Province rolls out red carpet for investors By Te Kan (China Daily) Updated: 2006-06-16 11:37
Heilongjiang Province, the utmost northern province in the country with the
lowest temperatures in winter, will become a hotspot for attracting investment,
said a top economist from Taiwan Province.
Speaking at the third World
Summit of Chinese Entrepreneurs Organizations, which concluded yesterday in
Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Vincent C. Siew,
chairman of the Cross-Straits Common Market Foundation and a renowned professor
at the National Chengchi University (NCCU) in Taiwan, spoke highly of the
province's huge investment potential and called for the Chinese entrepreneurs
not to miss the opportunity to become involved with the
province.
"Heilongjiang Province was among the first to adopt a planned
economy, but was one of the last converted to a market economy in the country,"
Siew said. "Thus, the lateness in adopting a market economy also means huge
opportunities."
"As one of the country's old industrial bases, the
province's sound industrial foundation and abundant natural resources are its
unique magnets for attracting more investment," he added.
"Regional
advantages of the province, which is near the Far East region of Russia, the
Republic of Korea and Japan, also adds to its appeal of being an ideal
destination for investment," he said.
More than 400 domestic and overseas
Chinese entrepreneurs from 86 trade organizations in 26 countries and regions in
the world took part in the three-day event, which started on
Tuesday.
Shen Danyang, vice-president of the International Trade and
Economic Research Institute under the Ministry of Commerce, shares Siew's
view.
The central and western regions as well as the old industrial bases
in Northeast China are becoming new hotspots in attracting investment from
overseas Chinese entrepreneurs, with their foreign direct investment (FDI)
growth surpassing the national average last year, Shen said.
Abundant
natural resources, a good manufacturing basis, large numbers of efficient
technicians, and low labour costs in the region will prove to be advantages in
the near future, he said.
"The country's strategy to revitalize old
industrial bases in northeast region also gave a boost to Northeast China to
improve its investment environment," Shen said.
Shen said overseas
Chinese entrepreneurs are the real backbone in contributing investment to
China.
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