By Chang Chen | Bridging News – Chongqing – “Walking in China · 2023 Overseas Chinese Media High-Level Chongqing-Sichuan Tour” concluded visits in Chongqing Saturday. Focusing on developing the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, 28 overseas Chinese media outlets from 21 countries conducted on-site interviews in Chongqing’s Jiangbei District, Liangjiang New Area, Tongnan District, and Rongchang District.
The construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle is not only the “No.1 Project” of Chongqing but also a major regional strategy of China. The media delegation was amazed at the development achievements of the city and upbeat about the development prospect of the Chengdu-Chongqing region after visiting Chongqing.
Promoting the construction of the Western Financial Center
Establishing the Western Financial Center, which serves countries and regions along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is a crucial objective for Chongqing in developing the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle. The core area of the Western Financial Center is under construction in Chongqing’s Jiangbei District. The area is home to nearly 500 financial institutions, including 92 regional-level financial headquarters or higher, spanning over ten categories.
“There is significant potential for financial collaboration between China and Indonesia. We need opportunities that serve as bridges to enhance interactions and promote mutually beneficial cooperation,” said Maggie Zhang, Executive Director of International Daily News. She also noted that the 5th China-Singapore (Chongqing) Connectivity Initiative Financial Summit (CCI-FS), scheduled for April 20-21, is a timely event, as cooperation and exchanges in the financial sector can help boost the two nations’ economies and trade.
Legal protection is crucial for the healthy development of the financial sector. The Financial Legal Service Center of Western China impressed the media delegation. The center offers public legal services, litigation services, prosecutorial services, and police services, providing a “one-stop service” for legal matters related to financial cases. Since its establishment in April 2022, the four functional areas of the center have handled a total of 15,000 financial cases.
“The innovative practice of legal institutions situated within the financial center is a leading example for the entire country, and it’s worth promoting, as it benefits the general public,” said Hengxing, Deputy Editor of the Italian-Chinese Network. “Chongqing has completely transformed since my last visit. I didn’t expect it to be so modernized now. Chongqing’s Jiangbeizui is reminiscent of Shanghai’s Lujiazui, displaying a truly stylish ambiance,” she added.
Higher-level openness to drive Chongqing’s industrial development
The media delegation visited the Chongqing Haier dishwasher interconnection factory, Chongqing CRRC Railway Vehicles Co., Ltd., and Changan Auto Global R&D Center. The digitalization and intelligence of Chongqing’s manufacturing industry left them in awe. “These companies are as advanced as some Japanese firms. It would benefit Chinese manufacturers to concentrate more on customer service to capture a greater share of high-end overseas markets,” according to Ouyang Legeng, Editor-in-Chief of Modern China Press (Japanese Version).
In addition to manufacturing, Chongqing’s agricultural development is also noteworthy. Chongqing’s Tongnan District, known as the “Green Vegetable Capital of Western China,” has produced over 2.2 million tons annually. As one of the top three lemon-producing regions globally, Tongnan stands alongside California in the United States and Sicily in Italy. Tongnan places great emphasis on advancing agricultural technology, and its vegetables and lemon products have been exported to various countries and regions, including South Korea, Singapore, and Europe.
Song Xin, a reporter from Silk Road Today based in Kazakhstan, expressed her hope that Tongnan can leverage the BRI and sell its products to Kazakhstan through the China Railway Express. This would enable people in Kazakhstan and Central Asia to enjoy these reasonably priced, high-quality vegetables and fruits.
With the support of the BRI and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC), Chongqing’s agricultural goods and manufactured products are expanding their global reach. Industrial development is closely tied to high-level openness, and national logistics hubs like Guoyuan Port play a crucial role in Chongqing’s outward expansion. Guoyuan Port has gradually transformed into a “transit station for the world,” thanks to the seamless integration of four international routes, including the Yangtze River Golden Waterway, the ILSTC, the China Railway Express (Chengdu-Chongqing), and the Chongqing-Manchuria-Russia Express.
More talents and cultural exchanges needed
The development of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle relies heavily on a wealth of exceptional talent to drive technological innovation. In Chongqing Liangjiang Coordinative Zone, over 50 domestic and international colleges and universities are dispersed throughout the area, and more than 2,900 high-end R&D talents have been introduced. Yang Jun, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Aus-China TV Media, suggested that Chongqing should capitalize on its abundant cultural resources to further attract talent and investors.
“Chongqing boasts many unique folk customs and intangible cultural heritage. For example, I was truly captivated by the three national intangible cultural heritages in Chongqing’s Rongchang District, including Rongchang folding fans, ceramics, and linen. For investors and talent, both locally and internationally, China is a vast country with numerous cities. A distinctive culture can greatly contribute to attracting attention to a city like Chongqing,” Yang elaborated. “We can attract people with culture, retain them with services, and gather talent and business opportunities to promote Chongqing’s high-quality development,” he continued.
Yang also mentioned that a city with mountains and rivers is extraordinary, and Chongqing is a city teeming with innovative ideas and unique characteristics that cannot be replicated. He has high hopes for Chongqing’s future and the development of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle.
Since 2008, the “Walking in China · Overseas Chinese Media Tour” has visited Tibet, Xinjiang, Chongqing, Shanghai, Jiangxi, Henan, Hainan, Sichuan, Yunnan, Shandong, and more. This year, 2023, marks the seventh time the event has come to Chongqing and the first time Chongqing and Sichuan have jointly organized it. After leaving Chongqing, the media delegation will continue their journey to Zigong, Yibin, Ya’an, and Chengdu in Sichuan Province.
