24 special Thursday, October 22, 2015 Daily Guangzhou promotes Internet innovation zone Area in planned to become city’s own ‘Silicon Valley’

By ZHAN LISHENG Inc, London-listed Global Market tively gather renowned Internet [email protected] Group, Hong Kong-listed Tencent innovation firms. Inc and Fosun International, as well As the State urges the implemen- as GOME Electrical Appliances and The right venue tation of its Internet-plus initiative, -based MI.com, all of whom Analysts said Guangzhou’s ambi- the southern China city of Guang- are top Internet-plus companies in tion to develop the Pazhou zone zhou is also promoting Internet- China and globally. is not only feasible but also neces- related innovation. Among them, Tencent will move sary, and Pazhou is the right venue Among its strategies is a move to its WeChat headquarters to the for the city’s implementation of its develop a zone to house Internet- zone. WeChat, a mobile messaging Internet-plus strategy. related companies — the Pazhou application developed in Guang- One of China’s commercial hubs Internet Innovation Zone, termed zhou, is a very popular instant mes- for more than 10 centuries, Guang- Guangzhou’s “Silicon Valley” — in saging app with more than 900 zhou has a well-developed com- the city’s Pazhou area. million registered subscribers in modity economy and traditional The Pazhou area, an island and outside China; Fosun, a top industries, which will adequately covering 10.4 square kilometers, 500 company in China, will develop underline the development of its is probably the best-known place Internet financing business in the Internet economy, they said. in Guangzhou all over the world, Pazhou zone. “Guangzhou’s leadership in com- especially for those who have busi- Alibaba is China’s and the wor- merce and trade and the driving ness relations with China. rld’s leading e-commerce giant; force of the will step up A key reason is that it boasts VIPshop, the world’s leading online the development of the zone,” said a global top exhibition complex, discount retailer; GOME, a lead- Hu Gang, an urban planning profes- where the Chinese Import and ing household appliance chainstore sor at the Guangzhou-based Jinan Export Commodities Fair, more brand in China that is fast devel- University, adding that the local The Pazhou area in Haizhu is rising as a modern hub for traditional commerce and e-commerce as it is home to the commonly known as the Canton oping its e-commerce; and Global government has found the right Pazhou Complex of the Canton Fair and the planned Pazhou Internet Innovation Zone. Photos provided to China Daily Fair, is held twice a year, as well Market, a cross-border e-commerce path for the development of Pazhou. as hundreds of other trade shows leader in China. Customs statistics indicate that throughout the year. The zone will have more diversi- Guangzhou notched 3.32 billion The Pazhou Internet Innovation fied Internet-plus industries when yuan worth of foreign trade via zone is right next to the Pazhou Com- MI.com, a fast-growing company cross-border e-commerce in the first plex of the Canton Fair on the west. well-known for its scientific and seven months of this year, occupy- With a planned area of 370,000 technological innovations that ing a lion’s share of 70 percent of the sq m, the zone is expected to attract relies heavily on e-commerce nation’s total. the headquarters of Internet-plus for sales, UC Browser, one of the The sum more than doubles companies, with businesses ranging world’s leading third-party brows- the total figure in 2014 and makes from Internet research and develop- ers, and YY, a leading online social Guangzhou the first among all other ment, online payment and opera- entertainment platform in China, pilot cities in cross-border e-com- tions, to big data applications. The are relocated there. merce in China. zone is designed to become China’s The industrial leaders will pool Guangzhou had 613 cross-border leading Internet innovation zone capitals of 30 billion yuan ($4.72 e-commerce firms by the end of with its influence reaching through- billion) for their projects in the next August, according to official sta- out the Asia-Pacific region. three to five years. tistics. The city’s blueprint sets the The zone is also expected to rake The city also ranks second in zone as home to globally leading in annual industrial output of more the indices of China’s e-commerce e-commerce and Internet firms than 100 billion yuan with intensive application and development in Logos of renowned companies to have operations in the Pazhou Internet Innovation Zone. with high-caliber professionals, Internet innovations when in full 2014, said a report released by Alib- new technologies and new busi- operation. aba Group’s research institute. ness models related to the Internet “The large number of outstand- Its e-commerce transactions were “The traditional commercial hub will exert far-reaching significance tend to associate Zhongguancun in five to 10 years. ing Internet firms and brands has worth 1.3 trillion yuan in 2014. of Guangzhou will gain substan- on the development of e-commerce with IT and the Canton Fair with Several Internet and e-commerce paved the way for Guangzhou’s tial momentum,” he said. “It will firms. exhibitions,” Li said. heavyweights in China have bought Internet-plus development; the New momentum become a world-class commercial “Guangzhou needs to gather Lin Jiang, vice-president and land for their headquarters or city will endeavor to push for- Ren Xingzhou, head of the market hub when good plans for e-com- industrial-related Internet leaders professor of the institute for free branch head offices in the zone, ward the integration of the Inter- economy research institute under merce are in place.” so that an industrial chain can be in trade zone research at Sun Yat-sen according to local media reports. net with traditional industries,” the State Council’s Development According to He Xiaopeng, co- the pipeline soon,” said Li Xueling, University in Guangzhou, said, “To said Ren Xuefeng, Party chief of Research Center, said Guangzhou founder of UC, Guangzhou has a CEO of YY Inc. “It is the right time gather Internet firms is the initial Big names Guangzhou. will have unprecedented opportuni- favorable environment and clear for the initiative.” step; what is more important is to These companies include NYSE- He hopes the Pazhou zone will ties with the development of new direction for e-commerce devel- “Whenever people talk about take good advantage of them to listed Alibaba Group and VIPshop create a good environment for Internet technologies, free trade opment, which together with the Internet-plus in China, they will boost other industries so that the Holdings Ltd, NASDAQ-listed YY Internet innovation and to effec- zones and cross-border e-commerce. local government’s policy support refer to the Pazhou zone, as people maximum synergy will be formed.”

