NEAR Secretary General Kim Ok-chae delivered a congratulatory message via video at the opening ceremony of the 12^th Central China Investment and Trade Exposition hosted by Chinese member Shanxi Province. In his speech, he stated that this exposition would contribute not only to the economic development of China’s central region but also to common prosperity and peace in Northeast Asia. 

In the opening ceremony, video clips of congratulatory remarks by Secretary General Kim, and Governor Munkhbat of Dundgovi Province, Mongolia, were played. Furthermore, high-ranking government officials, including Vice Premier Hu Chunhua of the State Council of the People's Republic of China and Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth of Mauritius, and 883 enterprises from 15 countries, including South Korea and Russia, participated.

The Central China Investment and Trade Exposition is a national-level event directly hosted by China’s Ministry of Commerce. Since 2006, six provinces in the central region, Shanxi Province, Anhui Province, Jiangxi Province, Henan Province, Hubei Province, and Hunan Province, have taken turns to host the expo biennially to revitalize the economy and increase connections with regions outside of Central China.