Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, has strengthened its exchanges with foreign cities in a bid to build itself into a showcase of opening-up in China's inland regions.

According to the city's new development plan, Chengdu will build itself into a national hub city. Building a center for international exchanges in western China is a major part of the plan, according to the Chengdu city government.

In May, a media delegation from Chengdu visited Lahore, capital of Pakistan's Punjab province, as well as Luang Prabang province and Vientiane in Laos to study the friendly ties between Chengdu and these regions.

The delegation visited Lahore on May 22 when an international business forum was held in Lahore on May 22. Delegates representing more than 400 companies from over 10 countries and regions attended the event, including about 50 businesses from Chengdu.

The Chinese city's businesses talked with their Pakistani counterparts about cooperation in a range of fields, including trade, infrastructure, technologies and environmental protection. A number of cooperative agreements were signed.

Zhou Wensheng, deputy general manager of Chengdu-based Xingcheng Group, said his company is grasping the opportunities brought about by the Belt and Road Initiative to expand its international operations.

He said his company has visited Pakistan several times and talked with some potential partners.

"We opened a representative office in Pakistan last year, aiming to promote cooperation with Pakistan's businesses in the field of sewage treatment," Zhou said.

Zou Xueming, chairman of Alltech Medical Systems, said many of China's high-tech companies are ready to transfer their expertise to Pakistan.

He said the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology organized a delegation comprised of 20 high-tech companies to attend the business forum in Lahore and that Alltech was one of the companies. About a half of the 20 companies are from Chengdu.

When talking with journalists from Chengdu, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, chief minister of Punjab province, highly praised the city's recent social and economic developments and the city's strength in advanced manufacturing and high technology.

"We hope to enhance cooperation with Chengdu, especially in the high-tech sectors," Sharif said.

The chief minister said Pakistan is an active partner in the Belt and Road Initiative.

"The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor plan is an important part of the Belt and Road Initiative, which is likely to bring more opportunities for the two countries," Sharif said.

Mubashar Javed, mayor of Lahore, said he will lead a delegation to visit Chengdu in the near future.

"Chengdu is strong in many high-tech sectors, especially the IT industry, which can help us grow our own high-tech industries," Javed said, adding that one of the technologies that Lahore badly needs relates to sewage treatment, which will play a crucial role in solving local water resource shortages.

Educational ties

The mayor said Lahore highlights cooperation with Chengdu in education, especially in the fields of language and medical science. He expects to invite more Chinese teachers to teach in Lahore. He said he hopes more students from Chengdu will study in Lahore and that he has already talked with the management of the University of the Punjab on offering special scholarships to students from the Chinese city. Chengdu already has special scholarships for students from its sister cities and cities with friendly ties.

Javed said he hopes more students in Lahore will study medical sciences in Chengdu and come back to serve local patients. "Chengdu has several renowned institutions that can offer medical education, such as the West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine," Javed said.

Visit to Laos

On May 25, the media delegation visited Laos.

When welcoming the delegation, Bouakhong Nammavong, deputy governor of Luang Prabang province, said he was grateful for the contribution made by Chengdu's businesses to help the region's economic growth.

Companies from Chengdu have taken part in the construction of the China-Laos Railway, which runs through Luang Prabang and terminates in Vientiane.

Nammavong visited Chengdu last year. He said he was very impressed with the city as a globally renowned tourism destination.

"Chengdu has made good use of its culture and creativity industries to boost tourism, and this is something we can learn from," Nammavong said.

As Chengdu has opened a direct flight linking Luang Prabang, more Chengdu residents have visited the area.

Nammavong said he hopes more businesses from Chengdu will invest in his province, especially in the education, medical care, catering and tourism sectors.

Chengdu and Luang Prabang have established friendly ties.

To date, eight companies from Chengdu have invested in Luang Prabang in sectors such as mining, electronics, optical cable production and silk textiles.

Chengdu's Yangjin Corp has cooperated with a partner in Laos to establish the Laos Cable TV Co, which now accounts for 80 percent of market share in Vientiane.

With intensifying international exchanges in recent years, Chengdu has become a hub for opening-up in western China.

To date, 16 countries have established consular missions in Chengdu, meaning it now ranks No 1 in China's central and western regions. There are more than 7,000 foreign-funded businesses in Chengdu, including those invested in by 278 Fortune Global 500 companies. About 20,000 foreigners now live in Chengdu.

The city has opened nearly 100 international air routes to serve both domestic and international passengers. The city's Shuangliu International Airport offered services to 46 million passengers last year, ranking No 4 among all the airports in China. The city's new Tianfu International Airport will be operational in 2020.

zhaoshijun@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 06/09/2017 page12)