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Flanders set to be gateway to Europe for Chinese trade: minister

Xinhua, February 6, 2016 Adjust font size:

The northern Belgian region of Flanders hopes to play an increasingly important role as a "gateway to Europe" for Chinese businesses, the Flemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois said at a Chinese New Year's event organized this week by the Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce.

Bourgeois said Flanders was already home to about 100 Chinese companies and had the means to become even more of "a major player in the introduction and distribution of new Chinese products into the important European market."

The minister-president told attendees: "The government of Flanders is working hard to enhance the business climate and to create a positive environment for investments in our region."

He said the link between Flanders and China was "strong and fruitful," with China an important export destination for Belgian cars, chemical products, machinery and mechanical tools. Imports from China to Flanders represented 11.7 billion euros (about 13 billion U.S. dollars) in 2014, Bourgeois added.

China's ambassador to Belgium, Qu Xing, said 2016 marked the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Belgium, and Chinese companies had "great confidence in Belgium." China remains Belgium's second largest trading partner outside the EU. Endit