Zeng Xiaodong, international business director of the Zhongguancun Science Park, and 12 Chinese company executives visited the US and met with Washington D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray on Oct 21, the science park's official website reported on Oct 28.

The visit aimed to promote the international development of the science park and help some of the companies registered in the park to open their Washington branches.

Zeng gave a presentation about recent developments in the science park and also about twelve of the park's most promising companies. Mayor Gray said that he welcomes high and new-tech Zhongguancun companies to invest in Washington as the city is going through a transition from a political and cultural center to a science and technology center. He also promised to provide the required services for Zhongguancun companies to set up branches.

Washington D.C. - the capital city of the United States - is also a global economic center, with nine world-class universities and more than 170 embassies and international organizations. The Washington D.C. government provides multiple advanced policies to certified high and new-tech companies to promote the development of the city's scientific industries, such as exemption of the business income tax for the first five years of operation in the city.

The visitors from Zhongguancun also met with representatives from the World Bank, the US Department of Commerce, Federal Trade Commission of Washington DC, DC Chamber of Commerce, and George Washington University, in a bid to increase their understanding of the process related to companies opening branches in the city.

The delegation included representatives of the following twelve companies: Beijing Hechuang Sanzen Energy Technology Stock Corporation, Broad Group, Beijing Taikong Panel Industry Corp, Tongyou Feiji Electronics Ltd, Melst Ltd, DataComo, Beijing Dingqing Software, Han Tang Zi Yuan, Happok, TodaySoft, Beijing Qingyanlihua Petro & Chemistry Ltd, and eChinatest.

Edited by Niva Whyman