A conference to discuss the work of three Zhejiang chambers of commerce in Shanxi province in 2016 was held on Nov 5.

Some 1,000 members from Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce in Shanxi province, Wenzhou Chamber of Commerce in Taiyuan, and Wenzhou Chamber of Commerce in Shanxi province attended the meeting.

Merchants from Zhejiang province, especially from Wenzhou, are a group of traders famous for their adventurous and innovative spirit. They have contributed a lot toward economic growth in Zhejiang where foreign trade and the private sector has developed fast since China's reform and opening-up in the 1980s.

Huang Zhiqiang, director of the three chambers of commerce, praised and recognized the hard work and achievements of Zhejiang merchants in Shanxi. He expressed his hopes that businesspeople will continue to enhance the mutually beneficial relationships between the two provinces by promoting economic cooperation.

There are now more than 350,000 Zhejiang merchants, including some 80,000 from Wenzhou, doing business in Shanxi province. Their businesses span various fields, including energy, real estate, electronics and jewelry, creating jobs for over two million local residents.

In addition, member companies of the three chambers of commerce have collected donations worth more than 50 million yuan ($7.38 million) for public welfare and charities in Shanxi.

Huang Zhiqiang, director of Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce in Shanxi province, makes a speech at a conference discussing the work of the three Zhejiang chambers of commerce in Shanxi province on Nov 5. [Photo/sxrb.com]