On October 14, a new platform for economic and trade relations between Xiamen and BRICS countries was launched with the opening of the Xiamen Representative Office of the Piauí State Strategic Investment Promotion Agency, at Xiamen Seaworld.
This marks the first permanent foreign enterprise representative office established in Xiamen by a BRICS country local government since the city began developing the BRICS PartNIR Innovation Center.
The office, located in the Maritime Silk Road International Legal and Business Integration Service Base at Xiamen Seaworld, aims to facilitate friendly exchanges and win-win cooperation between Chinese investors and the government and enterprises of Piauí State.
Serving as a bridge between Piauí and Xiamen, as well as the broader Asian market, the representative office will promote bilateral trade, support high-quality inbound and outbound investment, and contribute to Xiamen's strategic goal of becoming a pivotal city in China's new development framework and a key partner in the BRICS PartNIR Innovation Center.
Rafael Tajra Fonteles, the Governor of Piauí State, emphasized that China is Brazil’s largest trade partner, and the establishment of this office will open new avenues for collaboration in trade, culture, technology, and education between Piauí and Xiamen. Fonteles also expressed hope that Piauí could become a strategic gateway for Chinese companies entering the Brazilian market.
In October 2023, witnessed by senior leaders from the People's Government of Fujian Province and the Governor of Piauí, the Administration of Xiamen Area of China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone signed a memorandum of understanding with the Piauí State Strategic Investment Promotion Agency. This MOU lays the foundation for institutionalized cooperation between the two regions. The office, as a dedicated agency of the Piauí State Government, plays a key role in promoting investment, showcasing the state’s industrial advantages and incentives, and organizing investment promotion activities to build a platform for cooperation between investors and Piauí’s government and businesses.
Going forward, the Administration of Xiamen Area of China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone plans to leverage the representative office as a springboard for strengthening trade ties with Piauí and fostering mutual learning. This will also serve as an exploratory step in aligning with high-standard international trade and economic rules, advancing institutional openness, contributing to Xiamen’s development as a key city in the new development framework, and further enhancing the construction of the BRICS PartNIR Innovation Center.
At the subsequent Piauí-Xiamen Economic and Trade Matchmaking Session, representatives from the Piauí State Strategic Investment Promotion Agency and the Administration of Xiamen Area of China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone introduced the investment environment and key industries in their respective regions, sparking lively exchanges among the business representatives present.
