Spring is the best time to plan for the year. As we bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, the first members’ meeting and re-election of the second session of the Chao’an District Foreign Trade Industry Association was grandly held on January 13, 2022, at the Haiyi Hotel in Chao’an District. More than 100 members of the foreign trade association’s organizational structure, member representatives, leaders at all levels, and guests gathered to celebrate the fruitful achievements of the first session of the Chao’an District Foreign Trade Industry Association and to welcome the arrival of a new session!
President Wang Yidan’s Speech
President Wang Yidan reviewed the original purpose of the association’s establishment and its development over the past four years. Since its founding on January 13, 2018, the association has grown to include 250 member units. Under the guidance of superior units, the association has conducted various foreign trade activities, management training courses, and government-enterprise exchanges. These activities provide opportunities for salespersons and entrepreneurs to engage in professional learning in areas such as foreign trade documentation, business management, and law, as well as to share resources and benefits provided by the association.
The association has also organized numerous domestic and international study tours (such as to Huawei Ricoh, the Philippines, Japan, and Malaysia), allowing entrepreneurs to learn from the management experience of advanced companies, broaden their horizons, and gain new insights. Through visits and exchanges with various chambers of commerce (such as the Philippines Chaoshan Chamber of Commerce, Guizhou Chaoshan Chamber of Commerce, and Shantou Youth Chamber of Commerce), the foreign trade association has strengthened its ties, resource integration, and win-win cooperation.
Each year, the association organizes group visits to trade fairs to provide members with a platform for industry trade exchanges, bringing them more business opportunities. The association not only seeks benefits for its members but also makes significant contributions to public welfare. During the pandemic, it provided free masks and temperature guns to member units, donated epidemic prevention materials to high-speed rail station checkpoints, donated a total of 1.8232 million yuan to the Chao’an District Education Development Foundation, donated a negative pressure ambulance to the district’s People’s Hospital, and donated school uniforms to students of Cha’an District Yuzhi School. These acts of public welfare enhance the association’s reputation and influence in the community.
The secretariat of the foreign trade association is dedicated to member services, inviting three major consultants: legal advisors, financial and insurance service advisors, and enterprise management advisors, to provide various consulting services to members. The association has also signed cooperation agreements with major banks to provide financing facilities for members. Each month, a themed “Member Homecoming Day” is organized for new members to deepen their understanding and enhance the association’s cohesion.
Thanks to the guidance of the Municipal Federation of Trade Promotion and the equipment provided by the District Bureau of Industry and Technology, the association has printed multiple certificates of origin free of charge for members, nearly 100 each year. In 2021, the foreign trade association implemented a rotating system for the president’s position, with two vice presidents taking turns assisting the president in handling association affairs and planning themed activities. This aims to involve vice presidents in association affairs, highlighting the spirit of “courage and responsibility” and enhancing the friendship and cohesion of the leadership.
President Wang Yidan sincerely thanked everyone for their support and trust over the past four years. Due to upcoming challenges, President Wang chose to resign from the position in this election. However, out of love for the foreign trade association and the industry, he will not leave the association immediately. He will assist the new president in various tasks and activities as the founder and former president, promoting the development of Chao’an’s foreign trade work.
Treasurer Guo Chunsheng reported on the association’s finances for 2021 and announced the “Notice on Waiving the Annual Membership Fee for Old Members of the Chao’an District Foreign Trade Industry Association for 2022.” Due to the pandemic, the election adopted a voting method where the organizational structure members and representatives raised their hands to vote, with a simple majority as the valid election requirement.
New President Zeng Weiliang’s Speech
“Thank you for electing me as the second President of the Foreign Trade Association. I am deeply honored and inspired. On behalf of the second Council, I express my heartfelt thanks to all the leaders who have long supported the work of the Association. I especially extend my high respect to President Wang Yidan, the vice presidents, the secretariat, and all the members who have worked hard for the association.”
President Zeng Weiliang said: “I am honored to be the president of the new term, and I deeply feel the responsibility of guiding the association’s future development. With the correct guidance and strong support of leaders at all levels, I will continue to work with the founding president and the Council to advance the association’s work.”
President Zeng outlined the future work of the second session of the Foreign Trade Association: “I will share my foreign trade experience with all members to foster mutual learning and exchange. Together with the founding president and the Council members, I will ensure meticulous work and enthusiastic service. I welcome everyone’s guidance, communication, and supervision.”
“In the past four years, under the leadership of Wang Yidan and the directors and supervisors, our Foreign Trade Association has achieved excellent results. We held numerous training sessions and study tours to improve salespeople’s professional level and broaden entrepreneurs’ knowledge. We also exchanged visits with local chambers of commerce to learn from outstanding chambers of commerce in organizing meetings while contributing to society.”
“We will continuously enhance the association’s cohesion and influence. Adhering to our purpose, abiding by the charter, strengthening self-discipline, building a cooperation platform, improving the service system, leveraging superior resources, and expanding development space, we aim to create a new development pattern. We will guide member enterprises in achieving joint development, mutual benefit, and win-win goals. By playing a bridging role between the government, the market, and enterprises, we will actively promote the sustained, rapid, and healthy development of our region’s foreign trade industry. I hope all foreign trade entrepreneurs in Chaoan will unite, grow the industry, contribute to Chaoan’s economic development, and strive to promote Chaoan’s foreign trade on a provincial, national, and global scale.”