Conference to attract global investors to the GBA slated for Nov.

THE 2024 Global Investment Promotion Conference for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is slated to take place in Guangzhou on Nov. 8, Zhang Jinsong, head of the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province, said during a press conference Thursday.

Jointly organized by the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Hong Kong and Macao governments, the event aims to build upon the successes of the previous two conferences and further promote the region’s economic and trade development.

According to Zhang, the conference has garnered significant attention from the global business community.

As of Wednesday, more than 430 representatives from foreign business associations and industry leaders, including ExxonMobil, BASF, Tesla, Pfizer, Panasonic, Hyundai Motor, Mitsubishi Corp., Louis Dreyfus Company, Siemens Energy, AstraZeneca, Wilmar International, SK Inc., Electricité de France, Procter & Gamble, and Airbus, have confirmed their attendance.

“Particularly in the field of new quality productive forces, we are witnessing a proactive surge in registrations from enterprises spanning a wide array of industries, including artificial intelligence, the low-altitude economy, new energy storage, biomedicine, high-end equipment manufacturing, and clean technology,” said Zhang.

This year’s conference features a variety of activities, including one main event, investment promotion conferences by governments of nine Pearl River Delta cities, and a number of domestic and international roadshows and industrial investment promotion activities.

Notably, the conference will introduce the Guangdong Top 100 Foreign-funded Enterprises list.

Wu Kunsheng, deputy secretary-general of the Shenzhen Municipal Government, said during the press conference that Shenzhen is committed to enhancing foreign investment and talent introduction through its two key platforms — Qianhai and Hetao.

“Shenzhen continues to attract a significant influx of international capital, with over 310 Fortune Global 500 companies now investing in the city,” Wu stated.

From Jan. to Aug. this year, Shenzhen has seen investments from 95 countries and regions worldwide, leading to the establishment of 5,033 new foreign-funded enterprises. This figure represents approximately 13.6% of the national total, according to Wu.

Additionally, 471 investment projects have been initiated, with a total intended investment of 242.5 billion yuan (US$34 billion), a 52% increase compared to the same period last year.

Statistics show that the 2022 GBA global investment promotion conference saw the signing of 853 investment and trade projects, encompassing 731 investment initiatives with an investment of 1.81 trillion yuan. Last year, the conference witnessed 859 projects inked, of which 824 were investment projects, totaling 1.63 trillion yuan. (Shenzhen Daily)