German business chambers enticed by Xiangzhou

Many advantages of locating in Xiangzhou District were presented to and well-received by German business leaders from Hong Kong on March 16. The Europeans were particularly interested in innovation-based intelligent manufacturing and soft environmental developments.

The occasion was part of a government-sponsored conference to promote investment. Stefan Rosenbohm, chair of the German Chamber of Commerce in South & Southwest China, praised Xiangzhou's comfortable environment and strong innovative capacity. Rosenbohm, who has made frequent business contacts in Zhuhai, called Xiangzhou a most attractive place to live.

Meanwhile, Eberhard Brodhage, president of the German Chamber of Commerce (GCC) Hong Kong, says he expects the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to promote economic integration between Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta. Brodhage, who is CEO of Commerzbank AG Hong Kong Branch, predicted that many more opportunities for business cooperation could be delivered through such communications.

Founded in 1983, GCC Hong Kong is one of the largest associations among the European national chambers with over 440 members. It serves as a catalyst, promoter, and facilitator of business interests in the European Union, China, Vietnam, and other countries and regions.

German delegates were introduced to Xiangzhou's development through visits to leading enterprises and industrial carriers such as Nanping Science & Technology Industrial Park.

Stefan Rosenbohm, second from left, socializes [Photo by Cheng Lin / Zhuhai Daily]

For instance, Qianshan-based Gree Electric Appliances, an internationally leading household appliance manufacturer, showed off its pioneering achievements in intelligent manufacture. State-owned Gree was established in 1991 with a focus on technological innovations. The firm has created an intelligent industrial chain that includes manufacturing robot bodies and core parts, system integration, and automation solutions. More than 4 billion yuan ($631 million) has been spent in recent years on the R&D of core technologies.

Why Xiangzhou

District Deputy Mayor Chang Zheng chaired the investment promotion conference and detailed Xiangzhou's strengths using concrete data.

Xiangzhou, the main urban area of Zhuhai, is connected to Hong Kong by water to the east and adjoins Macao to the south. Travel between the regions will become much easier with the opening of the HZM Bridge later this year.

With an abundance of mountain, sea, and island resources, Xiangzhou features a picturesque environment and air quality consistently ranking in the top 10 nationwide. First-class education and cultural resources, well-established medical institutions, and improved commercial facilities have helped Zhuhai win many international and domestic titles, such as being one of the most livable cities in China.

Sun Yat-sen and Beijing Normal are among 10 leading universities in Xiangzhou housing over 130,000 on-campus students. The district has 15 secondary vocational schools. Moreover, a school-enterprise-government program cultivates high-quality technicians. This is done in accordance with specific enterprise requirements so that trainees are ready for prescribed positions upon graduation.

Xiangzhou's role as the driving force behind Zhuhai's innovative development was strengthened last year as it invested 4.29 billion yuan ($677.6 million) in R&D, accounting for 3.6 percent of the district's total GDP. Xiangzhou's invention patents accounted for 61 percent of the city's total.

Meanwhile, Xiangzhou currently has more than 1.8 sq km (.69 sq miles) of fully equipped commercial buildings and continues to support business expansion. A 16.5-billion-yuan ($2.6 billion) town of industry with an area of 9.8 sq km (3.8 sq miles) is being built to replace the old villages of Lixi, Fuxi, Nanxi, and the northern part of Qianshan sub-district. The industry town along with the Xiangzhou Sci-tech Innovation Center, also under construction, is to become a high-end industrial agglomeration equipped with high-quality facilities and investment.

The government, in addition to issuing favorable policies, is also improving services through increased efficiency and innovative reforms. A 24-hour helpline has recently opened to provide one-stop services. These include policy consultation and advice on business expansion and where to base new projects. The helpline is operated by a service fleet organized by the Investment Promotion Service Center of Xiangzhou District.