A three-day conference in Jinan brought together overseas Chinese entrepreneurs from around the world to forge new partnerships in emerging industries and deepen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

The 2026 Shandong (Jinan) Belt and Road Chinese entrepreneurs cooperation and exchange conference, held from July 6 to 8, attracted more than 100 overseas Chinese business and community leaders from 33 countries and regions, including Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam. Discussions centered on opportunities in sectors such as artificial intelligence, biomedicine, and robotics.

Eight cooperation agreements with a combined value of nearly 1.25 billion yuan ($183.98 million) were signed during the event. Matchmaking sessions also introduced participants to Jinan's key industrial clusters and major investment projects.

Two parallel forums on July 7 focused on international expansion among local companies and the development of the robotics industry. At the robotics forum, Jinan unveiled its 2026 demand list for robot applications, identifying 319 use cases across 12 sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, construction, transportation, and healthcare. The initiative is intended to help robotics companies test and commercialize their technologies while encouraging innovative firms to establish operations in the city.

Participants noted that overseas Chinese entrepreneurs, drawing on extensive international networks and business experience, can serve as an important bridge between Chinese and global markets, particularly as digital technologies reshape international commerce.