Guangxi traders eye food, copper

A BUSINESS delegation from Guangxi, China expressed interest in tapping the province’s food and copper mining industries during a roundtable discussion with the Cebu business community on Tuesday.

Guangxi Department of Commerce deputy director general Sun Jianqiu told Sun.Star Cebu they are looking for possible investments in the copper industry to further supply the infra-development in China, which is now extended even to rural areas.

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Sixteen delegates from Guangxi, China are in Cebu for a three-day trade mission. They are joined by nine Guangxi government officials who are also here to strengthen the existing sisterhood agreement between Guangxi and Cebu province.

Guangxi is Cebu’s fourth sister-province in China. The other three are Guangdong, Sichuan and Hainan.

Agriculture

Sun said they also wish to enhance cooperation in the country’s agricultural sector.

“Guangxi and the Philippines have distinctive agricultures and strong complementarities so they can conduct cooperation in plantation of hybrid paddy rice, development of new species of crops, comprehensive utilization of bio-gas in rural areas, agricultural science and technology as well as sea fishing, coastal breeding and processing of seafood,” Sun said.

The round table discussion and business matching was held at the Cebu International Convention Center, hosted by the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI).

Aside from food and copper industries, Sun said Guangxi also hopes to improve the tourism industries in both provinces.

Guangxi is an autonomous region of the People’s Republic of China. Its 2008 nominal gross domestic product (GDP) was 717.2 billion yuan ($103 billion), ranking 127th in China. Its per capita GDP is 14,966 yuan ($2,155).

Sun said in his presentation to the Cebu business community that business operations in Guangxi are very viable because it is strategically located at the juncture of South China Economic Circle, Southwest China Economic Circle and Asean Economic Circle.

“It’s the only region in China that is linked with Asean both by land and sea,” he said.

Guangxi has 25 ports, 17 of which are national grade one ports. Its three major sea ports are Beihai, Qinzhou and Fangchenggang, that have a handling capacity of over 100 million tons.

There are also direct flights from Nanning and Guilin cities of Guangxi to Cebu.

Sun also said with the approval of Guangxi Beibu Gulf Economic Zone Development Scheme in 2008, Guangxi will become the new growth area in the coastal areas of China as it will be developed into a base of modern commerce and logistics, advanced manufacturing, featured agriculture as well as a center for information exchanges.

Pillar industries

Guangxi will also prioritize development of its 14 pillar industries that have an output value of over 100 billion yuan in the next 10 years.

These industries are the food, automobile, petrochemical, power, non-ferrous metal, metallurgy, machinery, building materials, paper making and wood processing, electronic information, pharmacy, textiles, garments, leather, biology, ship building and repairing and marine engineering.

Officials said Guangxi will also develop four emerging industries–new material, new energy, energy conservancy and environmental protection and marine industry.

MCCI president Eric Mendoza said the visit of the delegation was timely as the country just concluded the national elections.

“This indicates their confidence in the economy, to explore possible investments and trade opportunities, particularly in Cebu,” Mendoza said.