The tangible results of the Belt and Road Initiative will generate new growth momentum this year, especially in the fields of energy, agriculture and infrastructure, in China and Kazakhstan, according to officials and business leaders. Yu Jianlong, secretary-general of the Beijing-based China Chamber of International Commerce, said China already has linked the Belt and Road Initiative with Kazakhstan's Bright Road new economic policy. "This coincides with Kazakhstan's ongoing infrastructure development and industrialization, which are aimed at boosting production and exports," he said. Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative, which embodies infrastructure, service and trade networks, is comprised of a land-based Silk Road Economic Belt and a sea-based 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The initiative has gained support from over 100 economies and international organizations, with more than 50 cooperation agreements signed between governments since 2013. "China has big companies and rich experience to push forward development in energy, roads, water conservation and agriculture in Kazakhstan," said Li Gang, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing. Eager to diversify their business operations in the country, Chinese companies such as China National Machinery Industry Corp, Power Construction Corp of China, China Communications Construction Co and Huawei Technologies Co have all begun to work with local companies to carry out aviation, power, road and telecommunications projects in the country. The volume of trade amounted to $7.88 billion in 2016. China is Kazakhstan's second-largest export market after Russia, according to Kazakhstan's national statistics. Metal, timber, construction materials, agricultural and chemical products are Kazakhstan's main exports to China. China exports mainly construction machinery, manufacturing equipment, steel, electronics, textiles, garments and household appliances to Kazakhstan. Chinese-made passenger vehicles and trucks also have become popular in the country. State-owned China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corp, the country's biggest food trader, plans to import more Kazakh wheat this year. It already imported 2,200 metric tons in March. "Kazakh wheat has offered a diversified channel for China's wheat import, which can help enhance the product quality and competitiveness of flour processing industry in western China and also enrich the supply of different wheat varieties to the domestic market," said Ma Lijun, general manager of wheat business at COFCO Trading Co, a COFCO subsidiary. [email protected]create your own wristbanddesign rubber braceletsblack rubber wristbandscustom silicone bandssilicone keychainslap wristbands24hourwristbandsmake rubber bracelets
At the closing ceremony of the 2017 Chongqing International Talent Innovation Entrepreneurship Symposium on Sunday, Chongqing Liangjiang New Area awarded Meng Min's pharmaceutical company 19 million yuan ($2.9 million) for its innovative project: a public service platform for biological medicine research development. "Our project will get a jumpstart with this generous support, and it will help me hire more high-level talent," said Meng, former chief scientist at Covance, one of the world's largest drug development companies. She is one of the hundreds of highly talented people attracted to this southwestern city in recent years as Chongqing aims to become an international cosmopolis by 2030. Born and raised in Chongqing, Meng returned to her hometown last year and started her own biological medicine company in Liangjiang, attracted by the fast growing pharmaceutical industry and favorable local policies. "Chongqing is the youngest municipality in China. You can reach your goals here if you have solid knowledge and skills," she said. In recent years, Liangjiang New Area, China's first inland State-level pilot zone for opening-up and development, has launched a large-scale talent recruitment program, such as the annual international talent symposium, which aims to attract highly-skilled individuals from home and abroad to start businesses in Chongqing. Over the weekend, more than 1,000 people from 18 countries and regions, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Singapore, participated in the event. They are highly educated and top experts in the fields of information technology, renewable energy, biological medicine and manufacturing. There was one academician and 18 experts from the national Thousand Talents program. "The symposium has drawn increasing attention from overseas and greatly assisted our talent recruitment," said He Yousheng, deputy director of the Liangjiang New Area Administrative Committee. To encourage entrepreneurship, the new area has issued a series of policies and subsidies to startups, including rent cuts, tax cuts and seed money. "We will set aside at least 100 million yuan ($15.4 million) in talent funding each year, a 10-billion-yuan seed capital fund and over 1 million square meters of housing for talent," he said. In addition to financial and policy support, human resources experts attending the event said that the city needs to upgrade its "software", such as world-class international education and medical facilities. "Overseas high-level talent pays great attention to their children's education here and the quality of local medical services," said Jiang Ao, CEO of a consulting firm based in the United Kingdom that helps Liangjiang recruit. Chongqing boasts the world's largest laptop manufacturing base and China's largest vehicle production base. Since 2014, it led GDP growth in the country for 13 consecutive quarters with an annual average of 11.7 percent. In January last year, President Xi Jinping said during an inspection trip that Chongqing is "full of promise" and set to become an inland international logistics hub.
