GOVPH

LEADS EXPLORED AT CONSULATE GENERAL’S PARTICIPATION IN SHANXI-ASEAN INVESTMENT CONFERENCE

.Consul Demdem (right) and Commercial Vice Consul Tani (left) with Director Liu.

Shanghai, 27 May 2021 – Economic Officer Consul Conrado B. Demdem, Jr., and Commercial Vice Consul Mario C. Tani of the Philippine Consulate General batted for the exploration of two-way economic linkages between Shanxi Province and the Philippines at the International Cooperation and Investment Promotion Conference sponsored by provincial authorities on 26 May at the Kerry Hotel in Pudong.
The two officials joined the economic and commercial officers of ASEAN Consulates General in Shanghai and representatives of various enterprises and business organizations in the half-day event, organized by the Shanghai Office of the Shanxi-ASEAN Chamber of Commerce with the support of the Shanxi Provincial Bureau of Investment Promotion.
Welcoming attendees, Director Liu Su Lin of the Center of Foreign Investment Promotion and International Affairs underscored Shanxi Province’s growth and growing contribution to China’s opening up since 2017, through initiatives such as the Shanxi Transformation and Comprehensive Reform Demonstration Zone. Director Han Ying of the Shanxi Provincial Bureau of Investment Promotion reported on the ongoing construction of industrial parks across the province as “catalysts in heightening cooperation” with ASEAN countries.
Located in northern China and bordered by the provinces of Hebei, Henan, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia, Shanxi is shifting from its main industry of coal to high-quality development and to integration within and outside China. Its economic output was RMB 1.55 trillion (USD 229.9 billion) in 2017, averaging 6% annually between that year and 2019.
Networking at the event’s close, Shanxi representatives expressed their readiness to welcome Philippine investors in the province’s food processing industry, and raised the possibility of setting up a local office in Manila to facilitate engagement. Consul Demdem and Vice Consul Tani, for their part, discussed investment opportunities in the Philippines, particularly in the steel sector and the country’s nascent new energy vehicle industry. Further developments will be coordinated through the Philippine Embassy in Beijing and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center there, which have oversight over the province. END

CONSULATE GENERAL PARTICIPATES IN 2021 HANGZHOU BUSINESS-MATCHING EVENT

CONSULATE GENERAL PARTICIPATES IN 2021 HANGZHOU BUSINESS-MATCHING EVENT

Consul Conrado Demdem (left) and Commercial Vice Consul Mario Tani at the 2021 Hangzhou Belt & Road Countries Business Matching Seminar.

Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 21 May 2021 – Recognizing the potential for economic linkages with the dynamic Yangtze River Delta Region, the Philippine Consulate General participated in a business-matching and technology zone tour for consular missions in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, on 19-20 May.
Consul and Economic Officer Conrado B. Demdem, Jr. and Philippine Trade and Investment Center Director and Commercial Vice Consul Mario C. Tani joined diplomats from 18 other Consulates General at the 2021 Hangzhou Belt & Road Countries Business Matching Seminar at the Xinqiao Hotel.
The two-day event was helmed by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT)-Hangzhou Committee, in cooperation with the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)-Hangzhou Committee, the Hangzhou Foreign Affairs Office, and the Hangzhou Federation of Industry and Commerce.
Hangzhou is “promoting the spirit of (China’s) Belt & Road” and its espousal of “peace, win-win cooperation, openness, and inclusiveness”, said Hangzhou CPPCC Chairman Pan Jiawei of the activity.
Apart from presentations by selected foreign missions, Chinese industrial park designer Holley and agricultural industrial zone developer Zhejiang Gong River Agriculture Development Co., Ltd., provided briefings on their overseas activities.

The following day saw delegates toured around the Hangzhou City Brain Operation Command Center and the Hangzhou High-Tech Zone (Binjiang). The facilities showcased Hangzhou’s digital and data-driven approach to becoming a sustainable-development smart city, and as a hub for high-tech industries.

Consul Demdem and Commercial Vice Consul Mario Tani with fellow members of the Shanghai-based consular corps at the Hangzhou City Brain Operation Command Center.

At the Hangzhou City Brain, Consul Demdem and Vice Consul Tani engaged facility developer Dr. Wang Jian, Chief Technology Officer of Alibaba Group, and shared the progress of the ongoing development of smart cities across the Philippines and the potential for the sharing of “city brain” experiences and best practices.
Specializing in light industries and, more recently, high-tech industries, Hangzhou is one of China’s economically progressive centers and a major player in Chinese trade. The city’s foreign trade reached RMB 593 billion in 2020. Last year, the city unveiled the Hangzhou portion of the Zhejiang Pilot Free Trade Zone. Hangzhou is now at the forefront of the development of the Chinese digital economy. END

PH Consulate General at CPPCC Briefing for Consular Corps on Shanghai as “International Cultural Metropolis”

Theatre Academy presents a scene from Hamlet. CG Ignacio is flanked by (L-R) Inspector Wang Junwei of the CPPCC Shanghai General Office; top-level actor Pu Cunxi, Chair of the Chinese Association of Drama Artists; and Director Yan Jun of the CPPCC-Shanghai Committee on Education, Science, Culture, Health and Sports

Shanghai, 18 May 2021 – The Consular corps in Shanghai was treated on 12 May to a comprehensive and impressive afternoon showcasing Shanghai’s steady, purposeful and well-planned effort to brand Shanghainese culture and turn this global city into an ‘international cultural metropolis’.
Philippine Consul General Josel F. Ignacio joined fellow Consuls General and other foreign officials in an afternoon of facility tours and sample performances by Shanghai’s leading troupes organized by the Culture and Art Sector of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)-Shanghai Committee.

 A tour of the Shanghai Symphony Hall a viewing of the rehearsal of the renowned Shanghai Symphony Orchestra opened the program. The group was then shuttled to the Shanghai International Dance Center to view a dress rehearsal of Hamlet by the Theatre Academy of Shanghai’s Dance College; as well as of performances by the Shanghai Dance Theatre and the Shanghai Ballet

The afternoon closed with a panel discussion hosted by Deputy Secretary General Cao Zhenquan of the CPPCC Shanghai Committee and presentations by the individual members of the Committee’s Culture and Art Sector, on ongoing activities in the field of music, performance arts, art education, and the promotion of the culture and art forms of Chinese indigenous groups.CPPCC-Shanghai Committee briefs and engages the Consular Corps on programs and activities

Apart from exposure to Shanghai’s rich reservoir of high-caliber cultural talents, the participating foreign consular officials gained useful insights on the city and China’s overall approach to promoting Chinese culture and civilization abroad, and to according cultural programs a prominent spot in the national agenda. The group was unanimous in recognizing lessons that could be drawn for the arts and culture programs of their respective governments. END

Clockwise from top left: Another view of the Hamlet scene by the Shanghai Dance College Theatre Academy; A folk dance by the Shanghai Dance Theatre; Rehearsal of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra; Shanghai Ballet members taking a bow; a touching traditional fan dance piece by the Shanghai Dance Theatre.