Guangdong's rise impresses, inspires ambassadors

Jaime FlorCruz arrived in China in 1971 as a young Philippine student to undertake a three-week journey across the country.

Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong province was one of the stops on his travels. At that time, the city was little more than a fishing village. Within a few decades, however, he has seen Shenzhen develop into a global center for innovation, advanced manufacturing, technology, finance, and entrepreneurship.

During his visit in June, FlorCruz, now Philippine ambassador to China, reflected on the extraordinary transformation of the city into a leading global technology and innovation hub.

"Today, it is not only a symbol of China's reform and opening-up, but also a demonstration of what vision, experimentation and long-term commitment can achieve," he said.

FlorCruz, a former journalist, said his introduction to China via Guangdong was the start of a lifelong journey learning about, reporting on, and engaging with the country.

He was one of 60 diplomats from 37 countries who visited Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhongshan and Zhuhai in Guangdong last month.

The visit allowed them to witness the province's innovation ecosystem through technology giants, advanced manufacturing companies, renewable energy enterprises, rural vitalization and the engineering marvel of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

For many of the diplomats, Guangdong is more than China's largest provincial economy. During the five-day visit to the four cities, they also witnessed what they called a clear vision for the future that combines technological innovation, sustainable development, cultural heritage, and international cooperation.