Focusing on the Frontiers of Water Treatment, Building a Green Silk Road Together “Belt and Road” Green Brand Going Global Initiative and China–Thailand Water Treatment Technology Exchange Seminar Su

On August 26, 2025, the “Belt and Road” Green Brand Going Global Initiative and China–Thailand Water Treatment Technology Exchange Seminar, hosted by the All-China Environment Federation (ACEF), was successfully held in Beijing. Under the theme “Focusing on the Frontiers of Water Treatment Technology to Advance China–Thailand Green Development”, the event aimed to implement the green development vision of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), promote in-depth cooperation between China and Thailand in the field of water treatment, and provide an efficient platform for Chinese environmental technologies to “go global,” while contributing to regional green, low-carbon development and ecological cooperation.

-Pooling Industry Resources to Support Chinese Enterprises in “Going Global Together”-

The seminar brought together distinguished guests including Wei Yuansong, Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Member of the CPPCC Population, Resources and Environment Committee, and Director of the Water Pollution Control Laboratory of the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Prof. Thammarat Koottatep, Professor at the School of Environment, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), and Co-Director of the Global Water and Sanitation Center; Ms. Li Hong, Regional Director for Asia-Pacific of the International Water Association (IWA); as well as representatives from several leading environmental enterprises. The meeting was chaired by Shi Xiang, Deputy Director and Secretary-General of the ACEF Belt and Road Ecological Industry Cooperation Working Committee.

In his welcome remarks, Tu Ruihe, Vice President of ACEF and former UNEP Representative in China, emphasized that ACEF has always adhered to the mission of “Greater China, Greater Environment, Greater Union,” actively promoting global environmental governance and international cooperation. He pointed out that China has accumulated a wealth of mature technologies and practical experience in water treatment and water environment management. With broad prospects for China–Thailand cooperation, Tu expressed the hope that pragmatic exchanges of this kind would help match China’s advanced environmental technologies and solutions with the pressing needs of ASEAN countries, achieving mutual benefit and win–win results.

The seminar focused deeply on global challenges and the future of the water treatment sector. 

Prof. Thammarat Koottatep delivered a keynote report entitled “Global Sanitation Challenges and Opportunities: Climate Innovation and Practice”, sharing frontier insights and innovative practices in water and sanitation under the context of climate change.

Ms. Li Hong presented on “Co-Creating a Smart Water World”, highlighting international trends in smart water management and the role of IWA in driving technological innovation and regional cooperation in the water sector.

During the enterprise session, representatives from Beijing OriginWater Technology Co., Ltd., Yunnan Hexu Environmental Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing MSTN Technology Co., Ltd., and Beijing Scinor Membrane Technology Co., Ltd. delivered presentations. They introduced their core products, technological strengths, and extensive overseas project experience in fields such as membrane technology, decentralized wastewater treatment, and high-end equipment manufacturing. Collectively, they showcased the strong capabilities and genuine commitment of Chinese enterprises in supporting Thailand and the broader Southeast Asian region in enhancing environmental governance.

After listening to the enterprise introductions, Vice President Tu Ruihe remarked that Chinese environmental technologies demonstrate remarkable advancement and maturity in project implementation. Many enterprises not only presented clear technological pathways and detailed solutions but also shared extensive international experience gained from years of stable overseas operations. He stressed that in the process of “going global,” Chinese environmental enterprises should avoid homogeneous competition and internal friction, encouraging the younger generation of companies to embrace collaboration, adopt “going global as a team” and ecological partnerships, and present their core values and development goals in a concise and clear manner. This, he noted, would help expand the “cake” of green cooperation, ensuring mutual benefit and win–win development.

Wei recommended that enterprises fully leverage the resources of over 1,800 international students at CAS, encouraging them to participate in internships and work opportunities, thereby enhancing systematic understanding of host countries’ culture, policies, and market environments. Given the large populations and diverse demands of these countries, he suggested prioritizing “small but beautiful,” practical, and people-oriented environmental projects, actively aligning with local certification systems, and accelerating R&D of region-specific products. He emphasized that frequent and effective exchanges, along with platform-based cooperation, would help Chinese environmental technologies and services achieve high-quality international expansion, benefiting local livelihoods while fostering healthy corporate growth, enhancing synergy and overall competitiveness of Chinese enterprises in global markets, and jointly creating a new win–win landscape.

The seminar not only provided a high-level “brand going global” platform for Chinese environmental enterprises but also effectively promoted knowledge and technology sharing between China and Thailand in the field of water environment management, laying a solid foundation for a series of substantive cooperation initiatives. The meeting concluded successfully with a group photo of all participants.

Participants included Associate Researchers Zheng Libing and Yu Dawei from the Water Pollution Control Laboratory of CAS’s Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, along with key corporate representatives: Zhang Yuan (Director) and Cong Yang (Key Account Manager) of Beijing OriginWater; Li Mi (General Manager of Overseas Business Division) and Long Chenghua (Technical Support Manager) of Yunnan Hexu Environmental Technology; Wang Qiuzhen (Deputy General Manager) and Wu Ping (Overseas Sales Manager) of Beijing MSTN; and Zhang Jinglong (Deputy General Manager) and Huang Zhixiang (International Business Manager) of Beijing Scinor Membrane Technology.

-Promoting Practical Cooperation through On-Site Visits with International Experts-

In the afternoon, at the invitation of Beijing OriginWater Technology Co., Ltd., ACEF Vice President Tu Ruihe led a delegation to the company’s headquarters for an on-site inspection and exchange. The visit was joined by Prof. Thammarat Koottatep, Ms. Li Hong, and Associate Researcher Zheng Libing, among other experts. Company leaders including Chairman Kan Wei, Vice President Yu Changsheng, Director Zhang Yuan, and Project Manager Chi Huiyuan from the Overseas Business Division received and accompanied the delegation.

The delegation toured the OriginWater exhibition hall, gaining a detailed understanding of the company’s innovations and flagship applications in membrane technology R&D, water purification equipment manufacturing, and smart water services.

During the subsequent roundtable, both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as Belt and Road water treatment technology innovation, cooperation opportunities in Southeast Asian markets, and green, low-carbon development pathways. Chairman Kan Wei stressed that OriginWater has always attached great importance to strategic cooperation with world-class research institutions and industry organizations, and he looked forward to leveraging this exchange to jointly promote the standardized application and project implementation of advanced water treatment technologies in BRI partner countries, achieving mutual benefit and win–win outcomes.

In closing, Shi Xiang, Secretary-General of the ACEF Belt and Road Eco-Industry Cooperation Working Committee, noted that this field visit and exchange effectively fostered mutual learning of environmental technology concepts and industry resource alignment between Chinese and foreign participants, laying a solid foundation for joint efforts in building a “Green Silk Road” in the future.