Chongqing- A total of 25 consultants from all over the world attended the 15th Annual Meeting of the Chongqing Mayor’s International Economic Advisory Council held in southwestern China’s Chongqing Municipality on September 23, and 15 consultant guests from overseas across 4 time zones gave online speeches and interacted with municipal leaders.

This year’s annual meeting focused on the theme of Build a Pioneer of Opening-up in Inland China and Improve the Internationalization of Chongqing. Global “think tanks” put forward their proposals for Chongqing’s opening up and development on subtopics of developing a higher level of an open economy, building a modern international city, and promoting the joint construction of reform and opening-up in the Chengdu-Chongqing region to the next level.

What are the proposals? Here are some as followed.

Mark Gibbs, Global Executive Vice President, SAP SE and President, SAP Greater China, suggested focusing on the “convenience of customs clearance and deepen the construction of inland port opening-up”. Creating an innovative comprehensive collaboration platform, utilizing artificial intelligence technology to realize smart port construction, and connecting “Online Customs” with enterprise ERP system are three-fold ways to achieve that. “An innovative collaboration platform that connects enterprises and customs, as well as the ecological chain between them, includes foreign trade enterprises, logistics and storage parks, comprehensive bonded areas, industrial parks, foreign trade forwarders, commodity inspections, Chongqing customs, etc.”

Koichi Miyata, Chairman of the Board, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, proposed implementing a new energy system that combines solar power generation and EVs to strengthen Chongqing’s urban resilience and possible government initiatives to support the implementation of such a system. “In order for Chongqing City to optimize its energy structure and establish a low-carbon society, the large scale introduction of solar power generation is essential, given solar power’s overwhelming potential as a renewable energy source.”

Frank Meng, Chairman of Qualcomm China, mentioned the utility and application of 5G technologies on the Internet of Vehicles and industrial Internet as well as new 5G business formats. For example, “ It is suggested that Chongqing should establish a 5G application industry ecosystem, guide leading enterprises in the municipality to set up a smart home industry alliance, further strengthen international cooperation and protection in intellectual property, actively cultivate new 5G applications, and open up new fields of its open economy.”

Ben Keswick, Executive Chairman of Jardine Matheson, noted that suggested policy goals to construct the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle could “focus on strengthening cooperation between Chongqing and Sichuan and building policy networks, infrastructure development with a particular focus on the area between the two city cores, coordination of land policy and the development of green spaces, and integrating labor markets and social welfare provision”.