By Jelly Musico
ZHUHAI CITY -- An official of Yuren Agricultural Aviation showed to the
visiting foreign journalists how their agricultural drones are being used to
spray fertilizer and to monitor crops.
Yuren was just one of the many big companies that took opportunity to
promote their products during the recently-concluded 21st Century Maritime Silk
Road Forum on international communication and Guangdong companies going global
in Zhuhai City.
Jeff Yi, overseas sales director of the company, said the Belt and Road
Initiative is a grand platform to expand business abroad particularly in
countries covered by the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) bloc.
In the Philippines, Yi said one client from Davao bought agricultural
drones from them to spray banana plantation.
“We are hoping to expand our business in the Philippines and other
Southeast Asia countries,” Yi said.
He said a company in Thailand bought 200 units of agricultural drones
while Selangor Fruit and Vegetable Trade Union in Malaysia is expected to buy
300 units from Yuren next year.
Guangdong, located in the southernmost part of mainland China, has
irreplaceable geographical advantage as China’s Belt and Road maritime gateway
to Southeast Asia and other parts of the world.
“Taking the forum as a platform, Guangdong will make better use of its
advantages as a hub in the Belt and Road Initiative to facilitate exchanges and
promote development with countries along the maritime silk road,” Zheng
Yanxiong, executive deputy director of publicity department of Guangdong
province said.
Guangdong ranked first among all China provinces in terms of gross
domestic product (GDP) for the last 28 years with GDP hitting RMB7.95 trillion
in 2016.
According to Ministry of
Commerce data, Guangdong’s actual investment in the Belt and Road countries
reached USD4 trillion in 2016 or a 65.3 percent increase from previous year.
Foreign journalists, mostly from South Asia and Southeast Asia, visited
some of Guangdong's big companies like Gree Electric Appliances Inc., Ninestar
Corporation, BY-HEALTH and Jinwan Smart Manufacturing Corporation.
Journalists also visited Pearl River Piano Co., and Baiyunshan
Chenliji, a pharmaceutical company which holds Guinness World Record as the
oldest operating pharmaceutical company with 417 years history, in Guangzhou.
Pearl River Piano vice manager said they have sold over two million
pianos since 2001, including 135,000 in 2001.
“We are confident that our market in Southeast Asia will improve under
Belt and Road. It’s a great platform that would help local companies to reach
foreign market,” Karen Chen, vice manager of Pear River Piano, said.
Local and foreign delegates have also visited Hengqin Island, which is
being developed as national area and pilot-free trade zone, and the Hong
Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
Once completed, the bridge will become the longest cross-sea bridge in
the world with 55 kilometers length, including the six-kilometer tunnel that
crosses the Linging West and Tonggu channels.
During the forum, Guangdong companies have been encouraged to study and
learn the laws and policies as well as cultures of countries along the Belt and
Road to assure hassle-free trades.
On the other hand, media delegates have called for more collaboration
to make sure that people along the Belt and Road countries will be informed
properly and in transparent manner.
Belt and Road is an ambitious economic integration platform initiated
by President Xi Jinping in 2013 with five conceptual pillars – policy
coordination, connectivity of facilities, unimpeded trade, financial
integration, and strengthened people-to-people ties.
Last May, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte attended the first Belt
and Road Forum for Internatio
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