“Nanning Channel” Enhancing Speed and Quality by “Guangxi Projects”

Lin Qianqian 　Wu Sheng

With the Nanning-hosted China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit as a platform and bridge， “Nanning Channel” leads to many consensuses between China and the ASEAN countries， such as Nanning Consensus and Nanning Initiative， and forms a number of cooperation mechanisms. It serves as a channel for economic and trade cooperation， exchange and consultation between traders， governments and business communities of both sides. It is conformable to the times， open， inclusive， and win-win， featuring political mutual trust， policy， infrastructure， trade， financial and people-to-people connectivity.

As the host of China-ASEAN Expo， Guangxi is constantly enriching the implications and denotations of “Nanning Channel” in its efforts to build China-ASEAN Free Trade Area （CAFTA）. Since 2018 marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region， the Party Committee and the Government of Guangxi decided to accelerate the construction of a number of major public-interest projects， including Guangxi International Zhuang Medicine Hospital， Nanning Garden Expo Park， and the upgrading of Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Centre， which will present Guangxis progress in economic and social development， reform and opening up and ethnic unity， thus to invigorate “Nanning Channel” by speeding up its establishment and improving its quality.

“Mass health” along the Belt and Road

In August 2015， the project of Guangxi International Zhuang Medicine Hospital was officially launched as one of the major public-interest projects dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the founding of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is expected to be the largest Third-Grade Class-A national hospital in China after completion. Benefited from “Nanning Channel”， the project has been absorbing many excellent medical resources from ASEAN countries. At the China-ASEAN Summit Forum on Traditional Medicine on October 27， 2016， Guangxi International Zhuang Medicine Hospital signed a cooperation framework agreement on the training of treatment techniques with national characteristics with Malaysia Global Health Association and a friendly strategic cooperation agreement on academic exchange with Thailand KKS Culture Media Co.， Ltd. In December of the same year， it also signed Friendly Cooperation Framework Agreement between Guangxi International Zhuang Medicine Hospital and Singapore Chinese Physicians Association with Singapore Chinese Physicians Association （SCPA）.

Being an important component of Guangxi traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， Zhuang and Yao Medicine， a kind of unique national medicine， was formed and developed by Zhuang and Yao people in their long practice of life and production. The development of Zhuang and Yao Medicine thereupon leads to the emergence of Guangxi International Zhuang Medicine Hospital. Besides， driven by “Nanning Channel”， TCM mass health industry has become a hot topic in China-ASEAN cooperation. During the 14th China-ASEAN Expo in 2017， at the 5th Forum on China-ASEAN Technology Transfer and Collaborative Innovation， Nannning Initiative： Promote International Innovation Cooperation of TCM Mass Health Industry in Guangxi， Hong Kong， Macau and ASEAN in the Context of the Belt and Road was released.

Nanning Initiative has received positive response from major innovators， such as TCM research institutes， colleges， pharmaceutical enterprises and parks in Hong Kong， Macau and ASEAN countries. It is also agreed by all， under the leadership of Guangxi and with the resources of these regions at hand， to build a platform for innovation cooperation， carry out joint research and development， make technological breakthroughs， establish a standard system for TCM， protect and cultivate medicinal herbs， strengthen the protection of technology trade and intellectual property right， support exchange of innovation talents and facilitate technology transfer and commercialization. In this way， TCM mass health industry can grow better， bigger and stronger.

Green City ever greener

From December 2018 to May 2019， themed with “Livable Ecology， Garden Dreams”， the 12th China （Nanning） International Garden Expo （hereinafter referred to as Garden Expo） will be held for ASEAN countries for the first time. An ASEAN Garden and a Silk Road Garden have been specially designed for the Garden Expo and the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The ASEAN Garden will show the cultures and local customs of ASEAN countries through their distinctive architectures and intangible cultures； the Silk Road Garden， on the other hand， will present the history and folk customs of countries and regions along the Belt and Road by displaying their representative landscape， enabling visitors to have a panorama of ASEANs customs and cultural treasures in the world.

“We have given full play to the role of “Nanning Channel” towards the ASEAN. During the Garden Expo， we will take the gardens as a base for exhibition and trade of China-ASEAN ornamental flowers， gardening science and technology as well as cultures and arts， so as to broaden the platform for garden culture demonstration and exchange， and share the Expo with the world，” said Zhou Hongbo， Mayor of Nanning.

“Nannning Channel” has made the Green City ever greener. As China is continuing to achieve forestry technology interaction and transfer in ASEAN countries， and has adopted Nanning Initiative on China-ASEAN Cooperation in Forestry， “Nanning Channel” has been expanded and greener in its development. On the basis of trade， China is actively cooperating with ASEAN countries in such projects as enhancing the cultivation of fast-growing and high-yield plantation， planting of special economic forest and education and training of forestry science and technology， so as to strengthen the underpinning role of forestry science and technology， increase the use of high technology and value-added of exported forest products， accelerate the transformation and upgrading of forestry industry， and promote industrial-capacity cooperation between the two sides. Taking the opportunity of China-ASEAN Year of Tourism Cooperation， the 2017 China-ASEAN Expo Forest & Wood Products Exhibition has actively developed new forms of business like under-forest economy and forest tourism. As a result， products， such as imported landscape trees， sophisticated gardens， and high-end and large-scale forest tourism， are enjoying great popularity.

Working together towards regional cooperation

During the 14th China-ASEAN Expo in 2017， with a total exhibition area of 124，000 square meters （including an additional area of 14，000 square meters）， 6，600 booths， and 77，000 purchasers and exhibitors from 68 countries and regions， Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Centre received guests from around the world and reached a new peak for economic and trade cooperation. The newly-open pavilions in Zone E were used as a special area for “intelligent manufacturing equipment”， which， driven by innovation and maintaining competitive by being more intelligent， digitized， networked and green， is designed to boost the exports of high-end equipment manufacturing. At the same time， a product launch of drones became another highlight that caught exhibitors attention at the Expo.

It is reported that， to better serve China-ASEAN Expo， an extension project of Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Centre has been initiated at the end of 2014. The Centre will be upgraded by enlarging exhibition area， perfecting facilities and improving transportation system. The venues upgrading in terms of area and function will expand the scale and diversity of China-ASEAN Expo， and increase its potential and capability to serve China-ASEAN cooperation. Moreover， the Centre has also increased its hard power to host more international exhibitions and conventions. The completion of the extension in 2018， while acting as a dedication to the 60th anniversary of the founding of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region， will inject impetus into “Nanning Channel” for regional cooperation.

So， “Nanning Channel” is not only for Nanning and Guangxi， but also for China and China-ASEAN. Giving full expression to the role of “Nanning Channel” in building the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road will be of great significance in raising the strategic position and role of Nanning and even Guangxi in the Belt and Road Initiative and China-ASEAN strategic cooperation.