会议邀请： 美中一带一路投资论坛

美国雅商顾问公司携手美国一带一路研究中心将于2018年3月14日在美国首都华盛顿特朗普国际酒店举办美国第一场“美中一带一路投资论坛”，届时来自美国国会、共和党、智库、商界的精英、中资企业驻美代表将与来自中国的嘉宾们共同交流探讨“一带一路“给美中两国在全球经济中带来的机遇与挑战。讨论嘉宾来自中国国际贸易促进委员会，江苏海事职业技术学院“一带一路“应用型海事人才研究院、美国全国共和党委员会等。特邀美国知名国际政治学者、美中问题与地缘政治家张万发博士诠释中国一带一路战略为美中两国关系带来的机遇与挑战。

美国一带一路研究中心是一个在美国正式注册的美中关系智库组织。旨在研究“一带一路“战略框架下的美中两国经济发展、机遇和挑战，并推动美国主流政坛及其商界对中国“一带一路“政策与发展的了解。

有意参加2018年一带一路投资论坛的朋友，请直接联系美国一带一路研究中心，网站：http://www.AmCenterBeltRoad.org  中国参会者请联系电子信箱：mailbox@AmCenterBeltRoad.org

China-US cross-border payment solutions become available

Need to set up China-US cross-border payment solutions for your business? US and Canada based companies such as legal firms, consultancies, accounting services, hotels, travel services, hotels and restaurants now can accept cross-border Chinese payments. The solution provides conveniences for Chinese clients to pay services fees and charges.  Welcome EB-5 stakeholders to utilize this new tool. Please contact us at mailbox@artisanbusinessgroup.com for details.

China's 21st Century Silk Road - "The Belt and Road Initiative" Investment Forum opens registration

China's 21st century silk road initiative "One Belt, One Road" has begun a massive development program to strengthen its trade routes globally. Don't be left behind, and come to learn how this enormous undertaking creates new opportunities and challenges for US businesses. To learn more about The Belt and Road Initiative Investment Forum in Washington DC March 14, 2018, log on https://www.eventbrite.com/

Belt and Road miracles in number in 2017

(Source: Xinhua News) The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in the autumn of 2013, was aimed to draw on the strength of each country to pursue a joint development through enhancing international cooperation and increasing the complementary between national strategies. 

Over the past four years, the Belt and Road Initiative has developed to a relatively large scale, demonstrating its progress and achievement beyond expectation. Every year, significant progress is seen in the Belt and Road construction. Again, there were miracles in numbers achieved in the Belt and Road construction in 2017. 

-- Reaching out more people, land 

The Initiative has in the past year responded to more calls for openness, inclusiveness, innovative growth, and freer and fairer trade at multilateral forums such as the World Economic Forum, G20 summit and BRICS summit. Its prospect charmed over 1,500 representatives from over 130 countries and 70 international organizations and effected the signing of close to 70 agreements at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing in May, a milestone marking a new implementation phase for the Initiative.
With policy support from the Chinese leadership on top of confidence built on China's steady growth, the Initiative has this year convinced more onlookers and skeptics than ever before. Notably, in November over 250 Japanese business leaders showed interest in playing a role in the Initiative's grand narrative. The infrastructure plan received a vote of confidence in December when the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a major source of funding for the Initiative, expanded in less than two years to a broader geographical area represented by 84 member countries and regions, up from its founding 57. 

-- 6,000+ China-Europe express trains dispatched 

According to the statistics from China Railway Corporation, by late October of 2017, 57 China-Europe rail lines have been launched from 35 Chinese cities to 34 cities in 12 European countries. More than 6,000 China-Europe express trains were dispatched in total.
It took four years and seven months to dispatch the first 1,000 trains, whereas for the sixth 1,000 trains, it only cost 2 months. While running on an irregular schedule in the beginning, the China-Europe express is now operated on a regular basis.A lot of local media and people expressed a positive attitude towards the China-Europe railway that China could help the cities along the rail line improve activeness globally, and at the same time boost development in economy, trade, culture and tourism for these countries. Since the remarkable reductions in transportation time and logistics cost are relatively more attractive to small and medium-sized enterprises along the railroad, more companies will choose China-Europe railway express as their choice of transportation. 

-- Total imports and exports reach RMB25.1 trln Jan.-Nov. 

