After the PPRD forum concludes, the 11 leaders attend the press conference and all of them express they will bring their own advantages into full play in the cooperation.

The press conference starts with a speech made by Zhong Yangsheng, director of the organization committee of PPRD regional cooperation and development forum, Executive Vice Governor of Guangdong Province.

The 11 leaders show their enthusiasm towards to PPRD cooperation and manifest they will bring their own advantages into full play in this biggest-ever regional cooperation project.

Following is details of the press conference (Part of)
Zhong: The first section of PPRD Forum is a milestone

The first session of Pan-PRD Regional Development and Cooperation Forum is a milestone that marks the cooperation in PPRD entering a phase of practice, expresses Zhong Yangsheng, at his closing report this afternoon.

He points out that the forum has made achievements in the following six aspects:
1. Representatives carried out thorough discussion and finally reach an agreement on the objectives and significance of the cooperation in PPRD;
2. An agreement has been reached that the forum is to held annually in a form of co-sponsoring and undertaking-by-turn to promote the regional cooperation;
3. A multi-level mechanism of Pan-PRD regional cooperation has been established;
4. The forum has put forward a developing plan for the whole as well as specific industries in PPRD with a view of state level;
5. The forum has also created an new mode of regional cooperation and development;
6. With a large number of media reporting, the forum greatly enlarges the influence of PPRD.

The forum is to strongly promote the forming of PPRD regional cooperation under the circumstances of economic globalization and regional integration as well as a new round of international industrial restructuring and transferring, says Mr. Zhong, ending his speech.

Q: (to Huang Huahua, Governor of Guangdong Province) Why did Guangdong raise the concept of Pan-Pearl River Delta? What role does Guangdong play in the regional cooperation?

A: The concept comes out from experiences we have gained on cooperation of Pearl River Delta and Greater Pearl River Delta. The reasons we raise the concept are as following three:

First, Guangdong believes the members' economy are complementary to each other in PPRD area because of industrial diversity.

Second, the regional cooperation could help reallocation of the resources of eastern, western and central China, which helps to realize sustainable development.

Third, the regional cooperation is to promote the implementation of CEPA to help Hong Kong and Macao maintaining their prosperity.

As pioneer of economic development in China, Guangdong contributes to jointly develop this area, meanwhile, Guangdong aims to be an important manufacturing base in the world.

CCTV: (to Tung Chee-hwa, Chief Executive of HK SAR) Hong Kong's development is always catching people's attention. So after communicating with the leaders of the '9+2' provinces/regions, how do you define Hong Kong's role in Pan-Pearl River Delta? What do you think this regional cooperation will bring to Hong Kong?

Tung: In the cooperation, Hong Kong will be an active participator, leading PPRD's enterprises to enter the world market by taking Hong Kong' s advantage as being regional financial and logistics center and being highly internationalized and open. We are willing to contribute to the economic development of Pan Pearl River Delta.

As for the good the cooperation will bring to Hong Kong, PPRD will surely bring more opportunities for investment for Hong Kong, provide development space for various sectors in Hong Kong as finance, service, logistics. Pan-Pearl River Delta will bring more impetus to Hong Kong is its economic recovery. And Hong Kong, with its own advantage, will help to accelerate the development of mainland 9 provinces/ regions.

People's Daily: (to Ho Hau-wah, Chief Executive of Macao SAR) Being the bridge for boosting trade between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, through what way can Macao contribute to PPRD development?

Ho: From last year, the trade forum between China and Portuguese-speaking countries will be held every 3 years, organized by central government and coordinated by Macao SAR. The trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries will be enhanced in the future. As we all know, Portuguese-speaking countries are a giant market with great radiation in markets as Europe, Africa and South America. What's more, these countries are mostly developing ones, with great potential in cooperating with China in technologic exchange and investment, etc. Macao is willing to serve as a platform for China and these countries in their economic exchanges. Now as we join the '9+2' cooperation with a role 'gaming and tourism center' played, we are to develop an interactive business platform, bringing great business opportunities to '9+2' members.

'9+2' members have their own advantages and have a good prospective in technology exchanges. And Macao will surely make its effort in better the exchange between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. For further information, please consult our information department. We are glad to offer you detailed materials.

Q: (to Zhou Bohua, Governor of Hunan Province) What is Hunan's advantage in PPRD cooperation?
Zhou: Hunan, being the communication hub, has established a business relationship with other PPRD members for a long time. When these cooperation are upgraded to provincial-level, say the launching of PPRD cooperation, it will surely sharpen the competitiveness of the whole region in international arena.

Hunan has three advantages in cooperation:
1) Resource, Hunan is home to color metals, with its alloy very famous in international market. It plays an important role in the country's metal industry. Besides, its machinery is also worth mentioning. Hunan's State Own Enterprises(SOE) now needs the injection of professionals, technology and capital from Hong Kong, Macao and Guangdong or foreign countries.
2) Abundant human resource. Hunan ranks 1st in China for its human resource and cereal production. We would make effort to build ourselves into an agricultural production base, providing quality foods for Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.
3) Tourism Resource, Hunan has a series of great places of interest, attracting lots of tourists. These resources will help us to make a stand in international competition.

Q: (to Huang Zhiquan, Governor of Jiangxi Province) how to enhance cooperation in Pan-PRD area? To Huang Huahua, what are the achievements of this Forum and how do you think about it.

Huang Zhiquan: By now, a total of 3201 enterprises from Guangdong have settled in Jiangxi, accounting for 50% of the total of Jiangxi. The investment from Guangdong reached 29.3 billion yuan, a quarter of the total in Jiangxi. And around 56% foreign investment is from Hong Kong and Macao. Guangdong and the 2 SARs are the major trade partners of Jiangxi.

