Delta area a magnet for foreign investors

SHANGHAI — The Yangtze River Delta region in China is playing an increasingly important role in attracting foreign investment, thanks to its economic development, solid industrial foundation and talent pool.

Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui all fall under the ambit of the Yangtze River Delta region.

Elodie Latour, vice-president of Decathlon China, and her colleagues recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of the global sports brand's entry into the Chinese retail market.

Over the past two decades, Decathlon has gradually developed a whole industry chain that integrates product development, design, production, logistics, branding and retailing in China, Latour said.

China has become the first market with such a whole industry chain outside of France, she noted.

"Currently, we own four factories in China, three of which are located in the Yangtze River Delta region," she said, adding that among its 11 intelligent manufacturing and sourcing centers in China, four are located in this region.

The company also has about 200 physical stores in China and over 50 of these are in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Latour cited China's cycling craze as an example.

With the popularity of cycling increasing in the country in recent years, it has become one of the key focus categories for Decathlon China.

"Our China bike manufacturing workshop in Suzhou, Jiangsu, a benchmark factory for Decathlon, serves as a hub for connecting the industrial chain's upstream and downstream businesses, fostering collaboration to enhance process management and develop innovative products, so that we can respond quickly to market changes and demand," she said.

Like Decathlon, AstraZeneca, a major international pharmaceutical company, also chose the Yangtze River Delta region as its first stop in China.

The company now has both its Chinese headquarters and global research and development center in Shanghai, along with two global supply bases in the cities of Wuxi and Taizhou in Jiangsu province.

According to Wang Lei, Astra-Zeneca's executive vice-president, given the innovation capacity and the modern industrial system in the Yangtze River Delta region, the company has confidence in expanding its investment in this region.

"The Yangtze River Delta region is at the forefront of China's opening-up. We will continue to expand our layout in the Yangtze River Delta region, promote local innovation and development globally, and support the high-quality development of medical and health services in the region," said Wang.

Apart from its industrial competitiveness, abundant talent and strong innovation capacity, the Yangtze River Delta region also appeals to investors worldwide thanks to its sound business environment.

In May this year, Wacker Chemie AG, a leading German chemical company, completed the capacity expansion for vinyl-acetate-ethylene copolymer dispersion and VAE dispersible polymer powders at its production base in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, with an investment of around $100 million.

In September, the company announced another investment of around 150 million euros ($162 million) to build a new downstream production line for high-performance specialty silicone at its Zhangjiagang base in Jiangsu province.

Xinhua