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Liverpool hosts Guangdong trade mission

Liverpool is cementing its links with China by hosting a visit from the country’s largest provincial economy.

The Guangdong Development and Reform Commission (DRC) is visiting the city in a mission to understand Liverpool’s experiences of industrial upgrade, building the knowledge economy and strengthening cultural appeal to attract more tourists.

Guangdong province’s GDP is equivalent to South Korea, but the DRC is at the head of an ambitious plan to further grow the business environment by 2017.

The commission is looking to Liverpool because of its transition from a major port and manufacturing base to an increasingly knowledge-driven economy.

The 11-strong group will meet with Liverpool Vision and Marketing Liverpool, as well as getting an overview on the Liverpool Waters project from Peel and meeting with Arup, a firm with three decades of experience in China.

Max Steinberg, chief executive of Liverpool Vision said: “This is an extremely positive visit to be working on. Our colleagues in Guangdong identified Liverpool as a city that could provide valuable lessons in areas such as tourism and knowledge economy, which shows not only that the city is doing a good job but that its reputation in China continues to grow.

“There are many areas that we can work with Guangdong, and I believe that this visit will be the start of a highly productive working relationship in coming years.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .