A scene of the 2023 Shenzhen Global Investment Promotion Conference at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center. Photo by Liu Xudong

Global investors and entrepreneurs have set their eager eyes on Shenzhen for the fifth straight year as the city hosted its annual global investment promotion conference at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center on Dec. 8.

The global investors’ get-together assembled more than 1,000 guests including senior executives of Fortune Global 500 companies and China’s top 500 firms, as well as foreign diplomats and representatives of foreign business associations. The conference witnessed the signing of over 380 projects involving investments surpassing 1 trillion yuan (US$139.8 billion).

Guo Guangchang, chairman of Fosun International, said Fosun and Shenzhen are highly compatible. Shenzhen’s future development is backed by robust policies, ambitious goals and inherent strengths. “As a participant, witness, and beneficiary of Shenzhen’s reform and opening up, Fosun will continue to increase its investment in the city,” said Guo, who was honored the title of Shenzhen Investment Promotion Consultant at the conference. “With its inherent pioneering spirit, Shenzhen is shifting from a young city with vitality into an attractive city with quality and rich cultural content,” Guo added.

Fosun Pharmaceutical will establish its headquarters of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in Pingshan District, making it the company’s second global bio-health headquarters. Fosun International is also planning to build cultural and tourism projects in the city.

Also at the conference, Pingshan District signed an agreement with GCTL. GCTL, under the world’s leading battery provider CATL, will establish the global headquarters for heavy-duty electric vehicle battery swapping in Shenzhen. Over the next five years, they plan to deploy 125 battery swapping stations and promote the use of 50,000 electric heavy-duty vehicles for port logistics, mainline transportation, and cross-border transportation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. This initiative not only supports Shenzhen in achieving its "dual-carbon" goals but also contributes to Shenzhen's new energy vehicle industry chain.

According to statistics, the Shenzhen Global Investment Promotion Conference witnessed deals on over 900 projects signed from 2019 to 2022, involving a total intended investment of over 3 trillion yuan. In 2022, Shenzhen’s actual use of foreign capital reached a new high at US$11 billion, accounting for 39% of Guangdong Province’s total.