The northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang hosted the 18th conference of the World Winter Cities Association for Mayors for the second time. Delegates from 48 cities renewed their determination to collaborate across borders.
“We are called winter cities and we want to make lives better,” said Jiang Youwei, the mayor of Shenyang, during his welcome speech.
The mayor also said that Shenyang has been aiming to groom its business environment to become more open to foreign investors.
The mayor hoped that this, in turn, could make the city a more important hub for northeast Asia.
Initially, the conference was organized among cities in colder regions. But this year, a delegation from Africa attended.
Esther M. Mbayo, the minister for the presidency in Uganda, attended this year's mayors' conference. It was originally organized for cities in colder regions to solve winter issues, but now it serves as a platform for wide discussion on cooperation. /CGTN Photo
“I am sure the conference will be a vehicle that allows Chinese investors and leaders across the world to interact and share views,” said Esther M. Mbayo, Uganda's minister for the presidency.
Economic globalization is one of this year's key topics. Investors hope Chinese cities like Shenyang continue to open up and welcome foreign businesses.
“Shenyang, as a manufacturing base for China, has been closely working with German companies. I think firms from Germany as well as Europe are determined to work with cities like Shenyang,” said Jurgen Eberbach, vice chairman of the German-Chinese Friendship Association.
Jurgen Eberbach [R], the vice chairman for the German-Chinese Friendship Association, speaks with CGTN in Shenyang's New World Expo Center. /CGTN Photo
While the US-China trade tension continues to hamper the global political climate, firms like ProLogis, one of the largest US logistics providers, showed their confidence in working with China.
After investing over 100 million US dollars in Shenyang last year, the firm signed another billion-dollar deal with the city during the conference.
“We've been here for 15 years and we are going to be here for decades to come and invest billions and billions of dollars into China's logistics infrastructure,” said Ben Cornish, the China president for ProLogis.
Ben Cornish [L], the China president for ProLogis, speaks with CGTN after signing a deal with the city of Shenyang. The deal will lead to almost 1 billion US dollars in investment by ProLogis into the city for the next three years. /CGTN Photo
ProLogis' China operation has not been impacted much by the ongoing trade spat as the firm focuses heavily on China's domestic consumption.
Cornish points out that his firm is proactively working with the Belt and Road initiative to link its Chinese centers with Europe
He says Shenyang is an important part of that plan.
By doing so, the firm is expecting billions and billions of dollars in return by bringing European goods into China.