Huang Xinchu stated that in recent years, Chengdu and the UK have carried out fruitful exchanges and cooperation in numerous fields, and the UK has become one of the European countries with the closest ties to our city. Last October, I visited the UK, touring London and Cambridge, and everywhere I went and everyone I met left a deep impression on me. In December, Prime Minister Cameron visited Chengdu, which effectively enhanced Chengdu's visibility and influence in the UK, deepened the friendly cooperative relationship between Chengdu and the UK, and laid a solid foundation for future cooperation between the two sides.
Huang Xinchu noted that Chengdu is a center for science, technology, commerce, finance, transportation, and communications in Southwest China. It is the city in Central and Western China with the most foreign consulates and the most international air routes, and it is the "fourth city" to implement the 72-hour visa-free transit policy. After more than 30 years of reform and opening up, and especially following the successful hosting of the Fortune Global Forum and the World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention, Chengdu's level of internationalization, openness, and influence have continuously improved. Its favorable environment for opening up and development has attracted an increasing number of investors, and currently, 252 Fortune Global 500 companies have established operations here. More than 80 British companies, including Standard Chartered, Jardine Matheson, and HSBC, have invested and developed in Chengdu, and over 700 enterprises in our city have direct economic and trade ties with the UK. In particular, the opening of the direct flight route between Chengdu and London has not only shortened the distance between the two cities but also helped promote friendly exchanges between Chengdu, Sichuan, and even Western China with the UK. We hope that both sides will take this visit as an opportunity to further strengthen cooperation in areas such as economy, trade, education, healthcare, and culture on the basis of existing good cooperation. We sincerely invite more British companies to invest and develop in Chengdu, and we will provide production, living, and government services that are in line with international standards to achieve a win-win situation for both corporate development and urban progress.
Lord Wei said, "I have visited Chengdu many times, and each time I come, I can clearly feel the tremendous changes in the city's development, and I have always been left with wonderful impressions. On this trip, my main purpose is to facilitate cooperation between the two sides in international education and healthcare, so as to better serve international enterprises investing here, international friends working here, and the people of Chengdu. I hope that both sides will further promote comprehensive and pragmatic cooperation to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results."
City leaders Zhu Zhihong and Yang Wei attended the meeting.
