Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the importance of remaining steadfast in comprehensively deepening reform and expanding high-standard opening up, and urged Guangdong Province, a pacesetter of the country's reform and opening up, to take the lead in advancing Chinese modernization.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during his inspection tour of Guangdong in south China from Monday to Thursday.

Guangzhou, located on the coast of the South China Sea and the banks of the Pearl River, has been known as the "Southern Gate" to China for centuries. It has always been one of the most important windows for China's communication with the rest of the world. In recent years, Guangzhou has continuously improved its business environment and expanded its high-level opening-up to the outside world, which has greatly enhanced its urban radiation and international influence.

Ranking high amongChinesecities in terms of business environment

As a city shaped by trade, Guangzhou stands as the only foreign trade port in China that has never been closed for over 2000 years. With a reputation as a millennial commercial hub, its profound business background has paved the way for its prosperity and development over the years, as well as created a favorable environment for businesses to thrive.

However, the business environment can always be improved. As the core engine of regional development in the GBA and a central city of China, Guangzhou has placed great emphasis on optimizing its business environment, making it a top-priority project. The city aims to become a preferred investment destination and the best development site for global enterprises.

Today, Guangzhou's business environment is among the best in the country. In the business environment assessment shouldered by the National Development and Reform Commission from 2019 to 2020, Guangzhou has been ranked among the top cities in the country for two consecutive years. Thanks to its excellentperformance, many of its achievements were selected as the best practices in terms of five indicators in the 2021 China Business Environment Report.

335 Fortune Global 500 Companies settle here

The soundbusinessenvironmentof the city has attractedmanyinternationalcompanies. As of 2022, there were 3.1555 million market entities in Guangzhou, with a total of 335 Fortune Global 500 companies investing and operating in the city.

According to statistics, in the past two years, foreign-funded enterprises in Guangzhou accounted for over 60% of the actual use of foreign investment in the city. In 2022, major foreign-funded projects such as P&G, ZEISS, and BeiGene all realized stock expansion through capital injection, with 33 large projects of actual use of foreign capital exceeding $50 million, accounting for 83.9% of the total. In 2022, Guangzhou's actual use of foreign investment reached 57.413 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.7%, of which foreign investment in the manufacturing industry increased by about 70%.

Meanwhile, a number of major and quality projects have also been launched in Guangzhou. Three high-end commercial projects - SKP, Taikoo, and  MIXC - have signed contracts and settled in the city. The CSOT Technology T9 project is accelerating production, and many other projects such as the Unilever South China Production and Marketing Base and CanSemi Technology have also increased investment and expanded production.

On April 15, the 133rd China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) will open, and businessmen from over 200 countries and regions around the world will once again gather in the "Millennial Commercial Capital" to seek infinite business opportunities.

Efforts to build an international exchange platform

Recently, both Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and French President Emmanuel Macron included Guangzhou as a destination for their respective visits to China, shining a spotlight once again on the city on the global stage.

By constructing a new type of international exchange platform through establishing high-level international communication centers, Guangzhou has hosted international exchange events such as the Fortune Global Forum, World Route Development Forum, World Ports Conference, Maritime Silk Road International Expo, Imperial Springs International Forum, Understanding China Conference, and Asia Youth Leaders Forum.

Currently, Guangzhou has 101 international friendship cities, 48 friendship city regions, and 67 foreign consulates general, ranking second in the country. The cross-border e-commerce imports of the city have ranked first in China for eight consecutive years

到“千年商都” 寻找无限商机

中共中央总书记、国家主席、中央军委主席习近平近日在广东考察时强调，广东是改革开放的排头兵、先行地、实验区，在中国式现代化建设的大局中地位重要、作用突出。要锚定强国建设、民族复兴目标，围绕高质量发展这个首要任务和构建新发展格局这个战略任务，在全面深化改革、扩大高水平对外开放、提升科技自立自强能力、建设现代化产业体系、促进城乡区域协调发展等方面继续走在全国前列，在推进中国式现代化建设中走在前列。

广州地处南海之滨、珠江之畔，是中国的“南大门”。千百年来，一直是中国与世界交流的重要窗口之一。近年来，广州通过持续优化营商环境，不断扩大高水平对外开放，城市辐射带动力和国际影响力大大增强。

营商环境位居中国前列

广州因商而立、因商而兴，是我国2000多年来唯一没有关闭过的对外通商口岸，享有千年商都的美誉。千百年来深厚的营商底蕴，造就了广州千年不衰的繁荣发展，也积淀出广州宜商宜业的城市环境。

营商环境没有最好，只有更好。近年来，作为中国国家中心城市和粤港澳大湾区区域发展的核心引擎，广州把优化营商环境作为“头号工程”，着力打造全球企业投资首选地和最佳发展地。

如今，广州营商环境位居全国前列，在2019-2020年国家发展改革委组织开展的营商环境评价中，广州市连续两年排名位居全国前列，5个指标入选《中国营商环境报告2021》最佳实践。

335家世界500强落户

广州良好的营商环境吸引了全球企业前来投资兴业。2022年，广州市场主体达315.55万户，在穗投资世界500强企业累计335家。

据统计，近两年在穗外企增资扩股占全市实际使用外资超6成。2022年，宝洁、卡尔蔡司、百济神州等重大外资项目纷纷增资扩股，实际使用外资5000万美元以上的大项目达33个，金额占比83.9%。2022年，广州实际使用外资574.13亿元，增长5.7%，其中制造业外资增长约70%。

与此同时，一批大项目、好项目也纷纷选择在广州落地。SKP、太古、华润万象城三大高端商贸业项目相继完成签约、落户，华星光电T9项目加快投产，联合利华华南生产和营销基地、粤芯半导体等多个项目也实现了增资扩产。

4月15日，第133届广交会将盛大开幕，来自全世界超过200个国家和地区的客商又将齐聚千年商都，寻找无限商机。

努力打造国际交流平台

近期，新加坡总理李显龙、法国总统马克龙访华行程中，都把广州列入参观考察点，这让广州再一次站在全球舞台的聚光灯下。

近年来，广州通过高水平建设国际交往中心，构建新型国际交流平台，举办了《财富》全球论坛、世界航线大会、世界港口大会、海丝博览会、从都国际论坛、“读懂中国”国际会议、亚洲青年领袖论坛等国际交流活动。

目前，广州国际友城增至101个，友好城区增至48对，外国驻穗总领馆增至67家，位居全国第二，跨境电商进口额连续八年全国第一。

文｜羊城晚报记者 罗仕 李钢
图｜羊城晚报记者 梁喻 何奔 贺全胜
翻译｜刘佳慧
海报｜蔡红