Activities

2023 Women Entrepreneurs Allyship & Development Programme in Asia was held in September in 2023 for 32 participants from Cambodia, Mongolia and Vietnam from September 17th until September 19th in Nanning & Qinzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. The key organisers of the programme are GIZ and Guangxi Office on Planning, Development and Management of the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone, China (BG Office).

The Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia Project, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the BMZ, has worked with the International Trade Centre to produce online courses on topics such as as Exporting to China, Export standards in the Agricultural sector, Export marketing strategies for local businesses in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Mongolia and Vietnam.

In 2023, 20 GIZ managers will have the opportunity to take charge and to accelerate transformative change through the leadership coaching ‘Transformative Mindset for a Just Transition’. Over a 3 months period (starting in August 2023), experienced coaches will virtually guide 5 group coaching sessions and 3 individual sessions.

Since April 2019, and already in its predecessor phase, Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia Project (SRECA) jointly with partners implemented multiple activities to improve trade-related services for SMEs, providing capacity building measures, setting up exchanges or issue sectoral studies and guidelines. To close the project and give partners the chance to exchange on outcomes and further cooperation possibilities, SRECA organised its Closing Workshop in Bangkok on 15-16 March 2023. The Closing was attended by delegations from five countries. The delegation from China only joined virtually. The SRECA Team and the partners reviewed the last years of cooperation and aspired into future possibilities of collaboration within the region.

On 3rd March 2023 at Emario Resort, Mondulkiri province, the General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA) in collaboration with the GIZ-assisted project “Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia” (SRECA) organized a “Dissemination Workshop on Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Peppercorn from Cambodia to China”. The workshop was organized with the aim to disseminate the phytosanitary requirements and other specific requirements for the export of peppercorns from Cambodia to China. It also raised the awareness of growers, processors, exporters, and relevant stakeholders relating to the process of farm and packinghouse registration, pest control, and good agriculture practice.

From August 2022 to January 2023, sequa was contracted by SRECA for an in-depth country-specific coachings with pro-active Business Support Organisations from Cambodia, Mongolia and Vietnam which performed well in the first training series and expressed interest in an individual coaching. The facilitation of the training series, together with the Cold Chain training series with China Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Association, SRECA facilitated a practice-oriented agri-trade promotion capacity building training and coaching series for stakeholders in Cambodia, Mongolia, Laos and Vietnam.

To introduce and strengthen the image of Vietnam’s Durians, Mangoes and Bananas and to enhance their potentials to be exported to China, The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) (Asia-Africa Market Department- DoAAM) and the GIZ Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) Project cooperated to develop three promotional videos for the three fruit products in 2021 and 2022. The videos demonstrate the production, processing, preservation, and packaging of fresh durians, mangoes and bananas. In terms of the usage for the videos, they will be used as communications materials during trade fairs, conference and meeting between Vietnam fruit export stakeholders and Chinese partners, especially the Chinese importers.

On 16th December 2022, the Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) project jointly with the Asia Africa Market Department (DoAAM) of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Vietnam (MoIT) and the Department of Industry and Trade of Tien Giang province organised a hybrid capacity building conference on the export of durian and other fresh fruits from Vietnam to China.

The International Trade Centre (ITC) in cooperation with SRECA are providing online trainings for Laos, Cambodia, Mongolia and Vietnam regarding the topics “Doing Business with Chinese People” and “Creating Quality E-Commerce Content”. As the training content is now available in Laotian, the SME Service Center (SSC) at the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI) promoted these online trainings through a workshop on 15 December 2022.

SRECA together with the bilateral PROGRES project in Mongolia supported the organisation of the hybrid event, “Export Mongolia 2022-Reviving The Economy Through Value Added Export” International Business Forum and Exhibition. It was organised by the Export International Trade Center (EITC) together with the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry, Implementing Agency of Government – Small and Medium Enterprises Agency, Ulaanbaatar City SME Support Center, Development Solutions NGO, USAID-BEST Program, Export Development Project – The World Bank Group in Ulaanbaatar on 14 December 2022 as well as via online platform the Export Mongolia.

On 30 November 2022, the Department of Foreign Trade Policy at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Lao PDR conducted with the China Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Association (CIQA) and the GIZ SRECA project an online training on Cold Chain Management and Agri-Exports to the People’s Republic of China.

On 19-25 November 2022, representatives of the Ulaanbaatar City SME Support Center were invited by the Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs Council (VWEC) from the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) to make a visit to Vietnam. The aim of the business trip was to promote mutual trade and investment, and also to create opportunities for business exchange between entrepreneurs from both countries. The visit was mainly organised by the VWEC jointly with the GIZ projects: Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) and Promotion of Growth and Employment in the Private Sector (PROGRES) implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The visit was a follow-up activity to the visit of VWEC representatives to Mongolia in September 2022.

Following Wemall Cambodian women entrepreneurs’ visits to Vietnam, SRECA and WeMall have organised a sharing event with WeMall’s vendors and networks in Cambodia. Joined by 40 participants, the event took place on November 17, 2022. The event served as the venue for those who visited Vietnam in August 2022 to share knowledge and experience to its vendors and network

SRECA in cooperation with the the Department of Foreign Trade Policy at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Lao PDR conducted two workshops on “Enhancing Border Economic Cooperation and Trade between the Lao PDR and the People’s Republic of China including the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP)” on 4 November 2022 in Vientiane and on 16 November 2022 in Luang Namtha.

On 27 October 2022, the projects Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) and Promotion of Growth and Employment in the Private Sector (PROGRES) implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), together with the China Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Association (CIQA) jointly organised the 2022 GIZ-CIQA Training on Cold Chain Management and Agri-Exports to China for respective Mongolian stakeholders. The hybrid event aimed to improve the understanding of cold chain logistic for Mongolian businesses when exporting their agri-products to China.

On 28-30 September, GIZ “Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia” (SRECA) Project commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), cooperates with the Office of Planning, Development and Management of Beibu Gulf Economic Zone (BG Office) of Guangxi Autonomous Region facilitated an online training to support port authorities and leaders of logistics companies from Cambodia and Vietnam to delve into the practices of smart ports and advanced port management in Germany and China.

On 2 September 2022, the Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) Project in cooperation with the Strengthening Regional Structures for Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion in ASEAN (ASEAN SME) Project together with the Lao partner organisations: the Department of Foreign Trade Policy and the Department of SME Promotion at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce as well as the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry opened a new SME Service Center in Oudomaxy Province in the Lao PDR.

