On July 3, 2009, Ms. Zhang Li, Director-General of China-Africa Business Council(CABC) hosted a meeting between the Tenerife Government Delegation and CABC members at the CABC headquarters. The Tenerife Delegation was led by Ricardo Melchior Navarro, President of the Government of Tenerife, while CABC members included executives of several private Chinese businesses. The purpose of the meeting was for the Tenerife Delegation to brief CABC members on the benefits of engaging in trade and commerce with the Spanish island. Ms.Zhang also briefed the guests on developments in the Chinese private sector and recent events at CABC.

   

    Tenerife is the largest of the seven Spanish Canary Islands. President Navarro and Carlos Enrique Alonso Rodriguez, head of the Economic Development Department of the Geovernment of Tenerife, described Tenerife's geographical advantages, of enjoying not only excellent weather but also being ideally situated in the Atlantic Ocean to ease engagement of business with Africa, America, and Europe. While privy to all the benefits of EU memberships, Tenerife is also a low-tax zone as well as one of two open duty free areas in Europe, the other being Shannon in Ireland. Mr.Navarro welcomed Chinese companies interested in investing in Tenerife.

 

    Ms. Zhang expressed the hope that China and Tenerife will benefit from mutual cooperation and investment. She concluded by assuring that CABC would, as always, strive to promote friendly relations between China and Tenerife.