BEIJING, Sept. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The China International Fair for Trade in Services 2023 (CIFTIS), the largest fair in the global services trade sector, commenced on September 2. Leveraging its host location, the Shijingshan International Open Cooperation Forum 2023 opened on September 3 at the Shougang Park in Shijingshan District. It was hosted by the Shijingshan District People’s Government of Beijing Municipality and Shougang Group and organized by Asia Digital Group. Representatives from multiple countries gathered to exchange ideas and suggestions on strengthening international open cooperation and promoting regional economic development in the new era to establish a high-quality international open cooperation zone in Shijingshan.
Executive Vice Mayor of Beijing Xia Linmao, Director of the Department of Trade in Services and Commercial Services of the Ministry of Commerce Wang Dongtang, and Secretary of the Shijingshan District Committee of Beijing Municipality Chang Wei addressed the forum. Keynote speakers included Li Xin, Mayor of Shijingshan District, Liu Meiying, Full-Time Deputy Director of the “Two Zones” Office in Beijing, Liang Jie, Deputy General Manager of Shougang Group, Jonathan Nelson, Global Head of Digital at Populous, and Lionel CHEN, President of ADNRS (Association Pour le Développement de la Nouvelle Route de la Soie).
Global Discussion on the Future of International Open Cooperation
The Report to the 20th National Congress of China emphasized the importance of deepening and expanding global partnerships based on principles of equality, openness, and cooperation, with the goal of fostering a favorable international environment for development. International open cooperation is not only a long-standing development approach consistently upheld by China, but also an indispensable path towards a brighter future for the world.
In his speech, Xia Linmao, Executive Vice Mayor of Beijing, highlighted the transformation of Shijingshan from an old industrial base to a glory of modern industry. It is promoting urban revitalization in a mode of development in which resource utilization, including environmental pollution, diminishes as economic growth progresses. Shijingshan has successfully integrated industrial style, science and technology, culture, and natural scenery, turning an industrial rust belt into an urban runway. Looking ahead, the district aims to seize the opportunities arising from transformation and development in West Beijing. With a fresh perspective, it welcomes guests from all backgrounds to participate in the global cooperation network on the stage of the CIFTIS.
Director of the Department of Trade in Services and Commercial Services of the Ministry of Commerce Wang Dongtang highlighted Beijing’s role as both national integrated demonstration zone for greater openness in the service sector and pilot free trade zone. Beijing has implemented various innovative measures to capitalize on opportunities in manufacturing services, digital services, and cultivating new competitive advantages in characteristic trade in services. Shijingshan, located at the western gate of the capital city and known as the birthplace of modern industry, actively promotes industrial transformation and upgrading. It embraces the synergies of the CIFTIS and fosters the development of the service industry and services trade. An industrial system has been gradually constructed, led by modern finance and characterized by science and technology services, digital creativity, and new generation information technology. These efforts are supported by the business service industry. The Ministry of Commerce will continue to support Beijing and Shijingshan District in expanding their opening to the world, deepening international cooperation, and helping to establish an internationally renowned business environment and a favorable industrial development ecology.
As the host of the forum, Chang Wei, Secretary of the Shijingshan District Committee of Beijing Municipality, emphasized the strategic importance of urban renewal and how the district is utilizing the Olympic Winter Games, the CIFTIS, and the New Landmark to achieve this goal. Shijingshan also views industrial transformation as a key economic support and is actively building a modern and advanced industrial system that emphasizes precision and innovation. This system is led by modern finance and encompasses science and technology services, digital creativity, and new generation information technology, and supported by robust business services. To improve the business environment, the district has implemented the 6.0 version policy aimed at optimizing overall business conditions. In addition, Shijingshan seeks to enhance its openness and align with the capital’s new development pattern. It leverages the service industry’s exemplary role in expanding openness, continuously fostering its global network of contacts.
