On June 14, 2022, Chinese Consul General in Penang Mr. Lu Shiwei attended the opening ceremony of the Overseas Chinese Trade Fair (OCTF) 2022 (Penang) Smart Manufacturing & Digital Industrial Exhibition online and delivered a speech. Chief Minister of Penang Mr. Chow Kon Yeow, President of Malaysia Teochew Chamber of Commerce Datuk Goh Wan Sing, and Secretary of Shantou Municipal Party Committee Mr. Wen Zhanbin attended the event. The event was jointly organized by China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Guangdong Committee, Malaysia Teochew Chamber of Commerce (MTCC), Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Think Tank, and Shantou Federation of Industry and Commerce, and was held in the mode of “online exhibition, offline matchmaking”. Since 2015, the OCTF has been held in Shenzhen consecutively for seven sessions and has been held outside China for three sessions. It promotes trade exchanges and cooperation between the suppliers and buyers from China and other countries along the Belt and Road so as to build a bridge for overseas Chinese businessmen to carry out extensive cooperation among themselves and deepen their participation in Belt and Road cooperation, as well as the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.  

Consul General Mr. Lu Shiwei said in his speech that the intelligent manufacturing and digital industries have developed rapidly in the world. While most countries along the Belt and Road are still in the initial stage of digital transformation, the huge potential for digital economic growth has yet to be released. The construction of the digital silk road will foster new growth drivers. The traditional manufacturing industry is accelerating its transformation and upgrading towards intelligent manufacturing to promote the integrated development of real economy and digital economy. The OCTF provides opportunities for Chinese provinces and cities to deepen cooperation with Penang and Malaysia in the field of smart manufacturing and digital industries.

Consul General Mr. Lu Shiwei said that both China and Malaysia have their own industrial advantages, and the two countries have strong economic complementarity and huge potential for cooperation. It is expected that the majority of overseas Chinese businessmen who participate in the event will make it your mission to promote friendly cooperation between China and Malaysia, seize the opportunities brought by the Belt and Road cooperation and the entry into force of the RCEP, actively utilize the important platform of the OCTF to give full play to the unique advantages of overseas Chinese businessmen of being able to understand both China and the outside world, and contribute to the promotion of economic and trade cooperation between China and Malaysia at national and local levels. 

Mr. Chow Kon Yeow said that intelligent manufacturing is an important foundation for the development of various industries in the future. The OCTF attracts prominent smart manufacturing companies to participate in the exhibition, discusses topics such as smart city and green energy, puts forward suggestions for cooperation between China and Malaysia, and enables the development of the smart city of Penang to be in sight.