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04
April 2008 – Philippine Consul General to Shanghai Maria Rowena Mendoza
Sanchez paid an official call on Wuxi City Vice Mayor Fang Wei and officials
of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Wuxi
Sub-Council on 19 March to discuss ways to promote Philippines-Wuxi trade,
investment and tourism relations.
Accompanying Consul General Sanchez were officials from the Consulate and
Philippine Figaro Coffee Company led by its CEO Pacita Juan. Figaro has had
a presence in Shanghai for 3 years now and is looking into opportunities in
other key cities in China.
Last year, Wuxi signed a sister-city agreement with Puerto Princesa City of
Palawan. Wuxi is known as “Little Shanghai” because of its massive economic
development, prosperous trade and commerce. The city’s GDP in 2007 was about
US$53 billion and the per capita GDP was US$9,000. It is about 1.5 hours
away from Shanghai. Wuxi is positioning itself as China’s next center for
IT/IT enabled industries.
During the visit, Vice Mayor Fang said that Wuxi welcomes the expansion of
cooperation in various fields and the strengthening of trade relations
between the two sides. He also said that Wuxi will be sending a delegation
to the Philippines to learn more about the country’s outsourcing industry
and to find complementarities.
Consul General Sanchez emphasized that business to business relations
between the IT industries of Wuxi and the Philippines should be strengthened
to capitalize on each other strengths. END
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