Insurance industry representatives’ business visit to Dalian, China

From October 14 to 20, 2024 the Minsk Branch of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized a business visit to the People's Republic of China (Dalian) for Belarusian companies. As part of the visit the following events took place: a meeting with the leadership of the The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Dalian, during which a business forum and B2B negotiations were organized for the representatives of Belarusian and Chinese insurance organizations; a meeting in the Government of Dalian; visits to Chinese companies in accordance with the Belarusian organizations specialization.

The participating enterprises were from both the private and public sectors of the insurance sector of the Republic of Belarus.

Opening the business forum, the head of the Belarusian representatives, Irina Ivanova, Deputy Director General for Foreign Economic Relations of the Minsk Branch of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, highlighted the close cooperation between Belarusian and Chinese enterprises and its rapid expansion. She also mentioned that, after Russia, China is the second most reliable trading partner for Belarus. The trade turnover with China in 2023 amounted to almost 7.5 billion US dollars, which has increased twofold in the last 5 years. In her speech, Irina Ivanova stressed the importance of opening joint ventures on the territory of the Republic of Belarus and remarked the work of the China-Belarus Great Stone Industrial Park and the preferences provided for its residents.

She also touched upon the long-term cooperation between the Minsk branch of the BelCCI and the CCPIT Dalian that consolidated business relations officially by signing a cooperation agreement in 2012.

In her speech, Irina Merzlyakova, Director General of the Belarusian Association of Insurers, noted the importance of establishing partnerships in the insurance sector, since all areas that are in demand both in Belarus and in China require insurance services: recreation, cargo transportation, reinsurance of projects and others. She also invited the heads of Chinese insurance companies to become partners in certain Belarusian projects.

Irina Merzlyakova, assisted by the Minsk branch of the BelCCI, signed the Dalian Initiative in order to establish cooperation between insurance companies of the two countries, which is a serious step to develop Belarusian-Chinese relations in the insurance sector. The initiative includes mutual assistance, creation of working groups, educating specialists in insurance industry innovations, and experience exchange.

Representatives of the Belarusian companies discussed possible areas of work and joint international Belarusian-Chinese insurance projects with potential Chinese partners.

During the visit, the Belarusian representatives visited a few well-known Chinese insurance companies: PING AN Property Insurance Dalian Branch, PICC Dalian Branch, Dajia Property Insurance Dalian Branch etc. There they also discussed cooperation prospects.
As part of the visit, the Belarusian representatives held meetings with Song Lianyun, President of The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Dalian, and Zhou Yan, Deputy Secretary General of the Dalian Government. They expressed their gratitude for assistance, attention and willingness to establish business contacts between the two countries.