Global Bay Area Cooperation and Development Forum kicks off in San Francisco

Chinese Consul General to San Francisco Wang Donghua gives a speech. (Photo/People’s Daily Online)

People’s Daily Online, March 29 (San Francisco) – Jointly launched by People’s Daily Online and People’s Daily West USA, the Global Bay Area Cooperation and Development Forum (GBAF), an international gathering aiming to deepen cooperation between bay areas, kicked off on March 29, 2019.

Attracting prominent leaders and experts from renowned metropolitan and bay areas worldwide, the grand event came after the successful establishment of China’s Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which has been hailed by many scholars and experts as the forth leading bay area in the world, following New York, San Francisco and Tokyo.

“China has set a goal of building the Greater Bay Area into one of the world’s leading bay areas. The current world-class bay areas can serve as a reference for the construction of China’s bay area,” said Luo Hua, Deputy Editor-in-chief of People’s Daily Online.

Echoing Luo, Wang Donghua, Consul General of China in San Francisco, noted the forum is a timely and necessary platform for bay areas to find a new path for their future development, as the global economy has been dampened by rising protectionism worldwide.

Luo Hua, Deputy Editor-in-chief of People’s Daily Online gives a speech. (Photo/People’s Daily Online)

“Globalization and increased open collaboration have led to the booming economic success of bay areas worldwide. International participation from talents and experts from all walks of life, as well as shared success, are the factors that have made this possible. Restricting the flow of technologies and talents will only lead to self-imposed isolation,” added the Consul General.

Steven Rockefeller Jr, chairman of PFC & SRJ culture, reiterated his belief in China’s Greater Bay Area, adding that Guangzhou has been the central city in South China since ancient times, and is a port that has connected China with the world for over two thousand years.

Steven Rockefeller Jr, chairman of PFC & SRJ culture addresses the forum. (Photo/People’s Daily Online)

“I have high expectation for [China’s first bay area], as it is a region with the largest economic aggregate in China and is in the vanguard of China’s bay area economy,” he said.

The forum will also introduce a cooperation mechanism by establishing the Global Bay Areas Cooperation Council. The Council builds a platform for the exchange of resources among the global bay areas, thus creating a robust and dynamic global competition which will lead to synergistic development.

(Photo/People’s Daily Online)