10 A.M. on November 28, local time, 2018 Shenzhen (Pingshan) - St. Petersburg Economy, Trading, Science & Technology and Education Cooperation Conference was launched at Corinthia Hotel, St. Petersburg, Russia. The Conference was jointly hosted by the CPC Pingshan District Committee and Pingshan District Government, and co-organized by Shenzhen Outbound Alliance (SOA) and Roadlink GLB.

A photo taken at the Conference

Luo Xin, Commercial Consular of Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in St. Petersburg, was giving a speech.

The Conference began by Luo Xin, Commercial Consular of Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China to St. Petersburg. She believed that Shenzhen, standing at the frontline of the Reform and Opening up, has played a significant role in the social and economic development of China, and has seen rapid changes during the last decades caused by the Reform and Opening up policy. Shenzhen has become a core base where products of science and technology development are being transformed into business and trade. Pingshan District is programmed to become the sci-tech innovative centre of Shenzhen, while St. Petersburg, hailed as the most innovative city of Russia in 2017, would cooperate well with Pingshan in the years to come.

Sergeev Andrey Viktorovic, Investment & Development Agency of Leningrad Region, was making a speech.

Sergeev Andrey Viktorovic, Director of Investment & Development Agency of Leningrad Region, introduced the investment of the region. He said that Leningrad Oblast has attracted 1 billion US dollar of foreign direct investment in the year of 2017, mainly on automobile manufacturing, shipbuilding, tourism, machine manufacturing, etc., ranking the fifth among all federal states of Russia. The Oblast features 28 industrial parks, which have attracted a large number of enterprises. He also expressed the willingness of cooperating with Pingshan to promote the investment and economic development of both regions.

Tao Yongxin, Party Secretary of Pingshan District Committee was making a speech

A video showing the business environment of Pingshan was then displayed, after which another speech was made by Tao Yongxin, Party Secretary of Pingshan District Committee. St. Petersburg is the second largest city of Russia, said Tao in his speech, and the city of rich historical and cultural values which is also characterized by highly- developed science, technology and industry sectors. It has also been a friendly partner of China. In 2014, Shenzhen and St. Petersburg became sister cities, since which the two cities have embarked on a new journey of cooperation. As a vital region of eastern Shenzhen, Pingshan features exclusive industry advantages, and its Shenzhen New Energy Auto Industry Base, Shenzhen National Biology Industrial Base, Electronic Information Industrial Park and Guangdong Shenzhen Export Processing Park have become symbols of the District with the most profound potential among all regions of Shenzhen. Recent years saw Pingshan show an accelerating trend of development, with the GDP of 2017 growing the fastest among all districts of Shenzhen. Tao expressed his wish to facilitate the cooperation between the governments, enterprises, chambers, associations of the two places in the future, and also invited visits and tours from St. Petersburg to Shenzhen for further investment and communication.

Peng Yao, Deputy Chairman of Pingshan District CPPCC and Director of District Bureau of Education, was speaking at the conference

Peng Yao, Deputy Chairman of Pingshan District CPPCC and Director of District Bureau of Education, introduced the development of education in Pingshan District from five perspectives. She emphasized the goal of serving the people and meeting their needs regarding the policy-making, reform and development of education. Innovative methods and international approaches will be integrated into the sector to better the cultivation of youngsters. Also, she briefed on the development of Shenzhen Technology University and expressed the will of organizing international communication activities with St. Petersburg and with Russia.

Li Meng, Director of Science and Technology Promotion Bureau of Pingshan District, was speaking at the conference.

Li Meng, Director of Science and Technology Promotion Bureau of Pingshan District made a speech later, focusing on the industry environment and the policy issues. Featuring ecological advantages, Pingshan District has been granted the mission of facilitating the centre of sci-tech and industry innovation in the eastern Shenzhen. The New Energy Auto Industry Base has been recognized for BYD and some other renowned enterprises, and the Biology Industrial Base has gathered over 150 of the Global 500, including Sanofi Pasteur and Sinopharm Group. In recent years, Shenzhen has promoted a series of policies to boost the development of companies, encourage innovation and provide start-ups with services from R&D, technology, finance and other aspects at different stages. Li said that innovation has made possible the thriving and prospering of Shenzhen during the years, and that St. Petersburg is welcomed to cooperate and communicate with Pingshan and with Shenzhen, to create a better future.

Prof. Воронина Михайловн Маргарита, Vice Dean of St. Petersburg Institute for the History of Science and Technology, St. Petersburg Science Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences; Researcher of Institute for Higher Education Science Study; Post-doctoral of engineering; and Professor of Advanced Mathematics Department in St. Petersburg State Transport University, was making speech

Sun Tianlu, Executive Chairman of SOA, was speaking at the conference

A photo of VIP guests and Representatives were sharing ideas at the Conference

Over 100 enterprises, chambers, colleges and universities participated in the cooperation conference, which has constructed a fair platform for the communication of economic, trade, science & technology and education between Pingshan and St. Petersburg. The Conference has deepened the understanding and mutual trust between the two regions, and has paved the way for further cooperation of multiple industries.