Hosting Delegation from China to Start Collaboration
On November 6-7, PMC Research hosted a delegation from China, comprising high-ranking officials from the Chinese Academy for Fiscal Sciences (CAFS). The aim of the visit was to discuss the prospects of future collaboration between the two institutions.
During the meetings, special attention was paid to the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Georgia and China, and the current status of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as well as the steps that should be undertaken to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of this initiative for both countries. The attractiveness of Georgia for investors from China, as a country having FTAs with China, the European Union and with countries in the region were also analyzed.
“The meetings with the Chinese delegation were interesting and productive. We have discussed collaboration opportunities and the idea of a common platform, comprising public institutions, as well as think tanks and academic institutions. Such a platform will be very useful for Georgia, and for China to efficiently make the most of recent opportunities,” said Aleksi Aleksishvili, Head of the Governing Board at PMC Research.
The delegation also met with representatives of academia, as well as public institutions, including the following: the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia; the National Bank of Georgia; the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia; the Agriculture Projects Management Agency; the Ministry of Finance of Georgia; and with the Academy of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia.
The CAFS is one of the largest think tanks working on public administration and public finances in China. It was founded by the Government of the People’s Republic of China with the aim of supporting the Government with research-based policy advising. Today, the CAFS unites 12 research centers working in different directions, including the Center for Macroeconomic Studies and the Center for Public Finance and Governance Studies, and is mostly engaged with studies on fiscal and economic theories and policies, as well as advising on issues related to government policy-making.