China registered total goods imports and exports of 25.14 trillion yuan in the first 11 months of 2017, up by 15.6 percent year on year, including exports of 13.85 trillion yuan and imports of 11.29 trillion yuan, up by 11.6 percent and 20.9 percent year on year respectively; and trade surplus was 2.56 trillion yuan, down by 16.7 percent year on year, according to customs data. From January to November in 2017, China made a cumulative non-financial direct investment of 107.55 billion U.S. dollars in 5,796 enterprises in 174 countries and regions across the globe, down by 33.5 percent year on year, with irrational overseas investment effectively curbed. The trade volume between China and the countries related to the Belt Road Initiative has reached more than 25 percent of China's total foreign trade volume. In Zhejiang province, export-oriented enterprises gradually reduce their reliance on developed countries such as the Europe and the U.S. The top three trade partners have been changed from the EU, the U.S. and Japan to the EU, the U.S. and the ASEAN. What’s more, the economic and trade cooperation with the Middle East and Central and Eastern Europe has also grown tremendously.
Outward investment has also fueled foreign trade growth. Chinese enterprises have constructed 75 overseas economic and trade cooperation zones along the Belt and Road. Data show that 3,412 Chinese enterprises have moved into these zones, with their taxes paid to the host country totaling 2.21 billion U.S. dollars and 209,000 new jobs being created for the locals. 

-- RMB100 bln added to the Silk Road Fund 

Since the beginning of this year, China has continued to advance the supply-side structural reform and implemented the strategy of innovation-driven development, laying a solid foundation for foreign trade development. China announced the decision to add another 100 billion yuan to the Silk Road Fund in May 2017. This move has further improved the Silk Road Fund's capability of providing sustainable multi-currency funds for the Belt and Road construction. Up until now, 17 project contracts have been signed under the Silk Road Fund, with an investment of around 7 billion dollars on the schedule. In the future, the fund will take further steps to diversify currency types for investment and financing. 

-- 12.5pct of global B2B-export volume 

The countries related to the Belt and Road Initiative own 40 percent of the world's population and contribute about 16 percent of the world's GDP. Their total cross-border e-commerce trade volume (B2B-export volume) accounts for 12.5 percent of world's total cross-border e-commerce volume. In different regions, Eastern Europe holds a large share of 72 percent in the Belt and Road digital trade market. On the one hand, Eastern Europe is superior to the other countries along the Belt and Road in economy and infrastructure, and highly accepts digital trade; on the other hand, digital trade in Eastern Europe have been further boosted due to the rapid development of the cross-border e-commerce and deep cooperation on economy and bilateral trade between China, Russia and Ukraine. In addition, at the 4th World Internet Conference held in December, China, Laos, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Thailand, Turkey and the UAE jointly launched an initiative to strengthen cooperation on digital economy, which marks a new charter for cooperation on the Belt and Road digital economy. 

-- Off-shore RMB bonds top RMB1 trln 

Transactions in the RMB have become more and more convenient whether for tourism or trade. The RMB is playing an increasingly important role on the world stage. According to the 2017 RMB Internationalization Report released by the central bank of China, the RMB secured its status as the second-largest currency in China's cross-border receipts and payments, and the internationalization of the RMB is progressing steadily. 
 
"The inclusion of the RMB into the SDR basket marks the internationalization of the RMB steps into a new stage," according to the central bank. With the continuous rise in the international status of the RMB, the international acceptance of the RMB will be increased constantly, and other countries will be more likely to hold the RMB as a reserve currency in their central bank and monetary authorities. 

The central bank also added that the international use of the RMB will be further popularized and the channels widened. In this context, the scale of RMB bonds held by overseas institutions has exceeded 1 trillion yuan in September of 2017, according to the latest data released by the China Securities Depository and Clearing Co., Ltd. and the Shanghai Clearing House. 

To learn more about "The Belt and Road Initiative Investment Forum" in Washington DC on March 14, 2018, please log on http://www.AmCenterBeltRoad.org

"The Belt and Road Initiative Investment Forum is announced

"The  Belt and Road Initiative" Investment Forum is announced today. The one day investment strategy forum will take place in Washington DC on March 14, 2018. The event is co-hosted by Artisan Business Group and American Center for the Belt and Road Initiative. To learn more about the event, please log on http://beltroad.eventbrite.com

Smart City Technology Project announced in Puerto Rico

A new Smart City Technology Demonstration Center project is announced in San Juan Puerto Rico. VIP guests and officials attended the announcement ceremony.  The demonstration center will be the first smart city technology related project in Puerto Rico.  Artisan Business Group is proud to bring this project to Puerto Rico. To learn more about the event, contact us at http://www.ArtisanBusinessGroup.com

Artisan Business Group to host Chinese Investments Seminar in San Juan

Artisan Business Group is hosting another session of "2017 and Beyond: Chinese Investments and Trends" in San Juan, Puerto Rico on July 27, 2017, please register online today, 15 seats only!

Chinese investors get some tips on LA

(Source: China Daily) Chinese investors need assistance from the private sector as well as from the government, especially when they start their first project in California, an industry insider said. "There's a great amount of interest and financial capacity in China. But there was less awareness about opportunities of foreign investment," said Steve Olson, chairman of World Trade Center Los Angeles.  Read more at http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/