Respected Minister-President Matthias Diependaele,

Respected Chairman Mr. Philippe Latour,

Dear Friends from the Business Communities,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening!

I’m delighted to be here at this event hosted by Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce(FCCC) to celebrate the Spring Festival, China’s most important traditional festival, and to mark the milestone of the 20th anniversary of the FCCC. First of all, I would like to wish you all good health, happiness and prosperity in the Year of the Snake. 

The past year of 2024 has not been an easy one. Geopolitical instability has persisted with unilateralism and protectionism on the rise. Globalization has encountered strong headwinds, the world economy has experienced weak and uneven growth, the green transition has suffered setbacks, and trade wars and tariff disputes have flared up here and there. 

Despite these challenges, I am pleased to note that China-Belgium relations have continued to grow and our mutually beneficial cooperation has steadily expanded. The year 2024 has witnessed quite a number of high-level visits, close intergovernmental dialogues, deepened cultural and people-to-people exchanges and significantly increased two-way travel between the Chinese and Belgians, Europeans and people from around the world through Brussels. We now have 17 passenger flights a week connecting Brussels with Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, major cities in China. Our bilateral trade has remained resilient with enhanced cooperation across various sectors. Last year, the trade between China and Belgium totaled 36.1 billion euros. On average we traded nearly 100 million euros a day. 

Such an achievement is not easy in rainy or stormy weathers, and the credit goes to Chinese and Belgian entrepreneurs, institutions such as the FCCC and many other parties in Flanders. I would like to pay tribute to all of you for your important contribution to this achievement, rain or shine. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Dear Friends,

As the world’s second largest economy, China and its economic development have always attracted global attention. In the past year, China’s economy faced numerous difficulties and challenges, both internal and external. However, through effective counter-cyclical adjustments and a package of incremental policy measures, the Chinese government has effectively boosted market expectations and social confidence, leading to a good economic recovery. Overall, China’s economy has remained stable with steady progress, achieving a 5% GDP growth, one of the highest among major global economies. We can’t find a better example than how the Chinese are celebrating the New Year and enjoying themselves. During the one-month long New Year family reunion and celebrations, which is happening now, China will see 9 billion trips made across the country, one of the biggest human migration on earth, and China’s Blockbuster Animated Movie Nezha II has seen its box office topping one billion US dollars in a little bit over one week. No need to say too much about how resilient and strong the Chinese economy is. It is expected that it will maintain an upward momentum in 2025.

What I want to share with you is that China’s economy is solid, resilient, dynamic, and full of potential. The fundamentals and long-term trends remain unchanged in favor of steady and sustained growth. China will continue to be a most important engine for global growth, providing strong momentum for the world economy and creating plenty of opportunities for the growth of global trade and investment.

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Dear Friends,

Since assuming my office in Belgium over eight months ago, I have visited a number of Chinese and Belgian companies and met with entrepreneurs. Though coming from different sectors, they share the concern that the biggest risk facing business development is uncertainty, specifically the uncertainty of the global political and economic development and the instability of the regulatory environment.

I’d like to reaffirm that China remains committed to high-level opening-up and will bring more certainty and stability to the world by providing clear opportunities in the following three aspects. First, China will continue to expand market access for all market entities, Chinese and those from overseas. Following the full removal of foreign investment restrictions in the manufacturing sector, China has implemented a negative-list for cross-border trade in services. We are also advancing the orderly expansion of pilot programs in telecommunications, healthcare and education. Second, China will keep improving its business environment. We are committed to creating a fairer and more dynamic market environment. Regarding the concerns of multinational companies, China is continuously improving its regulations and policies in areas such as intellectual property protection, equal participation in government procurement, cross-border data flow, resource access, qualification approvals and standard setting. Third, China will further expand its imports. In 2024, China’s total imports reached 18 trillion yuan (2.37 trillion euros), marking a year-on-year increase of 2.3% and setting a historic record. For 16 consecutive years, China has remained the world’s second-largest import market. China will continuously and steadily open up its goods market and share its super-sized market with the rest of the world.

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Dear Friends,

Both China and Belgium uphold free trade and an open economy, encouraging business and people-to-people exchanges. The two sides actively promote practical cooperation across a wide range of sectors, benefiting from cooperation and supporting each other’s growth. As beneficiaries of globalization, the two countries share common interests in opposing protectionism, promoting free trade, advancing green transitions and addressing climate change.

China is willing to work with Belgium and other countries to  promote inclusive economic globalization, firmly oppose trade wars, prevent further economic tensions and support finding win-win solutions through dialogue, consultation and cooperation.

Ladies and gentlemen, 

Dear Friends,

Entrepreneurs in Flanders have always shown strong vision and entrepreneurship. They were among the earliest to invest in China after the country’s reform and opening-up. The subsequent establishment of the FCCC has played a vital role in fostering economic and trade cooperation between Flanders and China. Over the years, many Flemish companies have deeply engaged in the Chinese market and have now grown into well-known brandnames in China and leading multinationals globally.

Going forward, there is still great potential for cooperation between China and Belgium in areas such as agricultural and food products, logistics and transportation, bio-medicine, circular economy, green development and digital economy. We hope Belgium will continue to provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies. We also hope FCCC will continue to build more bridges and that our friends from the business communities will play an active role in enhancing our economic and trade cooperation.

The Chinese side will work with the Belgian side to promote the China-Belgium all-round partnership of friendship and cooperation. China will work with Belgium to enhance dialogue and coordination, scale up trade and investment across more areas, create greater synergy for win-win results and deliver more benefits to our two peoples. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Dear Friends,

In traditional Chinese culture, the snake symbolizes wisdom, agility and transformation. The Year of the Snake is believed to be a time of challenges and change, and an opportunity for reform and innovation. In the year ahead, I wish you all great success in seizing new opportunities and achieving new growth.

Thank you!