STORY: 7th CIIE holds promotion event in Zimbabwe
SHOOTING TIME: April 16, 2024
DATELINE: April 17, 2024
LENGTH: 00:04:02
LOCATION: Harare
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the CIIE promotion conference
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): SONG SHANGZHE, Deputy director general of China International Import Expo Bureau
3. various of the CIIE promotion conference
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): YU ZIRONG, Vice president of Hongqiao Forum Research Center
5. various of the CIIE promotion conference
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): ZHOU DING, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe
7. various of the CIIE promotion conference
8. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): KINDON GANDANGA, Director of International Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
9. various of the CIIE promotion conference
10. SOUNDBITE 5 (English): ALLAN MAJURU, Chief Executive Officer of ZimTrade
11. various of the signing ceremony

STORYLINE:

The promotion conference of the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the Hongqiao International Economic Forum was held in Harare, Zimbabwe on Tuesday.

A visiting CIIE delegation, government officials, and members of the business community all attended the conference.

The Hongqiao International Economic Forum, also known as the Hongqiao Forum, is a significant part of CIIE.

Established in 2017, CIIE serves as a platform for companies worldwide to explore trade opportunities in China and foster economic co-prosperity.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): SONG SHANGZHE, Deputy director general of China International Import Expo Bureau
"CIIE symbolizes China's sincere desire to share its market with Zimbabwe and the world. In the past six years from its debut, CIIE has gathered quality African and Zimbabwean goods, contributing to the booming of China-Africa, China-Zimbabwe economic and trade cooperation."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): YU ZIRONG, Vice president of Hongqiao Forum Research Center
"The Hongqiao Forum is committed to promoting open, inclusive, equal, and win-win economic globalization, paying special attention to global development issues and providing opportunities for all countries, especially the developing countries."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): ZHOU DING, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe
"This year, we sincerely invite our Zimbabwean friends to participate again. I hope that Zimbabwe will fully leverage the CIIE platform to exhibit its premium and unique products and explore China's huge market opportunities. I also hope that this year's CIIE will further enhance our bilateral trade, deepen our fraternal relations and deliver more benefits to our two countries and two peoples."

Official data show that trade between China and Zimbabwe reached a record 3.12 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, up 29.9 percent from the previous year.

Zimbabwe exported 1.71 billion U.S. dollars to China and imported 1.41 billion U.S. dollars from China, with a trade surplus of 307 million U.S. dollars for Zimbabwe.

SOUNDBITE 4 (English): KINDON GANDANGA, Director of International Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
"I have no doubt that the event will go a long way in promoting bilateral trade between Zimbabwe and China. Not only does the CIIE promote our bilateral trade, it also facilitates countries and regions all over the world to strengthen economic cooperation and trade, and to promote global trade and world economic growth."

SOUNDBITE 5 (English): ALLAN MAJURU, Chief Executive Officer of ZimTrade
"The sheer size and population of China of 1.4 billion present an opportunity for Zimbabwe, for us to export. And we really applaud this initiative for us to make sure that everyone is very much aware of the opportunities that CIIE offers in terms of promoting exports from Zimbabwe."

Last year, 15 Zimbabwean companies attended CIIE. These companies were from many industries, including leather, processed food, arts and crafts, information and communication technology (ICT), mining, energy, and tourism.

This year, over 15 Zimbabwean companies will participate in the 7th CIIE, which is scheduled to be held in Shanghai in November.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Harare.
(XHTV)