The general association of Ningbo entrepreneurs has its first meeting of trustees in Ningbo, Zhejiang province on Nov 27. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

A general association of Ningbo entrepreneurs was officially founded in Ningbo, Zhejiang province on Nov 27 to unite local businesspeople for future development in the new era.

The association will serve as an exchange platform where people can have discussions and share opportunities with their counterparts. The main functions will be policy learning, resource integration, project matchmaking and networking.

A total of 81 members were elected for the association, as well as 230 trustees from 46 countries and regions. Some of them are Ningbo natives who strive to help local businesses go global, such as Shen Guojun, chairman of Yintai Group, and Jiang Nanchun, CEO of Focus Media.

Others concentrate on the land of Ningbo to bolster the local private economy, such as Zheng Jianjiang, chairperson of China's home appliance giant Aux Group. The membership also includes a group of migrant entrepreneurs who started or grew their businesses in Ningbo, including Li Shufu, chairman of Geely Group.

The association will work to gain a win-win result in cooperation between the city of Ningbo and its businesspeople.

Ningbo, a port city known for its open economy, has a long history of commerce and trade which can be dated back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). In the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), a group of natives sought to make a better living in Shanghai, a large city with lots of opportunities at that time. Some of them stood out from the crowd for their diligence and courage and later became renowned Chinese entrepreneurs.

According to official data, there are 427,000 Ningbo people living overseas in 103 countries and regions around the globe today, who have organized 207 overseas associations. Ningbo businesspeople have also established associations in 37 Chinese cities, involving 7,400 companies.