EU- China (Qingdao) B & T Cooperation Fair XIV was open at Qingdao International Conference Center on November 14, 2019. Before the fair, Wang Qingxian, Party chief of Qingdao, met with some guests of the fair. Meng Fanli, mayor of Qingdao and Xavier Sans-powell, special envoy of the Delegation of the European Commission addressed the opening ceremony.

Wang Qingxian expressed welcome to the guests. He said at present, the world pattern is undergoing profound changes, and economic globalization and open development are irresistible trends. China and the EU are both important "engines" for world economic growth. It will facilitate the common prosperity and development of the two economies through deepening mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides.

Wang Qingxian said that Qingdao is a beautiful coastal city with strong historical and cultural linkages with Europe. At present, we construct the SCO Local Economic and Trade Ministration Area and a new international cooperation platform for BRI in accordance with the important instructions of President Xi Jinping on Qingdao's work. In order to give play to the special role of the new international cooperation platform of BRI, we actively build the city into a gateway of Shandong Province to the whole country and the world and there are many international industrial cooperation projects with Japan, ROK, Germany, Israel and SCO countries in Qingdao. Mr. Wang hoped to take this EU- China (Qingdao) B & T Cooperation Fair as an opportunity to further promote cooperation with EU and help enterprises especially SMEs from EU to access the northern Chinese market with the lowest cost and rapid speed to realize mutual benefits in opening-up and cooperation process.

Meng Fanli said in his speech that Qingdao keeps a close contact with EU in S & T, trade and cultural exchanges. This EU- China (Qingdao) B & T Cooperation Fair will focus on sustainable development, biomedicine, recycling economy and clean energy and further promote exchanges and cooperation of Qingdao with EU in S & T innovation, investment, trade and people-to-people exchanges to make active contribution to the new development of China- EU cooperation.

This EU- China (Qingdao) B & T Cooperation Fair has themed forum, China- EU Match-making Meet, China- EU Water Resource Development Forum and EU Technologies Commodity Show etc. and will promote cooperation of Qingdao with countries along Belt and Road and EU countries in S & T innovation, investment, trade and cultural exchanges etc.

Xue Qingguo, vice mayor of Qingdao, presided over the opening ceremony. Over 80 governments, institutions, schools and enterprises representatives from dozens of countries like France and Germany and 200 plus representatives from China attended the opening ceremony.