Gu Ja-yeol, Chairman of Muhyeop, "Cooperation on Hydrogen Economy with Shandong Province, China Must Be Expanded"

Martial Arts, '6th Korea-Shandong Province Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange' Held
Li Ganjie, Shandong Party Secretary, "Will Provide Full Support"

Koo Ja-yeol, Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association.
Photo by Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Yeju] Koo Ja-yeol, Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), emphasized the expansion of cooperation with Shandong Province, China, in the hydrogen economy sector.

KITA, together with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the People's Government of Shandong Province, jointly held the "6th Korea-Shandong Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange Meeting" on the 9th at the ASEM Ballroom, COEX, Seoul.

This exchange meeting, held since 2015 to explore economic cooperation between local governments of Korea and China, marked its 6th session this year. The event was held via a dual live broadcast connecting Seoul and the Shandong Hotel in Jinan, China, online.

Attendees included Koo Ja-yeol, Chairman of KITA; Chung Jae-ho, Korean Ambassador to China; Li Ganjie (李干杰), Party Secretary of Shandong Province; Zhou Naixiang (周乃翔), Governor of Shandong Province; and Xing Haiming, Chinese Ambassador to Korea.

In his congratulatory remarks, Chairman Koo stated, "Shandong Province is the region geographically closest to Korea and has served as a gateway for Korea-China exchanges throughout history. Currently, over 4,200 Korean companies have entered Shandong Province, contributing not only to local job creation and economic growth but also leading trade and investment between Korea and China."

He continued, "Amidst the turbulence in the global economy, I hope this exchange meeting today becomes a future-oriented platform that can lead to significant outcomes. I also hope both Korea and Shandong will discover specialized cooperation projects so that they can play a central role in the changing global economic order."

In a dialogue with Party Secretary Li Ganjie, Chairman Koo said, "We need to further develop cooperation between the two regions by utilizing the Korea-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). In particular, I hope cooperation in the hydrogen economy sector for achieving eco-friendly low carbon will expand."

In response, Party Secretary Li Ganjie of Shandong Province replied, "Shandong Province will fully support cooperation between the two countries in the hydrogen energy sector."

Zhou Naixiang (周乃翔), Governor of Shandong Province, emphasized in his opening remarks, "Shandong Province, being geographically adjacent to Korea, has played a bridging role in Korea-China economic cooperation. I hope active cooperation between Korea and Shandong will be realized in areas such as RCEP, low-carbon economy, and international logistics."

Meanwhile, alongside the exchange meeting, an online export-import consultation was held with the participation of 75 domestic companies and 43 export-import enterprises from Shandong Province.