New horizons in openness, new gains from RCEP

In late May, Wuhu will host a major international event. The 2026 RCEP Local Trade and Investment Cooperation Dialogue opens in the city on May 27. Jointly hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Anhui provincial government, and organized by the Wuhu municipal government, the Anhui Provincial Department of Commerce and the Anhui Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, the dialogue serves as a key sub-forum of the 2026 RCEP Local Governments and Friendship Cities Cooperation (Huangshan) Forum, running from May 27 to 29.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is the world's largest free trade pact by population, trade volume and growth potential. The Wuhu dialogue, as an RCEP exchange platform, centers on the theme "Deepening Local Cooperation, Sharing RCEP Policy Dividends — Building an Open Asia-Pacific Economy." It aims to build a one-stop platform for policy briefings, industry promotion and business matchmaking, helping competitive industries in Anhui and Wuhu integrate into the global supply chains of RCEP members and fueling high-quality regional growth.

The event at the Grand Square Hotel Wuhu on May 27 will feature keynote addresses, project signings, and thematic sessions linking government, business and finance. Around 100 Chinese and foreign guests — including officials from the economic and trade departments of RCEP members, local government representatives, foreign diplomats in China, chamber of commerce leaders, experts and senior executives — will discuss ways to deepen regional economic and trade cooperation and channel RCEP policy dividends to enterprises. The gathering will explore new avenues for regional cooperation and turn policy gains into growth drivers.

The year 2026 marks the fourth year since RCEP took effect and the fifth anniversary of the China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Against this backdrop, Wuhu is hosting the dialogue to deepen industrial ties with RCEP members and ASEAN, tap tariff cuts and market opening opportunities, boost exports of competitive products, and bring in foreign investment. The event also looks to raise Wuhu's international profile, strengthen its role as a gateway for opening-up, drive industrial upgrading, and accelerate the city's rise as a provincial sub-center — a key hub connecting Anhui with RCEP and the broader Asia-Pacific.