On the evening of March 28, 2023 (GMT +8.00), the online opening ceremonies for the Seminar on Import and Export Trade for Developing Countries and the Seminar on Engineering Project Management for Developing Countries hosted by Ministry of Commerce and organized by MOFCOM Training Base for International Business Officials (Shanghai) were held online, kicking off Shanghai Business School’s 2023 annual foreign aid trainings. Mr. Fang Meng from the Foreign Economics and Cooperation Division of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce and Mr. Chen Wei (Executive Vice Dean of International Education College of SBS, and Vice Director of the Training Base) attended the opening ceremonies and delivered speeches.
China, the largest developing country in the world, has established the development and consolidation of cooperation with extensive developing countries as its basic foothold for the government’s foreign policy. The report of the 20th CPC National Congress emphasizes that China firmly pursues an independent foreign policy of peace, promotes new-type international relations, and safeguards the common interests of developing countries. The two Seminars are a vivid manifestation of China’s mutually beneficial cooperation with other developing countries for joint development, and will further promote exchanges and cooperation in the fields of import and export trade as well as engineering project management and drive the economic recovery of each country.
Mr. Fang Meng indicated that both import and export trade and engineering project management are important means to promote economic development, and hoped that the two Seminars would provide opportunities for China and other developing countries to learn and exchange with each other, play a positive role to strengthen cooperation in corresponding fields, and build a bridge of friendship.
Chen Wei suggested that China, as the largest developing country in the world, has been committed to promoting close partnerships with other developing countries, sharing its own development opportunities with them, and always being a reliable friend and sincere partner. SBS organizes the two training programs to share China’s successful experience in the two fields and enhance the independent development capacity and cooperation of the participating countries.
Mr. Salim Muktar Mohammed (Deputy Director General of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment of Nigeria) and Mr. Andrew Haachibe (an expert from the Enterprise Development Department of the Zambia Development Agency) representing the participants of the Seminar on the Import and Export Trade for Developing Countries expressed that they had participated in several training programs organized by SBS Training Base with many gains, and hoped that they could learn and absorb more experience this time to contribute to the trade development of their own countries.
Mr. Kassahun Solomon (Chief Engineer from Addis Ababa Roads Authority, Ethiopia) and Mr. Nsanzumuhire Samuel (Architect and Structural Designer from EWB Rwanda) being the participant representatives of the Seminar on Engineering Project Management for Developing Countries both expressed their gratitude to the program sponsor and undertaker. They hoped that this Seminar would help them to better understand engineering project management, so as to further improve the level of engineering project management in their countries.
The Seminars will both last 14 days, and include 33 officials from 7 countries (Ecuador, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Zambia) in the Seminar on Import and Export Trade for Developing Countries and 34 officials from 6 countries (Ethiopia, Rwanda, Laos, Lesotho, Kenya and Sri Lanka) in the Seminar on Engineering Project Management for Developing Countries.
Written by: Ma Yizhou
Photos by: Shi Xiaomei
Reviewed by: Chen Wei
