On the morning of October 29, the Information Office of the People's Government of Tibet Autonomous Region held a press conference to introduce the overall conditions and achievements of the 16th China Tibet-Nepal Economic and Trade Fair, and declared the closing of the fair.
Launched in 1985, the fair is an important platform for Tibet to open up to the outside world. Besides, it is also one of the most important economic and trade activities between Tibet and Nepal. It is held biennially by Tibet and Nepal by turns. Now it has been successfully held for 15 sessions. The continuous holding of the fair has effectively promoted bilateral economic and trade cooperation and enhanced the friendship between the two peoples, which has been highly praised by both governments and all sectors of society.
The fair is hosted by the People's Government of Tibet Autonomous Region and the Industrial and Commercial Supply Department of Nepal, undertaken by the Commerce Department of Tibet Autonomous Region and the Trade Promotion Center of Nepal, and jointly organized by the Tibet Autonomous Region Trade Promotion Association of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and Tibet Autonomous Region Border Trade Association. It was held in Lhasa City from October 25 to 29.
The fair is held in the context of the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up and the 5th anniversary of the "One Belt and One Road" initiative. Themed on "common progress, win-win cooperation", and with investment negotiation, goods trade, economic cooperation and high-level forum as the main content, the fair aims to further strengthen pragmatic cooperation as well as to expand new channels for cooperative development and mutual benefit.
156 booths (101 for Chinese and 55 for Nepali) are set up in the No.2 hall of the Tibet Exhibition Center. According to statistics, there are 156 enterprises attending this fair. Among them, 101 enterprises are from Tibet and 117 enterprises are from Nepal. Nepali exhibition products mainly include hand-woven carpet (cushion), crafts, Thangka portraits, metal statues, wooden products and so on. Chinese exhibition products focus on Tibetan carpets, Tibetan porcelain, Tibetan tea, Tibetan incense, silver ware, jewelry, ethnic clothing, highland barley products, cashmere products, cultural and creative products, and handmade Buddha.
Statistics show that, 4 import and export trade contracts are signed by Chinese and Nepali enterprises, with the contract amount of more than 20 million yuan.Two joint venture cooperation agreements are reached with the amount of 500,000 yuan. The total transaction amount during the fair is more than 5 million yuan.
The fair is designed and planned in strict accordance with the direction of specialization and internationalization. On the basis of the exhibition and sales, discussion, negotiation and signing activities are held, further enriching the activity contents, promoting the opening up and cooperation, economic and trade exchanges, and publicity and promotion, as well as improving the popularity, influence, radiation, and attraction of the fair.
At the end of the press conference, Liu Xuan, deputy secretary-general of the People's Government of Tibet Autonomous Region and deputy head of the coordination leading group of the 16th China Tibet-Nepal Economic and Trade Fair, announced the closing of the fair.