Golden zone empowers city's global ambitions

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 year-on-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.

(China Daily 10/26/2017 page16)