尊敬的汤维英副主任，各位领导、各位嘉宾，
女士们、先生们，朋友们：
大家早上好！2006韶关—广州外商投资合作交流会的举行是韶穗两地经贸合作的一件盛事，也是我们落实省委、省政府区域协调发展战略的具体的行动。在此，我谨代表韶关市委、韶关市人民政府对交流会的召开表示热烈的祝贺，对与我们一起合作主办此次活动的广州市人民政府、广东省外经贸厅表示衷心的感谢，对各位朋友的到来表示热烈的欢迎，对一直以来关心支持韶关发展的各位领导和嘉宾们表示诚挚的谢意！
广州是经济发达地区的佼佼者，产业、技术、人才、资金、管理等方面的经验非常的丰富，发展的优势十分的明显，拥有“带动广东、辐射华南、影响东南亚”的巨大的能量，既是我们学习的榜样，也是我们产业对接的重要的伙伴。韶关与广州地缘相近、人缘相亲、文化相通、交通便利、互补性强，有着十分良好的合作基础和合作的传统。韶关市充分地认识加强与广州市经贸合作的重大的意义。今年4月4到5日，我市组成了考察学习团到广州参观学习，两市政府就加强交流合作，促进共同发展进行了座谈，取得了共识。这次在省外经贸厅的支持指导下，两市举办合作交流会，其目的是在“产业对接、区域合作、协调发展”的目标指引下，进一步加强韶穗的经贸合作，加快韶关对接广州的步伐，积极地融入珠三角，实现互惠双赢，促进共同发展。下面，我借这个机会向大家简要介绍韶关的基本情况和投资的环境。
韶关市位于广东省的北部，南连广州、惠州，北邻湖南省郴州市、江西省的赣州市，自古以来就是粤湘赣交界地区重要的商品集散中心。现辖3个区、2个市、5个县，全市的总面积18400万平方公里，总人口318万。韶关市区面积2856平方公里，人口90万，三江六岸，风景如画，经济繁荣，是广东省北部政治、经济、文化中心和交通的枢纽，是广东省重点发展的六大都市区之一，是中国的优秀旅游城市和广东省的文明城市。
近年来，韶关市紧紧围绕“建设粤北经济强市、争当全省山区发展排头兵”这个发展目标，大力地实施“招商引资、城市建设和民营经济”三大战略重点，认真做好“全面加快县域经济的发展、对接广州融入珠三角、培育发展产业集群”这三篇文章，经济发展步伐明显加快，正在掀起新一轮发展热潮。2005年，韶关综合竞争力跃居广东省二类地区的首位，实现了生产总值350.74亿元，比上年增长12.3%。投资、消费、居民收入全面快速地增长。实际吸收外商直接投资增长39.2%，固定资产投资增长10.1％，社会消费品零售总额增长14.5%，地方财政一般预算收入增长18.7%，城乡居民储蓄存款余额增长14.5%。伴随着广东省区域协调发展战略和泛珠三角合作的扎实的推进，韶关的战略地位日益突出，资源优势更加明显，经济发展的后劲进一步增强，已经步入加快发展的黄金时期。
当前，韶关的基础设施明显地改善，发展的环境不断优化，城市形象日益提升，已经成为海内外广大客商投资创业的热点地区。韶关的投资环境主要有以下几个方面的特点：
一、韶关区位独特，交通便利，已经融入广州两小时的经济圈，具备了对接广州、融入珠三角的便利的条件。
韶关位于粤湘赣的结合地带，自古以来就是长江中下游地区与华南沿海地区最重要的陆上通道和关口，是广东引南接北、“打通南北中轴线”的重要的节点城市。
韶关是华南地区重要的交通枢纽，地处南北物流最繁忙的交通运输线。京珠高速公路、京广铁路、105、106、107国道、北江航道纵贯韶关的南北，323国道横穿东西，各类次等级的公路紧密地相连，构成了方便快捷的交通网络。目前，由韶关市区到广州新白云机场只有一个多小时的车程，到广州市区也仅两个多小时，到东莞、深圳也在三小时左右，市到县的“两小时的生活圈”、韶关市区到广州的“两小时的经济圈”已经基本实现。韶关的铁路运输发达。韶关火车站是京广铁路的一等站，每天包括京九、沪九列车在内的200多趟客货运列车都在韶关停靠或者是始发。目前，武广铁路客运专线、韶赣高速公路正在加紧施工建设，武广铁路建成通车以后，韶关市区到广州仅需要45分钟，将融入到广州的1小时生活圈。规划中的韶赣铁路、深湘高速公路、汕河高速公路都贯穿韶关市区或者通过我们部分县市。韶关的涉外服务机构健全，设有报关行、监管仓、出入境货车的查验场和五个口岸装卸点，进出口的货物可在韶关直接报关，铁路和公路的口岸均可直通香港，货物集装箱海陆联运直达世界各地。300吨级的集装箱船可从韶关市区直达港澳地区。韶关市有线通讯、移动通讯和互联网基础设施已经基本实现现代化，随时能够与世界各地保持密切的联系。独具优势的区位加上方便快捷的交通，使韶关从最初“珠三角”的边远山区的腹地，一跃成为“泛珠三角”的核心地区，被广大投资者称为粤港澳辐射内陆腹地的“黄金的通道”。
