Qianhai people inspired by Xi speech

Writer: Chang Zhipeng  |  Editor: Holly Wang  |  From: Shenzhen Daily  |  Updated: 2020-10-16

Officials with the Qianhai authority and entrepreneurs based in the free trade area said they have been inspired by a speech delivered by President Xi Jinping at a grand gathering marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Qianhai on Wednesday morning.

Xi hailed Shenzhen’s development over the past four decades as “a miracle in the world development history” in his speech and said that the achievement Qianhai made in the past 10 years has been the result of its pioneering spirit and commitment to innovation.

Zheng Hongjie, former director of Qianhai Cooperation Zone Authority, said that President Xi holds high expectations and demands for Qianhai as he did during his previous two visits to the free trade area. He attended Xi’s previous speeches delivered during his two visits to Qianhai in 2012 and 2018, respectively.  

“Qianhai should spare no efforts to deepen reform and opening up in its pursuit of a quality development, as urged by Xi in his speech,” Zheng said.

Dong Feng, general manager of Qianhai Mercantile Exchange, said that Qianhai and Shenzhen should stick to innovation and Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation in the future development. Economic development driven by innovation is sustainable and the application of emerging technologies such as Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and blockchain are vital to achieving a high-quality development during the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, he said.

Qianhai has been positioned as an experimental zone to enhance Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation in various sectors including finance and high technology. Over the past few years, Qianhai has introduced a number of preferential policies to attract Hong Kong investments and talents to the free trade area.

Chan Seng is among the first batch of Hong Kong entrepreneurs to seek development in Qianhai. He set up a high-tech firm in Qianhai and now is running two entrepreneurship bases in Shenzhen.

In 2018, Chan was received by Xi as one of the representatives of Hong Kong entrepreneurs in Qianhai and Shenzhen.

He said he has more confidence in the future of Qianhai and Shenzhen after listening to Xi’s speech Wednesday. “I will share with more Hong Kongers the successful entrepreneurial stories in Qianhai and attract more youths from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan to work and start a business in here.”