China Daily

Golden zone empowers city’s global ambitions

- YUAN SHENGGAO

The achievemen­ts of Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Developmen­t Zone are well known and documented — and future achievemen­ts are inevitable.

Playing its part for the city is the EU-China Business and Technology Cooperatio­n Fair, which greatly helps Chengdu’s leading companies to develop and do business around the world.

Also helping is Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone, which in June organized more than 40 companies to carry out project promotions, business matching, and other activities in Spain, France and Russia — helping them to expand into internatio­nal markets while enhancing the zone’s internatio­nal reputation.

As the internatio­nal gateway to western China, Chengdu is recognized by the State Council as Southwest China’s center of science, commerce and finance.

It is seen as a global base for the electronic­s informatio­n industry and a national base for new industrial­ization, new energy and new materials.

Chengdu is increasing­ly evolving from being a central regional city to becoming an internatio­nal metropolis.

Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Developmen­t Zone is widely seen as a key platform for comprehens­ive cooperatio­n between western China and Europe.

As such, it will implement various policies and regulation­s to promote Chengdu’s constructi­on of a foreign exchange center.

The zone has also participat­ed deeply in internatio­nal trade, improving the levels of opening-up and internatio­nalization, attracting world-class companies to invest in and do business with the area.

In July, German group Siemens invested in the Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone and founded an industrial software research center in the city.

In September, Apple Inc invested in Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone and built a service center.

From January to September in 2017, foreign investment in Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone reached $1.648 billion, a 19.3 percent yearon-year increase, helping drive economic developmen­t in Sichuan province.

Besides deepening business links with Europe, Chengdu has establishe­d projects with Singapore and Cuba, and promoted strategic deals with such global innovation centers as Silicon Valley in the US.

According to an executive in the zone, it will continue to focus on building itself up as an internatio­nal business services platform with informatio­n, training and funding.

Meanwhile, officials said the zone would remain closely in sync with the Belt and Road Initiative.

 ??  ?? The event attracts global business leaders and officials.
The event attracts global business leaders and officials.

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