Fujian delegates visit Cebu to discuss business
Delegates of Fujian Province, China visited Cebu for a business-matching activity and networking for the benefit of both Cebu and Fujian entrepreneurs.
In behalf of Cebu Governor Hilario P. Davide III, his wife, Jobel Angan-Davide, hosted a welcome dinner for more than 40 Fujian delegates last September 15 at the Capitol Social Hall.
Liang Jianyong, head of the Fujian delegation and Secretary General of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Fujian, expressed their gratitude and their interest in creating businesses here in Cebu.
The meeting of the Fujian delegates and the Capitol department heads led by Provincial Administrator Mark Tolentino is aimed at coming up with business plans that will contribute to the economy of both provinces.
“If we don't make business with Cebu, it is our loss,” Jianyong said.
The Chinese official encouraged the Cebu Provincial Tourism Office to do promotions and exposition seminars in Fujian as a way of introducing Cebu as a tourist destination, and also invited Governor Davide to visit Fujian province, where Xiamen City is located.
Xiamen City is known to be China's most romantic leisure city with its mild climate, colonial architecture and Hokkien culture.
A mix of Asian cuisine with Cebu lechon as their main dish was served to the Fujian guests for their welcome dinner.
Representatives from the Office of the Presidential Assistant of the Visayas (OPAV), the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and the Cebu Provincial Board (PB) Members also graced the event.
During dinner, Angan-Davide explained that the Filipino culture is deeply-rooted in Chinese influences such as Chinese values, customs and traits, respect for the elders, and strong family ties.
“At the heart of almost all progressive places (cities) in the Philippines is a major trading center we refer to as Chinatown, and Cebu, we believe, is one big Chinatown,” she said.
Angan-Davide also shared that the Filipinos, specifically Cebuanos, love Chinese cuisines such as siomai, ticoy, and lumpia.
For his part, Jianyong shared that the friendship of Fujian and Cebu serves as an important link between China and the Philippines.
“Fujian-Cebu cooperation in the field of economy, trade, tourism, culture, and education will make better contribution and become a highlight for a friendly cooperation between China and the Philippines,” he added.
He said that both sides are now moving in the right direction and that both provinces will soon realize a "win-win cooperation" in the future.
A Sugbo-Chinese Heritage Museum is set to open next year, wherein several relics showing the relationship between Cebu and China will be displayed, AnganDavide told the Fujian delegates.
She invited the guests to visit the museum next year on their next trip to Cebu.