Conference on Latvia–China Economic Relations to Take Place in Riga This Week
On Wednesday, 10 October, the Latvia–China Trade and Investment Forum, organised by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), will take place at the Park Inn by Radisson Riga Valdemara hotel. More than 40 representatives of China’s leading mechanical engineering and electronics sectors are expected to participate in the conference, and it will serve as a platform for Latvian entrepreneurs to meet potential business partners from this region.
China has traditionally been one of Latvia’s most important export partners, and the role of this cooperation continues to grow every year. Last year Latvia’s total trade in goods and services with China reached EUR 624.8 million, of which exports accounted for EUR 141.4 million (0.9%), while imports amounted to EUR 483.3 million (2.9%). This ranks China 14th among Latvia’s foreign trade partners.
The Latvia–China Trade and Investment Forum is being held in Riga for the first time, with the aim of promoting cooperation and strengthening economic ties between China and the countries of Eastern and Central Europe. The main business sectors represented at the conference will include communications network services; the production of energy sources, power supplies and power units; the development and maintenance of microwave antennas and elliptical waveguides; the manufacture, installation, modernisation and technical maintenance of lifts, escalators and specialised lifts; electricity generation and industrial equipment manufacturing and integration services; the manufacture of low-voltage electrical devices; the production of electric tools, device switches, electrical testing equipment, and electrical and industrial insulation materials; smart technologies; providers of facial and fingerprint recognition technologies; industrial robots; and other sectors.
Alongside several influential officials and businesspeople, representatives of the Latvian Ministry of Economics and the Embassy of China in Latvia will also participate in the conference. The speakers and panel discussion participants will also include Andris Ozols, Director of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA); Yu Jianlong, Secretary-General of the China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC); Di Rong, Head of the International Exhibitions Department of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade; Yu Chen, Deputy Chairman of the Shanghai Council for the Promotion of International Trade; and others. The event will conclude with B2B cooperation and networking activities for entrepreneurs.
In addition to the upcoming forum, a stand featuring Chinese machinery and electronic equipment will be on display at the International Exhibition Centre in Ķīpsala from 11 to 12 October as part of the RIGA COMM Baltic technology exhibition and conference. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the 1,068 m² exhibition in the Chinese pavilion, which will showcase such rapidly growing business sectors as infrastructure, equipment and electronics manufacturing, the communications industry, artificial intelligence and others, all developing in direct connection with innovation and the latest technologies. Forty-nine prestigious Chinese companies from Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Xi’an and other leading cities will participate in the exhibition with their products and services. Local entrepreneurs will have the opportunity during these days to discuss practical matters and cooperation with such Chinese companies as Yunke China Information Technology Limited, the Shanghai International Technology Exchange Center, Shanghai Nuclear Power Industrial Co Ltd, Shanghai Electric (Group) Corporation and others.
“The Latvia–China Trade and Investment Forum will take place on Wednesday, 10 October, from 15:00 to 17:00 at the Park Inn by Radisson Riga Valdemara hotel in Riga, at 1 Krogus Street. The working language of the event is English.