第二个特点、韶关土地资源丰富，园区配套完善，具备承接产业转移的用地需求。
韶关市总面积18400平方公里，占广东省总面积的十分之一，土地资源十分丰富。现有6个省级的经济功能区及一批市级的工业园区，已经开发的面积达到了130多平方公里，各功能园区水、电、路、通讯等配套设施日臻完善，已逐渐地成为外来投资的重要的集结地。按照省委、省政府的部署，韶关市与珠三角地区联手推进产业转移，大力地建设产业转移工业园，现在已经与东莞、中山、南海、番禺等珠三角的城市签署了合作的协议。目前，韶关市的产业转移工业园的规划面积达到了8万700平方公里，嗯，8万700亩，首期开发了26000亩，已经有一批企业落户。此外呢，韶关还有大量的低坡度的荒地、旱地可供开发利用，有一批闲置的厂房可供出租出让。因此，在韶关投资发展具有充足的用地空间，是珠三角产业扩张的理想的地区。
第三个特点、韶关矿产资源丰富，钢铁冶金产业发达，具备拉长钢铁、有色金属产业链条，发展产业集群的优势。
韶关是全国闻名的“有色金属之乡”，矿产资源十分丰富，现已探明的矿产有铅、锌、铁、铀、水泥灰岩、花岗石等49种，其中有22种矿产的储量居广东省的第一位。韶关是广东的传统的重工业城市，采矿、钢铁、有色工业在广东省首屈一指，培育发展了广东韶关钢铁集团公司、中金岭南韶关冶炼厂等一批重要的工矿企业，形成了500万吨钢、30万吨铅锌的生产规模。因此，围绕者韶钢集团公司和韶关冶炼厂这些大型的龙头企业，投资发展钢铁、铅锌上下游的产品，拉长产业链条，具有美好的发展前景。
第四个特点、韶关水电、劳动力资源丰富，具备工业低成本扩张的有利的因素。
目前，韶关的发电装机容量已经达到280万千瓦，全年发电总量达到100多亿千瓦时，其中向外输出的电量达到40多亿千瓦时，是我们广东省重要的电力的输出地。近年来没有发生拉闸限电的现象，全市供电的可靠率达100%。预计到2010年以前，全市的发电装机总容量将达400万千瓦，发电量可以达到200亿千瓦时以上。韶关水电资源丰富，电价相对比较低，目前平均综合电度电价在每千瓦时0.5元左右。
韶关劳动力资源充足，现有劳动力150万人，其中外出务工人员有28万人，还可转移的农村剩余劳动力有20万人。作为广东省的老的工业基地，韶关拥有一大批技术精良的工人。韶关还是粤湘赣交界地区传统的劳动力的集散地，是内陆省份务工人员南下必经之地和落脚逗留的中转站，形成了自然的劳动力市场。韶关市的教育事业也相对发达，职业技术教育独具优势。拥有2所普通高等院校，在校学生达到2万多人；有37所中等职业学校，职业学校的在校生达到5万多人，技术学校的在校生占广东省的1/10，是广东省重要的中高等专业技术人才和技术工人的培训基地，可为企业提供充足的、高素质的职业技术人才。
第五个特点、韶关机械装备工业基础厚实，具备发展汽车零配件生产的基础。
韶关形成了钢铁、冶金、电力、烟草、机械等支柱产业群，机械装备工业的基础优势比较突出。小型拖拉机、建筑机械、汽车零部件、通用机械零配件具有相当的规模，产业加工配套能力也比较强。其中汽车的变速箱、后桥、粉末冶金件、轴承、轴瓦、钢板弹簧等汽车零配件已经为国内外著名的汽车制造企业所配套，拥有较好的研发基础和制造的技术，具备了为广州汽车产业配套的良好的条件，是发展汽车零部件的重要的理想之地。那么我们今天在发给每位客商的资料袋里面有一份最新出炉的韶关市支持汽车零配件发展的优惠政策20条。里面有一些含金量比较高的政策，希望大家能够看一看。
第六个优势、就是韶关农业生产条件优越，具备发展现代，现代的生态农业、向广州和珠三角地区提供优质农副产品的自然的优势。
韶关地域广阔，土质独特，气候温和，雨量充沛，昼夜温差大，历来是特色鲜明的农业的经济区，尤其适宜无公害蔬菜、反季节蔬菜、高山花卉、优质水果等特色农业的发展。近年来，我市通过大力调整地农业产业结构，发展特色农业，形成了“一乡一品”的发展的格局，以瓜果蔬菜为主的绿色农产品大量地进入了珠三角和港澳的市场，深受广大市民的喜爱，成为广州的“菜篮子”的重要的保障。目前，不少珠三角、香港、台湾企业家已在我市兴办了8万多亩优质蔬菜种植基地和一批养鸡、养猪、养鱼的基地，进行了反季节蔬菜、无公害蔬菜、优质水果、花卉、中药材的种植，发展畜禽养殖以及进行农林产品的深加工等等，都取得了很好的业绩回报，是发展现代生态农业的理想之地。
