Capitals' business communities share mutual appreciation for partnerships

By Yuan Shenggao | China Daily | Updated: 2019-06-19 07:37

During the recent Beijing Week event in Tokyo, a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between the two cities, business communities from both sides reaped a well-earned harvest.

On June 9, the last day of a three-day exhibition of Beijing's intangible cultural heritage, handicrafts and specialties in Tokyo, the Beijing Cultural Center Fund, Beijing-based cultural company City Dream and Japanese corporation Bluetech signed a strategic cooperation agreement at a promotional meeting on the cultural and creative industry.

According to the agreement, the partnership will capitalize on a new Chinese-created fund worth 500 million yuan ($72.21 million) to support Chinese and Japanese musical talents and promote industrial cooperation and exchanges in music between the two countries.

At the cultural meeting, an official from Beijing's State-owned Cultural Assets Supervision and Administration Office briefed representatives of more than 30 Japanese cultural institutions and businesses upon the city's policies on the cultural and creative industry and the sector's latest development.

Six companies from Beijing presented their latest products and services to the audience.

Impressed by the ancient Chinese capital's rich heritage and dynamic innovation, many of the Japanese participants said they hope to conduct cooperation in the creative industry, including in movies, animation, design and performances with their peers from Beijing.

Financiers also saw the fruits of their collaboration during the celebration.

At a financial conference on June 7, Zhongguancun Development Group signed a memorandum of understanding with Mizuho Bank of Japan and its Chinese subsidiary to establish an international innovation fund. The fund will provide resources and capital to help companies at Zhongguancun Science Park go global. It also aims to help overseas sci-tech and innovative businesses settle down and develop in Zhongguancun.

In addition, Beijing government officials introduced the city's business environment, key industries and favorable policies on expanding the opening-up in the local service industry, including the financial sector, to senior executives from nearly 70 Japanese financial businesses, Fortune Global 500 companies, industrial players and trade associations in attendance.

Mizuho Bank and Daiwa Securities Group from Japan also shared with the audience their success stories of investing in Beijing.

As a follow-up to Beijing Week in Tokyo, a Japanese trade delegation headed by leaders of the Japan-China Economic Association visited Beijing last week.

After a visit to the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area on June 12, the group participated in a business match-making event at ZPark, a science park specializing in new-generation information technology industry at Zhongguancun Science Park in Beijing, on Thursday.

Some 60 representatives of nearly 30 tech companies, financial institutions and other organizations from Japan, including Sony, joined the delegation and explored further cooperation opportunities with their Zhongguancun peers.

Eighteen Japanese tech projects and three from Zhongguancun were presented during a business matchmaking event seeking potential investors. The Japanese businesses' leading-edge technologies and considerate industrial designs attracted attention from local companies.

Innophys, a Japanese wearable device manufacturer, brought its products to the meeting for participants to try on. A food supplier from Japan also showcased its innovative products at the meeting. Developed by the Japanese company and several universities in Tokyo, the products are said to have an anti-aging effect.

Later, the Japanese delegation toured around high-tech companies and landmarks at Zhongguancun to learn about the applications of artificial intelligence and big data technologies to transportation, safety, and smart city fields. Impressed by the tech achievements, the Japanese visitors gave their thumbs up to the Chinese solutions.