Frontier pearl shines in Southwest Guangxi

A string of influential events - winning the UN Habitat Scroll of Honor 2007 and hosting the China-ASEAN Expo, the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit and the Nanning International Folk Songs Arts Festival - have made Nanning, capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the cynosure of the world's eyes.

Situated in the southwest of Guangxi, the border city with more than 1,680 years of history occupies over 20,000 sq km and has a population of about 670 million.

With its location facing the Southeast Asian nations, Nanning enjoys a distinct strategic advantage in forging closer ties with ASEAN countries.

As a permanent venue for the China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), the city plays a key role in boosting relations between China and the ASEAN countries.

The China-ASEAN industrial park has become a key investment destination, attracting a great number of overseas investors.

Two other economic development zones - a business district mainly targeting exhibition service projects where 20 consulates are expected to establish operations and an international logistics center are under construction.

Since 2000, 47 ASEAN investors from Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Brunei have altogether invested $114.86 million in their projects in the city, covering agriculture, manufacturing, real estate, construction, wholesale and retail, and entertainment.

Statistics show that the city attracted 471 investment projects worth $28.65 billion in the first half of this year, increasing 21.11 percent year-on-year.

Innovative edge

To boost the city's sustainable development, local authorities are encouraging the development of research and development capacity.

Nanning has six provincial or ministerial level labs and 44 municipal and provincial level engineering technological research centers and enterprise technical centers - their total research staff accounting for 80 percent of that of Guangxi.

The city's hi-tech sector registered an annual average growth above 15 percent in terms of its total output and of 111.6 percent in terms of export in recent years.

Focusing on the hi-tech, resource-oriented, manufacturing, agriculture, service and eco-energy sectors, Nanning plans to build itself into a key regional research center.

After the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA), the biggest economy in terms of population, completes construction in 2010, the city is expected to get more opportunities to sharpen its technological edge.

Tourist destination

As a business and cultural hub of Guangxi, Nanning has established a friendly environment, as proved by its being awarded the UN Habitat Scroll of Honor this year.

Statistics show that the city's green coverage was at 38.21 percent last year, while per capita green area was 12.23 sq m and per capita housing area of urban residents was 17.21 sq m.

The Nanning International Folk Songs Arts Festival, an annual art event, provides a platform for domestic and overseas artists to display their skills.

No wonder the city is seen as a romantic destination riding on the wings of music.

In addition to the musical feast, food and fashion festivals make Nanning a heaven full of the aroma of gourmet food and the colors of the latest trends.

Nanning received 18.4 million domestic and 106,500 overseas tourists in 2006.

During the first eight months of this year, Nanning received 84,000 tourists from neighboring Vietnam, making it the biggest overseas tourist source of the border city.

(China Daily 10/31/2007 page18)