On November 11, the opening ceremony of the “2024 Yellow River–Mekong River Exchange Week” was held in Dezhou City. Attendees included government officials from Shandong Province, Dezhou City, and countries such as Cambodia and Vietnam, as well as representatives from the China-ASEAN Center, ambassadors from Mekong River Basin countries to China, business association leaders from ASEAN countries, representatives from foreign affairs departments of provinces along the Yellow River, consulate representatives from ASEAN countries in China, key enterprise representatives, and heads of domestic universities and research institutions.
As a strong economic and industrial province in China, Shandong has maintained close exchanges and cooperation with ASEAN countries. This exchange week encompasses various fields, including trade, culture, education, and tourism, providing a valuable opportunity for both sides to enhance mutual understanding and explore more cooperative opportunities. Shandong is accelerating the establishment of a pioneering zone for green, low-carbon, and high-quality development, comprehensively promoting ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin. The province’s economic performance shows a robust upward trend, with quality improvements. In recent years, Shandong has increasingly strengthened local exchanges with Mekong River Basin countries, creating a model for regional cooperation. Looking to the future, Shandong is willing to work together with friends from all countries to elevate local cooperation, cultivate new trade growth, expand new areas for industrial collaboration, and write new chapters in cultural exchange, thereby deepening friendships, solidifying mutual trust, and fostering practical cooperation.
During the opening ceremony, Cambodian Secretary of State for the Ministry of Industry, Science, and Innovation Sokong Heng, Vice Governor of Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey Province Klauko Nouy, and Nguyen Quoc Vuong, a committee member of the Provincial Party Committee and Director of the Planning and Investment Department of Binh Phuoc Province, all expressed their commitment to using this exchange week as an opportunity to seize development chances, strengthen local interactions, deepen cooperation in areas such as talent and industry, continuously enhance economic and trade levels, and strengthen cultural exchanges, thereby promoting better mutual understanding and taking regional cooperation to new heights.
In recent years, Dezhou City has continuously strengthened interaction and economic trade with Mekong River Basin countries, aiming to establish itself as a key city in northern China connecting with ASEAN, achieving fruitful results. Dezhou sincerely looks forward to establishing a long-term communication and exchange mechanism with ASEAN countries, learning from each other, benefiting mutually, sharing new strategic development opportunities, fostering new dynamics for industrial collaboration, creating new spaces for economic cooperation, and writing new chapters in cultural exchange, thereby promoting comprehensive deepening of cooperation and achieving fruitful outcomes.
During the opening ceremony, the Thai Language and Culture Exchange Center at Dezhou University was inaugurated, the China-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce signed a cooperation agreement with the Dezhou Federation of Industry and Commerce, and the China (Dezhou) Southeast Asia Fruit Pavilion officially began operations. The “Approaching Qilu Culture and Feeling Rural Revitalization” China-Philippines Youth Friendly Exchange Week was also launched simultaneously.
This exchange week will include a series of activities such as the Yellow River–Mekong River Dialogue and Trade Investment Promotion Conference, a special business matching session for Yellow River–Mekong River enterprises, an academic seminar on “Cross-Regional Cooperation and Sustainable Development: Collaborative Development of the Yellow River and Mekong River Basins,” local economic and trade cooperation matching conferences, as well as field visits.
