Suzhou district aims to attract Japanese investment

Xiangcheng District of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, will become a hub for Japanese companies investing in China, especially in smart manufacturing and related high-tech sectors, speakers said at a forum of the ongoing China International Import Expo.

The Xiangcheng government has made efforts to improve its business environment, such as attracting high-end talent and building the Suzhou (Xiangcheng) China-Japan Smart Manufacturing Cooperative Innovation Zone, said Zhang Yongqing, head of the district.

The projects welcomed in Xiangcheng include those related to industrial robots and high-end machine tools, digitalized manufacturing, smart driving and health care.

By October, a total of 91 investment projects, including many from Japan, had been signed in Xiangcheng, with an expected contract value of over US$10 billion. 

Government officials and business executives, including some from Japanese enterprises and local startups, also attended the forum.