SRECA together with the bilateral PROGRES project in Mongolia supported the organisation of the hybrid event, “Mongolia-Japan Business Partnership Meeting 2022”. It was organised by the Export International Trade Center (EITC) together with the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry of Mongolia (MOFALI), the Ministry of Economy and Development (MED), the Mongolian SME Agency, the Ulaanbaatar Support Centre for Small and Medium Enterprises, the Embassy of Japan in Mongolia and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on 15 September 2022 in Ulaanbaatar as well as via the online platform – Export Mongolia

On 12-16 September 2022, representatives of the Vietnamese Women Entreprenuers Council (VWEC) from the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI),  visited Mongolia to promote trade and investment and create opportunities for business exchange between women entrepreneurs from both countries. The visit was mainly organised by the Mongolian Women Entreprenuers Council (MWEC) jointly with the projects Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) and Promotion of Growth and Employment in the Private Sector (PROGRES) implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

On 06-07 September 2022, the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone Planning and Management Office of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (BG Office) together with the projects Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) and Promotion of Growth and Employment in the Private Sector (PROGRES) implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) held a hybrid triangular training for Mongolian Women Entrepreneurs to promote Mongolian women entrepreneurs and their business development with regard to e-commerce and market access to China and Europe. The event was organized with the UB City SME agency of Mongolia, the Mongolian Women Entrepreneurs Council (MWEC) and its affilaited Women Entrepreneur Mentors Club NGO.

This year’s Greater Tumen Inititaive (GTI) Policy Dialogue was held in a hybrid format under the theme of “Maintain the Momentum of Regional Economic Integration and Deepen Cooperation on Industrial and Supply Chains in Northeast Asia in the Post-pandemic Era”. Participants joined the event on 02 September 2022 on-site in Yanji, Jilin Province, China as well as online from the other GTI member countries and international organisations. The dialogue was orgiansed by the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) Secretariat with the Department of Commerce of Jilin Province (JLDOFCOM) and the Yanbian Prefecture Government of China as well as supported by MofCom and GIZ SRECA. The intervention is part of SRECA’s support to GTI and the improved inclusion of Mongolia in the mechanism.

The Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) project and the China Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Association (CIQA) collaborate to organise a training series in 2022 for the four SRECA focus countries – Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia and Vietnam on the topic of effective cold chain management and agri-exports to China. On 30 August, a small group of around 15 Cambodian participants coming from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, small and medium agri-trade companies / associations, logistics association, and other enterprises interested to export cold chain products to China took part in the country-specific online training for Cambodia.

On 26 August 2022, the Supoort of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) project, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) jointly with DoAAM and the Vietnam Trade Office in Beijing organised a hybrid capacity building on the export of durian and passion fruit for producers and trades in Buon Me Thuot city, Dak Lak province. 140 participants joined offline, 120 Vietnamese and 60 Chinese attended the event online.

From 22-25 August 2022, a delegation of Cambodian Women entrepreneurs visited Hanoi in Vietnam. Nine members of the WeMall network from various business areas such as e-commerce, handicraft, and agri-food, met with VIETRADE and the Vietnam Woman Entrepreneurs Council (VWEC). They were also introduced to the SheTrades component of ITC in Vietnam. They exchanged information on female business networking with VWEC; and they paid visits to Vietnamese women-owned businesses, and companies in the sectors of e-commerce, textile and agri-production.

The Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) project and the China Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Association (CIQA) planned a training series for the four SRECA focus countries Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia and Vietnam on the topic. The training series is part of triangular approaches in the area of agri-market access to China and the EU with CIQA and the sequa Import Promotion Desk (IPD).  The first training on Cold Chain Management and Agri-exports to China for delegates of Vietnam was held in a hybrid format on 11 August 2022.

The Technical Cooperation and Electronic Commerce (TCEC) Division of the Department of Foreign Trade Policy (FTPD), Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC) Lao PDR, together with the Support of Regional Economic Cooepration in Asia (SRECA) project, held a hybrid workshop on e-commerce related to trade to the People’s Republic of China on 19 July 2022 in Vientiane.

On 24th June 2022 the General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA) in collaboration with the project “Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia” (SRECA) implemented by GIZ held the “Dissemination Workshop on Phytosanitary Requirements for Export of Fresh Longan from Cambodia to China”. The workshop was organised to raise the awareness of growers, processors, exporters, and relevant stakeholders who participated in the workshop regarding phytosanitary requirements and other specific regulations for the export of fresh longan from Cambodia to China.

The SRECA project, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the BMZ, supported the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) to organise the International Trade Fair on SME’s Products, Service & Technology 2022 from 19 to 22 May 2022 at Misheep Expo in Ulaanbaatar. The event was aimed to revive and recover SMEs in Mongolia, particularly in Ulaanbaatar city after long term COVID-19 restrictions both in rural and urban areas.

To provide regional exchange opportunities of women entrepreneurs, the Women Entrepreneur Mentors Club (WEMC) initiated a field trip for Mongolian women entrepreneurs to Vietnam, the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE), and SheTrade Hub for the International Trade Centre (ICT) jointly facilitated the field trip together with SRECA. The trip took place on 13 – 14 May 2022, 19 members from varies business areas such as agri-food, handicraft, textile, cosmetics, and tourism participated in the trip.

he Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) project, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, jointly with the Northeast Asian Environmental and Agricultural Research Center (NEAEARC) and the German Senior Expert Service (SES) organised a series of online training and discussions with local butchers in Dornod province, Mongolia. The SES delivered best practices of hygiene and safety of butcher measures in Germany from January to March 2022. NEAEARC facilitated four online training sessions and post-training discussions via local social media platforms.

On 07 April 2022, GIZ Cambodia in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries held the workshop on “Support of German Development Cooperation to the Agriculture Sector of Cambodia”, jointly organised by the Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) project with the General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA). The Workshop was conducted back to back with the dissemination of the updated GDA-SRECA Export Guidelines and the SRECA Tropical Fresh Fruit Exporter’s Guide to China.

On 22 March 2022, MEM, NDRCC and GIZ together with the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) Cambodia, the Laos Secretariat of Central Disaster Management Committee (CDMC) of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) of Mongolia successfully held the official Kick-Off Ceremony of the triangular cooperation pilot online. The meeting was held back-to-back with a technical workshop led by Chinese and German experts to present good practices and lessons learned from both countries.

On 23 Dec 2021, China Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Association (CIQA), partner of SRECA, organised the Lancang-Mekong Workshop on Cold Chain Logistics and Food Safety, Transport Safety Standards both online and physically in Beijing. 2000 people joined the events and discussed the recent developments and updates of the cold chain logistics in the Mekong Region. SRECA has invited participants from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Mongolia and Vietnam to the workshop, and Mr. Florian Miss, the project director of SRECA project delivered opening remarks at the workshop.

