Longgang district is very much in the vanguard of Shenzhen’s “going east” strategy to enhance the eastern area of the city, which can be seen in the rapid development of the transportation network and other infrastructure in the area.
Back in April, the Chamber arranged a mission to Longgang and visited locations including the Smart Centre and the Longgang Vanke Plaza, a mixed-use development. Participants learned about the district’s progress in urban renewal and explored some of the variety of business opportunities on offer.
With a great deal to see in this fast-changing district, the China Committee organized a return visit to Longgang on 18 July, where delegates also participated in the Modern Service Industry Seminar and Study Tour – Longgang, Shenzhen.
China Committee Chairman Petrina Tam spoke on behalf of the Chamber at the seminar. She said that she hoped the governments of Shenzhen and Hong Kong would be able to make use of Greater Bay Area opportunities to break the glass wall between the two cities and allow SMEs to thrive in the GBA.
During a sharing session, entrepreneurs from Hong Kong and Longgang discussed the GBA’s development and Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation. Shenzhen is independently developing R&D and innovation, which requires support from Hong Kong in the form of education, advanced laboratories and industrial design.
Other topics discussed included branding, including the importance of considering both the Mainland and international markets in product and brand design. Becoming a listed company in Hong Kong or overseas can also be helpful in establishing a brand of international stature.
The event helped members to deepen their understanding of opportunities in the city, and also gave them the opportunity to connect with businesses in Longgang and Shenzhen. The seminar was co-hosted by the Commerce Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, Longgang District Government, the Bureau of Industry and Information Technology of Longgang, and the Shenzhen Association of Trade in Services.
Before attending the seminar, delegates visited the Longgang Public Art Gallery and City Planning Pavilion, and the construction site of the Shimao Shenkong International Centre. Upon completion in 2024, the centre will be the tallest building in China, and is expected to become another Shenzhen landmark after the Ping An Finance Centre – currently one of the tallest buildings in the world. The Shimao International Centre will be developed alongside other facilities in the Universiade New Town, including schools, hotels, exhibition centres, museums and theatres.
Innovation and start-ups are two key focus areas for Longgang as it aims to become the centre of eastern Shenzhen, and a number of modern industrial parks have also been put into operation. The improvements to Longgang can be seen in a variety of other ways, including an international university area, greening of nearly half the district, ecological space and state-of-the-art sports stadiums. These all contribute to Longgang’s solid foundation for developing education, ecology and sports and culture as the GBA evolves.