Li Xin, Mayor of Shijingshan District, gave a keynote speech where he provided an overview of Shijingshan’s recent development achievements and discussed the planning and deployment of the high-quality international open cooperation zone. He highlighted that Shijingshan is actively capitalizing on the opportunities presented by the “two zones” construction and generating new momentum through industrial opening up. The district is attracting outstanding enterprises in emerging industries such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and industrial internet. Among the top 50 VR companies in China, 14 have chosen to settle in Shijingshan. Additionally, industry platforms like the Science Fiction Industry Center of the China Association for Science and Technology and the Metaverse Future Research Institute have also settled here. The north part of the Shougang Park has seen the arrival of over 200 outstanding enterprises and institutions, including Tencent, Baidu, the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration and the Intelligent Science & Technology Academy of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Limited. This has created an industrial agglomeration ecosystem that combines “science and technology+” and “sports+”. The International Open Cooperation Zone will leverage the synergies of the CIFTIS and closely integrate with its nine theme exhibitions. It aims to provide comprehensive services for domestic and foreign high-quality enterprises in the service industry looking to settle in Beijing. The zone will serve as a synergetic area for the CIFTIS, a demonstration zone for international cooperation in the service industry, a key construction area for the two zones, a model zone for transforming old industrial bases, and a distinctive zone for green and low-carbon development.
During the forum, the Signing Ceremony for Key Projects in Shijingshan District was held. Representatives including Executive Vice Mayor of Shijingshan District Li Xianxia, Vice Mayor of Shijingshan District Li Wenhua, Deputy General Manager of Shougang Group Liang Jie, and Vice President of Bank of Beijing Wang Jin signed contracts with 40 enterprises, key partners of the Shijingshan District People’s Government of Beijing Municipality and Shougang Group. The contracted projects span various fields such as new generation information technology, science and technology services, financial innovation, artificial intelligence, aerospace technology, and education services.
One notable cooperation project aims to promote the research, development, and innovative application of large-scale artificial general intelligence models. This initiative will inject new resources and vitality into the construction of an industrial development cluster in this field with regional influence in Shijingshan District.
Another noteworthy project focuses on the implementation of digital currency sci-fi application scenarios. This endeavor not only expands the new possibilities for digital currency application scenarios in Beijing but also marks the launch of the Comprehensive Experimental Zone for Digital Currency in Shijingshan District.
A group of distinguished individuals has jointly launched the International Open Cooperation Zone. The members include Vice Mayor of Shijingshan District Wang Zhiyong, Commercial Counselor of the Singapore Embassy in China and Director of the China Division of the Enterprise Singapore Yap Cheng Boon, Chairman of the Expert Committee and Executive Vice President of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Mechanical and Electronic Products Zheng Chao, Full-Time Deputy Director of the “Two Zones” Office in Beijing Liu Meiying, Overseas Member of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and Vice Chairman of the European Investment Counsel Xie Xiaochu, Overseas Member of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and President of the Chinese Youth Federation of Europe Zhou Yanjun, Chief Representative of the NRW. Global Business in Beijing/Guangzhou Feng Xingliang, President of ADNRS Lionel CHEN, Managing Director of the Property Unit of RGE Group Sun Youning, and CEO of Shougang Fund Shen Zhuolin.
This initiative is in line with the vision put forward by President Xi Jinping at the Global Trade in Services Summit of the CIFTIS. It emphasizes the importance of harnessing open services to foster inclusive development, facilitate interaction and integration through service cooperation, nurture momentum through service innovation, and create a more promising future by promoting service sharing.
During the ensuing round-table discussion, Executive Vice President of Asia Digital Group Zhang Li assumed the role of the moderator, alongside distinguished attendees including Vice Mayor of Shijingshan District Wang Zhiyong, Executive Vice President of RGE Benny Lee, CEO of Shougang Fund Shen Zhuolin, General Manager of JY-Consultancy Wendy Zhao, and Chief Representative of the NRW. Global Business in Beijing/Guangzhou Feng Xingliang. The discussion revolved around the theme of “Open Cooperation for a Shared Future: Jointly Building a High-Level International Open Cooperation Zone”. Esteemed participants shared profound insights into the significance of international open cooperation by drawing from the development experiences of many nations and regions, as well as presenting strategic proposals for the establishment of the International Open Cooperation Zone in Shijingshan.
