Fourth GTI Business Advisory Council Meeting held in Changchun

The 4th meeting of the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) Business Advisory Council (BAC) was successfully held from April 19-20 in Changchun, China. The meeting was aimed at discussing the investment climate in the region and at attracting more foreign investment into GTI countries. This meeting was organized by the Tumen Secretariat and co-chaired by Mr. James Zimmerman, Chairman Emeritus of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, and Mr. Wang Junhao, CEO & Vice Chairman of Juneyao Group, China.

In addition to regular organizational discussions among the BAC members, the meeting incorporated discussions on a recent survey conducted by the BAC on the “Business Climate in the GTI Region". The Survey, undertaken by the Tumen Secretariat, provides an overview of the economic climate in the Greater Tumen Region and provides and opportunity for BAC members to discuss how to overcome particular trade barriers. Mr. James Zimmerman proposed that the survey to be continued and expanded with the results assessed on an annual basis to track investment improvements in the region.

A roundtable was held between the business community and the Department of Economic and Technological Cooperation of the Jilin Provincial Government to discuss Jilin investment policy and the Cooperation and Development Planning Outline of China’s Tumen River Area: Setting Changchun-Jilin-Tumen as the Pilot Development and Opening Zone, a national strategy adopted in November 2009. Representatives of the Jilin Government introduced the plan and new incentives for investment in the region.

Other activities include studies on firms who have successfully invested in the GTI region. The Fawer–Johnson Controls Automative Systems Company Ltd. (FJC), a fortune 500 company in the automotive sector, and the Tufts Consulting Group Worldwide, China,  presented their respective experiences investing in Jilin, addressing the importance of cooperating with local authorities and the issues of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), as well as the significant location of Jilin as the gateway to investment in the Greater Tumen Region. Following the meeting, a technical tour to FJC was organized for the participants to study the operation of FJC's manufacturing business in Changchun, Jilin.

The Greater Tumen Initiative is an intergovernmental cooperation mechanism in Northeast Asia supported by UNDP with the membership of four member countries: China, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation. As a unique platform for economic cooperation in the region, GTI serves as a catalyst for policy dialogue and cooperation in the areas of transportation, energy, tourism, investment and environment. 

The Business Advisory Council was established by GTI in 2007 as a platform for permanent dialogue and partnerships between the government and the private sector. Acknowledging the critical role of the private sector in fostering sustainable development in the region, BAC is private sector led and funded and aims to improve the economic landscape for investment in the GTI region.

Related Information

4th BAC Meeting Presentations

Media Inquires

For more information, please visit the GTI website at http://www.tumenprogramme.org/
or contact the Tumen Secretariat by phone at +86 10 6532 6871

Mr. ZHU Shu
Senior Program Officer (Communication & Partnership)
UNDP Tumen Secretariat
E-mail: shu.zhu@public.un.org.cn