On 14 December 2021, VIETRADE held the workshop on “Implementation of Decision 1968 and Introduction of the Digital Ecosystem for Business (DECOBIZ)” The Vietnamese Government officially announced the Decision 1968/QD-TTG on 22 November 2021 to “Promote the application of information and communication technologies (ICT) and digitalization in trade promotion activities period 2021-2030”. VIETRADE is one of the agencies to implement measures and support businesses and associations in Vietnam in that regard. The workshop aimed to inform and consultation with relevant stakeholders to develop and disseminate the DECOBIZ.

SRECA supported and participated in the “Export Mongolia 2021” organised by Export International Trade Center (EITC) together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Mongolian SME Agency on 09 December 2021.

Promoting products through social networking platforms (wechat, weibo) and e-commerce platforms (tmall, jd, womai) in China is very popular. However, communications materials which can introduce clearly and are according to Chinese consumers preferences (using standard Chinese language, brief, including suitable images and shots) on the advantages of Vietnam’s agricultural and food products are still limited. The intervention is part of SRECA’s support regarding trade-related services for Vietnamese small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to improve export capacities.

From September to November 2021, the Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) project together with the German Import Promotion Desk (IPD) implemented by sequa gGmbH provided partners in Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia and Vietnam with online training and virtual study on export promotion services in Germany. It is a follow-up of the first training conducted with Chinese and European experts in March/April 2021.  

The GIZ SRECA project and Guangxi Office on Planning, Development and Management of the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone, China (BG Office) successfully conducted the triangular “Port Cities Cooperation Network International Exchange and Training Programme” from 23-25 November 2021 online. After 2019 it is the second time both partners jointly organised this training format on port cooperation and port management for ASEAN countries. More than 50 high ranking participants from respective ministries, port authorities and logistics companies from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam participated actively in the training.

To allow further knowledge sharing and to improve a wide-scale awareness on fruit and agricultural export procedures to China for Vietnamese SMEs, GIZ SRECA together with VIETRADE created e-learning content out of the fruits export guidelines. They will serve as additional training material for e-learning activities of VIETRADE and its trade promotion organisations (TPOs). It is a cost-effective method for VIETRADE, TPOs and produce associations in the long run, to help educate local SMEs and cooperatives, especially in the context of restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The courses are in Vietnamese and can be accessed at the VIETRADE e-learning platform.

The SRECA project, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the BMZ, conducted a triangular online training “: E-commerce and Business Promotion to Women Entrepreneurs in Cambodia” on 19-20, October 2021. It was the second training organised by SRECA to support women entrepreneurs specifically. With the support of Wemall Cambodia, an e-commerce platform designed for women in Cambodia to sell their handicraft products, around 30-35 Cambodian women entrepreneurs joined the training individually, or via self-organised groups. The training has gathered inputs from both German and Chinese entrepreneurs & experts supporting women entrepreneurs.

The SRECA project, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the BMZ, is supporting the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) Mongolian Focal Points since 2011. Due to the pandemic, elections and other events, SRECA organised the first online meeting for GTI Mongolian Focal Points (FPs) workshop since almost two years. However, inbetween, specific trainings for GTI FPs in Mongolia were continously carried out.

On 23 September 2021 the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) Policy Dialogue on Industrial Parks was held online between the four GTI member countries China, Mongolia, Republic of Korea (RoK) and the Russian Federation. The main theme of the dialogue was “Strengthen Cooperation on Industrial and Supply Chains in Northeast Asia”. The Policy Dialogue was proposed by the Ministry of Commerce of China and organised by Jilin Provincial Government of China, the GTI Secretariat, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

SRECA publishes the “Export Readiness Report – Assessment of Cambodian SMEs within the Agricultural Trade Sector” analysing into the agricultural trade sector in Cambodia, identify the stakeholders in the field, challenges of the Cambodian SMEs to export agri-produce to international markets, especially to China. The study also provides recommendations for further interventions SRECA can adopt to support the producers and traders, and to help improve regional and global trade in Cambodia

China improved its standards for quality management and origin traceability for agricultural produce in the last years. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, currently additional food safety requirements are implemented which makes it more challenging for SMEs from Vietnam to adhere to all regulations and gain market access. To broaden the understanding of the Chinese market and the use of official trade channels, GIZ SRECA jointly with the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE) developed nine Fresh Fruits Export Guidelines to China for products that are having official quotas for export.

On 6 September 2021, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the project Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) implemented by GIZ and the China Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Association (CIQA) was signed at the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS). The two organisations thereby will join forces to contribute to the implementation of the global 2030 Agenda within the field of sustainable trade facilitation and private sector development via future triangular cooperations.

The SRECA project, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the BMZ, is supporting private sector development in Mongolia. A focus is on capacity building for export-oriented small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to diversify destination markets and to involve in regional economic integration processes in Northeast Asia. In this regard, SRECA supported the online event, “Mongolia-Japan Virtual Business Forum and Exhibition 2021” organised by Export International Trade Center (EITC) together with the Mongolian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry of Mongolia (MOFALI), Mongolian SME Agency, Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan (METI), and the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) from 25 June to 05 July 2021.

Due to the impacts of the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak and its impact on mobility and holding on-site meetings, workshops or conferences, the GIZ SRECA project  transferred existing project outputs into digital formats for partners and beneficiaries. Explainer videos are an effective, yet simple tool, to disseminate knowledge on processes or issues. SRECA, together with the Sino-German Center for Sustainable Development (CSD), has produced six explainer videos. One of them introduces Triangular Cooperation with an example from the Lao TVET sector being supported by Germany and China combining both countries’ complementary advantages in their expertise and experiences in this sector.

Due to the impacts of the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak and its impact on mobility and holding on-site meetings, workshops or conferences, the GIZ SRECA project  transferred existing project outputs into digital formats for partners and beneficiaries. Explainer videos are an effective, yet simple tool, to disseminate knowledge on processes or issues. SRECA, together with the Sino-German Center for Sustainable Development (CSD), has produced six explainer videos. Three of them focus on introducing the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI). The videos are themed on: 1. What is GTI; 2. GTI Secretariat and its institutional structure; 3. GTI’s activities

Due to the impacts of the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak and its impact on mobility and holding on-site meetings, workshops or conferences, the GIZ SRECA project  transferred existing project outputs into digital formats for partners and beneficiaries. Explainer videos are an effective, yet simple tool, to disseminate knowledge on processes or issues. SRECA, together with the Sino-German Center for Sustainable Development (CSD), has produced six explainer videos. Two of them focusing on support for export processes of fruits from Cambodia and Vietnam to China. The videos illustrate processes to build capacity among local small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

The official reception ceremony of the first batch of Cambodian produced mangoes was held on 01 June 2021 at the fruit market (Baoding Gaobei) in Hebei Province. The event was presided over by the Cambodian ambassador to China and the representative from the ASEAN-China Business Council. It was jointly organised by Beijing Langmeizhisheng International Trade Co., Ltd, Khmer Daily Beijing Branch, Shouheng Hebei Xinfadi Group, and Qingdao Sawadika International Trade Co., Ltd. The arrival of the mangoes showcases trade cooperation between Cambodia and China for agricultural commodities.

