Latin Americans learn of Xiangzhou's many strengths

The cutting-edge industrial advantages and strong innovation capabilities of Xiangzhou District were detailed Nov 8 at a prelude to the China-Latin America & Caribbean International Exposition, which opens Nov 9.

District Mayor Liu Qiying chaired the Investment Promotion Conference and stressed that Xiangzhou, Zhuhai's main urban area, is home to more than half the city's economic aggregate and population. One of the earliest districts to develop, it has laid a solid foundation with complete support facilities over the decades, creating leisure, tourism, and investment attractions.

Xiangzhou embraces the Zhuhai National Hi-Tech Development Zone in Tangjiawan, Hengqin New Area, Wanshan Marine Development Experimental Zone, Nanping Town, and the sub-districts of Meihua, Gongbei, Jida, Cuixiang, Shishan, Xiangwan, Qianshan, and Wanzai. Industrial and commercial development in those places makes the district a top pick of recently arrived Latin American and Caribbean investors, according to Liu.

Xiangzhou investment conference [Photo by Cheng Lin / Zhuhai Daily]

Located on the west bank of the Pearl River Estuary, Zhuhai was designated by the central government in 1980 as one of the earliest Special Economic Zones opened to the outside world. Only a bridge away from Hong Kong and Macao when a Delta bridge linking the three cities is completed by this year-end, Zhuhai will enjoy the vast development prospects that come with closer economic ties.

Zhuhai's identity as the Pearl River Delta National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone was emphasized in Liu's speech. He said that R&D spending in Zhuhai accounts for 3.2 percent of the city's GDP, and that its per capita ratio for invention patent applications ranks high in all of Guangdong. Among other positive indicators, he noted that Xiangzhou contributes 60 percent of Zhuhai's R&D input and is the main force of innovative development in the city.

Over 30 years of Reform & Opening Up, Xiangzhou developed a string of advantageous industries such as smart homes, smart equipment, high-end new information products, biomedicine, smart grids, printing consumables, and office automation.

The district can claim credit to Zhuhai being the Print Consumables Capital of the World as it has assembled clustered competitive enterprises to form a complete industrial chain in that field. According to statistics, its print companies manufacture over 70 percent of the color ribbons, 60 percent of compatible ink cartridges, and 25 percent of recycled laser toner cartridges in the global market.

Furthermore, the RT Imaging Americas Expo organized by Zhuhai Recycling Times Culture Communication in Cancun, Mexico has become Americas' largest professional printing supplies exhibition.

Meanwhile, Gree Electric Appliances has grown from a major Chinese home appliances manufacturer to one of the world's largest refrigerator suppliers. It built its headquarters in Xiangzhou in 1991, set up a factory in Manaus, Brazil in 1999, and is now one of the world's top 500 companies. As it is based in Qianshan, it has been enjoying preferential government policies, paving its way to become the second largest player in the air-conditioner market in Latin America.

Always looking to the future, Xiangzhou has attracted an increasing number of quality projects and key industries, the district mayor said.

In the first nine months of this year Xiangzhou imported 22 new projects, including one by injection molding machinery maker Borche Intelligent Equipment. It is also cooperating with Japanese multinational giant Mitsubishi in 3D printing technology. In addition, Gree Numerical Control Machine Tool Institute, and Zhuhai Kneron AI Technology will soon be moving to the district to absorb and profit from its innovative environment.

According to official reports, from January to September this year, Xiangzhou achieved 78.8 billion yuan ($12 billion) in total import and export volume, a year-on-year increase of 6.26 percent. What's more, foreign investment of $538 million arrived in Xiangzhou during the period -- 33 percent of Zhuhai's total.

The expo runs through Nov 11 to enhance high-level bilateral exchanges and economic and trade cooperation between China, Latin America, and Caribbean states.