Diplomats in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, promised to promote practical cooperation between their homecountries and the Chinese city in trade and economy.

They made the remarks at the 13th four-party joint conference convened by Xiamen's Foreign Affairs Office on Aug 7, which was attended by roughly 10 diplomats, including consul general of the Philippines Julius Caesar Aragon Flores, consul general of Thailand Karntimon Ruksakiati, and consul general of Singapore Chi Chiew Sum.

The diplomats spoke highly of the measures taken by Xiamen authorities in developing local economy and expect to discuss common development with officials in Xiamen.

Li Xiaoping, director of Xiamen's Foreign Affairs Office, expressed his hopes that the consul generals in Xiamen will promote the latest investment policies and measures in their dispatches to further advance economic cooperation with Xiamen.

Li also introduced key activities to be held in Xiamen in the second half of the year, including the 2019 China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) and the International Ocean Week, as well as the diplomatic visit to Western Fujian and Ganzhou in Jiangxi province.

The four parties discussed celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the consulate general of the Philippines in Xiamen in 2020, cooperation between businesses in Singapore and Xiamen, and the Thai Food Festival in Xiamen.

They also discussed the attendance of provincial and city representatives from Thailand and the Philippines at the upcoming CIFIT, including officials from Khon Kaen Province, Phuket Province, Manila, Cebu, and Davao.

The four-party joint conference attended by representatives from Xiamen's Foreign Affairs and three consulate generals in the city was launched by the Xiamen office, which is held every six months and chaired by the four parties in turn. The joint conference aims to boost exchange and cooperation between Xiamen and the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand in various fields.