GIZ Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) project implemented on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has worked with the General Directorate of Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to update its three export guidelines in support of specifically mango, banana and longan exportation from Cambodia to China in 2020. These product specific guidelines aim to serve as the manual will be utilised by GIZ SRECA and its partners for capacity building of local small and medium sized enterprises within the agricultural sector in Cambodia.

The SRECA project, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the BMZ, conducted a triangular online training on 28-29, April 2021. It was organised with Chinese women entrepreneurs and respective associations to introduce and share knowledge of how to utilise the Chinese e-commerce market for members of the Mongolian Women Entrepreneurs Council (MWEC). The exchange was supported by German experts from women entrepreneur initiatives regarding digital networking and business development to promote MWEC linkages in Germany.

The SRECA project, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the BMZ, is organising a virtual training themed on “Setting up export promotion services in the agri-food sectors” for delegates from chambers, associations and relevant government agencies in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Vietnam and Mongolia from 16 March to 20 April on weekly basis; overall, there are five training sessions. The training is organised in a triangular modality with experts from both Germany and China sharing their knowledge in the agri-trade and export promotion sectors. Fundamentally, the training aims to improve the conditions for regional and global agricultural trade in the aforementioned four countries.

The SRECA project, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the BMZ, is supporting the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) Mongolian Focal Points since 2011. Since the COVID-19 related lockdowns in Mongolia in 2020, SRECA organised several online training series for GTI Mongolian Focal Points (FPs), particularly for building up their project proposal writing skills for regional […]

The Coronavirus Disease (Covid 19) has been developed into an outbreak of disease spreading around China and many regions of the world. The spread of Covid 19 in the largest regional importer of fruits and meat products in Asia has impacted on agricultural exports from Mongolia, Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam. In the short term, products are expected to take longer time to enter the Chinese market due to sterilisation, shipment congestion and longer inspection time at the Customs. In the long run, food security is likely to remain as one of Chinese consumers’ top concerns; innovation will also be injected to China’s customs procedure and e-commerce platforms.

On December 18, 2020, GIZ and Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) organized a consultation workshop on 09 export guidelines for fresh fruits to China.
The workshop took place in Hanoi, with a total number of 62 participants attending. They are representatives of different stakeholders, from government agencies such as Department of Plant Protection and from SPS Office (under MARD); Department of Asian – African Market and Department of Import- Export (under MoIT); Vietnam Institute of Industrial and Trade Policy and Strategy, to related universities, export companies and associations. Especially, many of which are officers of Customs Agencies from provinces have international boarder gates with China such as Lao Cai, Quang Ninh, Cao Bang, Lang Son– the provinces which has most fresh fruits trade with China.

As the e-commerce market in China grows extremely fast, so do digital solutions for trade and financial transfers. They offer new opportunities but also new challenges to smaller neighbouring countries wanting to access the Chinese agricultural market. GIZ SRECA therefore has produced a market research for local agri-businesses in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam regarding fresh fruit e-commerce in China to inform and present about alternative distribution channels for fresh fruit exporters from the three countries.

To renew the cooperation commitment between the GTI Secretariat and GIZ SRECA, both parties came together on 14 December 2020 for a signing ceremony at the GIZ China Office. Both partners will continue to jointly work on sustainable economic development and regional economic integration topics in Northeast Asia.

The meeting was successfully held back-to-back with the 6th Logistics Sub-Committee (LSC) and the 1st Marine Cooperation Sub-Committee (MCSC) meetings online on the 13 October 2020. It was organised by the GTI Secretariat. Due to the pandemic, the original host Busan Metropolitan City will now organise the 9th LCC Meeting in 2021 in the Republic of Korea (RoK).

After being postponed throughout the year due to Covid-19 pandemic, the 5th Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) Agricultural Committee Meeting was finally held on 8 September 2020 by video conference. It was co-organised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of the Republic of Korea (RoK) and the GTI Secretariat. In addition, on 23 September 2020 the GTI Policy Dialogue on Industrial Parks discussed the potential positive role of industrial parks during and after the pandemic. The Policy Dialogue was organised by the Ministry of Commerce of China together with Jilin Provincial Government of China, and Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) Secretariat. The Dialogue was moderated by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

From October 22 to 23 and November 5 to 6, 2020, GIZ and the Office for Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards (SPS) Vietnam under the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD) organized two trainings on food safety and plant health (phytosanitary) regulations and solutions to promote sustainable agricultural trade from Vietnam to China. The trainings took place in the provinces of Dong Thap and Gia Lai, with a total number of 152 participants attending. Representatives for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as intermediaries from both the public and private sector took part. The two training events are part of the broader cooperation between key Vietnamese agencies responsible for agricultural trade with the Support for Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) project and the Promotion of Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains in ASEAN (AgriTrade) project in Vietnam, both implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The 11th Pan-Beibu Gulf Economic Cooperation Forum and the 2020 Beibu Gulf International Gateway Port Cooperation Summit took place in Nanning, Guangxi from 14 October to 16 October 2020. Policy makers, representatives of trade enterprises, academic researchers from ASEAN countries and China attended the Forum and Summit both physically and virtually and discussed how ASEAN countries and China can face the new opportunities and challenges arise from the current global trade arena. To gain the newest insights on policies / measures set out by various stakeholders supporting the sustainable trade facilitation between the ASEAN countries and China, the GIZ Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) project attended the forum.

During the special COVID 19 situation, SRECA continues facilitating its activities, reaching out to GTI Mongolian FPs via online tools. After a first online training in May 2020 on project writing skills within the GTI framework the focus was this time on “Project Logframe”. The training was hold on 16-24 September 2020.

The further development of the agricultural sector and export of agricultural goods offers huge opportunities for rural and economic development in Mongolia – especially since many micro and small enterprises are based in provincial areas bordering China or Russia. Against this background, SRECA together with the Mongolian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI), the Institute of Natural Resources and Agricultural Economics (INRAE) and supported by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry (MoFALI) compiled step-by-step export guideline for warm-treated beef and horse meat to the Chinese and Russian market.

