Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel arrived in China on October 30 for a two-day official visit. He had lunch at the Belgian Embassy with China’s richest person, Dalian Wanda Chairman Wang Jianlin, and other Chinese businessmen to introduce Belgium’s investment climate and attract Chinese investments. In the afternoon, several contracts and agreements were signed, including one by brewery Hughe to distribute its delirium tremens beer in China. Hainan Airlines agreed to launch direct flights between Shanghai and Brussels. About 20 agreements were signed during Prime Minister Michel’s visit to China, including on juridicial cooperation between Belgium and China. Companies which signed agreements include Barco, Besix, DEME, Nagelmaekers, Projectbuilders, Proximus, and the Port of Zeebrugge. The new Sino-Belgian technology center in Louvain-la-Neuve also signed an agreement. The Prime Minister delivered the keynote speech at the China-Belgium Economic Forum organized by the Belgian Embassy and Anbang Insurance Group. He also met the Belgian community in Beijing at a garden party at the Embassy and paid a visit to the Ullens Center of Contemporary Art (UCCA) in Beijing’s 798 area.

On October 31, Prime Minister Michel had official meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. The Chinese President called on Belgium to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) as soon as possible, and seize the opportunity of the Belt and Road construction to push forward the development of the China-Europe logistics industry and cross-border e-commerce cooperation. China and Belgium should enhance cooperation in high-tech and high added-value areas, including advanced manufacturing, new energy, environmental protection and the modern service industry, Xi said. “The consensuses I reached with Belgium leaders in the past two years have been fully implemented, and the China-Belgium relationship is progressing steadily in the direction set by the two sides,” the China Daily quoted President Xi Jinping as saying. Prime Minister Michel told Xi that Belgium was willing to expand cooperation with China in areas including the legislature, investment, innovation, aerospace, the new energy digital economy, and infrastructure.