第七个特点、韶关自然生态优美，文化底蕴深厚，是最适宜旅游、休闲、居住的地方。
韶关物种资源丰富，气候宜人，森林覆盖率高达71.2％，被誉为华南生物的基因库，是中国自然生态保护最好的地区之一。作为中国优秀旅游城市，韶关山川秀美，风景名胜众多，其中生态文化旅游最具特色。境内有国家、省级以上的旅游景点景区31处，主要有：世界地质公园、国家重点风景名胜区、中国地质地貌自然保护区丹霞山；全国重点寺庙、佛教“南宗祖庭”的南华禅寺；“马坝人”的遗址狮子岩；珠江三角洲居民和千百万海外同胞的祖居珠玑古巷；有“广东第一峡谷”之称的乳源大峡谷；“广东第一峰”的石坑崆所在的南岭国家森林公园等等。作为“马坝人”的故乡，韶关历史久远，文化底蕴深厚。黄河文化、长江文化、珠江文化、海洋文化在韶关交融汇合，形成了独具特色的客家文化、宗教文化、石峡文化、民族文化，培育了韶关人民勤劳朴实、开放兼容、热情善良的品性。今天的韶关，民风淳朴，社会安定，是广东省文明城市和全省社会治安综合治理最好的地区之一。
各位嘉宾、各位朋友，加强区域合作，促进共同发展，这是我们共同的心愿、也是我们共同的责任。韶关将继续地大力推进落实省委、省政府的区域协调发展的战略，努力营造更加良好的投资环境、市场环境、政务环境、人居环境，加快“对接广州、融入珠三角”的步伐，加快与广州市的经贸技术与合作，经贸交流与合作，联手推进产业转移，促进韶穗两地互利合作，实现区域共同发展。为此，在这次交流会上，韶关市共推出了9大产业转移园区和200多个合作项目，欢迎各位投资者前来洽谈合作，共谋商机。
各位来宾、朋友们，今天的韶关已经步入了加快发展的新阶段，活力迸发，商机无限。我们热诚地欢迎各位朋友、各位投资者前来韶关观光旅游、贸易经商、投资创业，共创更加美好的未来！
祝交流会圆满成功，祝各位身体健康、事业兴旺、万事如意！
谢谢大家！
（2006年5月18日，广东韶关市市长徐健华在2006韶关－广州外商投资合作交流会上的讲话，全文，根据录音材料整理）
参考译文：
Respected Vice Director Tang Weiying,
Distinguished leaders and guests,
Ladies and gentlemen, Friends,
Good morning! The 2006 Shaoguan – Guangzhou Investment Cooperation Conference is held today. This is a grand event for the economic and trade cooperation between Shaoguan and Guangzhou as well as a reflection of some real actions taken to implement the regional coordinative development strategy of the CPC Provincial Committee and the Provincial People’s Government. On behalf of the CPC Shaoguan Municipal Committee and Shaoguan Municipal People’s Government, I’d like to express my warmest congratulations on the opening of this conference. I would also like to thank the Guangzhou City People’s Government and the Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province who have co-organized this conference with us. I warmly welcome all the friends attending this conference. My sincere thanks also go to leaders and guests who have always shown great interest in and support for Shaoguan’s development.