On 22nd July 2020, the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) organised a training – sharing event on Sustainable development standards and Overview about traceability system in Vietnam. The target audience were mainly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) exporting fruits to China. The event is part of the broader cooperation between VIETRADE and the Support for Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) project, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

On 16th July 2020, the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) organised a training event for “SMEs comply with Sustainable Standards to Successfully Export Agricultural Products (Fruits) to the Chinese Market” in Can Tho province. Representatives for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as intermediaries from both the public and private sector attended. The event is part of the broader cooperation between Vietrade and the Support for Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) project, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

On 8th July 2020, the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) organised a training – coaching event on “Successfully Exporting Agricultural Products (Fruits) to the Chinese Market” in Son La province. Representatives for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as intermediaries from both the public and private sector attended the event. The event is part of the broader cooperation between VIETRADE and the Support for Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) project, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The Center for Agricultural Market Studies (CAMS) of the China Agricultural University was assigned by the GIZ Support of Regional Economic Cooperation (SRECA) project to compile the “Export potential analysis of Mongolian livestock products to China”. The study gathers Chinese domestic information on the livestock market, respective trade policies, and market access requirements. It discusses the situation of Mongolian-Chinese agricultural and livestock trade from a Chinese perspective as well as analyses the export potential of Mongolian livestock products to the Chinese market. CAMS draws up specific competition strategies and policy recommendations to improve the export framework for Mongolian meat products.

Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) hosted an official signing ceremony on the phytosanitary protocol for fresh mango exports from the Kingdom of Cambodia to the People’s Republic of China on the 9th of June, 2020. Mango is the second fresh fruit to gain official access to the Chinese market after yellow banana, which the protocol was signed in August of last year. Other agricultural products that can be exported from Cambodia to China include milled rice and dried cassava chips.

During the special COVID 19 situation, GIZ SRECA continued facilitating its activities for reaching GTI Mongolian Focal Points via using internet communication and online facilities. On 11, 13 and 20 May, a series of online training on “Project writing skills within the GTI framework” to improve skills of GTI Mongolian FPs was organised successfully. About 22 officers from the Mongolian Customs General Administration and Institute for Strategic Studies under the Security Council of Mongolia participated in the online training.

From early 2019 until 2020, SRECA supported the Mongolian Customs General Administration (MCGA) to translate and publish specific World Customs Organisation (WCO) documents in Mongolian for further utilisation in practice. The MCGA went on to compile “Legal Acts of Mongolian Customs” including all legal acts approved by the Director of MCGA within the last year, influenced by the translated WCO documents to adhere to latest WCO standards. SRECA now supported the printing and publishing of 700 copies of the “Legal Acts of Mongolian Customs” to be disseminated among 1500 customs officers as a main guideline for customs clearance.

The “Tropical Fresh Fruit Exporter’s Guide to China” was conducted to support GIZ SRECA project partners in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam, to enhance information sharing on market access to China among local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as support ongoing public-private dialogue on a regional level. The report examines the competitive market conditions in China for eight fruits, with a focus on trade between China and the three ASEAN member countries.

GIZ SRECA has supported the Mongolian Customs General Administration (MCGA) to translate several WCO documents into the Mongolian language, and assisted MCGA to make them available to Mongolian customs officers as well as other related partners on a national and provincial level. MCGA then proposed a regional project on “Promotion of SMEs’ Production by Enhancing the Implementation of Inward and Outward Processing Procedures” within the GTI framework. SRECA will continue to further cooperate with the MCGA for implementing the project proposal as well as supporting to promote further regional cooperation with GTI member countries’ customs organisations.

On 12 December 2019, UNESCAP and GTI Secretariat co-organised the International Seminar on Trade Facilitation in North-East Asia on “Trade-Transport Facilitation Nexus: Developments and Possible Approaches for North-East Asia” back-to-back with the 7th UNNExT Task Force Meeting on Cross-border Electronic Data Exchange on 11 December in Changchun, PR China. SRECA presented on GIZ approaches regarding trade facilitation during the International Seminar. The two events were followed by the 4th GTI Trade and Investment Committee (TIC) and GTI Customs Sub-Committee (CSC) Meeting on 12-13 December 2019. During the meetings, the TIC and CSC members reviewed the progress and achievement since the meetings in 2018 and discussed the Work Plan for 2020.

In cooperation with the General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA) of the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the SRECA project of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), implemented by GIZ, organised a three-day training on Cambodian Good Agricultural Practices (CAM GAP) and plant sanitation and health (phytosanitary) certification procedures for export, from 09 to 12 of December 2019.

During the first China-ASEAN Port Cities Cooperation Network Work International Exchange and Training Course from December 2 to December 5, 2019, China and Germany jointly piloted a triangular training on port management for participants from seven ASEAN countries. Both countries pooled its resources and expertise to give insights into topics ranging from port customs facilitation, ship safety and protection, smart port construction and port economy and development strategies.

On 3 December 2019, GIZ SRECA, together with the Agricultural Trade Promotion Centre (ATPC) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA), China, conducted a half-day exchange workshop on “Export Processes for Agricultural Goods to China” in Beijing. Policy makers and trade practitioners from government ministries and chambers of commerce in Mongolia, Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam attended the workshop.

From 1 to 2 December 2019, the 11th Agricultural Trade Policies International Conference was organised by the Agricultural Trade Promotion Centre (ATPC), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA), FAO and OECD collaboratively in Beijing. GIZ invited 20 representatives from Mongolia, Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam working as policy makers and practitioners in the sphere of agricultural trade.

Knowing how to comply with the requirements for the import of fresh fruits into China is becoming more and more important for Vietnamese producers and exporters. VIETRADE and GIZ partnered up to update 130 producers and exporters of fresh fruits on market requirements for official export to China on November 28, 2019 in Hanoi.

With a closing workshop on November 26, 2019 and the 5th Steering Committee meeting on November 27, 2019 in Siem Reap, Cambodia, the Facilitating Trade for Agricultural Goods in ASEAN (FTAG) project came to an end. It successfully supported the alignment of the regulatory framework concerning food safety and plant health and safety measures and procedures for agricultural goods in ASEAN. Building on the network and expertise generated in FTAG project, the Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) project with its partners will continue to support the work in this vital aspect of agricultural trade in Asia through regional exchange and public-private dialogues.

On 20th of November 2019, GIZ SRECA organised the Workshop and Feedback Discussion on “Draft Export Guidelines for Mongolian Enterprises” in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. SRECA, together with their partners in Mongolia, decided to set up step-by-step guidelines on how to export specific agricultural products to China (Russia) to support Mongolian enterprises during the project implementation.

On 28-29 of October 2019, Export and International Trade Center (EITC) of Mongolia organised the 5th “EXPORT MONGOLIA-2019” International Business Forum & Trade Fair in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia successfully. The event was organised to discuss the challenges faced by the experienced and potential Mongolian exporters and therefore to improve the engagements of all stakeholders in the international trade and potential markets. During the event, discussions, business meetings, trainings, small workshops and trade fairs were organised. In total, there were about 1000 participants who attended the event.

