Executives representing companies operating in China’s Jilin province visited Malta earlier this month to familiarise themselves with the island’s business environment and explore trade and investment opportunities Malta.

At a business forum organised by Malta Enterprise, the Chinese delegation were given an overview of the Maltese economy and the sectors which have been growing in recent years. The advantages Malta offers to Chinese companies, particularly those looking at expanding their business in Europe and other neighbouring markets in North Africa were underlined.

The Chinese companies, which operate in sectors such as finance, telecommunications, plastics, chemicals and agricultural products, also met local entrepreneurs interested in doing business in China.

Jilin is a province in northeastern China, bordering Russia and North Korea. Rich in natural and mineral deposits, the province has the largest oil shale reserves and one of the top five largest mineral reserves in all of China.

Over the past years, its economy has witnessed a steady and significant growth, with its nominal GDP exceeding €135 billion last year.

Jilin is one of the most important commodity grain bases in China and also ranks highly in timber production, while its industry is concentrated on automobiles, train carriages and iron alloy. Following the setting up of the New and Hi-tech Industry Development Zone two decades ago, sectors such as new materials, refined chemical products, electronics, medicine and bioengineering have also grown considerably.

The business forum was supported by the Embassy of Malta in China, the Maltese-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the Malta-China Friendship Society, Finance Malta, the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, and the Malta Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises (GRTU).