On June 29, 2023, the 2023 RCEP Economic and Trade Cooperation High Level Forum opened in Qingdao, Shandong Province. Ren Hongbin, President of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the President of the China International Chamber of Commerce, Fan Bo, Vice Governor of Shandong Province, Kai Sisoda, Ambassador of Cambodia to China, Wu Ding Maung Rui, Ambassador of Myanmar to China, Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry of the Philippines Glenn Pennalanda, and Secretary General of the Secretariat for China Japan South Korea Cooperation, Ou Boqian, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Indonesia's leader in cooperation with China and Minister of Ocean and Investment Coordination, Lu Hute, ASEAN Secretary General Gao Jinhong, and Secretary General of the China ASEAN Center, Shi Zhongjun, delivered video speeches. Lu Zhiyuan, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Qingdao Municipal Committee, attended the opening ceremony. Vice Mayor of Qingdao, Geng Tao, presided over the opening ceremony. Huo Gaoyuan, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Shandong Port Group, delivered a keynote speech at the meeting.

Ren Hongbin stated that high-quality implementation of RCEP is a necessary measure for China to expand its network of high standard free trade zones towards the world, and also an important measure to promote high-level openness. I hope that the business community of various countries can make good use of the RCEP market opening commitments and rules, and continue to promote high-quality trade development; Make more effective use of regional investment preferential arrangements and deeply tap into more investment cooperation potential; Strengthen cooperation in high-end industrial chains and manufacturing projects within the region, and further promote complementary advantages and deep integration of high-end industrial chains. The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the China International Chamber of Commerce will work together with their counterparts in RCEP member countries to strengthen the promotion, interpretation, and training of RCEP preferential policies for enterprises, build diverse platforms, and provide better services, contributing to promoting regional economic integration and promoting the construction of an open world economy.

Kai Sisoda stated that the full implementation of RCEP will further expand trade and investment among member countries, inject strong impetus into regional economic integration, and promote high-quality development and high-level openness. 2023 marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cambodia and China, as well as the Year of Friendship between Cambodia and China. We look forward to taking this opportunity to further consolidate the steadfast friendship between the two countries, enhance their economic and trade relations, and welcome Chinese enterprises to continue investing in Cambodia.

Wu Dingmao Rui stated that Myanmar maintains friendly relations with all member states of RCEP, especially neighboring China and ASEAN countries. Myanmar reiterates its firm commitment to free and open trade under RCEP, and is willing to cooperate closely with other RCEP member states to fully leverage the value of RCEP and help the region achieve a higher level of openness and greater integration.

Glenn Pennalanda stated that the Philippines views RCEP as a catalyst for economic development. RCEP not only provides better market access for its main products, but also sets up a platform to attract investment in fields such as manufacturing, research and development, financial services, game development, and e-commerce. RCEP will deepen the economic and trade relations between the Philippines and China, further stimulate economic growth, create more stable and high-quality employment opportunities, and promote common prosperity.

Ou Boqian expressed the hope that China, Japan, and South Korea will work together with other RCEP member countries to adhere to the principle of multilateralism, maximize the activation and utilization of rules of origin accumulation, form a more reasonable industrial division of labor, and expand investment cooperation in areas such as the digital economy, green economy, blue economy, cross-border e-commerce, and health industry.

In his keynote speech, Huo Gaoyuan said that Shandong Port will seize new opportunities and build a first-class supply chain comprehensive service system based on the port's core competitiveness, highlighting systematization, standardization, digitization, and greening, gathering the advantages of the entire chain, focusing on value creation, building a smart future, promoting low-carbon transformation, and providing customers with more convenient, efficient, safer, lower cost, and better quality More sustainable comprehensive supply chain services contribute more to the international economic landscape and economic and trade relations.

The forum released the "Qingdao Initiative for Promoting RCEP Mechanism Construction and Sharing Regional Cooperation Achievements" and the "Action Declaration for the Nine Provinces (Districts) along the Yellow River on" Sharing RCEP Dividends and Promoting High Quality Development along the Yellow River Basin "by the Chinese business community. The first China International Supply Chain Promotion Expo (CIIE) was introduced, and the CIIE intended enterprises, RCEP Cultural and Tourism Industry Promotion Center project, and other projects were collectively signed.

At the same time of the forum, around the platform construction of China International Supply Chain to promote the Expo, President Ren Hongbin had a discussion with more than 20 representative enterprises of the industrial chain in Shandong Province, such as Inspur, Shandong Heavy Industry, Haier, Hisense, Ruifu Grease, Huaxi Biology, etc; In order to provide high-quality services and promote the implementation of the major national strategy of the Yellow River, the leaders of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade in the Nine Provinces (Regions) along the Yellow River also held a roundtable on sharing RCEP dividends to promote high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin.

This forum is hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the People's Government of Shandong Province, and organized by the China International Chamber of Commerce, the People's Government of Qingdao City, and the Shandong Council for the Promotion of International Trade. The theme is to work together to promote prosperity, with opening ceremonies, results release, keynote speeches, parallel forums, and other links set up. More than 400 officials from relevant government departments, ambassadors to China, representatives of trade promotion agencies and business associations, experts and scholars, and business representatives from RCEP member countries attended the forum offline.

Riding the east wind of RCEP, Qingdao has also ushered in a new round of expansion and opening up. As one of the cities with the greatest efforts in seizing opportunities for RCEP in China, Qingdao has provided practical cases and models for the implementation and effectiveness of RCEP. Project carriers such as RCEP Shandong Enterprise Service Center, North China International Oil and Gas Center Project, and Shandong International Air Exchange have successively landed in Shibei District of Qingdao. At present, relying on the construction of the RCEP pilot base and taking the whole of Shibei District as the strategic hinterland for deep participation in RCEP economic and trade cooperation, the declaration and establishment of the RCEP Shandong Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone are being comprehensively promoted.Editor/XingWentao