Guangzhou is a leader of economically developed regions. It enjoys the advantages in industrial development, science and technology, human resources, capital, and managerial expertise. With these advantages Guangzhou can play a leading role in economic development in the province as well as in southern China, and will have great influence in Southeastern Asia. In this respect, Guangzhou is a role model for Shaoguan as well as our close partner in industrial connection and transfer. Shaoguan and Guangzhou are close with each other geographically and culturally and the transportation between the two cities is quite convenient. The two cities enjoy great complementarity, thus there is a solid foundation for as well as a long tradition of cooperation between the two cities. Shaoguan has fully recognized the importance of economic and trade cooperation with Guangzhou. On the 4thand 5thof April this year, we organized a study delegation to Guangzhou on an investigation tour. Through a number of talks, the two governments have reached consensus on the issues of strengthening communication and cooperation, and promoting mutual development. Now with the support and guidance of the Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province, the two governments are co-hosting this conference aiming to, under the principle of promoting industrial connection, regional cooperation and coordinative development, strengthen economic and trade cooperation, speed up the industrial connection with Guangzhou, and integrate into the Pearl River Delta Region, so as to achieve mutual benefits and a win-win result, and promote common development. Now taking this opportunity, I’d like to give you a brief introduction to Shaoguan and its investment environment.
Shaoguan City lies in the north of Guangdong Province, to the south of Guangzhou and Huizhou. It borders on the north with Chenzhou City in Hunan Province and Ganzhou City in Jiangxi Province. Shaoguan has long been a key distribution center of commodities in the juncture area of the three provinces of Guangdong, Hunan and Jiangxi. There are now three districts, two county level cities and five counties under the administration of Shaoguan, with a total land area of 18,400 square kilometers and a population of over 3.18 million people. The urban area covers 2,856 square kilometers, with and a population of about 900,000. With three rivers running across the city and six river banks, Shaoguan boasts beautiful landscapes and economic prosperity. It is the political, economic and cultural center as well as the hub of communications in the north of Guangdong Province. Shaoguan is one of Guangdong’s six key city clusters to which priority of development is given, as well as a model city of tourism in China and a culturally advanced city Guangdong.
During recent years, aiming at building a city with economic prosperity in North Guangdong and playing a leading role in developing rural and mountainous areas in Guangdong, Shaoguan has implemented the strategies of soliciting business and absorbing investment, promoting urban infrastructure construction and developing the private sector. We have been working hard to speed up regional economic development, promote cooperation with Guangzhou, integrate into the PRD region, and foster industrial clusters. With our economic development greatly accelerated, a new round of development is emerging. In 2005, the comprehensive competitiveness of Shaguan moved up to the first place among all the second tier cities, with an industrial output of 35.074 billion yuan, increasing by 12.3%. There is a rapid growth in investment, consumption and resident’ income. The actual direct foreign investment has increased by 39.2%. Fixed asset investment increased by 10.1%. Social consumer goods retail volume increased by 14.5%. Generally budgeted local fiscal revenue increased by 18.7%. Urban as well as rural resident’ bank saving balance increased by 14.5%. With the solid advancement of regional coordinative development strategy and cooperation in the Pan Pearl River Delta region, Shaoguan now enjoys a prominent strategic position and advantages in resources. There is a great prospect for Shaoguan’s further development and this city has stepped into a golden period of rapid development.
