On Feb. 18, Guangzhou teamed up with Fortune magazine of the US to announce at the Davos Forum in Switzerland that the 2017 Fortune Global Forum will be held in Guangzhou between December 6 and 8 this year. No doubt, the event will greatly boost Guangzhou’s step toward internationalization. In recent years, with its increasing “going global” steps, Guangzhou has attached more importance to internationalization. What is Guangzhou in a foreigner’s eyes? What are the suggestions of foreigners to the city? Recently, Mr. Salden Joris René Y., Consul-General of Consulate General of the Kingdom of Belgium in Guangzhou, and his three commercial advisers received the exclusive interview of Nanfang Daily. In Salden’s eyes, “Guangzhou is an energetic, open and green city”. He hoped to promote Belgium and Guangzhou to optimize the urban ecological quality hand-in-hand during his four-year-long term.

A. Solving urban ecological problems through cooperation with foreign enterprises will be a development opportunity of Guangzhou.

Nanfang Daily(ND): What are the characteristics of the economic exchanges between Guangzhou and Belgium in recent years?

Salden(S): China and Belgium have kept a close and good business relationship. China is the 10^th biggest export market and the 7^th biggest export country of Belgium. In 2015, Belgium’s export trade to China hit 6.7 billion Euros, and import trade from China was 14.6 billion Euros. Belgium’s exports to China are mainly chemical products (28%) and mechanical products(15%), and the imports from China are chiefly mechanical equipment(25%), base metals(13%) and textile products (13%).

ND: How about the development situation of Belgian enterprises in Guangzhou? How do you think of their future in Guangzhou?

S: Belgian enterprises are rising in Guangzhou and Guangdong. There are two factors to prove that. First, we haven’t seen Belgian enterprises here shut down or move outward. Second, several major Belgian enterprises have established offices in Guangzhou, and some others are considering establishing offices. All these are important enterprises from medical treatment, health care and clean technology fields which have a good match to the industrial development direction of the 13^th Five-year Plan of Guangzhou.

ND: Analysts believe that Belgian diamond industry is losing its advantages due to the expensive domestic labor force and exchange rate of Euro. Against such a background, Belgian diamond businessmen cast their eyes on China. Panyu District of Guangzhou is a renowned jewelry manufacturing base. How about the development situation of Belgian diamond enterprises in Guangzhou?

S: I think it is a sort of pessimistic view. The history of diamond industry of Antwerp in Belgium has been over 5.5 centuries. Antwerp is still the world’s capital of diamond today. Actually, more than 85% of world’s rough diamonds and 50% of world’s polished diamonds are transacted through Antwerp. Surely, the diamond cutting process is expensive, and a process with lower cost is necessary. In consideration of labor cost, most diamonds of the world are being polished in India and other Asian countries. As far as I know, more than 70% of China’s diamond industry concentrates in Guangdong. Panyu is a noted large-scale diamond polishing center, which means Belgium and Guangdong will surely benefit from the increasingly strengthened business relationship.

ND: What are the challenges and opportunities in front of Belgian enterprises for their development in Guangzhou?

S: Guangzhou will confront the common problems and opportunities of all developing cities, such as the ecological level, the large urban scale, the dense and increasing population. We also wonder how China is preparing for the urban ecological challenge. We’ll have a project in Guangzhou which focuses on the integration of ecological technology and buildings. On one hand, with the urbanization progress, more population will swarm into Guangzhou. How can we offer them high-quality housing? On the other hand, how to maintain a high-quality living with the ecological technology? These two points will be important challenges in front of us. Cooperating with foreign enterprises to optimize urban ecological quality will be a development opportunity of Guangzhou.

B. Improvement of international reputation requires dedicated efforts on forging urban historical and cultural brands

ND: Could you briefly describe your impression of Guangzhou?

S: Vitality. Guangzhou is one of oriental great trade centers. Openness. The city is open and inclusive. Green. It is different from my imagination. I thought it is a gray city. But, it is such a green city with so many trees, flowers and parks.

ND: In your opinion, what are the progresses Guangzhou has made in improving its internationalization?

S: My major is history. I enjoy learning history, and I like to observe a city from the historical view angle. Due to historical reasons and the strategic position of the Pearl River Delta, Guangzhou has been an open city and a window for the west to learn of China. Similar to Belgium, Guangzhou is also the entry to a new land. Guangzhou is home to more than 50 consulates, which proves its international importance in general.

In December 2016, we cooperated with Guangzhou Library and opened a Belgian literature sector. It is just a small issue, but it reflects that the local people intend to learn Belgian culture. That’s good.

Another thing I want to mention is Guangzhou International City Innovation Award. The award marks Guangzhou’s internationalization vision and progress in urban innovation. I am proud that Brussels, capital of Belgium, became one of the Top 15 Winners among 171 candidate cities.

ND: Which foreign policy issued by Guangzhou Municipal Government impresses you most, or you give it the highest praise?

S: Through the past centuries, Guangzhou has been a pacemaker in foreign trade and open-up. It has been a tradition to date. Conventions and exhibitions are important platforms to promote foreign trade. Continuously holding trade exhibitions for diverse fields will be the best platform to further expand commercial cooperation between Guangzhou and Belgium.

ND: What are your suggestions on improving Guangzhou’s international reputation?

S: I suggest Guangzhou to focus on its city brand. When I prepared to leave for China, I realized that Guangzhou is a relatively strange name to Europeans while Canton, the name once played an important role in the trade history of China and the world, enjoy a higher reputation. Guangzhou, a name similar to Shenzhen to foreigners, is a brand new city. If Guangzhou takes its profound history into consideration when promoting itself, it will contribute more to the city’s brand recognition improvement.

ND: Which will be your most interested field during your term?

S: China is a fast developing country. Four-year term is just a short period. I hope to help the city control pollution because pollution influences the people’s living quality. Promoting green-style living will be the field I concern most.

 

C. Enjoying Guangzhou pastry most, planning to visit historical buildings

Salden is a 100% history scholar. He learns history and literature. He loves historical buildings. He likes to talk about cities with long history. He observes issues from the historical view angle. He is an experienced diplomat and had stationed in Kenya, Istanbul, Rome and Madrid. At the end of July, 2019, he took the office of the Consul-General of Consulate General of the Kingdom of Belgium in Guangzhou.   

ND: What’s your favorite Canton dish?

S: Canton pastry, the one with sea food inside. Guangzhou has many vegetables and fruits which are unavailable in Europe. The dishes here taste much better than those of Chinese restaurants abroad.

ND: Which scenic spot or scenery in Guangzhou do you favor most?

S: I am a newcomer here and have no time to visit the places. However, I am fond of the scenery through my office window. I can see Guangzhou Library and Guangzhou Opera House in the office. They both are very beautiful. My term is only four years. I’ll try to visit more places, especially historical buildings.

ND: What’s your impression to the locals?

S: They are open and social. Even you can’t speak Chinese, they still try to talk with you. There are many youngsters here, which means the birth of new ideas and new originalities at any moment. Moreover, Cantonese are hardworking. I realized that some staff in the consulate will feel guilty for having a vacation. I ask them to have a vacation. They replied, “not necessary, I can come to work.”

Source: Translated from Invest Guangzhou, Mar. 6, 2017