From July 9 to 13, the 32nd China Lanzhou Investment and Trade Fair (CLITF) was held in Lanzhou. Lin Long’an, Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and President of the GREATER BAY AREA IMPORTERS AND EXPORTERS ASSOCIATION, headed a delegation from the Association to attend the Fair. The delegation fully participated in a series of events including the Opening Ceremony Pavilion Tour, Gansu-Hong Kong-Macao-Taiwan Industrial Cooperation Matching Conference, Hong Kong and Macao Entrepreneurs Forum, Gannan Special Investment Promotion Session, and field research under the campaign of “Hong Kong and Macao Enterprises Tour Gansu”. It built multi-dimensional matching bridges to deepen industrial collaboration and economic and trade exchanges between Gansu and Hong Kong.

Grand Opening of CLITF

On the morning of July 9, the 32nd China Lanzhou Investment and Trade Fair grandly opened in Lanzhou under the theme of Seize New Opportunities through Pragmatic Cooperation, Forge a New Landscape of Open Development. Wang Guangqian, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC and Executive Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the China Democratic League, delivered a speech and announced the opening. Hu Changsheng, Secretary of the CPC Gansu Provincial Committee and Director of the Standing Committee of the Gansu Provincial People’s Congress, gave a welcome address, while Ren Zhenhe, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Gansu Provincial Committee and Governor of Gansu Province, presided over the Opening Ceremony. Lu Jae-heon, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to China, and Khalil Hashmi, Ambassador of Pakistan to China, each delivered speeches respectively. Provincial leaders including Zhuang Guotai and Shi Moujun attended the ceremony.

In his address, Wang Guangqian noted that CLITF has grown from a regional exhibition into a national-level platform serving the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and boosting high-standard opening-up of western China. Gansu is accelerating its transformation from an inland hinterland into a frontier hub for westward opening-up. He stressed that we should activate development momentum via higher-standard opening-up, lead industrial transformation through stronger innovation-driven growth, and draw a new blueprint for cooperation with a broader vision of win-win results. We will promote resonance between Longyuan Craftsmanship and global markets, and jointly build a new landscape of open development.

During CLITF, intensive economic and trade exchange activities between Gansu and Hong Kong were held. Led by Lin Long’an, the delegation took part in government-enterprise forums, multiple special investment promotion briefings and field visits, comprehensively matching industrial resources of both regions and tapping cooperation potential.

Zhuang Guotai Meets Hong Kong and Macao Entrepreneurs

On the evening of July 8, Zhuang Guotai, Chairman of the Gansu Provincial Committee of the CPPCC, met and held discussions with the Hong Kong and Macao delegation.

Zhuang Guotai extended a warm welcome to the delegation of Hong Kong and Macao entrepreneurs for attending the Fair in Gansu. He pointed out that in recent years, cooperation between Gansu and Hong Kong & Macao has continued to expand in finance, trade, service industries, science, education and talent cultivation. Hong Kong and Macao members of the Gansu Provincial Committee of the CPPCC have actively promoted Gansu’s advantageous resources and facilitated the landing of a batch of projects. Endowed with profound historical and cultural heritage, abundant mineral resources, distinctive cold-arid agricultural resources, a complete new energy industrial chain and rich cultural tourism resources, Gansu enjoys sound development momentum. He expressed hope that Hong Kong and Macao entrepreneurs will continue to follow and invest deeply in Gansu, and deepen linkage and collaboration leveraging complementary resource advantages. Gansu will keep expanding high-standard opening-up, foster a first-class business environment, and join hands to create a new landscape of mutually beneficial cooperation between Gansu and Hong Kong & Macao.

President Lin Long’an stated at the forum that the GREATER BAY AREA IMPORTERS AND EXPORTERS ASSOCIATION will take this CLITF as an opportunity to further act as a bridge, encourage more GBA enterprises to enter and invest in Gansu, help Gansu’s characteristic products reach the world via Hong Kong, and contribute to deepening Gansu-Hong Kong economic and trade cooperation.

Gansu-Hong Kong-Macao-Taiwan Industrial Cooperation Matching Conference

On the afternoon of July 9, the Gansu-Hong Kong-Macao-Taiwan Industrial Cooperation Matching Conference was held at Wanda Vista Lanzhou. Zhuang Guotai, Chairman of the Gansu Provincial Committee of the CPPCC, attended and delivered a speech; He Wei, Vice Chairman of the Gansu Provincial Committee of the CPPCC, presided over the conference. Yao Jizhuo, Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Beijing, gave an address, followed by speeches from entrepreneur representatives of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Lanzhou, Jinchang, Baiyin, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture delivered investment promotion presentations respectively.

In his speech, Zhuang Guotai said cooperation and exchanges between Gansu, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan boast profound historical accumulation and solid practical foundations. Today’s Gansu enjoys an unparalleled strategic location, rich mineral reserves, solid cold-arid characteristic agriculture, premium genuine medicinal herbs, diverse magnificent cultural tourism resources and booming new energy industries. Its economic growth rate has ranked among the top nationwide for 17 consecutive quarters, brimming with boundless business opportunities. He proposed both sides to deepen collaboration in key sectors including characteristic agriculture and intensive food processing, genuine Chinese medicinal herbs and big health industry, integrated cultural tourism, full-chain layout of green new energy, and upgrading cross-border trade. Joint efforts will be made to pursue win-win opening-up and expand cooperation scope. Gansu will keep fostering a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized first-class business environment, enabling every entrepreneur investing in Gansu to start businesses with peace of mind, grow smoothly and reap fruitful gains.