At present, Shaoguan’s infrastructure construction has been largely improved and the development environment optimized. Now Shaoguan enjoys a continuously better image, and has become a hotspot of investment and business growth for investors from home and abroad. The characteristics of Shaoguan’s investment environment can be summarized as follows:
First, Shaoguan, with its unique geographic location and convenient transportation system, has been integrated into the 2-hour economic zone of Guangzhou. It is prepared for connection with Guangzhou and integration into the Pearl River Delta region.
Shaoguan lies in the juncture area of Guangdong, Hunan and Jiangxi. It has long been the passage and pass of communications in the area of middle and lower riches of Yangtze River and the coastal area of South China. It is now an important hub city in Guangdong Province serving to join the province with the north and south and establish the central north-south axis.
Shaoguan is an important hub of transportation in South China, lying on the busiest route of logistics and transportation between the north and the south. The Beijing–Zhuhai Expressway, Beijing–Guangzhou Railway, No.105, 106, 107 National Highways and the Beijiang River channel all run across Shaoguan from the north to the south; the No.323 National Highway runs across the city from the east to the west. In addition, various types second or third level highways are closely connected, forming a convenient and fast transportation network. It now takes only over one hour’s car ride to go to Guangzhou’s new Baiyun Airport from the downtown area of Shaoguan, over two hours to the downtown area of Guangzhou and about three hours to Dongguan and Shenzhen. The “2-hour living circle” encompassing Shaoguan’s downtown areas and the counties and the “2-hour economic circle” encompassing the urban area of Shaoguan and Guangzhou have already been formed. Railway transportation in Shaoguan is also advanced. Shaoguan railway station is a first-class station on the Beijing – Guangzhou Railway. Every day, more than 200 passenger or cargo trains stop at or set out from this station, including those running on the route of Beijing–Kowloon Railway and Shanghai–Kowloon Railway. Now the Wuhan–Guangzhou Passenger Express Railway and the Shaoguan–Ganzhou Express Highway are under construction. It would take only 45 minutes to travel from Shaoguan’s downtown area to Guangzhou when the Wuhan–Guangzhou Express Railway is completed, thus integrating Shaoguan into the “1-hour living circle” of Guangzhou. The Shaoguan–Ganzhou Railway, the Shenzhen–Hunan Express Highway, the Shantou–Hechi Express Highway under planning will all run across the downtown area of Shaoguan or some of its counties. Shaoguan has complete institutions that provide services for foreign trade, such as customs clearance houses, inspection warehouses, inspection sites for trucks through the border and five port handling points. Import and export commodities can have the customs clearance in Shaoguan. There are railways and roads ports directly connected with Hong Kong. Furthermore, cargo containers can be transported to all parts of the world using multi-form transportation combining the land and the sea. 300-ton cargo containers can be shipped from Shaoguan’s downtown area directly to Hong Kong and Macau. The wired communication, mobile service and Internet service of Shaoguan are moderately modernized and make it possible for Shaoguan to keep in close touch with any part of the world. With its unique geographic location and convenient transportation, Shaoguan, a formerly mountainous and hinterland area to the Pearl River Delta region, has become a core areat of the Pan Pearl River Delta region. Now investors call it the golden passage lining Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau with China’s inland.
Second, with abundant land and natural resources and perfected supporting facilities, Shaoguan is capable of supplying land for conducting industrial transfer.
Shaoguan has a total land area of 18,400 square kilometers, accounting for 1/10 of Guangdong’s total land area. There are altogether 6 provincial-level economic function zones and some municipal-level industrial parks, with a developed area of more than 130 square kilometers. The supporting services in these industrial parks and function zones, such as water, electricity, roads and telecommunication have all been perfected. These industrial parks have become key concentrations of foreign investment. According to the plan of the provincial government, Shaoguan and the PRD region will jointly promote industrial transfer. We are making every effort to build more industrial transfer parks and have reached several agreements with a number cities in the PRD region, including Dongguan, Zhongshan, Nanhai and Panyu for further cooperation. So far, the planned area of the industrial transfer parks has totaled 80,700 mu, of which 26,000 mu of land has been developed in the first phase, with a number of enterprises having settled down there. Moreover, there is a large amount of low-sloping barren land and dry land in Shaoguan which can be exploited and utilized, together with some unused factory buildings and work shops for rent or for sale. Evidently, Shaoguan, with abundant land resources necessary for investment and development, is an ideal place for industrial expansion in the PRD region.
