Welcome speech at the 11th Global Forum for Hunan Entrepreneurs
(September 13, 2024)
Xu Zhongjian
Autumn in Huaihua is characterized by rippling wheat and cotton roses. Today, we meet our friends and guests from all over the world in Huaihua through online and offline channels. Under the strong leadership of CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and People’s Government of Hunan Province, we hold the 11th Global Forum for Hunan Entrepreneurs, to revive hometown bonds and work together on development. The All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce has shown special concerns for the preparation of the forum. Chairman Gao Yunlong guided and attended the opening ceremony, greatly encouraging and supporting us. We have received meticulous guidance from the General Office of CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, General Office of the People’s Government of Hunan Province, the United Front Work Department of CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, Hunan Provincial Federation of Industry and Commerce, Hunan Provincial Department of Commerce and other provincial departments as well as the strong support from Hunan entrepreneurs around the globe, brother cities and prefectures, and people from all walks of life. On behalf of CPC Huaihua Municipal Committee, People’s Government of Huaihua City and the 5.25 million Huaihua people, I would like to extend warm welcome to all the leaders, guests and friends attending this event! I would also like to express my sincere gratitude for your long-term understanding and support for Huaihua!
Since ancient times, Huaihua has served as the gateway to Guizhou and Yunnan and been known as a blessed land. It has witnessed such major historical events as the troop transfer in Tongdao, Zhijiang surrender, and birth of hybrid rice. It is reputed as a blessed land of the Chinese revolution, Chinese nation and people all over the world. Hunan entrepreneurs trace their root to thousands of years ago. Back then, the Hongjiang Ancient Commercial City was a prosperous hub where merchants from around the country gathered. At present, Hunan entrepreneurs are writing a new chapter in their mutual development with their hometown. As the host of this forum, we innovatively used green electricity to supply power, the first such attempt in the nation. This forum, themed on “New Leadership, New Hub and New Chapter”, sincerely welcomes Hunan entrepreneurs and business elites from around the world to embrace a new future and a new era in Hunan and Huaihua!
Huaihua is an important node city of the national strategy of the new western land-sea corridor and the great international land-sea trade corridor, a gateway city for central China to integrate into the new western land-sea corridor, and the permanent site for the Hunan RCEP Economic and Trade Expo. Currently, we are thoroughly studying and implementing the guiding principles from the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee as well as General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important remarks and instructions during his visits to Hunan. In line with the decisions and plans of CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and People’s Government of Hunan Province, we implement the “three highlands and four new missions” vision and the “five new missions and four orientations” strategy. In the first half of the year, the growth rate of Huaihua’s major economic indicators was higher than the provincial average. We ranked first in Hunan Province in terms of the growth rate of fixed asset investment, foreign trade import and export, and per capita disposable income of all residents. We are embracing the important opportunity for development.
We make all-out efforts to promote the integrated development of port, industry and city. We have initially developed a new model of opening up that “relies on the new western land-sea corridor and the great international land-sea trade corridor, connects the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean and serves domestic and international economic flows”. Since the beginning of the year, Huaihua International Land Port has launched 673 international trains with direct connections to 43 countries and regions, and the number of such trains will exceed 1,000 by the end of the year. We have entered a new stage of bolstering high-quality development with high-level opening up.
Based on the “4×4” modern industrial system proposed by CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and People’s Government of Hunan Province, we redouble efforts to develop 10 industrial chains including new display, TCM, and bag & leatherware, with focus on five leading industries. We comprehensively deepen reforms in all fields and fully advance law-based government administration, in a bid to foster a first-class, market-oriented, law-based and international business environment. Last year, we ranked first in Hunan Province in the law-based business environment evaluation, survey on sense of security of the public and city credit index. Investment promotion shows strong momentum. This year, we have introduced 218 projects with entrepreneurs returning to Hunan, with a total investment of RMB68.5 billion, including 14 projects of enterprises included in the Fortune 500, China 500 and top 500 private enterprise lists. We have initially established a new image of an open, inclusive and vibrant city.
We sincerely invite entrepreneurs to come to this blessed land, where you can benefit from favorable national and provincial strategies, ride the wave of opening up, and appreciate beautiful scenery, dense folkway and splendid cultural heritage. The Mid-Autumn Festival is around the corner. At this very moment, I would like to share with you the sincere expectations and blessings of the Huaihua people. We hope to meet you in Hunan and Huaihua. We hope you understand, support and invest in Huaihua to contribute to its revival. We will do our best to welcome Hunan entrepreneurs, serve merchants and achieve mutual development with full life cycle services.
We share the luminance of the moon despite any distance. I sincerely wish you a prosperous career, a happy reunion and good luck!
(Translated by Professor Yu Jie)