Eden DM delegates in China to discuss investment
Pauline Lourens
Eden District Municipality recently received an invitation from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) to attend the Belt and Road Summit which will take place on 28 June at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Hong Kong, China. The theme of the summit is “Collaborate for Success”. During the visit, delegates from Eden DM will also go on a fact-finding mission to Shanghai, to engage with Dr Hongbin Cheng, executive director of New China Time Technology (NCTT).
Cheng forms part of the Chinese delegation that visited the Garden Route on two previous occasions with a keen interest in the region as an investment partner. During the Eden DM’s visit to China, the co-founder of the China-South Africa Bridge (CSA) will also be visited.
The objectives of the visit to China include presenting the region as a suitable destination for trade and investment by meeting with Chinese business and government representatives; holding strategic engagements and possible partnerships; and discussing the possibility of establishing a communication centre to enable efficient communication between the two countries.
Eden’s six-person delegation, which includes Executive Mayor Memory Booysen and Municipal Manager Monde Stratu, intend to investigate trade and investment opportunities, including agriculture and agriprocessing, renewable energy technologies, as well as tourism.
In a statement, Eden DM says,
“The district is fully committed to positioning itself as a destination of choice for tourism and as a viable investment hub for national and international investors. Following Eden DM’s March 2018 Garden Route International Investment conference held to attract investment, Eden intends availing council properties for ‘investment opportunities’.”