December 6, 2016

Beijing, China

Guangzhou Dialogue with Fortune Global 500 in Beijing

The Guangzhou Dialogue with Fortune Global 500 was held in Beijing on December 6, 2016. Over 100 enterprises from Guangzhou and representatives of Fortune Global 500 companies in Beijing attended the forum to discuss topics related to the theme “Open Perspective, Innovative Approach.”

Cai Chaolin, vice-mayor of Guangzhou, attended the event and delivered a keynote speech. Alan Murray, Fortune’s editor-in-chief, was also present at the forum and delivered a speech. The dialogue kicked off a series of promotional activities for this year’s forum in Guangzhou.

Why Guangzhou? China has over a hundred Fortune Global 500 companies, Alan Murray said. Guangzhou, dubbed the “southern gate of China,” represents China’s opening up and integration into the world. This makes Guangzhou an ideal city to host the 2017 Fortune Global Forum.

January 20, 2017

Paris, France

Guangzhou promotes 2017 Fortune Global Forum in Paris

Guangzhou held a well-received promotional event in Paris to encourage companies in France to invest in the southern Chinese host city for the 2017 Fortune Global Forum.

Cai Chaolin, vice-mayor of Guangzhou, said the city will provide a good platform for French enterprises to exchange views, adding that Guangzhou is fully confident that the forum will be successful.

Guangzhou has been spearheading China’s reform and opening-up drive for years, said Gao Yuanyuan, counselor from the Economic and Commercial Counselor’s Office of the Chinese Embassy in France.

The city has gathered a large number of strong foreign enterprises and companies from around China, demonstrating a vigorous look and providing an inclusive business environment, Gao said.

February 27, 2017

Hong Kong

2017 Fortune Global Forum promoted in Hong Kong

The city of Guangzhou held a promotional event in Hong Kong on February 27 to attract more investment to the city via the upcoming 2017 Fortune Global Forum.

The event was sponsored by the Guangzhou Municipal Government, coordinated by the Guangzhou Municipal Commission of Commerce and Guangzhou’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, and hosted by the Nansha Economic and Technological Development Zone in Guangzhou.

Cai Chaolin, vice-mayor of Guangzhou, said Hong Kong plays an important role in promoting Guangzhou’s economic development. Hong Kong leads foreign investment to Guangzhou and opens the city’s enterprises to the rest of the world, which is the reason why Hong Kong was chosen as an important stop of the global promotional tour for the forum, Cai said.

Guangzhou’s regional GDP totaled 1.96 trillion yuan in 2016, up 8.2 percent year-on-year. The figure ranked third on the Chinese mainland after Shanghai and Beijing, and is equivalent to the GDP of Hong Kong and Singapore.

In recent years, Guangzhou has been vigorously improving international sea and air transportation and building innovative, high-tech hubs; as a result, the city is developing a stronger comprehensive transportation system.

Reform and innovation are injecting infinite impetus to support Guangzhou’s sustainable development. The city has built up strong capabilities in Internet technologies, biomedicine, new materials, and industrial robots.

March 13, 2017

New York, USA

2017 Fortune Global Forum promoted in New York

A promotional event was held on March 13 to introduce the strengths and potential of Guangzhou’s development for American enterprises in New York.

CEOs from dozens of American companies, including Time Inc., Federal Express, McKinsey & Company, and Citibank, attended the fair to discuss how multinational corporations can achieve success in China with representatives of enterprises from Guangzhou.

The event was jointly hosted by Guangzhou Municipal Government and Fortune Magazine.

March 14, 2017

Washington DC, USA

Guangzhou promotes 2017 Fortune Global Forum in Washington

Officials from Guangzhou, the provincial capital of Guangdong, were in Washington, DC, on March 14 to promote their city’s plans to host the 2017 Fortune Global Forum later this year.

Cai Chaolin, vice-mayor of Guangzhou, Tian Deyou, economic and commercial minister-counselor at the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC, and Anthony A. Williams, former mayor of Washington, DC, attended the event.