On October 2nd 2019 in Ho Chi Minh City, Plant Protection Dept (PPD) under Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) with the support of GIZ Regional Project called Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (GIZ-SRECA’s Vietnam) organized an Awareness Raising Workshop for Traders on China and ASEAN Import Requirements on Fresh Fruit, focusing on Vietnamese major exports.

On the 25-26 of September 2019, GIZ-SRECA organised the 4th GTI Mongolia Stakeholders Meeting and GTI Soft Project Proposal Writing Training together with the support of Applicatio Training & Management GmbH in the GIZ Main Office Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. It was part of a series of meetings between GTI focal points in Mongolia to strengthen the cooperation capacity on regional integration within Mongolia and ultimately enhance the involvement of Mongolia in the GTI framework. The main focus was on the improvement of quality and utility of Mongolian project proposals and to enhance the coordination of Mongolian GTI focal points engaged in regional cooperation under the GTI framework.

During the 16th China-ASEAN EXPO (CAEXPO) and the 16th China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) in Nanning, Guangxi, the Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) project participated in the 2019 China-ASEAN Port Cities Cooperation Network Work Conference organised by the Chinese Secretariat of China-ASEAN Port Cities Cooperation Network and the Office of Planning, Development and Management of Beibu Gulf Economic Zone (BG Office), Guangxi, PR China.

On the 22nd of August, 2019, GIZ-SRECA’s Cambodian team attended the PTB-GIZ international workshop on “Quality Infrastructure in the Food Industry and the Role of Standardization in Export Markets” in Siem Reap. The workshop, which was jointly organised by GIZ RED IV and MSME projects, aimed at raising awareness about food standard infrastructures, roles and importance of food standards in Cambodia for both domestic and international markets.

To foster knowledge and experience exchange through peer-to-peer learning, the “Regional Workshop on Facilitating Trade for Agricultural Goods in ASEAN” was organised on 29 – 30 July 2019 in Da Nang, Viet Nam under the GIZ project Facilitating Trade for Agricultural Goods in ASEAN (FTAG) in collaboration with the Support of Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia (SRECA) project and hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) of Viet Nam. The workshop was attended by project Steering Committee Members and representatives from Cambodia, Thailand, Viet Nam and GIZ.

The 7th GTI NEA Local Cooperation Committee (LCC) Meeting, the 5th LCC Logistics Sub-Committee (LSC) Meeting, and the 6th Local Development Forum were successfully held on 24th July 2019 in Khentii Province of Mongolia. The meeting was hosted by Khentii Provincial Government in collaboration with the GTI Secretariat. LCC member represenatives of province and city governemnts from China, Japan, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, and Russia as well as international partner organisations attended the meeting.

On March 19-20 the SCSI Programme brought together its partners in Bangkok to discuss approaches on private sector enhancement in regional economic integration processes. The emphasis was on strengthening small and medium enterprises (SMEs) inclusion from Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia and Vietnam in regional and global agricultural value chains.

Based on the export guideline train-of-trainer (ToT)and trainings for dragon fruit, longan, lychee, and watermelon, VIETRADE and GIZ set up two follow-up events on 28 February in Hanoi and 01 March 2019 in HCMC to award 14 trainer from trade promotion networks and associations and chambers.

To foster knowledge exchange on industrial parks, like eco-parks, cross-border economic zones and logistics parks in Northeast Asia, Jilin Province hosted a Policy Dialogue on Industrial Parks on September 5, 2018, in Changchun. Channeling the outcome of the dialogue, GIZ supported the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) Secretariat in compiling GTI’s first Policy Brief.

The agricultural sector offers an immense economic potential for development in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam. However, due to informal trade channels and lack of capacity the revenue in agricultural trade with China remains low. On 05-06 December, SCSI invited main partners from the three countries for a regional workshop in Beijing to bundle its approaches within its three Southeast Asian focus countries and set a platform for regional knowledge exchange.

To enhance export capacity among Cambodian micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), GIZ SCSI in cooperation with the General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA) organised a two folded training from 06-08 November 2018. A one day training workshop on the Step-by-Step Guidelines for Exporting Fresh Banana, Mango and Longan Fruits to China was held in Phnom Penh. The theoretical part then was followed by a technical training in Kratie province to learn about practical steps and utilise the guidelines at the production site.

To improve knowledge on free trade agreements (FTA) and regional trade agreements (RTA) among members of the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI), the GTI Secretariat with the Ministry of Commerce of China (MofCom) and the China Association of International Trade (CAIT), organised the GTI Workshop on FTA/RTA Information Sharing on 25th October 2019 in Bo’ao. The […]

To strengthen the coordination of cooperation efforts of Mongolia under the framework of the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI), Mongolian GTI focal points convened for the first time to jointly discuss their approaches and engagement within the initiative.

Building up on the successful introduction of the GIZ-VIETRADE Export Guidelines for fresh fruits, both sides deepened cooperation on private sector development in regard of export processes to China. To enhance capacity of Vietnamese SMEs, GIZ and VIETRADE conducted a train-of-trainer (ToT) based on the Export Guidelines in Hanoi on 12-13 September 2018.

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the German Hanns-Seidel Foundation (HSS), and the Vocational Training Centre Pingdu, China, organised a pilot training course for the Laos Vocational Education Development Institute (VEDI) from 13-24 August 2018 on food processing and rural value chains to demonstrate the benefit of trilateral cooperation between Germany, China and third countries in the region.

To support the development of SMEs, governments, organisations and institutions around the world have set up SME Service Centers, to provide SMEs with respective business information and capacity-building. The GIZ SCSI Programme aims to improve SME inclusion in regional cooperation and integration processes in Asia. To accompany ongoing interventions, SCSI regularly compiles overviews on available online support sources for private sector development. The following list gathers information on SME Service Centers in the region as well as additional examples on good practices.

Jointly with the General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA) from the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fishery (MAFF) Cambodia the GIZ SCSI Programme introduced the revised export guidelines for mango, banana and longan on 09 August 2018 in Phnom Penh. The workshop gathered participants from SMEs, business associations, and further involved ministerial departments like CAMCONTROL from the Ministry of Commerce.

Co-organised by the GTI Secretariat, the 7th Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) Northeast Asia (NEA) Tourism Forum took place in Hunchun, China, on 03 August 2018. The Forum was held back-to-back with a training on Marketing of Tourism Destinations and Tourism Planning on 4 August, co-organised by the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

On 22 June 2018, the Mongolian Ministry of Finance hosted the 18th Consultative Commission (CC) Meeting of the Greater Tumen Initiative in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. This year’s event was back-to-back with a High-level Forum on Priority Development Programs: Financial Cooperation Initiatives organised a day earlier by the Development Bank of Mongolia (DBM).

