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Shenzhen is one of China's well-known ancestral homes of overseas Chinese. For many years, overseas Chinese have moved in step with Shenzhen and lent strong support to its development.
During this year's Shenzhen "Two Sessions" (the municipal people's congress and political consultative conference), the overseas guests invited to attend as observers gained, through site visits and in-depth exchanges, a profound appreciation of Shenzhen's achievements in unleashing new quality productive forces and accelerating its development as a city of innovation.
"Shenzhen has not only made continuous breakthroughs in technological innovation and industrial upgrading, but has also made great strides in building a business environment that is law-based, international and convenient. These changes have greatly strengthened our confidence in the market of our (ancestral) motherland." The invited overseas guests said they would make full use of the unique strengths of the overseas Chinese community, serve as envoys of friendship and bridges of cooperation, and pool the wisdom and strength of overseas Chinese to help Shenzhen accelerate its development into an economic center with greater global influence and a modern international metropolis.
Leveraging the Strengths of Overseas Chinese
Qi Jia, Chair of the Canada Shenzhen Associations Federation, has attended Shenzhen's Two Sessions several times. She suggested that Shenzhen further leverage overseas Chinese associations as bridges and links in people-to-people exchanges, rallying the hearts, wisdom and strength of overseas Chinese to play an active role in building Shenzhen's modern industrial system and expanding higher-level opening-up.
"As an overseas Chinese, I have been deeply impressed by Shenzhen's reform, opening-up and internationalization." Lang Yakun, Vice President of the France Shenzhen Friendship Association and General Chamber of Commerce, follows the development of his (ancestral) motherland closely and has a particularly strong impression of Shenzhen. He said that Shenzhen's global competitiveness in fields such as artificial intelligence, life sciences and green energy has risen significantly, which will attract more overseas Chinese at home and abroad to invest and do business in Shenzhen, contributing to high-quality development.
Praising Achievements, Optimistic About the Future
"Shenzhen's capacity for innovation is remarkable; many high-tech companies were born here and have gone on to the world stage," said Chen Chubiao, Vice President of the UAE Guangdong Chamber of Commerce and Executive Vice President of the UAE Shenzhen General Chamber of Commerce. He noted that Shenzhen's policies on attracting talent and upgrading industry are highly effective, drawing talent and resources from around the world and making the city truly international. He suggested that overseas associations play their role as bridges and links by actively organizing business delegations to bring overseas Chinese to Shenzhen to experience the appeal of its technological innovation.
In 2024, Qi Liling, President of the Spain Shenzhen General Chamber of Commerce, led more than 40 Spanish government officials and prominent entrepreneurs on a visit to Shenzhen. All were astonished by the city as a whole, especially its achievements in artificial intelligence, new energy vehicles and the digital economy. Qi Liling said Shenzhen has been very successful in promoting itself, and suggested that its overseas promotion become more focused, targeting specific regions in phases and promoting them in depth.
"Today's Shenzhen, the 'City of a Thousand Parks,' has a green ecological foundation, while digital twins and artificial intelligence lead it into the future; it pursues the heights of development while holding on to the warmth of sustainability." Fan Shaowen, Executive Vice President of the UK Shenzhen Chamber of Commerce, grew up in Shenzhen and has a deep affection for the city. He suggested making use of Shenzhen's golden coastline to create an international resort corridor and attract more foreigners to Shenzhen.
Hoping for More Opportunities to Take Part in Shenzhen's Development
"The Shenzhen Government Work Report mentions that the world's largest indoor snow and ice park will be completed and opened this year, which makes us especially proud." According to Weng Daokui, President of the Japan Shenzhen Economic, Trade and Cultural Promotion Association, a Shenzhen delegation visited Japan in 2024 through arrangements made by the Association and held in-depth discussions on the project with the Hokkaido Prefectural Assembly. The Association's Hokkaido Chapter will continue to follow up and do its part to help the project be completed as soon as possible.
"This visit showed me the achievements of Shenzhen as a special economic zone and the core engine of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and gave me a deeper sense of the city's surging, enduring and buoyant dynamism," said Wu Xiaole, Executive Vice President of the Japan Shenzhen Economic, Trade and Cultural Promotion Association, who expressed the hope of continuing to promote stronger cooperation between Japan's innovative and entrepreneurial talent and technologies and Shenzhen, and of participating more in Shenzhen's high-quality development.
"Shenzhen's opening-up policies and business environment provide convenience for investors worldwide," said Cheng Wenshu, Executive Vice President of the Uganda Shenzhen General Chamber of Commerce. He noted that as a frontline city of reform and opening-up, Shenzhen's achievements in internationalization are plain for all to see. Its smart-city infrastructure and innovative industrial ecosystem have left a deep impression on returning overseas Chinese, and he hopes they will be ever more closely connected with the city in the future. (Contributed by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Division, United Front Work Department of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee)