On April 22, the first meeting of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Business Advisory Council (the Council) was held via video link. Zhang Shaogang, Vice Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), attended and addressed the meeting as co-chair of the Council.

Zhang Shaogang said 100 days after the RCEP came into effect, initial results have been achieved in the promotion of foreign trade among member countries. The establishment of the Council is not only an important measure taken by the business communities of East Asia to promote practical cooperation, but also a significant vehicle for promoting regional growth, demonstrating the willingness of the business communities in the region to support multilateralism and free trade, and to deepen economic and trade cooperation. All member countries should give full play to the advantages of the Council as a platform to serve the practical cooperation of enterprises and promote economic growth within the region.

At the meeting, members of the Council were introduced, and the Articles of Association of the Council, as well as major work and activities for 2022, were reviewed and approved. More than 30 representatives from the members of the Council joined the meeting online.