District riding a wave of innovation to boost trade with Japan

Innovation is a major impetus to activating emerging industries toward higher-level development in international trade cooperation, especially between China and Japan, officials and business insiders said.

The two nations share mutual benefits in trade and economy and see great opportunities in exploring the third-party market, said An Limin, deputy director of the regional economic department at the National Development and Reform Commission. An made his remarks during a nine-day trade exchange event that ended last week in Xiangcheng district of Suzhou, a city famed for silk production since ancient times.

Aiming to promote more cooperation in high-end industries between the two countries, the event attracted more than 1,100 participants and launched 21 activities in the district of Suzhou, Jiangsu province in East China.

The two countries have maintained sound communication with each other, An said.

Japanese enterprises with advanced technology, leading expertise in industries and rich experience help the development of China, he said.

Xiangcheng district can make full use of its industrial advantages to promote more exchanges with Japan and conduct more pragmatic cooperation in sectors such as technological innovation, energy conservation and medical care, he added.

Gu Haidong, Party secretary of Xiangcheng, said the district has prioritized innovation and startups as its core competitiveness in a bid to provide efficient and attentive services to businesses.

As new economic patterns develop, the district has attracted 948 companies engaged in big data, industrial internet of things, financial technology and intelligent driving. The number is expected to surpass 1,000 this year, Gu said.

During the event, the Japan Jiangsu Chamber of Commerce and Industry was inaugurated in the district. The new group has more than 180 members, covering such sectors as new energy, pharmaceuticals, high tech, information technology, food, robots, tourism and digital economy.

It is the 10th foreign commercial and industrial chamber in Jiangsu province, after those involving Cambodia, Australia, the United States, Canada, Germany, Peru, Angola, Spain and the Philippines, Ding Rongyu, vice-chairman of the Jiangsu Federation of Industry and Commerce, said at the inauguration ceremony.

Xiangcheng is advancing the construction of a Sino-Japanese coordinated innovation zone focused on intelligent manufacturing.

With its core area covering 38.5 square kilometers, the zone under construction will provide a platform for high-level bilateral cooperation, local officials said.

Makoto Takano, chairman and publisher of Forbes Japan, said youth, as distinctive wealth, is key to success.

"Innovation and youth are frequent issues we have been talking about in the publications of Forbes Japan," Takano said.

"We hope the relations between China and Japan can maintain positive development, which not only meets the demand from the two sides but also serves the interests of people in both countries," he said.

liangkaiyan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/07/2019 page17)