Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont, Senior Chairman of CP Group, Attends the Sixth Member Representative Congress of the China Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs and Is Appointed Honorary President

On September 15th, the Sixth Member Representative Congress of the China Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs was held in Beijing. The Congress reviewed and approved the work reports of the Fifth Council and the First Supervisory Board, as well as draft amendments to the articles of association. It elected the Sixth Council and the Second Supervisory Board of the China Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs. It also held the First Meeting of the Sixth Council and the First Meeting of the Second Supervisory Board, and elected the Sixth President, Executive Vice Presidents, Vice Presidents, Secretary-General, and Standing Council members, as well as the new Chairman and Vice Chairmen of the Supervisory Board. Mr. Guo Konghua, Chairman of Kerry Holdings (China) Limited, was elected as the Sixth President of the China Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs.

Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont, Senior Chairman of CP Group, attended the Congress. He  officially stepped down as President of the China Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs and was appointed as Honorary President. Mr. Soopakij Chearavanont, Chairman of CP Group, was elected Executive Vice President of the Sixth Council. Mr. Xie Bing, Senior Vice Chairman of CP Group and Chairman of CP Pharmaceutical Group, was appointed as Honorary Vice President. Mr. Xie Yi, Senior Vice Chairman of CP Group, was elected as a member.

▲The Congress presented flowers to Honorary President Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont (right) and President Mr. Guo Konghua. The senior president and the new generation of young president took a photo together.

During the flower-presenting ceremony, Mr. Chen Shihai, Secretary General of the China Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs, said that over the years, the Federation had received support and participation from numerous overseas Chinese leaders and entrepreneurs, especially Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont, who had made significant contributions through his long-term emphasis and guidance. Today, Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont’s appointment as Honorary President and Mr. Guo Konghua's election as President marked an important passing of the torch within the Federation, carrying forward the cause and forging ahead into the future. Let us express our highest respect and heartfelt gratitude to President Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont with warm applause. President Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont was appointed as Honorary President. He would continue to support and assist the China Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs, and we thanked him. We also extended our warmest congratulations to the newly elected President, Mr. Guo Konghua.

Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont served as the first president of the China Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs Association from 2008 and was re-elected for four terms. In 2018, the Association was integrated into the China Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs, and Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont was elected as the fifth president of the Federation. He served for a total of eighteen years. During his tenure, he always kept the big picture in mind, cared deeply about his ancestral hometown, united and led the members, and focused on the overall development of the country. He carried out a great deal of effective work in uniting the strength of overseas Chinese entrepreneurs, deepening Sino-foreign economic and trade cooperation, and contributing to China's reform and opening up and economic construction.

▲Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont (front row, center) attended the Congress.

At the opening ceremony of the Congress, Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont was the first to deliver a speech. He expressed his sincerest gratitude and highest respect to members of the Fifth Council and to members of the Federation. He stated that President Xi Jinping attached great importance to overseas Chinese affairs and had met with representatives of the China Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs on several occasions, fully demonstrating the care and love of the Party and the State for the overseas Chinese entrepreneur community, which deeply moved and inspired the members of the Federation.

At the opening ceremony, Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont expressed his feelings in three sentences:

First, “Grateful to China, grateful to the new era.” In 1979, with China’s reform and opening up, he saw the enormous development potential of the Chinese market and was among the first to invest in China, leading to CP Group obtaining the first foreign-invested enterprise approval certificate. Even during the 1997 Asian financial crisis, he remained optimistic about China and continued to invest and develop there. He pointed out that the overseas Chinese entrepreneurs’ endeavor had always been closely linked to China’s destiny. The achievements of the China Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs and its members were inseparable from the leadership of the Party and the government, the strong support of various provinces, cities and districts, and the joint efforts of all members. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to everyone.

Secondly, "China is currently in its best period of development since modern times." Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont noted that President Xi Jinping had met with representatives of Chinese and international entrepreneurs and held meetings during the Boao Forum for Asia on three occasions. He felt deeply honored to be one of the six individuals invited to speak at the meeting, during which he had discussed that President Xi Jinping proposing the Chinese Dream of the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation, the Belt and Road Initiative, the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and the global governance philosophy of achieving shared growth through consultation and collaboration had tremendously inspired overseas Chinese worldwide. This year marked the first year of the "15th Five-Year Plan", and China’s high-quality development and high-level opening-up, particularly artificial intelligence and the technological revolution, were driving profound transformations and innovations in traditional production and business models. These presented excellent opportunities for overseas Chinese entrepreneurs. In the early days of reform and opening up, we focused on "bringing in" advanced technology, capital, and management expertise to invest in production and generate export earnings. Today, we should learn China’s advanced technologies and "bring" quality products and technologies "out" to the world, expanding our operations globally. With the world looking favorably upon China, the stage for overseas Chinese entrepreneurs was becoming increasingly vast.

Thirdly, "The new leadership of the China Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs, a younger generation of leaders, will certainly do even better." Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont stated that he would provide strong support for the work of the new China Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs. The emergence of a new generation of overseas Chinese entrepreneurs was crucial to the future development of the overseas Chinese community. The younger generation possessed strong innovative capabilities and represented the future of overseas Chinese entrepreneurs’ endeavor. They would undoubtedly achieve even greater success.

▲Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont delivered a speech at the opening ceremony.

Regarding his appointment as honorary president, Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont stated that, first, he wholeheartedly supported and abided by the decision regarding the leadership transition in accordance with the social organization management and the China Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs' Articles of Association. Second, he felt deeply honored and expressed his heartfelt gratitude. Third, he would continue to act as a bridge for Sino-foreign economic and trade cooperation, contribute to China's economic and social development, and serve the China Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs and its members. He said he believed that under the close attention of President Xi Jinping, the Federation would surely achieve even greater success and make more significant contributions to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and to China's modernization.

Mr. Xie Bing, Mr. Xie Yi, Mr. Huang Weiwei, Chief China Strategic Development and Cooperation Officer of CP Group and Senior Vice Chairman of CP Group China, Mr. He Yinyou, Senior Vice President of CP Group, and Mr. Xue Zengyi, Senior Vice Chairman of CP Group China's Agro-Industry and Food Business, also attended the Congress.