Two key investment promotion meetings take place in Japan on Sept 19 and 20. They are organized by Suzhou New District and see the signing of 12 industrial projects covering high-end manufacturing, medical equipment and environmental protection. [Photo/WeChat account: snd-szgxqfb]
Suzhou New District in East China's Jiangsu province organized two successful investment promotion meetings in the Japanese cities of Nagoya and Tokyo on Sept 19 and 20 respectively, according to local media reports.
The two activities were attended by a total of 500 participants from various trading institutions, financial institutions, industry associations and companies with a focus on investment.
Representatives from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Mitsubishi UFJ Securities Holdings and Mizuho Bank delivered keynote speeches to analyze the economic development trends and investment opportunities in China at the promotional meetings.
Twelve industrial projects covering high-end manufacturing, medical equipment and environmental protection were inked, including the functional headquarters of LIXIL Corporation, a global leader in housing and building materials, products and services, in the Asia Pacific region.
The two events also attracted a group of industry leaders in Japan and internationally to get to know about the business environment and preferential investment policies in Suzhou New District. These included senior officials from the Japan External Trade Organization and the Japan International Trade Promotion Association.
Wang Mou, deputy director of Suzhou New District's management committee, said at the promotional meetings that the Suzhou district aims to house 600 Japan-funded companies by the end of 2020 and facilitate further exchanges with the country in technological innovation.
Wang also revealed the construction of Suzhou China-Japan Innovation Valley in Suzhou New District, which will serve as a high-end community for Japan-funded companies and integrate manufacturing, R&D and the headquarters function.
Currently Suzhou New District is home to more than 550 Japanese companies, nearly 20 of which are Global Fortune 500 corporations with total cumulative investment of $20 billion and annual foreign trade volumes of more than $10 billion.
According to Wang, Japanese companies are a significant driver for the development of Suzhou New District and in the future, the district will offer them more efficient, convenient and high-quality services.