Third, Shaoguan has abundant mineral deposits and boasts advanced iron and steel industry and metallurgical industry. It enjoys advantages in elongating the industrial chains of iron and steel as well as nonferrous metals and foster industrial clusters.
Shaoguan is known in the country as “home of nonferrous metals” and boasts abundant mineral reserves. There are 49 minerals found in Shaoguan, including lead, zinc, iron, uranium, marl and granite. Reserves of 22 minerals are top in Guangdong Province. Shaoguan has traditionally been a city of heavy industries and has been the top in Guangdong in mining, iron and steel as well as metallurgy. A number of key industrial and mining enterprises such as Shaoguan Iron & Steel Group Ltd. and the Shaoguan Metallurgical Works Affiliated to Zhongjin Lingnan Nonferrous Metals Co. Ltd. have been cultivated in Shaoguan, with an industrial output of 5,000,000 tons of steel and 300,000 tons of lead and zinc. Consequently, taking advantage of the large pioneering enterprises such as Shaoguan Iron & Steel Group Ltd. and Shaoguan Metallurgical Works, there is huge potential for investing in the development of upper stream and lower stream products of iron and steel, lead and zinc.
Fourth, Shaoguan has abundant water, electricity and human resources. It enjoys advantages for low cost industrial expansion.
Presently, the total installed capacity of electricity has amounted to more than 2,800,000 kilowatts. Annual electricity generation is over 10 billion kilowatts, of which more than 4 billion kilowatts are sold to other regions. Shaoguan is a major electricity provider for other regions. In the past several years, there has never been electricity cut-off in Shaoguan, and the power supply rate has been 1000%. It is predicted that by 2010, the total installed capacity of Shaoguan will amount to 4,000,000 kilowatts; annual electricity generation will reach 20 billion kilowatts. Shaoguan has abundant water and electricity resources and enjoys relatively low electricity price. Averagy comprehensive electricity price now stands at 0.5 yuan kilowatts per hour.
Shaoguan also enjoys abundant human resources. Number of workforce has reached 1,500,000, 280,000 of whom are working in other cities and regions. The number of surplus labor in rural areas is 200,000, who can be transferred to other parts. As a traditional industrial base in Guangdong, there is a large number of sophisticated technical workers in Shaoguan. Traditionally Shaoguan has been a labor distribution centre in the juncture area of Guangdong, Hunan and Jiangxi, and a passageway as well as a stop for migrant workers that come to South China from the hinterland. Therefore, there is a natural labor market already in place. Education in this city is also relatively well developed, with vocational and technical education enjoying special advantages. There are two higher learning institutions, holding more than 20,000 students, and 37 secondary vocational schools, holding 50,000 students. The number of students who are studying in vocational schools in Shaoguan accounts for 1/10 of that of the whole province. As a result, as a base for educating and training middle and high-level professional technicians as well as technical workers, Shaoguan is able to supply abundant and well-qualified technical workforce for various enterprises.
Fifth, there is a solid foundation for the machinery equipment industry in Shaoguan so that it is possible to develop the manufacturing of automobile parts.
Iron and steel, metallurgy, electricity, tobacco and machinery, among others, are the pillar industries of Shaoguan, with machinery industry being especially strong. The manufacturing of small tractors, machinery for building industry, automobile parts and general machinery parts enjoy large scale and strong industrial supporting capacity. Automobile parts such as gears boxes, back axles, power metallurgical parts, bearings, bearing bushes and steel board springs we produce have been used as supportive parts for renowned automobile enterprises from home and abroad. In this way, we are capable of manufacturing automobile parts for Guangzhou’s enterprises and will prove to be an ideal place for developing auto parts manufacturing. You may find in the information packs that we have distributed to you today a newly released list of 20 preferential policies of Shaoguan Municipal Government in support of auto parts manufacturing. Some of these policies are really very favourable, which I hope you will take a good look at.
