Guangzhou has been a famous international commercial port for hundreds of years in Southeast Asia. It is now a member of the International Metropolis Society.

Guangzhou has set up a sister relationship with a dozen of overseas cities. Full of modern vigor, Guangzhou is being constructed into a modernized international city, fully open to the outside world and eager to develop closer relations with the different parts of the world. It is precisely its broad-mindedness that allows Guangzhou to become a modern center for logistics, economy, culture, politics and a hub of communication of Guangdong Province.

Due to its robust commercial environment, Guangzhou is very attractive to overseas businessmen. 158 giants from the Global 500, including IBM, Compaq, Lucent, Dupont, Intel, Xerox, Hitachi, Ricoh, Toshiba, Sanyo, DEC, Mitsui, Siemens, Samsung, Wal Mart, Northern Telecom, Philips and Alcatel have already settled down here. Of the 727 R&D organizations founded in the city, over 90% are supported by enterprises in expenditures and personnel. In addition, local hi-tech enterprises have set up joint laboratories with more than 130 universities and institutions.

In recent years, many high-tech hot spots have been established, such as Guangzhou Science Park, Guangzhou Software Park, Guangzhou International Biological Island, Guangzhou Photon Valley and Guangzhou International Enterprises Incubator. Preferential policies have also been put in place to foster high-tech growth. Since the new horizons of the international Internet provide new technological means for strengthening international relations, the municipal government would like to take the lead in making use of these means for Guangzhou's future development and benefit. An on-line government is under construction.

Editor: Catherine