Capital city’s wide, rich offerings shine at investment expo
Traditional Chinese medicines developed by local companies, a display showing the transformation of a former steel complex into a modern services district — as well as exhibits from cutting-edge high-tech industries — were among a rich array of Beijing’s offerings at the 22nd Macao International Trade and Investment Fair, which opened on Oct 19.
The three-day Macao fair is an important expo with great influence among Portuguesespeaking countries due to Macao’s traditional links with those regions.
The Beijing pavilion opened on the same day, with the presence of the city’s officials and business delegates, as well as government officials and business leaders from Macao.
Services industry
Beijing’s modern services industry was also on show at the Beijing pavilion.
The Beijing Commercial Commission organized a delegation to Macao to talk about business opportunities in the services industry.
The developments of the industry in recent years, after Beijing began a trial on further opening up the sector two years ago, were displayed at the pavilion, offering new opportunities for investors from Macao.
The services sector has an overwhelming weight in Beijing’s economy, with the industry accounting for 80.3 percent of the city’s gross domestic product in 2016.
This year, the industry is expected to attract more outside investment, including from Macao, after Beijing introduced more relaxed investment policies in June.
These policies include opening the video and audio, performance and entertainment industries to international players, and allowing solely funded or joint-venture banks to do renminbi business.
The commercial delegation’s mission was to publicize these policy incentives and business opportunities among Macao’s businesspeople, attracting them to invest in Beijing’s services industries.
TCM exhibition
An eye-catching sector at the Beijing pavilion was the area for TCM, or traditional Chinese medicine.
During the three-day exhibition, the area attracted the attention of Macao’s businesses and visitors, who share an interest and enthusiasm in China’s traditional medical sciences.
Headed by Luo Zenggang, deputy director of the Beijing Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicines, a delegation consisting of four TCM institutions and companies from the capital city promoted their unique services and products to Macao’s residents.
The Beijing Massage Hospital was one of the four institutions displaying in Macao.
Established in 1958, the hospital is considered the cradle and resources center of modern therapeutic massage in China, with its services mostly provided by visually impaired doctors.
Some of the visitors at the Macao fair were offered services by the hospital’s doctors on site, enjoying therapeutic massages for their necks, shoulders, backs and treatment for arthritis, as well as other services including acupuncture and cupping.
During the fair, the Beijing TCM administration signed an agreement with the Guangdong-Macao Traditional Chinese Medicine Science Park Co to build a Beijing-Macao TCM services platform and a Beijing-Macao TCM international cooperation center.
Great transformation
A special exhibition area of 513 square meters was dedicated to Beijing’s Shijingshan district, showing its transformation from a steel making area into a high-tech and modern services district, in the process improving its environment.
Shijingshan used to be home to Shougang, one of the largest steel makers in China.
The company moved all its steel production facilities to neighboring Hebei province prior to 2011, leaving space for the development of real estate and high-end services.
Zhou Xisong, deputy chief of Shijingshan district, presented his district’s unique opportunities to businesses from Macao and the rest of the world.
He said that after several years of development, Shijingshan had evolved into an area with a great environment and new opportunities.
Currently, the district’s pillar industries include finance, high-tech, cultural creativity, commercial services and tourism, Zhou added. There are a number of industrial parks in the district for investors from various sectors to utilize.
Old Beijing
Another part of the Beijing pavilion that particularly attracted audiences and businesses was an exhibition of “old Beijing,” a show dedicated to time-honored brands and traditional arts in the capital city.
The old Beijing section was organized by Beijing’s Xicheng district, an area famous for its many old companies and brands.
The Dashilan commercial area in Xicheng is a gathering place of old brands with a nationwide reputation.
The district has placed great emphasis on the development of its old brands and companies, investing 20 million yuan ($3 million) in supporting their development every year.
During this year’s Macao fair, the old Beijing exhibition zone covered an area of 432 square meters. It displayed the old world charms still flourishing in the city, celebrating the cultural and historical legacies of the old companies and their artists.
A total of 14 old companies from Beijing attended the exhibition, showing their traditional techniques through on-site manufacturing, sales and displays of products, photos and videos.
Beijing’s folk artists also performed Beijing Opera, Kunqu Opera and Jingyun Dagu.
Jingyun Dagu, the traditional story-telling art in the form of singing to the accompaniment of drum-beating, is an intangible cultural heritage on the national list for protection.
Kunqu is one of the oldest extant forms of Chinese opera. It was listed as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2001.