On February 17, Foshan Roadshow 2023 Investment Promotion Conference themed "Discover Greater Bay Area, Next Stop for German SMEs" was staged in Berlin, Germany. Chen Yuehua, Deputy Director-general of the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province, Ding Xifeng, Member of the Standing Committee of Foshan Municipal Committee and Pan Dongsheng, Director of the Management Committee of Foshan Sino-German Industrial Services Zone (Foshan Sanlongwan Sci-Tech City) attended the conference. Many international friends and investors introduced Foshan in terms of its industrial foundation, investment opportunities and business environment from different perspectives for further investment cooperation. More than 70 enterprises, including the World's Top 500 Enterprises and well-known enterprises in various industries have attended the conference.

Foshan also issued a "GBA Sino-Germa Market Partner Plan" to promote Foshan's business environment in the new era as the "gathering zone for German enterprises in South China". It will inject more excellent cases and momentum to the high-quality development of Foshan in the new year.

GBA Sino-Germa Market Partner Plan to support German enterprises' settlement

"We have always maintained very close and friendly relationship with all walks of life in Germany. Today, we meet again after a long time in Berlin. We sincerely hope that with this face-to-face communication, you can feel the sincerity of Foshan, and to seek for deeper and broader cooperation together," said Ding Xifeng.

Foshan is looking forward to deepening cooperation with Germany in fields like digital reform, intelligent manufacturing, automobile, biological medicine, green low carbon, etc., with an aim to provide more convenience for enterprises, so that more German enterprises can know about Foshan and work together for win-win cooperation, Ding added.

At the conference, Pan Dongsheng also introduced Foshan's geographical advantages, industrial base, business environment and investment prospects. Foshan Sino-German Industrial Services Zone has attracted 50 German (European) investment projects or Sino-German cooperation projects since its establishment in 2012, Pan added.

"Standing at the new starting point of the second decade, Foshan Sino-German Industrial Services Zone has taken a series of measures to build a high land to attract German-owned enterprises." Pan said.

In 2022, Foshan Sino-German Industrial Services Zone introduced special support for German industrial cooperation, providing settlement incentive, rent subsidy, and purchase fee subsidy for cooperative enterprises. One enterprise can receive a maximum supporting fund of 20 million yuan.

At present, Foshan Sino-German Industrial Services Zone is stepping up the construction of a professional industrial park for cooperation with Germany, aiming to provide German-funded enterprises with the best industrial carriers.

Many Chinese and international friends speak for Foshan

"Guangdong has drawn a beautiful blueprint and is very willing to share the development opportunities with all friends. We sincerely invite all of you to visit Guangdong Province and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, to feel the charm of this area," according to a video speech by Chen Yuehua.

He introduced that, Guangdong, as the forefront of China's opening up, leads in economic and trade cooperation with Germany. Guangdong's trade with Germany ranks first in China, with the import and export volume reaching 216.65 billion yuan in 2022, accounting for 14.3% of the total trade between China and Germany. Germany is the fifth largest source of foreign investment in Guangdong, and its investment in Guangdong is 4.02 billion yuan, up 37.2% year on year. Germany is the second largest destination for overseas investment in Guangdong, and its agreed investment with Germany exceeds 510 million US dollars, up 33.5% year on year, accounting for 5.8% of Guangdong's total investment in the same period.

Zeng Yingru, minister of the Chinese Embassy in Germany, also came to the conference. Zeng introduced that Shunde District is crowned as the World Capital of Gastronomy, and the documentary "A Bite of Shunde" went viral in China. Foshan is also a city with profound Chinese culture. "Welcome more German enterprises to visit Foshan for mutual benefit and experience a better life." Zeng said.

Michael Schumann, chairman of German Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade, said that Foshan has been in good cooperation with Germany for a long time, and many German companies have made successful investment in Foshan.

"Foshan government has always been a reliable partner when confronting challenges, and we still benefit from this support today. With the support of the government, our Foshan factory has developed rapidly and has now become an integral part of global business," said Stephen Dempka, General Manager of Foshan Branch of FAW-Volkswagen.

At the conference, Foshan Sino-German Industrial Services Zone also signed a memorandum of cooperation with German Railway System Technology Company, a subsidiary of the World's Top 500 Enterprises, German Railway Group, to promote the combination of Foshan rail transit and the top technology of the German railway for win-win cooperation. Foshan also awarded the letter of appointment of "Foshan Global Investment Partners" to four internationally renowned investment consulting service providers, aiming to create a better international business environment and provide better services for foreign investors in Foshan.