Sino-Italian (Wuzhong High-tech Zone) Exchange Lunch Meeting

On April 11th, in order to promote economic cooperation and exchanges between China and Italy, the Sino-Italian (Wuzhong High-tech Zone) Exchange Lunch Meeting was successfully held at Lingyanshan Fanglinshuixuan in Mudu Town, Wuzhong District, Suzhou City.

The guests attending the event included Yao Jing, member of the Party Working Committee and deputy director of the Management Committee of Wuzhong High-Tech Zone, Yao Liang, director of the Industrial Development Bureau of Wuzhong High-Tech Zone, Tang Su, director of the Investment Promotion Bureau, Ren Hongtao, Coordinator of China of CCIC Suzhou Chapter Working Group, as well as relevant leaders from Mudu Town, Xukou Town, and Linhu Town. The event was organized by the China Italy Chamber of Commerce and the Wuzhong High-Tech Zone. In addition to enjoying exquisite Italian cuisine, this event also provided a unique social opportunity for Wuzhong and Italian companies to exchange ideas and cooperate in order to establish commercial contacts and develop together.

The conference began with a welcome speech by Yao Jing, member of the Party Working Committee and deputy director of the Management Committee of Wuzhong High-Tech Zone. Yao Jing said that China and Italy are outstanding representatives of Eastern and Western civilizations, and the relationship between Suzhou and Italy has a long history. In January of this year, Italy's leading photovoltaic company, FuturaSun, settled in Wuzhong High-Tech Zone and will establish its Chinese headquarters and Sino-European Energy Research Institute, with a total investment of 1.5 billion yuan, which will write a new chapter in cooperation between the two places. As the most "high-tech and innovative" area in the region, Wuzhong High-Tech Zone has deeply implemented the development strategy of "industrial strong zone, innovation-led", focusing on the "3+3" industrial cluster, and making every effort to promote the transformation from traditional economy to digital economy and from industrial economy to innovative economy. In 2022, the regional GDP of Wuzhong High-Tech Zone reached 50.79 billion yuan, the total output value of scale industrial enterprises was 56.37 billion yuan, and the actual use of foreign capital was 131 million US dollars. In the future, Wuzhong High-Tech Zone will do a good job in service, build a platform for exchange and cooperation, guide foreign-funded enterprises to come in, and help domestic-funded enterprises to go out.

Next was a speech by Ren Hongtao, Coordinator of China of CCIC Suzhou Chapter Working Group. Ren Hongtao said that in recent years, investment and trade cooperation between Jiangsu Province and Italy has made rapid progress, and more and more Italian companies are choosing to invest in Jiangsu Province. Through cultural exchanges, mutual understanding has been deepened, and the sense of identity between the people of China and Italy has been enhanced, further promoting complementary advantages in politics, culture, and economy between the two countries. With the joint efforts of both sides, Wuzhong District and Italy have built a good platform and promoted pragmatic cooperation, presenting a rich and diverse pattern of exchanges. The holding of this cooperation and exchange conference provided a valuable opportunity for entrepreneurs from both places to have close exchanges and to build a platform for dialogue, communication, and creating business opportunities.

After the leader's speech, Wu Zhong district introduced the enterprises in the park, mainly highlighting the industrial positioning and investment advantages. Wu Zhong High-tech Industrial Development Zone is located in the central area of Wu Zhong district, Suzhou city, adjacent to the beautiful Taihu Lake. It aims to become a new landmark for the deep integration of industry and urban development. The park was established in 2015 and has attracted 658 high-tech enterprises to settle in, including 55 foreign-funded enterprises from countries and regions such as Germany, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Belgium, Canada, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

Wu Zhong High-tech Zone has also established an industrial system focusing on three leading industries: robotics and intelligent manufacturing, new generation information technology, and biomedicine and big health. It has developed three characteristic industries of new energy and new energy vehicles, new materials, and cultural tourism. These efforts aim to create a thriving innovation cluster for the digital economy industry.

The Sino-Italian (Wuzhong High-tech Zone) Exchange Lunch Meeting is an important milestone in the economic cooperation between China and Italy, laying a solid foundation for further deepening friendly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides.