2018-October-29 Source: Newsgd.com
Editor’s note
Since China implemented the reform and opening-up policy 40 years ago, Guangdong has become a pilot province showcasing the policy’s achievements to the international community. Over the past 40 years, a large number of expats have come to Guangdong. They have brought trade, technology and funds, contributed to the local economy and the province’s social development. The bilingual series report “More local than local – Guangdong's Expat Settlers”, simultaneously launched across Nanfang Daily, Southcn.com and the Nanfang+ App, focuses on four key topics (including “access”, “circulation”, “innovation” and “livability”) and tells the stories of 26 expats from six different continents; all engaged in different sectors.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits an exhibition on Guangdong's development during the past 40 years since the reform and opening up at a museum in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, during an inspection tour, Oct. 24, 2018.
“Guangdong has changed greatly compared to when I first arrived. I am lucky to have witnessed its progress,” Harley Seyedin, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in South China (AmCham), said, looking back on the 17 years spent in Guangdong, “I saw the number of AmCham members increase from 211 to 3,000.”
According to the Special Report on the State of Business in South China released by AmCham this March, Guangzhou and Shenzhen ranked as the two most popular investment destinations in China.
Harley and AmCham’s story is not an exception. Guangdong has released a series of policies on foreign investment and talent, making the province increasingly accessible to expats and foreign-funded enterprises over the years of reform and opening-up.
Italian Pilot realizes “Kung Fu Dream” in Foshan
Italian Mauro Marchesan came to Guangdong in 2012. At that time, all he knew of Guangdong was that it was an affluent and rapidly developing region close to Hong Kong. But having worked at China Southern Airlines for six years, he is becoming more and more local: using WeChat and DiDi, and dining out at the most authentic Cantonese restaurants.
Mauro pilots Airbus A330 flights during the week. And due to flexible crew arrangement, he usually arrives at the office several hours prior to the flight so that he can get to know his colleagues. “They are very kind and most of them speak English.” He said.
With the help of his warmhearted colleagues, Mauro has realized his dream of learning Kung fu --- At the end of 2013, he became an apprentice of Wing Chun Master Lu Bojun in Foshan and started learning the martial art. “China’s reform has brought a lot of changes. Foreigners like me have had more and more chances to work, do business and study here,” Mauro said.
The province’s is equally attractive to enterprises. Lumir Meloun, President of PPF Group (China), believes that “Guangdong is always a pioneer of internationalization. In recent years, it has implemented ten measures on foreign investment, attracted more than 60% of Fortune 500 enterprises to the region. Along with more favorable policies released by various cities, Guangdong’s appeal to enterprises is evident.”
Medical professor’s peaceful and modern lifestyle in Shenzhen
Peter Lobie is one of the expats we spoke with who has been drawn to Guangdong. He currently works for the Precision Medicine and Healthcare Research Center, Tsinghua – Berkeley Shenzhen Institute.
“Both the Shenzhen government and private capital funds strongly support targeted cancer drug research,” he said, “it enables scientific research results and new drugs to quickly go onto the market.” Lobie told us that he has established a startup in the city, engaging in two kinds of new candidate drugs for cancer patients.
“I really enjoy the peaceful and modern style of living and working here.” Specializing in cancer treatment, Lobie relocated to Shenzhen from Singapore with a great deal of support from his employer and local government. Thus far, his family and a colleague – an Indian senior laboratory scientist have also settled in the city.
Peter Lobie in his office.[Provided by Huang Xuhao]
Meanwhile, the continuous improvement of infrastructure is helping to retain overseas professionals. “I couldn’t find a display board to check flight information at Baiyun Airport in 1991,” recalling when he first came to Guangzhou. Harley said that Guangzhou looked like a small city at that time. However, it’s now a hub city, connecting to cities nationwide through a sophisticated high-speed railway network. The completion of Baiyun Airport’s Terminal 2 will further facilitate transportation between Guangzhou and the rest of the world.
In recent years, Guangdong has grasped such opportunities as the development of the Free Trade Zone, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative. It will jointly develop with cities in the Bay Area through integrating diversified resources.
Attract overseas professionals through multiple measures: Lumir Meloun
We need to answer two questions: how to attract and retain overseas professionals.
Firstly, they need development opportunities. On the one hand, Guangdong could promote its international business environment, which is unquestionably outstanding on the global stage. On the other hand, it needs a diversified industrial ecology to enable overseas professionals in different fields to gain their own development opportunities.
Secondly, the government needs to provide more preferential policies and measures in such areas as investment, entrepreneurship and taxation. Establishing comprehensive talent management and service mechanisms are important factors in retaining talent.
Thirdly, the convenience factor is very important, for example in the fields of housing, medical care, social security, spousal employment, children’s education, tax reduction and exemption and administrative services (e.g. visa, work, residence and vocational qualification accreditation). “For example, I live in Shenzhen and frequently travel to Beijing and Tianjin. Convenient high-speed railway and well-developed mobile payment make my business trips painless.”
Guangdong’s ten measures on foreign investment
Guangdong launched ten measures on foreign investment in December 2017, and released the revised version in September 2018. These measures work to allow market access to more sectors; allow the establishment of wholly foreign-owned enterprises in nine major areas; enable expats who hold permanent resident status and set up start-up technology enterprises to enjoy the same treatment as Chinese citizens; enable high-level expats to enjoy advantageous policies in such areas as entry/exit, stay duration and employing foreign housekeepers; and gradually implement six new entry/exit measures across Guangdong in support of the construction of the Guangdong FTZ.
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