Guangzhou Nansha Development Zone is heating up for investors.

During a three-day international symposium on harbour-related industrial projects, the zone inked agreements for nine projects involving a total capital input of 5.59 billion yuan (US$673.61 million).

The International Symposium on Guangzhou Harbour-Related Industrial Base, which ends today (August 8th), is sponsored by the municipal government of Guangzhou. The symposium aims to make Guangzhou Nansha Development Zone better known among investors and to seek co-operative ties with potential investors, particularly those specializing in harbour-related industries.

During the three days the zone also put into operation eight projects worth 650 million yuan (US$78.31 million) and broke ground for 20 projects entailing a cumulative capital input of over 4.15 billion yuan (US$500 million).

Most of the projects are related to infrastructure, machinery, petrochemicals, electronics, environmental protection, logistics and real estate.

Chen Mingde, vice-mayor of Guangzhou, attributed the growing popularity of Nansha among domestic and foreign investors to the area's geographic advantages and the redoubled efforts of the Guangzhou municipal government to create a harbour-related industrial base.

Chen said Nansha's location at the core of the flourishing Pearl River Delta region gives it every advantage for the development of such harbour-related industries as petrochemicals, shipbuilding, iron and steel, and machinery.

The municipal government has also increased efforts to improve the investment climate of the zone and to secure maximum investment, he added.

According to Luo Zhaoci, deputy director-general of the zone's headquarters, the local infrastructure has witnessed an astonishing facelift over the past year (2002) in terms of roads, ports, and the supply of power and water.

Governmental working efficiency has been greatly enhanced while favourable policies have been well applied, Luo added.

In the past year the zone has secured 36 domestic-invested projects involving 4 billion yuan (US$481.93 million) and 18 overseas-invested projects involving US$152 million.

A total of 249 overseas-funded projects have been established since Nansha was officially founded in 1993.

Editor: Catherine