Originated in 1999, the International Consultative Conference on Future Economic Development of Guangdong is a high level international consultative conference initiated by Guangdong Provincial Government. The conference aims at listening to the Governor's economic advisors' opinions on and suggestions to Guangdong's economic development and modernization drive. It also aims at enhancing the link and cooperation between Guangdong and transnational companies and world famous educational and scientific research institutes. It displays Guangdong's image of reform and opening up and its favorable investment environment. From 1999 to 2001, three plenary sessions of the First International Consultative Conference were successfully convened. The themes of three sessions are "World Scientific and Technological Advancement and Guangdong's Industrial Restructuring", " Probes of Guangdong's Modernization Channels", and "Economic Globalization and Guangdong" respectively.

Guangdong Provincial Government has spoken highly of the First International Consultative Conference, which, in our opinion, has fulfilled the expected purpose and produced positive results.

First, the advisors' opinions and suggestions have helped us gain the latest ideas of the frontiers of world economic development. The advisors of the First International Consultative Conference had submitted a total of 69 consultative reports to Guangdong Province, elaborating on the latest ideas and thoughts of the world economy, industrial development, and enterprise operation. These have become an important window for us to understand the world and follow the track of the international economic development. These new ideas and thoughts are conducive to widening our horizon and improving our scientific decision-making capacity. They are of high referential value for us to consider and formulate social and economic development policies, map out our development strategies and improve the investment environment. Guangdong Provincial Government has meticulously sorted out, studied and evaluated the recommendations made by the advisors. Many of them have been assimilated, adopted and implemented by the Provincial Government in related plans, policies and projects.

Second, the International Consultative Conference has become an effective mechanism for the direct communication between Guangdong and the advisors' institutions, which has promoted bilateral exchanges and cooperation. The communicative and cooperative channel and mechanism established by the International Consultative Conference is a kind of very direct, valuable and effective resources. In the past few years, such a mechanism greatly has promoted the exchanges and cooperation between the competent departments, educational and scientific research institutions and enterprises of Guangdong Province and the advisors' institutions. It is through such a mechanism that the advisors and the advisors' institutions have had much deeper understanding of Guangdong and that the cooperation between the advisors' institutions and Guangdong has been enhanced. At the same time, large-scale economic and trade activities held by Guangdong Province in Europe, the United States and Japan have received hearty support from the advisors' institutions. Apparently, through the International Consultative Conference, the substantial cooperation between Guangdong and the advisors' institutions has achieved outstanding results.

Third, the International Consultative Conference has raised the reputation of Guangdong and the advisors' institutions both at home and abroad. The development achievements of Guangdong and the world influences of the advisors' institutions have made the International Consultative Conference the concern of the mainstay mass media both at home and abroad. The International Consultative Conference has become one of the activities within Guangdong that have attracted the most domestic and international mass media and reporters. It has become an important medium for the world to better understand Guangdong and for Guangdong to go global more quickly.

Today, we are holding the first plenary session of the Second International Consultative Conference on Future Economic Development of Guangdong. The term of office for the current advisors will expire at the end of the year 2005. In the second half of 2005, we will convene the second plenary session of the economic advisors to the Governor.

The theme of this conference is "International Competitiveness and Guangdong's Development". Besides the private sessions today, the advisors will attend other activities such as seminars, forums and speeches on how to upgrade the competitiveness of industries and enterprises tomorrow morning.

I wish the conference a complete success!

Thank you.

Editor: Wings