Delegates of five countries from local and provincial governments joined together on May 16 in Yingkou, PR China for preparing the upcoming 6th GTI Northeast Asia (NEA) Local Cooperation Committee (LCC) Meeting and the Working Meeting for the 4th LCC Logistics Sub-Committee (LSC) Meeting. The GIZ SCSI programme contributed to the event with a practical review session by introducing and working with the “starfish retrospective” tool.

Online courses are becoming a popular and efficient way of learning or updating knowledge and are often free of charge. To support capacity building of programme partners, policy makers and private sector actors – especially from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Mongolia and Viet Nam – SCSI introduces a series of online course providers on trade related topics. To learn more on areas like export procedures, standards, business process analysis (BPA), agricultural trade, trade facilitation policies, customs procedures or doing business in China, international, regional and national platforms are briefly introduced in this article.

To support programme partners, as well as policy makers and the private sector on topics of regional cooperation and integration, SCSI introduces relevant online tools on this website. Within the section “Databases” the programme gathers and updates relevant trade Information for respective stakeholders. SCSI set up three categories of existing online tools to inform relevant stakeholders on trade stats, trade facilitation and free trade agreement (FTA) data.

Jointly with the General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA) from the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fishery (MAFF) Cambodia the GIZ SCSI Programme introduced export guidelines for mango, banana and longan on 27 March 2018 in Phnom Penh. The consultation workshop gathered participants from SMEs, business associations, and involved ministerial departments to give feedback on the content of the guidelines.

On 19 January 2018, the GIZ SCSI Programme together with the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency VIETRADE introduced export guidelines for dragon fruit, longan, lychee and watermelon to the public in Hanoi. The kick off gathered participants from SMEs, business associations, academia, and involved ministerial departments. The guidelines support Vietnamese businesses to export agricultural goods to China by detailing the process step-by-step.

ASEAN is China’s second largest trade partner for agricultural and food products. However, the ASEAN China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) still stays underutilised especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). To foster an inclusive regional dialogue, to improve national capacities, and to enable the private sector to harness the opportunities of regional cooperation and trade the GIZ Programme Support for Economic Cooperation in Sub-Regional Initiatives in Asia (SCSI) commissioned a SPS status report on agricultural trade between the three countries and China. The report analyses the current SPS regime and challenges for regional trade in agricultural products.

For the first time, the Business School of National University of Mongolia (NUM) convened a conference on Mongolia’s Regional Integration and Trade Policy from 15 to 16 of December 2017. The conference took place in the Foreign Ministry of Mongolia. Various partners such as the Inner Mongolian University of Finance and Economics jointly implemented the academic event which brought together over 30 Mongolian and international researchers. Alongside other partners, such as the Northeast Asian Think Tank ERINA, GIZ supported the event.

On 6-7 December 2017 GIZ hosted the Regional Workshop on SPS Challenges and Opportunities-Exporting agriculture goods to China. The event was ogranised by the GIZ SCSI programme and brought together participants from respective government ministries and agencies of Cambodia, China, Lao PDR and Viet Nam.

Cross-border economic zones (CBEZ) located at border ports between two countries are a particular kind of special economic zone (SEZ). Especially in Asia, the recent years have shown a growth of these zones as a tool for development, often in less-developed border areas. CBEZ can facilitate trade and investment activities and are an important tool for the development of economic corridors such as the North-South Corridor connecting China and the ASEAN region. However, the bilateral management of such zones proves to be challenging.

On 16 November 2017, the annual International Seminar on Trade Facilitation in Northeast Asia took place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The seminar was jointly hosted by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI).

The International Regional Conference “Benefits of Geolocation: Central Asia as a Global Transit Hub” was held in Astana on November 14, 2017 with side-meetings on 13 and 15 November. The event was co-organised by the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Programmes “Trade Facilitation in Central Asia” and “Support for Economic Cooperation in Sub-regional Initiatives in Asia (SCSI)” with the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KAZISS).

On 22nd of September the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) Working Group on Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) systems concluded their third meeting. The AEO Working Group was set up under the framework of GTI Cooperation and drafts a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) between the four GTI member countries.

During the 2017 China-ASEAN EXPO (CAXEPO) in Nanning, Guangxi, SCSI participated in the China-ASEAN Port Cities Cooperation Network Working Conference organised by the Chinese Secretariat of China-ASEAN Port Cities Cooperation Network. SCSI supported the event inviting its partners from Haiphong Port Viet Nam as well as giving a presentation on “Port Cooperation for Regional Development: European Experiences”.

The SCSI programme co-organised the first GTI Trade and Investment Cooperation Roundtable Meeting on August 30th in Changchun, China. In close cooperation with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MofCom), the Jilin Provincial Government and the GTI Secretariat the event was planned with a clear focus to include all involved stakeholders. In effect, the local and central level of the government of the four GTI member countries, Mongolia, China, Korea and Russia, as well as businesses from regional and international organisations participated.

On 24 August 2017, the SCSI and VIETRADE organised a kick-off workshop in Ha Noi to obtain feedback on the drafted guidelines issued to support Export processes for Vietnamese SMEs to China. The consultant team from Viet Nam – comissioned with the task – presented on objectives, structiure, content, methodology, and further aproaches of the guidelines. Participants from SMEs and trade promotion centers as well as respective minitsries provided valuable feedback, which will be included in the preparation process.

The annual Meeting of the GTI Northeast Asia (NEA) Local Cooperation Committee (LCC) from 15-16 August 2017 brought together governors and vice-governors from Northeast Asia for the fifth time to propose review and discuss concrete cooperation projects in the region. At the meeting, Selenge Aimag of Mongolia joined the mechanism showing the growing interest of local and provincial governments to join a platform for the discussion of cross-border cooperation in Northeast Asia. The GIZ SCSI programme contributed to the discussion by providing examples of cross-border cooperation on the local level in Europe.

On 24 – 25 May 2017 the Federal Customs Service of the Russian Federation hosted the second Working Meeting of the AEO Working Group of the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) in Vladivostok. The meeting, being part of series of four meetings in total with the first being held in November 2016 in China, was co-organised by the GTI Secretariat to lay a further foundation for a GTI standardised AEO Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) as well as GTI AEO Guidelines. The GIZ will further support the GTI Secretariat and the AEO Working Group within this process.

On 14th of May several delegates for landlocked developing countries (LLDC) countries in Asia, as well as GIZ programmes from the region and representatives of The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) met in Bangkok, Thailand to discuss the issues of opportunities and challenges arsing from the Chinese driven Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for LLDCs.