Guangzhou officials introduced the city’s efforts in building itself into an international transportation hub and a modern city for business and invited Fortune 500 companies to take part in the 2017 Fortune Global Forum, which is set to open in Guangzhou in December.

Representatives from General Electric, Goldman Sachs, and other leading US enterprises exchanged views on the theme “Open Perspective, Innovative Approach” with their Guangzhou counterparts, including iFLYTECH.

The event was sponsored by the Guangzhou Municipal Government, coordinated by the Guangzhou Municipal Commission of Commerce and Guangzhou Finance Bureau, and hosted by the Guangzhou Development Zone.

April 25, 2017

Tokyo, Japan

Guangzhou promotes 2017 Fortune Global Forum in Tokyo

Guangzhou, the host city of the 2017 Fortune Global Forum, held a promotional event in Tokyo on April 25 to encourage Japanese enterprises to invest in the southern Chinese city.

Guangzhou, as an important port city in China, has over 120,000 scientific and technological innovation-based enterprises, said Cai Chaolin, vice-mayor of Guangzhou.

The city is strong in new-emerging industries, including internet technologies, pharmaceutical and biological sciences, new materials, industrial robots, unmanned aerial vehicles, and 3-D printing, Cai added.

The forum will help the international community to better understand China’s development concept of “innovation, coordination, green, open, and sharing,” Song Yaoming, minister with Chinese embassy to Japan, said at the event.

The forum will also help to deepen economic and trade cooperation and exchanges between China and other countries around the world, Song added.

April 27, 2017

Singapore

Guangzhou promotes 2017 Fortune Global Forum in Singapore

Guangzhou, the host city of the 2017 Fortune Global Forum, held a promotional event in Singapore on April 27, attracting over 250 leaders from Singapore’s business and political circles and global top 500 companies.

Guangzhou vice-mayor Cai Chaolin joined the event and delivered a keynote speech, introducing Guangzhou’s investment environment and inviting entrepreneurs in Singapore to attend the upcoming forum.

At the forum, two deals were signed between Sino-Singapore International Joint Research Institute and Chinese Academy of Sciences Holdings Co. Ltd., and between Guangzhou Gas Group, Guangzhou Port Group, and resources conglomerate Royal Golden Eagle.

Statistics by the municipal government of Guangzhou show that the total volume of foreign trade between Guangzhou and Singapore in 2016 hit 14.04 billion yuan ($2.04 billion).

Moreover, by the end of last year, Singapore had set up 552 enterprises in Guangzhou, with foreign investment actually used reaching $2.73 billion. Guangzhou has also invested $190 million in establishing 25 enterprises in Singapore, according to the official data.

May 15, 2017

Taipei, China

Guangzhou promotes 2017 Fortune Global Forum in Taipei

Guangzhou, the host city of the 2017 Fortune Global Forum, held a promotional event in Taipei, China, on May 15.

It is the seventh event held by Guangzhou to promote the forum, attracting over 180 leaders from Taipei’s leading and global top 500 companies.

The event, through showcasing the charm of Guangzhou, aimed to encourage enterprises in Taipei to invest in the southern Chinese city.

In addition, the event acted as a good platform for Taiwan, which boasts a high level of internationalization and rich experience in cooperation with developed countries in Europe and America, to help Guangzhou to better seek overseas development and attract more foreign investment.

June 8, 2017

Chicago, US

Guangzhou promotes 2017 Fortune Global Forum in Chicago

Guangzhou, the host city of the 2017 Fortune Global Forum, held a promotional event in Chicago on June 8 to encourage enterprises from the US Midwest to invest in the southern Chinese city.

“Guangzhou and Chicago share many similarities in business, transportation, and technology,” said Cai Chaolin, vice-mayor of Guangzhou.

Cai noted his city’s convenient transportation, saying Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is expected to be listed as one of the top ten of its kind in the world by 2025.

There are currently 120,000 science, technology, and innovation enterprises in Guangzhou and 289 of the global top 500 companies have investment in Guangzhou, Cai noted.

