2023 Shenzhen Global Investment Promotion Conference

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen, 

I thank the People’s Government of Shenzhen Municipality and the Commerce Bureau for the kind invitation to join the 2023 Shenzhen Global Investment Promotion Conference.

Shenzhen, once a fishing village, has been a key driver of China’s economic success since the beginning of opening-up and reform. 

In 2022, Shenzhen’s GDP exceeded 3.2 trillion CNY while attracting over 20 billion USD in foreign direct investment, underscoring its appeal as a global investment destination. 

This Conference provides a platform for Shenzhen to showcase its remarkable rise, business environment, and the city's achievements related to investment promotion. 

Looking to the future, Shenzhen’s vision to become a preferred global investment destination opens doors for more international collaboration and sustainable development. 

In this address, I wish to emphasize the crucial role sustainable and green investment can play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Sustainable and green investment are not merely buzzwords; they are the pathway for Shenzhen to realize high-quality development as raised in China’s 14th Five-Year Plan. 

Cities, including Shenzhen, must play their part in driving investments that prioritize environmental responsibility, social inclusivity, and economic prosperity.

As China’s “Silicon Valley”, Shenzhen is already home to numerous tech giants and startups, creating a vibrant ecosystem for innovation. 

Here, Shenzhen’s emphasis on innovation is in the spirit of the SDGs.

By encouraging green technologies and sustainable business practices, Shenzhen now has the chance to pioneer advances in renewable energy and infrastructure, contributing to global efforts in combating climate change and promoting clean energy.

In facing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss, green finance and investment will be the keys to our economic transition to a more sustainable future. 

Shenzhen’s focus on its "20+8" modern industrial clusters and the growth of its services sector already position it well in measures crucial for sustainable development.

As Shenzhen attracts new global enterprises and investments, there can also be more opportunities for decent work, ensuring that equitable growth can reach all of society and leave no one behind.

By embracing the SDGs, Shenzhen can continue to build upon its reputation as a global economic and technology hub while extending new opportunities for development to the rest of the world.

I hope this Conference can catalyze a new era of sustainable and green investment. 

As UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “Let’s resolve to work together for urban areas that are not only engines of growth, but beacons of sustainability, resilience and prosperity for all.”

I wish you a successful conference. 

Thank you.