Speech at the Press Conference of the 2005 International Consultative Conference on the Future Economic Development of Guangdong Province

By Mr. Huang Huahua, Governor of Guangdong
(Nov 17th, 2005)

Dear friends from the media, ladies and gentlemen,

I am very glad to meet journalist friends here with my economic advisors after the successful conclusion of the Closed-door Conference of the 2005 International Consultative Conference on the Future Economic Development of Guangdong Province. On behalf of the People's Government of Guangdong, I'd like to extend my warm welcome and sincere thanks to all the journalist friends who have come to report this conference.

The just concluded Closed-door Conference was very successful and productive. I chaired the conference which was attended by 12 advisors, 12 observers, and 5 vice governors of Guangdong. Also present at the conference were leading officials from the concerning departments of the Guangdong Government, mayors of the prefecture level cities in Guangdong and senior members of the advisory organizations. We carried out heated discussion at the meeting concerning the topics of "Sustainable Development of Industries: Technological Innovation and Upgrading of Guangdong's Industries", "Sustainable Development of Ecology: Circular Economy and Construction of Green Guangdong", "Sustainable Development of Society: Education Development and Development of Human Resources". The advisors proposed many valuable ideas and suggestions in areas such as improving Guangdong's self-innovative capability through experience of technology innovation, accelerating Guangdong's optimization of industrial structure through the receiving the industrial transfer of the world, and developing the human resource of Guangdong through technical and vocational training. After the conference, we will make an in-depth study and research on advisors' reports and speeches at the Closed-door conference which will then become the reference of our decision-making on important matters.

We have achieved the following three major results in the Closed-door Conference:

Firstly, we broadened our vision and boosted our confidence through communication with the advisors at the conference. The advisors made profound analysis on the topic of Guangdong's sustainable development in both their advisory reports and in their speeches at the conference and brought about new concepts, ideas and proposals from the global perspective and their own profession. For instance, they proposed the ideas like "draw a series of plans to actively upgrade Guangdong's manufacturing industries from 'made in China' to 'designed in China' ", "timely modify the proportion of higher education and vocational training and increase investment in training senior technicians and engineers who acquires the basic capability of innovation", "improve the efficiency of vocational schools by enlarging their scale through merging", "set an environmental protection target which is not only higher than the national standard, but also reaches the highest level in the world", "encourage the development of those enterprises with a global vision", "formulate a balanced water plan for the whole province and set up pilot secondary water treatment plant". All these ideas and suggestions not only greatly enlightened us, but also strongly suggested that with the solid foundation laid down by more than 20 years reform and opening-up and with the support and concern of the advisors and their representing companies and organizations, we have every reason to believe in the successful breaking of the bottleneck of resource and constraint of environment so as to achieve sustainable development. We will make greater stride in our undertakings of building a moderately well-off society and taking the lead in realizing basic modernization.

Secondly, we deepened our friendship and further enhanced our cooperation through the discussions. The advisors introduced us a lot of valuable experience and development strategies of their own organizations and their home countries without reservation at the Closed-door Conference. It demonstrated their concern and support on the sustainable development of Guangdong. At the same time, we also shared with them our understanding, hope and ideas on Guangdong's sustainable social and economic development. We enhanced understanding, deepened friendship and strengthened cooperation through communication. A couple of advisors also expressed their wish of expanding cooperation with Guangdong. Siemens hopes to strengthen cooperation with Guangdong in areas of highly efficient public transportation system, water treatment and environment protection. Marubeni hopes to facilitate Guangdong in environmental infrastructures construction like Secondary water treatment. EDF expressed their wish to establish long-term strategic partnership with Guangdong. I am convinced that through the platform of the international consultative conference, the communication and cooperation between Guangdong and multi-national companies and famous institutions will reach a higher level.

Thirdly, we well-exhibited the new image of Guangdong through the conference. In the closed-door conference, Executive Vice Governor Zhong Yangsheng, Vice Governor Xu Deli and Vice Governor Xie Qianghua made introductory remarks respectively on our ideas, targets and measures on promoting self-innovation and upgrading industrial level, on developing circular economy and building Green Guangdong, and on developing education and tapping human resources. They also expressed Guangdong's strong resolution and pragmatic attitude on building a harmonious province and realizing the sustainable development of the economy and society. The choice of the theme of this conference and the introductory speeches of the vice governors showed the advisors, their representing companies and the international community a province that highly values innovation, encourages innovation and braves in innovation, a province loves nature, protects the environment and pursues harmony, and a province that emphasizes education, reveres knowledge and respects talents.

Here, through the press, I'd like to express my most sincere gratitude to all the advisors for your hard work, your insight and wisdom. This is the last plenary meeting of the 2nd International Consultative Conference on the Future Economic Development of Guangdong Province. Considering the active role the International Consultative Conference plays in the economic development of Guangdong, the People's Government of Guangdong decides to carry on the mechanism of the conference. Concerning departments will start preparing for the next conference after the conclusion of this one.

Lastly, I'd like to thank all the friends from the media for your participation and reporting the conference!

Editor: Donald