Fostering foreign business expansion to Nanning via the Nanning Area of China (Guangxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone Virtual Forum of Digital Economy 2022

Nanning, China, 1 July 2022 – The 2022 Online Promotion & Exchanges with Overseas Parties on Digital Economy, Nanning Area of China (Guangxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone was successfully held at the China-ASEAN Smart City Innovation Center on the 29 of June 2022.

This promotional and knowledge exchanges virtual conference was hosted by Nanning Area Management Committee of China (Guangxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone, organized by Nanning CloudBae Smart City Data Service Co., Ltd., (CloudBae) and co-organized by China-ASEAN Smart City Innovation Center, China ASEAN Geographic Information & Satellite Application Industry Park, Nanning area Digital Economy Promotion Association of China (Guangxi) pilot Free Trade Zone and NeuXP Group (NeuXP), a digital banking and lifestyle app provider.

NeuXP as the co-organiser supported the forum by bringing in several Malaysian enterprises that can benefit from the new opportunities by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and expansion of the cooperation on digital economic with ASEAN enterprises, scientific research institutions.

Other on-site participants included the Nanning Area Management Committee of the Pilot Free Trade Zone, the Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, the People's Government of Liangqing District, ASEAN Technology Co., Ltd., Guangxi Lazbao Network Technology Co., Ltd. and more than 30 oversea enterprise representatives from Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and other countries joining online.

At the virtual conference, Dr. Pietro Borsano, Deputy Executive Director of Industry and Global Alliance of Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, shared the relevant policies and future prospects of Thailand's digital transformation, analysis of opportunities for cooperation between China and ASEAN in digital economy, and suggestions for the development and cooperation of digital economy between China and ASEAN.

Liu, Xilong, Commissioner of the Institutional Innovation Bureau of the Management Committee had also introduced the advantages of the Nanning Free Trade Zone business environment and industrial development characteristics and policies for supporting foreign investment in Nanning area of China (Guangxi) pilot Free Trade Zone.

As a representative of foreign-funded enterprises in Nanning area of the pilot Free Trade Zone, Mrs. Sasion Nachaphichan, a member of the National Reform Commission (NHS) of Thailand, executive director of the National Science and Technology Development Corporation of Thailand and vice president of Guangxi Xihe Technology Co., Ltd., shared her entrepreneurial experience with overseas digital economy enterprises to fully affirm the Nanning's investment environment and supporting services, while also encouraging overseas enterprises to invest and start businesses in Nanning.

The principals of the China-ASEAN Smart City Innovation Center and the China-ASEAN Geographic Information & Satellite Application Industrial Park introduced the services and supporting policies respectively, providing the fundamental information for overseas enterprises on the key Parks in Nanning area of the pilot Free Trade Zone.

An in-depth communication was also conducted on concerns from foreign enterprises such as office space rent subsidies, overseas Chinese merchants' investment supporting policies and talent recruitment needs in Nanning. The concerns were addressed by Cloudy Wu, vice manager of the Innovation Center with a series of settlement services for foreign-funded enterprises, including a recruitment service through local universities, Municipal HR & Social Security Bureau, HR Industrial Park and other channels to fulfill employment needs of enterprises. The forum ended with a signing of letter of intent by the Singapore Datality Lab Company, Singapore CBE eco-solutions Company, and Laos ASEAN technology Company to formalize their plans to settle in the Nanning area of the pilot Free Trade Zone.

​

The success of this virtual conference marks the further exchanges and cooperation between Nanning area of the pilot Free Trade Zone and RCEP countries in the field of digital economy. Nanning area will continue to optimize the business environment, strengthen institutional innovation, attract overseas digital economy enterprises with a friendly investment and development environment, jointly build an exchange and cooperation platform, and share new opportunities for RCEP cooperation and development.