On the morning of October 12, 2023, Kim In-chul, Vice President of the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade (KIET), led a delegation to China International Engineering Consulting Corporation (CIECC). Du Zhenli, the Chief Consultant of CIECC, hosted the meeting where discussions on think tank construction, infrastructure, new energy, China-Korea supply chain collaboration and the Belt and Road Initiative took place.

Du Zhenli welcomed the delegation and outlined CIECC’s history over four decades, its comprehensive service offerings throughout the investment project lifecycle, and its strategy for developing into a premier national think tank and world-leading consulting firm. He highlighted that the company provides consulting services across the economy to central and local governments, businesses, and financial institutions. Du mentioned similarities between the two organizations in their advisory roles to central government decision-making and expressed a desire to use the dialogue as a stepping stone for enhanced communication and to strengthen China-Korea relations through think tank efforts.

Kim In-chul expressed gratitude for the hospitality and recognized CIECC’s role in China’s development. He gave an overview of KIET, an affiliate of the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences established in 1976 and now a leading Korean economic think tank. Kim conveyed his hope that the discussions would lead to a communication framework and deepened cooperation to forge a new chapter in think tank collaboration between the two countries in the post-pandemic era.

The meeting ended with a consensus to create a sustainable mechanism for ongoing collaboration and regular dialogue.

Officials from KIET’s Center for International Industry and Trade, Center for Growth Engine Industries and Beijing Office, along with leaders from relevant departments at CIECC, participated in the event.