Sixth, Shaoguan enjoys favourable condition for agricultural production, and has natural advantages for developing modern organic agriculture and providing quality agricultural and sideline products to Guangzhou and the PRD region at large.
Shaoguan is vast in territory, with fertile soil and mild climate. It has plenty of rainfall and a sharp difference in temperatures in day time and at night. Shaoguan has always been an agriculture economic zone with distinctive features and is particularly suitable for the production of pollution-free vegetables, counter-season vegetables, mountain flowers and quality fruit. In recent years, we have restructured the agricultural industry, given priority to specialized agriculture, and formed the new development pattern featuring “one special agricultural product for one village”. A large number of organic agricultural products, mainly fruits and vegetable, have entered and found a ready market in the PRD region, Hong Kong and Macau. These products are very popular among residents in these places and have been a strong guarantee for the implementation of the “vegetable basket” project in Guangzhou. So far, many entrepreneurs from the PRD region, Hong Kong and Taiwan have established qualityvegetable production bases with an area of more than 80,000 mu, and a number of chicken farms, pig farms and fish farms. Many enterprises specialize in the plantation and production of n-season vegetables, pollution-free vegetables, quality fruit, flower and Chinese herbs, as well as animal and poultry breeding and deep processing of agricultural and forestry products. All these have generated excellent returns. Therefore Shaoguan is an ideal place for developing modern agriculture.
Seventh, Shaoguan boasts beautiful landscape and profound culture, and it is the best place for tourism and recreation and living.
With a large variety of species, agreeable climate, high forest coverage of 71.2%, Shaoguan is renowned as South China’s gene pool of species and is among the areas that have done the best job in environment protection. As China’s Outstanding City for Tourists, Shaoguan boasts beautiful landscape and a variety of places of interest, with its eco-cultural tourism being unique in features. There are 31 scenic spots on the national or provincial level, including Danxia Moutnain National Park, a world geological park as well as a state geological natural reserve, Nanhua Temple, a key national-level temple and the origin of the southern branch of Buddhism, the Lion Rock, site of the Maba Man, Zhuji Lane, an ancestral home of the PRD residents and millions of overseas Chinese, Ruyuan Grand Canyon, which is known as the “No.1 Canyon in Guangdong” and Nanling National Forestry Park, where the “No.1 peak in Guangdong” Shikengkong is located. As home of the Maba Man, Shaoguan has a long history and profound culture. The Yellow River Culture, the Yangtze River Culture, the Pearl River Culture, and the oceanic culture all joined and integrated in Shaoguan to form the unique Hakka culture, religion culture, Shixia culture and ethnic culture. This cultural uniqueness has cultivated the industrious, sincere, honest, open-minded and cordial nature of the Shaoguan people. Shaoguan today boasts simple and unspoiled people and great social stability, and is one of Guangdong’s Model Cities for Cultural Development as well as one of the regions with greatest social harmony and stability in Guangdong.
Distinguished guests, friends, strengthening regional cooperation and promoting mutual development are not only our common will, but also our common responsibility. We would further implement the strategy of regional coordinated development set by the CPC provincial committee and the provincial government. We shall foster a better investment, market, administration and living environment. We shall accelerate our connection with Guangzhou and integration into the PRD region and strengthen technological, economic and trade cooperation with Guangzhou and jointly promote industrial transfer to achieve mutual benefit for Shaoguan and Guangzhou, and achieve common development. To achieve these goals, we have brought to this conference plans for of 9 industrial transfer parks and 200 cooperation projects. We look forward to discussing cooperation with all investors and seeking business opportunities.
Distinguished guests, friends, Shaoguan has entered a period of accelerated development and enjoys boundless dynamism as well as infinite business opportunities. We warmly welcome friends and investors to Shaoguan for sightseeing, trade, business operation, investment and career development. We hope to create a brighter future with you.
To conclude, I wish this conference a complete success and wish you all good health, prosperous careers and the best of luck.
Thank you!
(Full text of the remarks by Xu Jianhua, Mayor of Shaoguan at the 2006 Shaoguan – Guangzhou Business Forum for Foreign Investment and Cooperation on May 18, 2005, as transcribed)
