On 14 December, the Consulting Seminar on Free Trade Zone and the 'Belt and Road' (IV), which was hosted by Authority of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone of Shenzhen (the Qianhai Authority), organized by Roadlink GLB and co-supported by the Shenzhen Outbound Alliance (SOA) and the Statistical Society for Foreign Economic Relations and Trade of Shenzhen, was held at the Qianhai Complex. Professor Tao Yitao, the former Deputy Secretary of CPC Committee and Discipline Commission Secretary of Shenzhen University, Director of China Special Economic Zone Research Center, Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of Ministry of Education, was invited to elaborate on the advantages of Shenzhen's mass entrepreneurship and innovation and the enlightenment of Shenzhen's innovation system from multidimensional perspective, provide an in-depth analysis of construction of an innovation-oriented nation and Shenzhen's entrepreneurial practice. Zhang Shaojie, Senior Free-Trade Commissioner, and Xiang Jun, Deputy Director, both from the Free Trade Comprehensive Coordination Division of the Qianhai Authority, attended this training.

Prof. Tao held that the 19th Communist Party of China National Congress historically put the acceleration of an innovation-oriented nation construction into the grand blueprint of the Two Centenary Goals. Innovation is the internal motivation of 'four comprehensive', the right approach to promote balanced economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological progress, and a necessary step for implementing the New Development Concept and building the modern economic system.

Professor Tao Yitao, the former Deputy Secretary of CPC Committee and Discipline Commission Secretary of Shenzhen University, Director of China Special Economic Zone Research Center, Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of Ministry of Education

With the theme of 'Construction of an Innovation-oriented Nation and Shenzhen's Entrepreneurial Practice', by closely relating to the actual situation of innovation and entrepreneurship in Shenzhen and Qianhai, Prof. Tao began with the goal of construction of an innovation-oriented nation and then provided an in-depth analysis of Shenzhen's innovation system, elaborated on the advantages of Shenzhen's and Qianhai's mass entrepreneurship and innovation, the enlightenment of Shenzhen's innovation system, the practice and reflection of Shenzhen’s implementation of national innovation development strategy and construction of innovation-oriented city from multidimensional perspective.

During the Q&A session, Prof. Tao and participants and the Qianhai Authority discussed about the issues regarding the practical corporate operations and different business tasks.

The Seminar was carried out successfully and the training was well received by all participants. The course covered the opportunities and risks of the development of the 'Belt and Road', which catered for the needs of companies studying the 'Going Out' or 'Bringing In' Strategy, and provided experience and development ideas for these companies through case study. Participants expected more similar courses to be held in future to provide greater support to corporate development.

The Q&A session