From December 12 to 13, the third council meeting of the eighth term and the 2024 industry annual conference of the China International Contractors Association (CICA) were held in Chongqing. At the council meeting, Li Xiaoyu, member of the Party Standing Committee and Vice President of SINOMACH, was elected as Deputy Chairman of CICA. Wang Bo, Party Secretary and Chairman of CMEC Group, attended the conference on behalf of the group and delivered a keynote speech.

At the industry annual conference, Chairman Wang Bo expressed gratitude for the substantial and effective work that CICA has done for the outbound contracting engineering industry and its member enterprises over the past year, as well as for the concern and support from the Ministry of Commerce and other supervisory authorities towards SINOMACH. He highlighted SINOMACH’s distinctive experience and practices in promoting high-quality co-implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Under the guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions, SINOMACH leverages its strengths in industrial planning, engineering design consulting, and manufacturing of agricultural machinery, textile machinery, forestry machinery, and other equipment to promote overseas industrialization, achieving the effect of "teaching how to fish."

Wang Bo noted that CMEC Group has cultivated new-quality productive forces based on its actual conditions and resource endowments, achieving significant results in reform and development:

1. Actively expanding into new markets, where emerging markets are gradually replacing declining traditional ones and playing a pivotal role;

2. Leveraging the Group's strengths and industrial advantages to open up new business areas, achieving breakthroughs in sectors such as oil and gas engineering, waste-to-energy, and new infrastructure; and

3. Innovating resource allocation methods, including diversified financing channels, RMB internationalization, and innovative organizational models for project development and execution teams.

In his concluding remarks, Wang suggested that CICA, in addition to regularly publishing industry indicators, should study and release comprehensive indicators such as an index for the development prospects of the outbound contracting engineering industry. This would provide more accurate industry references for government authorities to scientifically assess industry trends and formulate relevant policies. He also called on industry enterprises to deeply study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, guided by the spirit of the fourth BRI construction working symposium. He urged a focus on core responsibilities, strengthened industry self-discipline, compliance with operating standards, and restraint of disorderly competition to make greater contributions to the high-quality co-implementation of the BRI.

During the conference, SINOMACH received the honor of being ranked 40th among the largest international contractors globally in ENR’s 2024 ranking. The Sanaga Water Plant Project in Yaoundé, Cameroon, undertaken by CMEC, and the Tana Beles No.1 Sugar Factory Project in Ethiopia, undertaken by CAMCE, were awarded as “2024 Overseas Sustainable Infrastructure Projects.” Representatives from CMEC, CAMCE, CNEEC, and IPPR participated in the conference.