An untapped region ripe for investment

BEIJING, 16 June 2010 – The GTI Investment Workshop held in Manzhouli, Inner Mongolia, China from 14-16 June 2010 introduced the Manzhouli border area of China, Russia and Mongolia as an untapped region ripe for investment.  The region is China’s largest inland port of entry from Russia and receives 60 percent of all of China’s trade to and from Eastern Europe.  The Workshop, organized by the GTI Secretariat and the Business Advisory Council in close cooperation with the Manzhouli government, provided an introduction to the investment environment in the region and presented an opportunity for match-making between Business Advisory Council (BAC) members/nominees and local companies. The GTI Investment Workshop signified the commencement of an ongoing partnership between GTI and the Manzhouli government and served as a platform for fostering greater dialogue between public and private sectors in Manzhouli, ultimately helping to build greater future cooperation.  The event further enhanced the visibility of GTI in the region and strengthened the GTI-BAC partnership. 

A diverse set of twenty-five participants that included representatives from the business sector from the GTI region and worldwide, including Dezan Shira & Associates, participated in the Workshop with the aim of gaining a more in-depth understanding of Manzhouli and greater clarity with respect to investment opportunities in the region. 

Opening remarks for the GTI Investment Workshop were provided by Mr. Wu, the Party Secretary of the Manzhouli Municipal Party Committee, who made an introduction to the investment environment of Manzhouli.  The Director of the Tumen Secretariat, UNDP, Mrs. Nataliya Yacheistova, spoke about current GTI activities and the progress in Northeast Asia cooperation.  BAC Co-Chair, Mr. James Zimmerman, provided an update on BAC’s initiatives. 

Expanding on Mr. Wu’s introduction to Manzhouli’s favourable investment climate, a number of representatives from the Manzhouli government provided an introduction to the five functional zones in Manzhouli.  Speakers from the Dalainuer Zone, the Cooperation Zone, the Mutual Trade Zone, the East Lake Zone, the Industrial Park, and from the Tourism Bureau presented an in-depth overview of Manzhouli’s functional zones and their role in the regional economy.  The BAC delegation raised engaging questions surrounding an array of topics that included the region’s investment policy, natural resources, such as oil and gas, micro-credit, financial policy and real estate.

 

A cross section of the region’s diverse industry was presented through a number of technical tours arranged by the Manzhouli government.  The tours provided another forum for match-making between local Manzhouli companies and BAC member companies.  The first technical tour held on the 14th June in the Industrial Park in the Mutual Trade Zone in Manzhouli showcased the region’s wood processing industry.  The second technical tour was arranged on 15th June and provided a glimpse into the region’s surface mine and coal industrial zones in the Jarlinuor Zone.

The GTI Investment workshop successfully concluded on 16th July.  The Workshop portends a continuous, collaborative relationship between GTI and the Manzhouli government—a partnership to work together to promote the advancement of the region.


Manzhouli is a tri-country region (China, Russia, and Mongolia) and an important gateway for trade and investment in the region.  Manzhouli receives 60 percent of all of China’s trade to and from Russia and the rest of Eastern Europe. It is the country’s largest inland port of entry. Manzhouli borders the Russian city of Zabaykalsk with a free trade zone that allows residents from both sides to cross visa free. Manzhouli is an established EPZ/FTZ.  To support trade and investment, the local government has adopted a series of policies to boost border trade and opened over 200 import and export companies since the city was designated as an international port of entry city in 1992.

The GTI Business Advisory Council (BAC) is a multinational platform for permanent dialogue between governments and the private sector.  Established in 2007 with the strong support of GTI member governments, the United Nations Office for Partnerships and the UNDP, BAC operates as a non-governmental entity.  It is private sector led and funded and aims to improve the economic landscape for investment in the Greater Tumen Region.



Agenda

14th June

09:00-10:00 Opening Ceremony

10:30-12:00 Session I: Introdution to the Investment Environment

14:30-17:30 Session II: Investment Workshop & Match-making

20:30-21:30 Technical Tour to Matryoshka Plaza and Wedding Ceremony Palace

15th June

09:00-12:00 Technical Tour to Gateway, New Port Road, Sino-Russia Border Zone, Urban Planning Exhibition Center and Xiaohekou Scenic Spot in Manzhouli

14:30-17:30 Technical Tour to Manzhouli Log Market, New International Freight Yard, Manzhouli Triple Success Co., Ltd,
   Manzhouli Lianzhong Wood Co., Ltd and Manzhouli Huifeng Logistics Co., Ltd

16th June 

09:30-11:30 Technical Tour to Katyusha Artworks Center