The 11th High-level Forum on Northeast Asia Cooperation begins in Changchun, Jilin province, on Sept 23. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

The 11th High-level Forum on Northeast Asia Cooperation opened in Changchun, Northeast China's Jilin province, on Sept 23, in a move to further develop a high-level open cooperation platform for in-depth exchange among Northeast Asian countries.

The forum drew wide participation from some 500 government officials, envoys of Northeast Asian countries in China, representatives of relevant international organizations and institutions in China, and heads of well-known business associations and financial institutions. 

S. Amarsaikhan, vice-premier of Mongolia, addresses the forum through video link. [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

Northeast Asia is one of the most dynamic regions in the world, and China has been the largest trading partner of the five countries in Northeast Asia for many years.

In 2020, the total trade volume between China and the five Northeast Asian countries was around $717.7 billion, accounting for nearly one-sixth of China's total foreign trade.

In 2020, the trade volume between Jilin province and the five countries in Northeast Asia reached 24.18 billion yuan ($3.74 billion), accounting for 18.9 percent of the province's total foreign trade. Japan, Russia, and South Korea are the second, fifth, and eighth largest trading partners of Jilin province.

From January to August, the trade volume between Jilin province and the five Northeast Asian countries reached 18 billion yuan, accounting for 17 percent of the province's total foreign trade.

As of July 2021, there are 534 companies in Jilin that are invested by Northeast Asian countries, accounting for 36.06 percent of the total number of foreign-funded enterprises in the province. The cumulative amount of direct investment was $3.62 billion, accounting for 13.83 percent of the province's total direct investment. 

The forum attendees [Photo provided to gojilin.gov.cn]