President Lin Long’an delivered a keynote speech titled Strengthen Gansu-Hong Kong-GBA Cooperation to Jointly Build a New Ecosystem of the Digital Silk Road. He said tangible outcomes have been achieved in Gansu-Hong Kong cooperation since his inspection tour last year: a strategic cooperation agreement was reached with Lanzhou International Dry Port, a new materials project deal was signed with Jinchang City, and multiple Gansu enterprises were supported to open cross-border e-commerce channels. Three key areas of work will be advanced next: first, improve the digital channel for Gansu Premium Products Going Global, selling Gansu goods to over 140 countries and regions worldwide via Hong Kong’s trade network; second, jointly build a cross-border e-commerce ecosystem by establishing an enterprise alliance and exploring dedicated logistics routes linking Gansu, the GBA and Southeast Asia; third, expand coordinated industrial cooperation in new energy, new materials and other sectors to help Gansu enterprises connect with global resources.

Special Investment Promotion Session of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture

On July 8, ahead of CLITF’s opening, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture successively held a key business negotiation forum and a special investment promotion briefing in Lanzhou, launching 89 investment projects with a total investment of 54.5 billion RMB.

The Gannan Key Business Negotiation Forum was presided over by Yang Zhenlin, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Gannan Prefectural Committee and Governor of Gannan Prefecture, with Zhang Zewu, Secretary of the CPC Gannan Prefectural Committee, delivering a speech. Zhang Zewu stated that Gannan is a core water conservation zone in the upper reaches of the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers and a vital national ecological security barrier, blessed with exceptional wind, solar and hydropower resources. Adhering to ecological priority and green development, the prefecture lists wind, solar, hydropower and energy storage new energy as one of its five key investment industrial chains. It will continue to advance the initiative of introducing large, strong and leading enterprises, and safeguard enterprise development with an optimal business environment.

As a distinguished guest representative, Lin Long’an attended and delivered a keynote speech. He noted that Hong Kong and the GBA feature convenient foreign trade and concentrated commercial resources, while Gannan boasts outstanding ecological products and characteristic industries. Future cooperation will be deepened in three dimensions: first, open overseas sales channels for featured products, supporting premium goods such as yak meat and Tibetan medicinal herbs to reach the globe through the GBA; second, co-establish a cross-border e-commerce cooperation system featuring coordinated development in brand operation, logistics support and joint talent cultivation; third, deepen linkage of characteristic industrial chains by boosting investment cooperation in agriculture and animal husbandry intensive processing, digital cultural tourism and clean energy.

At the subsequent special investment promotion briefing, principal officials from Gannan’s Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Bureau of Culture and Tourism, Hezuo City and Xiahe County introduced five key industrial chains including gold intensive processing, plateau agriculture and animal husbandry processing, Tibetan medicinal herbs, wind-solar-hydro-energy storage new energy, and green computing & hydrogen energy, alongside key investment projects. Gannan boasts remarkable resource endowments: verified gold reserves of 770 tons, over 3 million heads of livestock, more than 850 varieties of Tibetan medicinal herbs, and 41 A-level scenic spots. A southern new energy base with a planned installed capacity of 25.44 million kW and green data centers under the east data, west computing project are in layout.

The main exhibition hall of this CLITF is located at Gansu International Convention and Exhibition Center, covering an exhibition area of 54,000 square meters. Five themed exhibition zones are set up: Silk Road International Cooperation, Regional Exchange & Cooperation, Characteristic Advantageous Industries, Fashion Consumer Goods & Premium Foreign Trade Products, and Authentic Gansu Premium Goods. The Fair attracted exhibitors and participants from 30 countries and international organizations, 18 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, plus Taiwan region, with over 1,900 enterprises showcasing exhibits. Covering nearly 40 categories and tens of thousands of products including aerospace, new energy, artificial intelligence, modern agriculture, cultural tourism & wellness, and daily consumer goods, the Fair serves as a premium platform for industrial matching, economic and trade cooperation and opening-up. Meanwhile, the Fair designated the Republic of Korea and Pakistan as dual Guest Countries for the first time, and identified Lanzhou, Wuwei, Tianshui and Pingliang as Theme Cities to further deepen international exchanges and coordinated regional development within Gansu.

This grand event has built an important platform for two-way docking and coordinated development between Gansu and Hong Kong. Taking this opportunity, the GREATER BAY AREA IMPORTERS AND EXPORTERS ASSOCIATION will keep playing its role as a hub connecting domestic and overseas markets, organize high-quality market entities to conduct inspection and investment tours in Gansu on a regular basis, and smooth the digital trade channel linking Gansu Premium Products to global markets via Hong Kong. Riding the opportunities brought by the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Digital Silk Road, Gansu and Hong Kong will continue to advance all-round coordination of industrial, supply and trade chains, facilitate the landing and implementation of more pragmatic cooperation projects, and write a brand-new chapter of coordinated development and win-win results between inland regions and the Greater Bay Area through two-way opening-up and complementary strengths.