China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shandong Sub-council
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JINAN, China, November 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On November 24, the International Trade and Investment Advisory Council Conference for Shandong Province 2025 was held in Jinan, east China’s Shandong Province. Organized by the Shandong Sub-council of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), with the theme “Bringing Together Global Business Wisdom to Promote Innovative Trade Development”, the event brought together more than 50 international advisors and delegates from more than 10 countries and regions, including the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Mexico, Malaysia, Singapore and Kenya. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on advancing environmentally friendly, low-carbon, and high-quality development in Shandong, deepening institutional openness, and building a modern industrial system, with the aim of offering actionable insights to position Shandong as a center for high-standard international cooperation.
The conference saw the appointment of seven new advisors, further expanding Shandong’s international think tank and increasing the diversity and representativeness of its advisory mechanisms.
During the keynote session, 15 advisors – including Dr. Juergen Schmitz, Member of the International Management Committee, ERGO International AG; CEO of ERGO China; Joe Zhou, President of DSM-firmenich China; and Zhan Jingtao, Vice President of Siemens Ltd., China – discussed topics such as green transformation of the industrial chain, digital commerce and the pharmaceutical industry. Representatives from six departments at the provincial level responded to the advisors’ recommendations and addressed key issues raised during the discussions.
A total of 18 consultation reports were submitted at the conference, which provided international perspectives and strategic pathways for advancing high-quality development in Shandong. These reports cover important areas such as green and low-carbon initiatives, biopharmaceuticals, new quality productive forces, the digital economy, and cross-border economic cooperation. The ultimate goal is to help Shandong build a more resilient and competitive open economic system.
Launched in December 2021, this consultation mechanism has involved leading figures from the global business community as advisors.
Over the past four years, the initiative has focused on pooling international resources, deepening global collaboration, and expanding openness by building a strong platform for exchange between Shandong and the international business community. Its growing influence positions this mechanism as an important bridge to strengthen Shandong’s global partnerships and foster international trade cooperation.
The advisers have submitted more than 50 policy recommendations addressing Shandong’s key development priorities. For the environmentally friendly, low-carbon and high-quality development pilot zones in the province, proposals based on international best practices have been integrated into the provincial plan, thereby contributing to the sustainable reduction of energy consumption per unit of GDP in Shandong and the steady growth of green industries. Moreover, in terms of optimizing the business environment, actionable steps have accelerated “reforms to simplify administration, delegate authority, and improve regulations and services,” and aligned Shandong’s business environment with global standards.
The advisory mechanism has also encouraged the implementation of trade and investment projects by advisor-affiliated entities in Shandong. Over the past four years, the advisors have been actively involved in advancing environmentally friendly, low-carbon and high-quality development in Shandong, fostering mutually beneficial collaborations, and reaching a series of cooperative agreements. With strong support from government agencies at all levels, several projects have been realized. Singapore’s RGE Group has invested 10 billion yuan in Shandong to build the world’s largest Lyocell fiber production base. DSM-Firmenich has expanded its investments in Yantai-based companies, increasing its shareholding to 90.5%. Germany’s ERGO International is actively advancing capital injections for insurance sector partnerships, with investment projections in Shandong estimated to exceed 3.5 billion yuan. In addition, the Locke Mason (Jinan) Zero-Carbon Smart Factory, jointly developed by Siemens and Locke Mason, has been designated as a “Zero-Carbon Factory” pilot project by the Energy Investment Committee of the China Investment Association, marking the first project in Shandong to receive this award.
Source: China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shandong Sub-council
Zhang, Tel: 86-10-63074558.
