On March 13, local time, the China-Austria Economic and Trade Forum and the 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) Roadshow were held in Vienna. The event took place during the visit of a Chinese entrepreneurs’ delegation to Austria, organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT). Distinguished attendees included Ren Hongbin, Chairman of the CCPIT; Christoph Matznetter, Vice President of the Austrian Economic Chambers (WKO); Florian Frauscher, Director General for Economic Affairs, Innovation, and International Policy of Federal Ministry of Labor and Economy of the Republic of Austria; Gunther Beger, Managing Director of the Directorate for SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); and Qi Mei, Chinese Ambassador to Austria. All delivered remarks at the forum.

In his speech, Ren Hongbin commended the recent progress in China-Austria cooperation across the board. He proactively introduced the clear signals sent by China’s “Two Sessions” (the annual sessions of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference) regarding the country’s commitment to expanding high-standard opening up. Ren expressed that the CCPIT is willing to collaborate with Austrian partners, facilitate the efforts of business communities in two countries to tap into the complementary strengths in resource endowment and industrial structure, and support enterprises in both countries in fostering new growth areas in bilateral cooperation. Moreover, he welcomed Austrian businesses and institutions to participate in the 3rd CISCE.

The Austrian side underscored the significance of the event as the first major economic and trade activity between China and Austria since a new Austrian government was formed, which has a far-reaching impact on the development of bilateral relations. They affirmed China’s role as a trustworthy partner and praised the CISCE as a high-level platform for deepening international cooperation in industrial and supply chains. Austria expressed eagerness to expand collaboration with China in such sectors as rail transportation, automotive, semiconductors, microelectronics, life sciences, and green technologies, jointly address global challenges and uphold the international trade order.

The forum attracted over 200 representatives from trade and investment promotion agencies, chambers of commerce, business associations and enterprises from both countries. During the event, the China International Exhibition Center Group promoted the 3rd CISCE on the spot and signed cooperation agreements with relevant Austrian institutions and companies.