Mr. Chen Deming, Minister of Commerce met, on June 1, with Mr. Reynders, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and European Affairs in Brussels, and exchanged views on further strengthening of China-Belgium economic and trade relations, especially, views on cooperation in investment.

Minister Chen made a briefing on the 26th session of China-EU Economic and Trade Mixed Committee He said that the two sides exchanged in-depth views on important economic and trade issues of common concerned and reached consensus. EU is ranked first among China’s trade partners, and China has attached great importance to the development of economic and trade relations with the EU countries, Belgium included. China has a huge domestic market with its annual import volume ranked the second in the world, and it will become the world's largest market in a few years. China is willing to strengthen economic and trade cooperations with EU countries for common development.

Mr. Reynders said that Belgium-China trade and investment ties has become increasingly closer driven by the governments of two sides. Under the circumstance of European Debt Crisis, European countries have paid even more attentions to the strengthening and expansion of economic and trade cooperation with China. Belgian government welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest in Belgium, Chinese enterprises could make Belgium a passage to European market. Belgian and Chinese enterprises could cooperate in various fields.

Minister Chen said that Chinese government attracted foreign enterprises to invest in China and also encourage Chinese enterprises to invest overseas. While, Minister Chen hoped that there could be less worry and more fairness when Chinese enterprises doing business in Europe, that Belgium could become a destination of Chinese enterprises investing in Europe as well as the window and bridge between China and EU countries. Chinese and Belgian enterprises have their own advantages and could cooperate in the fields of manufacturing, infrastructure, logistics, renewable energy and water disposal and work together to expand the market of the third country, which would definitely achieve win-win outcome.

Mr. Reynders said that Belgian government warmly welcomed Chinese enterprises to invest in Belgium and had introduced a number of specific measures to attract foreign investment. Belgian and Chinese enterprise could build partnership through establishing joint ventures so as to do business in Europe, Asia and other areas.

In the morning at the same day, Minister Chen made an inspection tour on e-waste disposal plant in Umicore Group, Antwerp World Diamond Trading Center and the port of Antwerp. Chinese ambassador to Belgium Mr. Liao Liqiang accompanied Minister Chen on his visit to those places.