Based on the longstanding cooperation on the topics of regional integration during the SCSI Programme’s predecessor phase (2011-2015) and in order to further align the programme’s work with the implementation partners in China and Mongolia, two cooperation agreements have been signed. According to the Memoranda, which will last until 2019, GIZ’s SCSI Programme will strengthen endeavours with its partners to support regional integration in Northeast Asia under the framework of the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI).

From 24 February to 03 March 2017 the GIZ SCSI programme successfully conducted a fact-finding mission to Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Viet Nam (CLV). As part of the mission two workshops on “ACFTA – Recent developments in exporting Agricultural Goods to China” were held in Hanoi and Phnom Penh.

Activities to support utilisation of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) were initiated during the first phase (2011-2015) by the predecessor programme Regional Cooperation and Integration in Asia (RCI). Based on the efforts, SCSI is currently planning and enhancing it’s engagement with this regional FTA as part of the programme’s support to Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam (CLV). Please access the translated rice-related standards from previous activities here.

The annual International Seminar on Trade Facilitation in Northeast Asia organised by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) was held on 13 December 2016. The event serves as a platform for dialogue and cooperation on trade facilitation issues among relevant stakeholders in the Greater Tumen Region. Magnus Brod presented on GIZ experiences in regional cooperation addressing agricultural trade standards in the ASEAN region.

On 24-28 October 2016 Korean Customs Service (KCS) hosted the 5th Trade Facilitation Capacity Building Workshop of the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) in Seoul which was co-organized by the GTI Secretariat. The workshop has been held since 2012 to facilitate trade in Northeast Asia through knowledge sharing among national and local government officials, custom officials from GTI member countries as well as experts from international organisations, research institutes, and the private sector. GIZ supported the workshop with an input on “Facilitate safe agricultural trade Experiences from EU integration”.

From September 22-23, SCSI hosted a training in Beijing to enhance the communication capacity for the Secretariat of the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI). Participants that attended the workshop included GTI Secretariat staff, as well as representatives of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and the Russian Federation’s Trade Mission. Based on the positive feedback from a similar training last year – which brought together GTI Secretariat and national stakeholders – a training on proposal writing for Mongolian GTI Focal Points followed in Ulaanbaatar from September 26-27.

Together with the Programme on Cooperation for the Enhancement of SADC Regional Economic Integration (CESARE) and the German Development Insitute (DIE) Trade and Investment Team the SCSI programme organised a session during the 2016 ‘Global Retreat on Private Sector Development, Economic Policy and Cooperation with the Private Sector’ organised by GIZ which took place in Bad Neunahr, Germany from September 5 to 6. The event was headed ‘Develop, Perform, Achieve: Innovative Approaches to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’ and provided an exchange platform for development professionals, private sector managers and political officials.

On 5-6 July 2016 Mongolia hosted the first Working Meeting of the recently established Agriculture Committee of the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) in Ulaanbaatar. The meeting was co-organized by the GTI Secretariat and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Mongolia. The objective was to lay the foundation for the GTI Regional Agricultural Strategic Action Plan (SAP) based on the member states’ national strategies as well as the findings and suggestions of the Regional Report on Agricultural Cooperation in the Greater Tumen Region commissioned by GTI.

In March 2016 the Government of the Republic of Korea (RoK) hosted the 16th Consultative Commission Meeting of the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) in Seoul, which was opened by the RoK’s Deputy Minister for International Economic Affairs, Ministry of Strategy and Finance.

From 23-25 November 2015, GIZ SCSI organised a capacity building workshop in Beijing for the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) Secretariat and staff. Following the invite of GTI, national coordinators and representatives from line ministries joined as well. The purpose of the workshop was to train GTI Secretariat and GTI focal points in writing Terms of Reference (ToR) and proposals following the GTI Strategic Action Plan and project guidelines in order to contribute to improved policy coordination and project implementation.

From 18-19th June 2016, the Think20 (T20) Conference on Innovation, New Economy and Structural Reform took place in the county of Anji, Zhejiang Province, PR China. The international conference, jointly hosted by China Academy of West Region Development (CAWD) and Zhejiang University welcomed participants and guests from over 25 countries, including about ten G20 member countries.

Fuelled by the growing gap in global infrastructure, recent developments in Asia have spurred an increase in regional infrastructure investments. National governments, international organisations and regional institutions have established their own agendas, sometimes lacking communication and dialogue. Thus, the SCSI Programme successfully held the Roundtable “Regional Infrastructure Investment Initiatives – Zero-Sum or Win-Win Collaboration” from 11-12 September 2015.

On August 07, 2015, the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) convened its 3rd Northeast Asia (NEA) Local Cooperation Committee (LCC) Meeting in Choibalsan, Dornod aimag, Mongolia. In the course ofthe gathering, two new members were admitted to the LCC, namely Busan Metropolitan City and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province of the Republic of Korea (ROK).

The Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) convened its 5th Transport Board Meeting as well as a Seminar on the Promotion of Sea-Land Routes in the Greater Tumen Region (GTR) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on June 15, 2015.

On May 27-28, 2015, the third international export forum took place in Bangkok, Thailand, this time under the title “Asian Regional Integration Revisited: New Perspectives for Old Institutions?” It brought together 40 experts from the member countries of four sub-regional initiatives, namely the Pan-Beibu Gulf (PBG) Economic Cooperation, the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI), the Greater Mekong Sub-Region (GMS) Economic Cooperation, and the South Asia Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC), as well as from the ASEAN regional initiative.

In light of supporting the Greater Tumen Initiative’s (GTI) mechanism for the cooperation of border regions, the Local Cooperation Committee (LCC), GIZ has commissioned a presentation from German Expert Prof. Dr. Burkhard Lemper of the Institute of Shipping Logistics (ISL) in Bremen.

From 01 to 03 February 2015, the Greater Tumen Inititative (GTI) organised a Capacity Building Training Programme aimed at participants from the region working in tourism in Arxan City, Inner Mongolia, PR China.

Within the framework of Pan-Beibu Gulf (PBG) Economic Cooperation that encompasses the ASEAN Member states and PR China, maritime economy is one of the main focus areas for cooperation. In this regard GIZ is offering support for maritime chains and clusters.

In light of ongoing processes to establish a Trade Facilitation Single Window System in Mongolia, GIZ’s RCI Programme conducted a training on “Business Process Analysis (BPA) and Mongolia’s Single Window (SW) Implementation Process” from 01 to 03 October 2014 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

From 30 June to 04 July 2014, the GIZ programme “Regional Economic Cooperation and Integration (RCI) in Asia” organised a study tour and workshop on “Building Capacities for Labour Migration Management in Cambodia and Lao PDR” in Manila, the Philippines.