Guangzhou Mayor Wan Qingliang met on May 25 with Choi Kyung-hwan, Korean minister of knowledge economy, and his entourage. Both sides exchanged views on ways to strengthen economic and trade linkage and to promote cooperation in the auto manufacturing and creative cultural industries.
Mayor Wan extended a warm welcome to Mr. Choi and his associates and briefed them on Guangzhou's socio-economic development. He said that Guangzhou is a famed cultural city with a history of more than 2,200 years, one of the five central cities of China, the gateway to China, and one of the most economically dynamic Chinese cities. He stated that Guangzhou has consistently attached much importance to the cooperation with Korean businesses, with remarkable results gained. As of April, there were 333 Korean businesses in Guangzhou, with a total investment of approximately US$ 390 million.
At present, Guangzhou is speeding up its efforts to transform the means of economic growth and to build a modern industrial system. The city is vigorously developing its advanced manufacturing industry, modern service industry, competitive traditional industries, and modern agriculture, in particular high-end manufacturing industry, high-tech industry, and high-end service industry.
Guangzhou has taken a range of substantial steps in policy support, human resources, and industrial support. The Republic of Korea has world-class auto-making and cultural creative industries. Guangzhou can provide superb industrial parks to resourceful Korean businesses to launch operations in Guangzhou, and both sides can strengthen communication and cooperation and join hands to grow and expand the auto making and cultural creative industries in the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region.
Mr. Choi highly rated Guangzhou's remarkable socio-economic development in recent years. He said that China is the largest destination of Korean outward investment, and that there is an enormous potential for his nation and Guangdong and Guangzhou to expand their interaction and cooperation. He also stated that the Republic of Korea will continue to expand its investment in Guangdong and Guangzhou and encourage more Korean businesses, especially those in the auto making and creative cultural industries, to invest in Guangzhou for mutual prosperity.
