Silicon Valley fair shows links with South China pivot

Guangzhou, the host city of 2017 Fortune Global Forum, has deepened communications with San Francisco through holding a promotional event on Sept 21, raising awareness for the upcoming forum.

The most important part of the event is the Silicon Valley promotional fair, when representatives from Guangzhou companies and leading enterprises of the United States gathered in Silicon Valley and held dialogues on the theme of an open perspective and innovative approach.

Since Guangzhou was selected to be the host city of December’s 2017 Fortune Global Forum last year, its promotional fairs have run in 12 cities, including Beijing, Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore and London.

After visits to New York, Washington and Chicago, the promotional fair organizers traveled to the fourth destination in the US — Silicon Valley in California.

According to statistics released by market research companies Spoke Intelligence and VentureBeat Profiles, there are 229 unicorns in the world — startup companies valued at $1 billion ($151 million) or above — and half of them are located in Silicon Valley.

With a cluster of innovative companies in Silicon Valley, the promotion fair provided a new platform for Guangzhou to create an international innovative hub.

A professional camera crew team from CNBC, the consumer news and business channel based in the US, went to Guangzhou to record a one-minute advertising video before the fair.

It showcased the comprehensive strengths of Guangzhou as the host city of the 2017 forum in economic development. The video was played on CNBC’s US, Asia and Europe channels from Sept 20-25 to more than 400 million viewers globally.

Max Raven, senior vice president of CNBC International, said the video showcased a confident and vibrant city to the world. He said he believes Guangzhou will become the first choice for global investment and one of the best bases for development.

“The historical link between Guangzhou and San Francisco dates back to the mid-19th century, when thousands of Cantonese people crossed the Pacific Ocean to find gold here,” said Cai Chaolin, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Guangzhou Committee.

“Today, Guangzhou brings its local businessmen to San Francisco not only for a new gold-mining journey, but also presents progress, opportunities and vision to US entrepreneurs,” Cai added.

The 2017 Fortune Global Forum will be held in Guangzhou from Dec 6-8. Harvey Cary Dzodin, former vice president of the ABC TV Network and Legal Counsel in the Jimmy Carter administration, said that by holding the global forum, Guangzhou will quickly attract more attention, adding that it is a good opportunity to tell Guangzhou’s stories to the world.

PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Cai Chaolin, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Guangzhou Committee, speaks at a promotional event in San Francisco, the United States, on Sept 21.