The 16th Annual Meeting of the CMIA at the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle was held in Chongqing on September 25, 2021. (Photo/ Secretariat of the 17th Annual Meeting of the Chongqing Mayor's International Economic Advisory Council)

The Chongqing Mayor's International Economic Advisory Council (CMIA) started in 2006 and has grown into a global platform for Chongqing to entice investment, intelligence, and technology. It acts as a bridge fostering economic and trade collaborations worldwide.

It was initiated by Gérard Mestrallet, former chairman of Suez, in 2005. Mestrallet envisioned this platform as a way to gather major global enterprises' advanced expertise and advice to support Chongqing's development.

Held in late September each year, the CMIA annual meeting gathers advisors from Fortune Global 500 companies and renowned multinational corporations. They provide insights and advice for Chongqing's development, tailored to the theme of the year and the city's specific circumstances.

The annual meeting also helps Chongqing secure several cooperation agreements and projects with advisory firms. For instance, in 2023, Jardine Matheson said it plans to boost its investment in Chongqing, with the Chongqing Central Mixc project involved in its brand Hongkong Land set to be completed in 2025. AstraZeneca stated it aims to introduce 15 new drugs in China over the next five years and enhance its cooperation with Chongqing.

The 18th Annual Meeting of the CMIA is scheduled for September 26-27, 2024, and will focus on Strategies and Measures for Building a Modern Manufacturing Cluster System.

The members of the CMIA will combine their understanding of the construction of a modern manufacturing cluster system and their summary of domestic and foreign development experience to discuss how to build a "33618" modern manufacturing cluster system, how to accelerate the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry, and how to further improve the quality and efficiency of the manufacturing industry, etc., helping Chongqing to build an important national advanced manufacturing center.

(Qi Xiaofang, as an intern, also contributed to this article.)