With the further development of economic and trade relations, the China-Latin American business complementarities have become more and more apparent. In 2007, the bilateral trade volume exceeded 100 billion US dollars, with an increasingly diversified structure of products. Today, China has become Latin America's third largest importing country with an import volume occupying 14% of Latin America’s total trade volume, while Latin America has become Chinese investors’ largest foreign investment destination.

To satisfy the demand of closer business relations from Chinese and Latin American companies, in November, 2007, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), in cooperation with its Latin American partner organizations, successfully hosted the First China-Latin America Business Summit in Santiago de Chile.  H.E. Mrs. Bachelet, President of Chile, and Mr. Li Meng, Vice Chairman of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, attended at the Summit and delivered keynote speeches respectively.  More than 500 representatives from 16 countries such as China, Latin American countries, United States, Spain and Japan as well as international organizations like CEPAL and Inter-American Development Bank, participated in the Summit and talked about China’s trade development, Latin America’s economic trend, energy and mining cooperation, etc. There was also a roundtable of China-Latin American trade promotion organizations where CCPIT and its Latin American counterparts discussed and passed the Chile Declaration of China-Latin American Trade Promotion Organizations.  At the matchmaking conference, Chinese and Latin American businesses had more than 500 one-to-one meetings and reached business intention.

The Second China-Latin America Business Summit will be co-hosted by CCPIT and the Heilongjiang Government.  The theme of the Second Summit is “Renovating the Trade Services and Strengthening the Regional Cooperation”.  Based on the existing cooperation, the Summit is going to further talk about the methods and tools of promoting the business and facilitate the investment, joint efforts among governments, business associations and private sectors in order to promote the fast and healthy trade development of China-Latin America business relations. China is a country featured by diversified regional economies.  This Summit is to be hold in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, which forms the Northeast Economic Region of China with other two neighboring provinces Jilin and Liaoning.  Agriculture and manufacture are two main industries of this region.  The economy of this region is very complementary to Latin American countries and particular regions of Latin American countries.  In this context, China and Latin American countries should use this Summit as an opportunity to enhance the cooperation of the certain regions of two sides.

Chinese state leaders, Latin American senior officials as well as leaders of international organizations will be invited to the Second Summit.  About 800 business people from all over China and Latin American countries will participated in the Summit. The two sides will talk about issues of common interest in the bilateral trade relationships and set up more concrete cooperation.

May I extend our sincere welcome to your participation in the Second China-Latin America Business Summit and look forward to meeting you! in the beautiful city of Harbin!