ICC leaders meet with Premier of China Li Keqiang
Led by ICC Chairman Harold (Terry) McGraw, a delegation of ICC leaders met today with the Premier of the People's Republic of China Li Keqiang.
The delegation included Jean-Guy Carrier, ICC Secretary General, Jiang Zengwei, Chairman of ICC’s national partners in China – the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), the China Chamber of International Commerce (CCO) and ICC China – as well as the Secretary General of ICC China Lin Shunjie and ICC Executive Board member Andrea Tomat, Chairman CEO, Managing Director and President of Lotto Sport Italia.
Government officials joining Mr Li during the meeting were Qi Tian, Deputy-Director-General of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yesui Zhang, Executive Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shan Zhong, China International Trade Representative (ministerial level) and Vice-Minister of Commerce Yi Zheng.
The high-level meeting, which took place in Ziguangge, Zhongnanhai, focused on ICC’s work to promote multilateral trade and investment. World business leaders praised Mr Li for China’s new pathway to economic reform and encouraged greater focus on trade and investment initiatives, including working to implement the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement, protecting intellectual property, lowering barriers to trade and investment, and fighting corruption.
“China is a vital economy and a key player in helping design global economic governance and reform in key forums such as the G20,” said Mr McGraw. “One important step now for China to pave the way for greater market opening that creates more opportunity and higher growth throughout the world, is to demonstrate strong support for implementing the WTO agreement reached last year in Bali.”
The meeting also served to raise awareness of ICC’s essential products and services that can support Chinese companies expanding to international markets and meet the challenges and opportunities of an increasing integrated global economy. These include ICC’s world renowned commercial dispute resolution services, practical trainings, and voluntary rules, guidelines, and codes that facilitate cross-border transactions and help spread best practice among companies. During discussions, the ICC delegation underscored objectives to increase the use of ICC’s international rules and procedures by Chinese companies to resolve business disputes that arise when doing business across borders. They also highlighted ICC’s practical suite of corporate governance and anti-corruption tools as well as tools to help businesses understand the importance of the intellectual property (IP) system and IP rights management. The delegation also drew attention to the first official Mandarin translation of the Consolidated ICC Code of Advertising and Marketing Communications Practice (ICC Code), launched in Beijing just a few days before the meeting during the 43rd IAA World Congress.
Messieurs McGraw and Carrier briefed Mr Li on the value of ICC as a key player to help Chinese companies operate internationally through close ties with ICC representatives and partners in the country.
Ahead of the meeting with Mr Li, ICC leaders participated in the 2014 ICC Asia-Pacific CEO Forum in Kunshan to explore ways in which the Asia-Pacific region can help stimulate the global economy as it rebounds from crisis and garner the views of business leaders in the region. Combining interactive panel discussions and networking opportunities for some 300 business leaders from around the world, the Forum took place during the third China Import Expo, and this year served as the ICC World Business Leaders Conference.
“The Forum and the Expo are excellent examples of the vibrancy of business in China and the Asia-Pacific region and demonstrate the role it plays in shaping the world economy,” Mr Carrier said.
Forum participants also joined an ICC G20 policy consultation, contributing business views from the region into ICC’s business recommendations to G20 leaders.
ICC events and meetings in China this week are in line with objectives of the organization to establish a greater presence in this important region and secure more participation in ICC’s work programme from businesses in Asia.