NAKAMURA SHINGO, President of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Guangzhou and General Manager of the Guangzhou Branch of the Mizuho Bank. (Photo by Zhu Qingqi)

This week Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao staged a joint promotion for the first time in Japan regarding the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), aiming to boost cooperation between the GBA and Japan.

Long before the Development Plan Outline for the GBA was released in February, the GBA had already established close economic ties with Japan over the past decades. NAKAMURA SHINGO, President of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Guangzhou and General Manager of the Guangzhou Branch of the Mizuho Bank, gave Southcn.com and Newsgd.com an exclusive interview, sharing his expectations for the cooperation between the GBA and Japan.

Keep a close eye on GBA’s innovation and entrepreneurship

Shingo said that he has kept a close eye on the development of the GBA since the concept was first raised in a Government Work Report several years ago, as he was immediately convinced the area had great potential in Asia and worldwide.

Shingo also explained that Mizuho Bank has a WeChat group containing all the executives from branches in China, and every day members enthusiastically share news and information about the GBA, particularly concerning economy and finance.

Mizuho Financial Group is only one example. Shingo said that the whole country is watching the GBA, with a special interest in innovation and entrepreneurship. Shenzhen has become a buzzword in Japan, and many people in commerce and business have expressed their wish to visit the city.

Preferential policies set the GBA apart from other regions

What is Japan most looking forward to from the GBA? Shingo believes preferential policies that differentiate the GBA from other regions in China will be a significant advantage. These policies will facilitate the flow of talent, materials and capital within the GBA, and allow more Japanese products and services to enter the GBA market.

Shingo also indicated that even though three major carmakers from Japan, Toyota, Honda and Nissan, have all established production facilities in Guangdong, their R&D and product design centers are all located elsewhere, for example Beijing or Shanghai.

The GBA could trial policies aimed at enticing those manufacturers to move their R&D or design center to the region, which could be a positive impetus for Guangdong’s car-making industry, Shinigo went on to add.

Furthermore, representatives from the aviation industry have proposed that Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport could become a transportation hub in Asia. The airport should continue to add more international routes, since in terms of passenger and goods flow there is still a gulf between Guangzhou and Hong Kong or Shanghai.

Attract transnational companies’ Asia-Pacific headquarters

Shingo insisted that effective promotion of the GBA is key to attracting investment from Japan, and the GBA’s position as a pillar of the Belt and Road Initiative could be a huge draw for Japanese enterprises.

Since many transnational companies now choose to locate their Asia-Pacific Headquarters in Singapore, Shingo urged the GBA to stress its locational advantages and global prominence, in order that it attract transnational companies to relocate their Asia-Pacific headquarters to the region.

Supervisor: Liu Jianneng

Planner: Tang Lina, Zhang Ying, Men Lili, Li Miaojuan

Reporter: Liu Jianneng, Li Miaojuan, Zhu Qingqi, Hu Nan

Editor: Olivia, Simon