Establishing a High-Level International Open Cooperation Platform
As a pivotal region in the preparation and hosting of both the Beijing Olympic Summer and Winter Games, Shijingshan District has played a crucial role in rejuvenating old industrial bases. The “Dual Olympic District” has sparked a wave of transformative energy, propelling regional development forward. With a focus on ensuring optimal services for the Olympic Winter Games, Shijingshan District has taken proactive measures to embrace sustainable development and facilitate the restructuring of its industrial framework. This entails the gradual establishment of a cutting-edge and high-precision “1+3+1” industrial system, with the modern financial industry assuming a strategic leadership role, complemented by science and technology services, digital creativity, and new generation information technology as defining hallmarks. Additionally, the high-end business services act as crucial support for this integrated system. Synergizing with the construction of the “One Axis, Four Parks” industrial functional zone and the coordinated growth of the “Five Key Projects”, these efforts collectively enhance the overall modernization of the regional industrial system.
The emergence of the Chang’an Fin-Axis has heralded the establishment of a novel consumer finance paradigm underpinned by three credit card centers of banks. Building upon the Beijing Banking & Insurance Business Park, Shijingshan District and China Electronics Technology Group Corporation have collaborated to develop an intelligent manufacturing industrial park, thereby facilitating the deeper integration of fintech and industry at a superior level. Notably, the reformed Zhongguancun Shijingshan Science Park has yielded a remarkable revenue of 396 billion yuan in 2022. Furthermore, the district has strategically expanded its presence in cutting-edge sectors like industrial internet, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, science fiction, and internet 3.0. The New Shougang High-End Industrial Integrated Service Area (New Shougang Area for short) has emerged as a prominent symbol of urban revitalization “Together for a Shared Future”. The area prioritizes the spheres of cultural revival, industrial rejuvenation, ecological preservation, and invigorating vitality. As a result, notable achievements have been attained in serving national strategies, exploring models of transformation, promoting industrial upgrading, and stimulating consumption.
Shijingshan District also attaches great importance to high-quality cultural and creative parks. Particularly noteworthy is the Beizhong Science and Technology Cultural and Creative Industry Park, which has been designated as the pilot project under the purview of architects in Beijing. Moreover, it has been selected as a city-level pilot program focused on expanding cultural spaces within aging factory buildings. In addition, both the Shougang Cultural Industrial Park and Langyuan Park have received recognition as municipal-level cultural industrial parks. These commendations are poised to unlock larger areas of urban renewal space, thereby facilitating a transition from localized transformations to more extensive revitalization efforts.
With unwavering backing from the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, Shijingshan District is experiencing a rapid convergence of national and international platforms such as the Olympic Winter Games and the CIFTIS. A prime demonstration of this trend is the ongoing release of the 500,000 m2 high-quality commercial building in the southeastern region of Shougang Park, a project developed and constructed by Singapore’s RGE. Additionally, the collaboration between Shougang Group and Jardine Matheson Group from the UK is poised to commence construction on the New Shougang International Talent Community. Driven by its resolute commitment to promoting transformation and development, West Beijing is consistently amassing fresh impetus for open development.
Capitalizing on the rapid advancement of industries in the New Shougang Area, Shijingshan District is proactively devising plans to establish a pinnacle for the expansion and progress of West Beijing, that is, the International Open Cooperation Zone, based on the New Shougang area and its surrounding interconnected industry spaces. This strategic initiative serves as a pivotal endeavor undertaken by Shijingshan District in adherence to the national strategy of fostering openness and collaboration. It aligns with the significant directives set forth by the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, while harnessing the synergies from the CIFTIS. Furthermore, it represents an integral pillar supporting the industrial transformation and development in the western part of Beijing.
Moving forward, Shijingshan District will center its efforts on the construction of the International Open Cooperation Zone. This endeavor will entail harnessing the full potential of the CIFTIS as a dynamic platform, capitalizing on the synergies generated by grand-scale events. Besides, the district will establish a robust investment mechanism, effectively converting its inherent resource advantages into favorable developmental prospects. An essential objective is to foster the convergence of diverse international stakeholders within Shijingshan, cultivating an environment conducive to vibrant open cooperation.
Let’s embrace open cooperation for a shared future. The open Shijingshan serves as a beacon for global partners seeking to explore, invest in, and collaboratively shape the promising future.
SOURCE Asia Digital Group
