The "Strategic Partner – China" economic forum and workshop is taking place in Brest.

The forum, organized by the Brest branch of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, brought together over 120 business representatives – manufacturers, logistics operators, foreign trade lawyers, financial specialists, and anyone planning or already conducting trade operations with China.

The event provided a platform for representatives of the real economy to receive step-by-step recommendations for entering the Chinese market. During the discussion, speakers fr om China, Belarus, and Russia answered key questions regarding the cultural specifics of business communication, settlements, logistics, and contracting. Experts also discussed trade finance instruments.

– We have substantial, substantial trade with China. Of course, this isn't the first event of its kind. At this forum, we have approximately 20 professional speakers in various fields. "It's very important that we were able to invite Russian-speaking Chinese specialists who understand how Belarusian and Chinese businesses operate, what our enterprises need, wh ere there are growth opportunities, and what challenges they face," noted Vitaly Vabishchevich, Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He also emphasized that the key issue today is entering the Chinese market with Belarusian export products.

"The forum is essentially dedicated to this—exports, registering our food businesses, etc. It would seem that Belarus and China are incomparable economies in terms of volume, but for some products, such as butter, we are among the top ten suppliers. Agricultural products occupy a significant share of the Chinese market," the Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry noted.

Valery Labun, Director General of the Brest Branch of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, noted that China represents a colossal market for Belarus. It is multifaceted, and its specific features need to be understood, starting with its mentality and customs.

" "Analysis shows that our businesses, unfortunately, aren't fully aware of these nuances. The forum brought together over 120 business representatives, 70% of whom were small and medium-sized businesses. The interest was enormous. This is a unique opportunity to hear from practitioners how to properly set up collaboration with Chinese partners and achieve maximum results," emphasized Valery Labun.

Read the latest issue of the Mercury newsletter to learn how to understand Chinese counterparties and negotiate with them.