Chinese life insurance experts to gather in Dalian
( 2002-05-17 09:35 ) (1 )

Life insurance professionals from around the world will gather this autumn in Dalian, a port city of Northeast China's Liaoning Province.

The Worldwide Chinese Life Insurance Congress (WCLIC), held once every two years, aims to attract about 5,000 life insurance experts and managers to its fourth session in mid-August. This is the first time that the congress will meet on the Chinese mainland, Liang Tianlong, chairman of Malaysia-based Insurance Marketing & Management (IMM) International, told a press conference.

Established in Taiwan in 1996, the second and third WCLIC meetings were respectively held in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong.

This year's meeting will be co-organized by IMM and the Dalian municipal government.

Experts expect the congress meeting to be of particular significance to the city, which just witnessed the crash of a China Northern Airlines MD82 jet. All 103 passengers and 9 crewmen on board the aircraft were killed. Liang said that about 3,500 high-ranking overseas Chinese experts, who either run their own insurance companies or have high positions in foreign companies, will exchange their experience in investment, marketing, team work and management involving life insurance.

As scheduled, a CEO forum will be organized during the congress and a Dragon Award will be presented to those who have made great achievements in Chinese life insurance.

Since China established its first life insurance firm in 1992, the industry has now enlisted over 1 million people. Experts said experience in marketing and management is very important.

"Dalian will spare no efforts to make the meeting a success," said Hong Yuandong, assistant mayor and chairman of Dalian Commercial Chamber.

Hong said the city began preparing for the gathering two years ago and the meeting is on the top of the city government's schedule this year.

After China's entry into the World Trade Organization in December, Dalian was chosen as one of the first four cities in China to open up to the world insurance market. So far, a Dutch insurance company has set up a branch in the city.