Hong Kong, Aug. 24 (NBD) -- The Sichuan-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation Week & Sichuan Promotion Conference on International Cooperation Under the Belt and Road Initiative was held Tuesday in Hong Kong.

The Promotion Conference of Chengdu Building a Financial Center in Western China and Promotion Conference of Chengdu Building a Cultural Creativity Center in Western China were scheduled to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Fan Ruiping, Member of the Standing Committee of Sichuan Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Chengdu Municipal Party Committee, introduced the efforts and current situations of Chengdu building a financial center and a cultural creativity center in western China to participants from political and business circles at the events.

Fan Ruiping, Member of the Standing Committee of Sichuan Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Chengdu Municipal Party Committee (photo/NBD)

Hong Kong, platform for Chengdu's financial and cultural creativity promotion

With regard to considerations behind these two promotion conferences, Fan Ruiping told NBD that Chengdu chooses Hong Kong to run the promotion because of Hong Kong's high ranking in the global financial sector. Besides, Hong Kong, an important hub under the Belt and Road Initiative, can serve as a portal on which Chengdu can "bring in and send out" capital and investment. This is achieved mainly through financial channels. That is the reason to hold a special financial promotion conference. In addition, Hong Kong with Chinese traditional culture and an international style is also a significant platform for cultural creativity. The cultural creativity promotion is launched in order to make use of such advantage.

In recent years, Chengdu has become the first choice for both foreign and domestic capital. Data show that Chengdu outperforms other regions in central-western China in terms of the number of foreign financial institutions and takes the first place across China by the asset scale and profitability of foreign financial institutions here in Chengdu.

Chengdu boasts great potentials in cultural creativity as well. The "Land of Abundance", as Chengdu is known, has been developing cultural creativity industry, promoting innovation and transferring innovation and creativity in an effort to build a world's famous cultural city.

Chengdu, attractive for its inclusiveness and openness

The latest ranking of Chinese cities according to their attractiveness to businesses indicates that Chengdu obtained full credit in connection to concentration of commercial resources, capability as a traffic hub, variety of lifestyle, and flexibility in the future.

In Fan Ruiping's opinion, Chengdu is represented by three words: famous, growing, succeeding. Chengdu is famous as "Land of Abundance" and "City of Leisure", growing in the midst of building national-level Tianfu New Area and national central city, and succeeding under promotion of large-scale development in west China and Belt & Road Initiative.

Chengdu ranks 3th, following Beijing and Shanghai, on the list of Chinese overseas returnee entrepreneurs' first choice of Chinese cities, according to the "Report on Chinese Returnees Employment in 2017" release by Center for China & Globalization.

Fan Ruiping explains that Chengdu's attractiveness for talents lies in its inclusive culture. He said, "we have a very open and inclusive perspective for new elements and new culture."

Chengdu to strike cooperation with Airport Authority Hong Kong

Chengdu has been viewed as the best place by Hong Kong-invested enterprises and institutions. Landmarks like IFS, Taikoo Li and Lan Kwai Fong are witnesses of Chengdu-Hong Kong cooperation.

Fan Ruiping told NBD that Chengdu and Airport Authority Hong Kong will forge an all-round cooperation in areas including freight transport, custom service and aircraft maintenance. The two sides will possibly build a cooperation team and deepen exchanges.

Email: gaohan@nbd.com.cn