The first Belt and Road Conference for Overseas Chinese Cooperation and Development kicked off on July 17 in Chongqing. (Photo/ACFROC)

Chongqing - The first Belt and Road Conference for Overseas Chinese Cooperation and Development kicked off on July 17 in Chongqing, yielding investment agreements worth more than 43.79 billion yuan ($6.1 billion).

A total of 66 projects were signed during the event, including 17 on-site at the opening ceremony, worth a combined 22.95 billion yuan. These on-site deals span sectors such as green energy, cross-border trade, advanced manufacturing, and the digital economy.

Under the theme "Overseas Chinese Gather on the New Silk Road and Join Hands Toward the Future," the conference brought together over 500 overseas Chinese representatives from more than 110 countries and regions across five continents.  

The event was co-hosted by the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese (ACFROC), along with the municipal governments of Chongqing and Sichuan Province. It focused on aligning domestic and international market resources and advancing cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) framework.

Kuok Khoon Hong, Honorary President of the China Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs and Chairman and CEO of Wilmar International Limited (Singapore), expressed strong confidence in the Chinese market. In his speech, he noted that Wilmar's subsidiary Yihai Kerry, which specializes in agricultural processing and food production, has already established 81 production bases and over 100 factories across China.

Looking ahead, the company will continue to expand its investment in China, with a focus on deep processing of grains and oils, central kitchens, health food, and innovative healthcare projects. Yihai Kerry stated he will also continue to view Chongqing as a key strategic hub and further strengthen its investment in the city.

The Belt and Road Chinese Business Organizations Cooperation Network was officially launched at the conference. The network aims to integrate global overseas Chinese business resources and promote exchanges in trade, culture, and science and technology. Its first members span 72 countries and regions across five continents.

Additionally, a selection of outstanding cases unveiled highlighted overseas Chinese contributions to the Belt and Road Initiative.

Four thematic sub-forums were also held, focusing on investment and trade cooperation, global market access, cross-cultural exchange, and youth innovation and entrepreneurship.

These sessions helped integrate resources across policy, industry, technology, talent, and culture, building a multi-level service system and a one-stop platform for information sharing and project matching.

At one of the four thematic sessions on helping enterprises and products go global, a dedicated alliance was officially launched. The alliance aims to consolidate global overseas Chinese resources and build an efficient collaborative platform to support the international expansion of Chinese businesses and products, further deepening cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

As a non-entity collaborative network, the alliance operates with resource sharing and demand-supply matching. It leverages the global commercial networks, cross-cultural communication strengths, and resource accumulation developed by overseas Chinese communities. Through shared information, coordinated activities, and channel linkages, the alliance offers a rapid-response mechanism to international trade demands.

Product booths and cultural tourism displays are seen at an event venue. (Photo/Tan Xinyu)

At some event venues, booths for enterprises, cultural tourism showcases, and dedicated business matchmaking areas were set up to present the Chengdu-Chongqing region's industrial strengths, signature projects, and tourism resources to overseas Chinese entrepreneurs.

Five site visits were arranged for participants to further support collaboration to explore China's opening-up platforms and key industries in Chongqing, Sichuan, and Xinjiang, deepening exchange and cooperation across various sectors.

Joshua Tang Chok Kien, President of the Brunei Guangxi Chamber of Commerce, told Bridging News on the sidelines of the conference that as the head of a business consultancy familiar with international laws and standards, he aims to help Chinese brands—particularly products from Chongqing—expand into overseas markets.

He believes that with China's vast consumer base of 1.4 billion people, overseas Chinese will definitely return to China and participate in the country's high-quality economic development, as long as promising investment opportunities are available.

The favorable policy environment for biotechnology enterprises in the Chengdu-Chongqing region has also attracted strong interest from overseas Chinese. Gao Wei, Executive President of the New Zealand-China Association for the Promotion of Economy and Science, noted in an interview with Bridging News that his company has already opened nearly 200 health product retail stores across Chongqing and Sichuan. He plans to continue bringing overseas Chinese entrepreneurs to the region to tap into opportunities in China's fast-growing health technology sector.

Cultural products are seen at an event venue. (Photo/Tan Xinyu)

As part of efforts to support the development of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, a rotating co-hosting mechanism between Sichuan and Chongqing has been introduced to ensure the continuous engagement of overseas Chinese resources and strengthen their contribution to regional development. The second edition of the conference will be held in Sichuan.