Chongqing- Journalists on both sides of the Taiwan Straits arrived in southwestern China's Chongqing Municipality on July 15 and started their visit the next day. The Cross-Straits joint interview between July 11 and 19 was devoted to the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle.

During the last three days in Chongqing,  more than 40 journalists studied the local ecological conservation, technological and scientific innovation, economic development, and city landscape and culture. They left footprints along with the Liangjiang New Area, Yuzhong District, the Western (Chongqing) Science City, Dazu District, Bishan District, and Nan'an District.

Taiwan-funded enterprises based in Chongqing

As of December 2020, Chongqing had approved a total of 1,867 Taiwan-funded enterprises. 

“Many Taiwan businessmen and enterprises invest in Sichuan and Chongqing. Taiwan compatriots and business people have made contributions to Cross-Straits cooperation and a new round of reform and opening-up. It fully demonstrates that compatriots on both sides of the Straits have a community with a shared future for humanity," said Ma Xiaoguang, head of the joint interview delegation and director-general of the Information Bureau of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

Journalists on both sides of the Straits interviewed some Taiwan-funded enterprises, including Uni-President China based in Bishan and GLC Semiconductor Group in Dazu. Moreover, the industrial park service center for Taiwan-funded enterprises in Bishan offers administrative services, team building, entrepreneurship, innovation, etc.

Yang Shouzheng, general manager of Uni-President China, said, “It’s attractive enough for the food industry to invest more in consideration of the large population and economic development in Sichuan and Chongqing.”

Apart from that, the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle benefits many enterprises. "Policy coordination and innovation enable Taiwan-funded enterprises in Chengdu and Chongqing. For example, enterprises in Gaozhu New Area can enjoy mutual recognition of policies, " said Li Junjie, a journalist from Xiamen.

Smart technology, port automation

Guoyuan Port has built a four-way channel, integrating railway, waterway, road traffic, and airway.

Liu Jun, chairman of Chongqing Guoyuan Port International Logistics Hub Construction Development, said that the port's cargo throughput achieved positive growth despite the pandemic last year. “In the first half of this year, the port's cargo throughput was 10.5 million tons, an increase of 55% compared to the same period of last year,” said Liu. 

The port has become an important point connecting the Belt and Road and the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Trade between Guoyuan Port and ports in Taiwan is more frequent than before. Keelung, Kaohsiung, and Taichung are three main ports that products of Chongqing, such as electronics, have been exported to Taiwan.

Moreover, it has been developed and put into use for the container management system, integrated system of distribution, management, and control, as well as intelligent warehousing system in the Guoyuan Port.

“What impressed me most of the Guoyuan Port is its automation,” said Jen Ifang, accredited journalist of ETtoday. “As a logistics hub, the port has an important location. For example, it saves time transporting exports bound for Europe transferred at the port and by the China Railway Express compared with previous airway or waterway,” she added.

AI Park, a preview of future life

The first phase of the Terminus AI City project -AI Park located in the Western (Chongqing) Science City, was opened to the public in April this year.  Within the AI City, various solutions, including smart communities, smart fire protection, smart security, smart finance, and smart cultural tourism, are all packed into digital layers ready to be deployed in upgrading the target industries.

"When it comes to the AI park, you can experience robot services, live new retail, and intelligent systems for community security," said an employee of the project. The AI Park is committed to building one of the first ecological parks in China that provides one-stop automation services by robots and uses artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things to monitor carbon emissions throughout the life cycle.

Chongqing is racing to build a science and technology innovation center with national influence and the Western (Chongqing) Science City as a core area.  Julia Jin, director of Brand Management and Public Relations at Commercial Times, said the places we’ve visited fully demonstrated the latest development achievements in Sichuan and Chongqing. We’ve seen the vibrancy of scientific and technological innovation in western China.

Cultural appeal and ecological conservation

Chongqing is a land of natural beauty and a city with cultural appeal.

Dazu Rock Carvings, the only World Cultural Heritage site in Chongqing, impressed and won popularity among journalists. It contains more than 50,000 statues. All the sculptures are handmade and complex processes are involved, from purchasing materials, conception, drawing, clay sculpture, and molding to carving, fine-carving, fine-grinding, and polishing.

"I've been to Chongqing many times, but it's my first time to visit Dazu Rock Carvings. It's eye-opening," said Celia Chen, team leader of the China News Section at TVBS Media.

The Journalists also visited the Guangyang Isle, an embodiment of ecological conservation and green development. Guangyang Isle Industrial Development launched a green development Fund. It carries out market-oriented operations under the government's guidance, leverages the distinctive role of the Guangyang Isle Green Development Fund as a superfund to optimize resource allocation, and facilitates the gathering of talent, technologies, and projects in the eco-city, and empower green innovation and development.

Chongqing will act as a major drive in boosting the development of China's western region in the new era, play a leading role in promoting the joint construction of the Belt and Road, and become a model in advancing the green development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

After a week-long joint interview, "city landscape" was a keyword for Yang Jiajia, a journalist with Xiamen Television. "The city is special. I don't have enough time to explore the city further. I hope next time I'll visit Chongqing with my family."