Pazhou has long history of foreign trade

By ZHAN LISHENG to be further improved as the local northern side of the to [email protected] government is considering launch- become the city’s greater central ing a terminal complex and a wharf business district and a major eco- Pazhou used to be the starting for passenger liners to Hong Kong. nomic engine as well as a hot spot point of the maritime Silk Road in Once in service, Pazhou would for corporate headquarters. ancient China and its ancient port become the only traffic pivot inte- The local government is dedicated of Huangpu was the only port that grating water, land and air in down- to keeping the environment for busi- the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) gov- town Guangzhou. ness operations on a par with inter- ernment opened for foreign trade In close proximity to Pazhou are national standards by standardizing from 1757 to 1842. The port held a some institutions of higher learn- its administration, improving trans- vital position in China’s foreign trade ing such as Sun Yat-sen University, parency and efficiency, hammering history. University of Finance out favorable policies and offering Statistics indicate that 5,107 ves- and Economics and Guangzhou better services. sels anchored at Pazhou from 1758 Academy of Fine Arts, as well as sce- to 1838 and 86 vessels at most from nic spots and attractions of historical six countries were moored at the interest including the spectacular port at the same time during the Canton Tower and the immense Hai- peak season. zhu Wetland Park. Today’s Pazhou enjoys an excel- The Canton Tower, the third-high- lent environment for business opera- est tower in the world, receives more tions. than 2 million tourists each year. The local government has estab- The Haizhu Wetland Park, the lished special teams to provide key largest downtown wetland park projects with efficient, one-stop ser- among China’s super metropolises, vices for free for handling adminis- has a planned area of 26 square trative procedures. kilometers, larger than the Central An island area surrounded by Park in New York and Hyde Park in the Pearl River, Pazhou has a well- London. developed infrastructure including Tomorrow’s Pazhou will see the For more information about a ready and convenient traffic net- birth and fast growth of a globally Pazhou, please scan the QR code for work to the airport, bullet train sta- renowned Internet innovation zone. WeChat, tion, Guangzhou Port and elsewhere Pazhou will then join hands with contact Mr Zhao at 8620-34003989, Haizhu Wetland Park, the largest downtown wetland park among China’s super metropolises, has a planned area of 26 in the city. Zhujiang New Town and Guangzhou Ms Su at 8620-34003990, square kilometers. The traffic infrastructure is likely International Financial Town on the or send email to [email protected]