Deputy Mayor of Chicago Steve Koch said this year’s forum will focus on the innovation revolution, the future of globalization, 21st century leadership, and sustainable development.

“These are all incredibly important topics for our mutual future, and things we grapple everyday here in Chicago,” Koch stressed.

In addition, a round-table meeting was held among the leaders of global top 500 companies and leading enterprises to discuss issues related to health, the environment, and the sharing economy. 

June 12, 2017

Munich, Germany

Guangzhou promotes 2017 Fortune Global Forum in Munich

Host city Guangzhou of the 2017 Fortune Global Forum held a promotional seminar in Munich, Germany, on June 12 to enhance two-way investment and cooperation between the Chinese city and the world.

At the seminar, Cai Chaolin, vice-mayor of Guangzhou, said the city is striving for technology development and innovation and commerce, transportation, and living environment are its strong suits.

Guangzhou is home to some 120,000 technological innovation-based enterprises and enjoys rapid IT, AI, and biomedicine development. A total of 289 of the Fortune Global 500 companies have invested in the city.

According to Cai, the global promotional event for the forum aims to link Guangzhou closer to more world-famous enterprises and make it a globalized city. In addition, Cai hopes the event will enhance bilateral investment and cooperation by attracting international enterprises to Guangzhou and encouraging local companies to expand international business.

June 14, 2017

London, the United Kingdom

Promotional tour for Guangzhou’s 2017 Fortune Global Forum visits London

The promotional tour for Guangzhou’s 2017 Fortune Global Forum visited London on June 14. The London meeting marked the 10th stop of Guangzhou’s international promotional event for the forum.

Taking the opportunity to also promote the 45th Anniversary of Establishment of China-UK Ambassadorial Relations, representatives conducted lively exchanges about new opportunities for both countries in innovation, investment, and global influence, and expressed hope that the two sides will create more opportunities for transnational enterprises in the fields of finance, new energy, the creativity industry, and health care.

By the end of 2016, China had invested $18 billion in the UK’s non-financial sectors. Guangzhou has been engaged in 20 of the projects, with a total investment of $280 million. The UK has a total investment of nearly $20 billion in China, and 224 projects in Guangzhou with a direct investment of $940 million.

July 27, 2017

Shanghai, China

Guangzhou holds promotional seminar in Shanghai for 2017 Fortune Global Forum

Guangzhou, host city of the 2017 Fortune Global Forum, held a promotional seminar in Shanghai on July 27.

Cai Chaolin, member of Standing Committee of CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee and the Party Leadership Group of Guangzhou and director of the 2017 Fortune Global Forum’s Executive Committee, attended the seminar and delivered a speech.

A total of 300 representatives participated in the meeting, including delegates from the Shanghai Municipal Government, Clay Chandler, executive editor of Time Inc.’s international division, principals of Fortune Global 500 companies, leading enterprises of each industry, and international service groups in Shanghai, principals of consulates and foreign chambers of commerce in Shanghai, and principals of established corporations in Guangzhou.

Sept. 21, 2017

Silicon Valley, the United States

Guangzhou holds promotional activity in Silicon Valley for 2017 Fortune Global Forum

Host city Guangzhou of the 2017 Fortune Global Forum held a promotional activity in Silicon Valley’s Palo Alto City on September 21 to enhance two-way communication and cooperation between the two sides and strengthen technological innovation.

Silicon Valley is strong in technological innovation and Guangzhou takes innovation as the engine of economic growth and development, said Cai Chaolin, member of Standing Committee of CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee and director of the 2017 Fortune Global Forum’s Executive Committee.

The development of emerging industries is pushing Guangzhou to cooperate with Silicon Valley, Cai said. He hopes that more enterprises in Silicon Valley can get to know Guangzhou and search for investment opportunities in the city.

Alan Murray, chief content officer of Time Inc., told Xinhua News Agency that Silicon Valley has been paying more attention to how China’s innovations impact the global economy. “People want to visit China and see what is happening there,” he said.