collaborated with the Group’s domestic and overseas institutions to provide comprehensive financial and intellectual services to enterprises “going global.”

　　Zhang Dongxiang, President of the Jiangxi Branch of the Bank of China, stated that the Jiangxi Branch will take this as an opportunity to actively implement the Head Office’s development strategy of “Assuming Social Responsibility and Becoming the Best Bank.” Leveraging its strengths in channels, capital, and expertise, the branch will focus on both domestic and overseas markets, continuously promoting economic and trade exchanges as well as cultural and people-to-people interactions between Brazil and Jiangxi. It will strive to provide high-quality, end-to-end financial services for deepened, multi-sectoral cooperation between the two sides, thereby offering “monetary + intellectual” dual-capital support to accelerate Jiangxi Province’s transition toward a more outward-oriented economy.

　　Knocking on the strongest note for the “Xixi” docking.

　　“Coming to Jiangxi, the housing, high-speed railways, and urban planning we’ve seen have filled us with great anticipation for future cooperation,” said an official from Paraíba State in Brazil, warmly inviting Jiangxi enterprises to invest in Brazil. He added that Jiangxi and Brazil are separated only by geographical distance—and in the future, there will be no distance at all in our cooperation.

　　China and Brazil both belong to the BRICS group and have strong economic complementarity. Jiangxi Province’s cooperation with Brazil has already yielded abundant results. In 2016, Jiangxi Province’s bilateral trade volume with Brazil reached 626 million U.S. dollars, representing a year-on-year increase of 33.61%. In the first half of this year, the total bilateral trade volume amounted to 450 million U.S. dollars, up 56% over the same period last year.