Jiangxi is to enhance cooperation in the PPRD area by meeting CEPA opportunities, meanwhile, Jiangxi will serve as bridge to connect the region with Yangtz River Delta and Min River Delta.

Huang Huahua: The biggest achievement of the Forum is that all of the members have reached the common understanding and sign the Pan-PRD Regional Cooperation Frame Agreement. The agreement will guide future regional cooperation.

Q:  (to Yang Daoxi, Vice chairman of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region) The China ASEAN Expo will be held in Nanning, Guangxi Province this November. What is the significance of the regional cooperation in PPRD for the promotion of cooperation in the China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone?

Yang: The China ASEAN Expo, featuring the cooperation and exchanges in investment, as trade and culture, is aimed to promote the economic and trade cooperation between China and ASEAN. At the same time, it will also promote the cooperation and communication between the PPRD region and the ASEAN, offering a new opportunity for PPRD to strengthen its regional competitiveness.

Q: (to Huang Xiaojing, Executive Vice Governor of Fujian Province) Fujian has great advantage in its geographic location, neighboring Taiwan and close to Hong Kong and Macao, with Yangzi River to its north and Pearl River Delta to its south. After signing the PPRD cooperation agreement, how Fujian will make use of its geographic location to expand its development space?

Huang: Geared up by the forum, we would like to further the cooperation with other provinces/regions in PPRD. Under the trend of economic globalization and integration, it is necessary for us to enhance and expand regional cooperation. Fujian has set its target: establish an economic zone in Taiwan straits. The forum means a lot to us.
In macro aspects, Fujian wins more cooperation within the PPRD region, accelerating flows of capital, information and the exchange between enterprises.
And it also helps in highway network construction. Now a coastline highway has been finished, shortening the drive tour from Fuzhou to Shenzhen to only 7 hours.

The highways, which are expected to open at the end of this year, will connect Fujian with Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou, and the cargos of these provinces can be shipped in Xiamen port. We welcome you all to invest in Fujian's coastline and ports.

As for railway, the railway connecting us with east Guangdong is under planning. A railway network will be formed to connect members in the PPRD to each other. This is not only a planning. All of our plan will be realized.

We appreciate Hong Kong and Macao for their FDI in Fujian. They share 70% of total FDI in our province. And we would like to absorb more Hong Kong and Macao professional for our economic construction. And we also like to attract more logistic enterprises to invest in Fujian.

Q: (To Wei Liucheng, Governor of Hainan Province) how to enhance tourism cooperation by utilizing Yunnan rich resources?

Wei: Hainan will take its advantages of environment, tourism resources and policies to boost the tourism cooperation. The latest state approval on aviation enable Hong Kong and Macao flight to stop in Yunnan and transfer to all cities except Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in China. This brings great aviation business opportunity to Yunnan.

At present, Hainan's economy is in the period of health development. We believe that enhancement of tourism resources exploitation will benefit the tourism cooperation.

Q: (to Zhang Zhongwei, Governor of Sichuan Province) How is Sichuan, as a province with distinct feature of the western China, to exert its own advantages in the regional cooperation of PPRD?

A: As a member of PPRD region, Sichuan will sincerely follow the agreement and strengthen its cooperation with other members for the whole development of the region.

In the cooperation of PPRD, Sichuan have advantages in the following three aspects:
1. A large market for investment;
2. Abundant labor resources;
3. Rich in both natural and historical resources

Under the circumstances of economic globalization, Sichuan will have some changes in its economic developing strategy to bring its advantage in resources into full play while facing both the international and domestic market.

Several aspects are particularly essential:
1. Active participation of enterprises;
2. Start-up of projects, especially the projects of basic facilities;
3. Promotion of central government and support of railway system.

Q: (to Xu Rongkai, Governor of Yunnan Province) Yunnan enjoys a favorable geographic position in the Sino-ASEAN free trade zone. How can Yunnan make full use of it in PPRD cooperation?

Xu: Yunnan is the silk road in South China bordering ASEAN countries. In the construction of Sino-ASEAN FTZ, Yunnan is taken as an important province by central government.

Transportation is on top of our task list in cooperation with ASEAN. The Kunming-Singapore railway, part of the Pan-Asia railway will start construction soon. The Kunming-Bangkok railway is under construction. And the expansion of Yunnan-Laos highway is undertaken by out country, which will start off soon.

We have build up a platform, a Sino-ASEAN trade fair, for business negotiation between China, southeast and south Asia. We cooperate with ASEAN country in education, technology, professional training, sanitation, etc.

Yunnan is confident in boosting the cooperation between Pan-Pearl River Delta and ASEAN countries in the social and economic aspects.

As ASEAN and PPRD both own abundant tourism resource, we may tie up and seek development together.

One thing to mention, many journalists do not understand why Yunnan is one of Pan-Pearl River Delta members. I would like to tell you Pearl River originates in Qujing city, Yunnan.

Q: to Shi Xiushi: how does Guizhou Province strengthen the cooperation, especially for neighboring Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Yunnan Province?

Shi: According to the state strategic of transferring electricity from western to eastern China, Guizhou should provide 400 million kw for Guangdong Province and will double the volume until 2010.

As an important energy base, Guizhou will enhance coal exploitation to meet the demand of other provinces/regions, especially for Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Yunnan Province.

At the end of the press conference, Tung Chee Hwa, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR, expresses high appraisal for this PPRD forum, which is promoted by Guangdong Province and supported by central government and related departments.

Editor: Donald