CCPIT Chairperson Gao Yan met with Adnan Kassar, Honorary Chairman of the General Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Arab Countries (GUCCIAAC) and Chairman of Fransabank Group, Mohamed Choucair, Chairman of the Federation of the Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Lebanon and Lebanese Minister of Telecommunications, Khaled Hanafi, Secretary General of the GUCCIAAC, Youssef Fenianos, Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport, Mansour Bteish, Lebanese Minister of Economy and Trade, and other political and business leaders in Beirut, capital of Lebanon, on March 30. They exchanged views on promoting practical economic and trade exchanges and cooperation between China and Lebanon and other Arab countries at large.

Gao Yan thanked the Fransabank and the Lebanese side for their thoughtful arrangements and preparations for the visit and expressed her appreciation to Kassar for sparing no effort to promote the development of China-Arab friendly relations over the years. Gao Yan said, the China-Arab Outstanding Contribution Award presented to Kassar by President Xi Jinping in 2016 is recognition of his outstanding contribution to the development of China-Arab friendship over the past 60 years. Gao Yan underscored that the CCPIT is willing to strengthen the institutional cooperation with Lebanon to build a platform for enterprises of the two countries, providing consultation, mediation, arbitration and other services to better support business cooperation.

Kassar warmly welcomed Gao Yan and her delegation of entrepreneurs, noting that this timely visit to Lebanon helps Chinese entrepreneurs understand the business environment and investment opportunities in Lebanon and promotes pragmatic economic and trade cooperation under the framework of the "Belt and Road".

Choucair said that the new Lebanese government is implementing a series of reform measures, carrying out infrastructure projects and building the Tripoli Special Economic Zone. Lebanon is willing to assist Chinese and Lebanese enterprises in jointly exploring the markets in Iraq and Syria.

Hanafi said that the China-Lebanon Investment Forum, co-hosted by the GUCCIAAC, CCPIT and relevant Lebanese institutions, aims to build a platform for promoting pragmatic economic and trade cooperation between China and Lebanon and other Arab countries, and inviting the CCPIT to establish a representative’s office in Lebanon, to which he is willing to provide assistance.