Huadu embarked on another journey overseas to attract investments. Recently, a delegation of Huadu went to France for investment promotion as well as for exchange and cooperation, aiming to expand the global "circle of friends" of the District, and let the world see and invest in Huadu.

The year 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of China-France diplomatic ties, and on May 24, governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao jointly held a grand event of 2024 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area-Europe (France) Economic and Trade Cooperation and Exchange Conference in Paris, France, which brought together more than 400 people from China, France, other European countries and regions, representatives of cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and representatives of well-known enterprises and associations in the economic and trade fields and business communities. The guests had an in-depth discussion on GBA's development prospects, policy advantages, industrial development and international cooperation, trying to explore jointly new opportunities for cooperation and development. Huadu District seized the opportunity and gave a solemn introduction of Huadu's location advantages and investment environment.

The District has reached a number of cooperation intentions in France.

Striking while the iron is hot, Huadu signed cooperation agreements with Marelli and Valeo, two of the world's leading auto parts companies, and the Ateliers Jean Nouvel, a leader in architectural design. Huadu has 3 of the 15 projects signed on the spot, accounting for 1/5 of the projects signed by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. In particular, two of the world's leading auto parts companies will further expand their investment in Huadu, Guangzhou, which will infuse new momentum to Guangzhou's ambition to build a trillion-level automotive smart city as well as to Huadu District's vision to build an innovation highland of intelligent and connected vehicle in the Greater Bay Area.

Marelli, a leading auto parts supplier of the world, reached an intent agreement with Huadu to invest 750 million yuan for the Marelli automotive electronics global R&D center and the capacity expansion project. It has been planned that in addition to Marelli Guangzhou automotive electronics R&D center, expansion will be made into global business to provide intelligent products and services to customers around the world; investment will be increased for the research and development of regional controllers, intelligent cockpit controllers, innovative display and other product platforms; and industrial investment will also be stepped up to promote capacity expansion, which upon completion will result in an annual output value of more than 4 billion yuan in 2028.

Valeo Group is an automotive supplier and partner to global car manufacturers that is based in Paris, France. As a high-tech company, Valeo plans to invest in Huadu an intelligent interactive R&D center and an intelligent display capital increase and capacity expansion project, to promote the development and application of cutting-edge human-computer interaction technologies in the field of intelligent cockpits, achieve key technological innovations and breakthroughs, focus on the R&D and manufacturing of intelligent interconnected displays, further improve core R&D capabilities in optics and mechanics, and provide customers with innovative solutions for intelligent mobility.

Huadu is to build a Sino-French cultural exchange center

Jean Nouvel is one of the world's top ten architects, a French national treasure, and a winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the highest honor in the building industry. He is the designer of more than 230 famous buildings around the world, including the Paris Opera, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Tours Duo in Paris, the National Museum of Qatar, the National Museum Art Centre Queen Sofia in Madrid, and the Torre Agbar in Barcelona. His works can be found in more than 40 countries on five continents, and he is universally recognized as an innovator in the building industry. Guangzhou Zhidu Investment Holding Group Co., Ltd. plans to join hands with Jean Nouvel to renovate the Xinqing Cement Plant (former site) adjacent to Huadu Lake National Wetland Park, and build it into a Sino-French cultural exchange center, which will be a global cultural complex integrating world-class art, architecture and landscape, and become a cultural tourism destination providing strong sense of design and experience in the Greater Bay Area. It will consist of contemporary art museum, theater cluster, international gallery area, art bookstores and other cultural formats; super plant factories, art derivatives, home improvement and furnishings, other lifestyle exhibitions and retail formats; and tourism formats such as international first-class resort hotels, convention and exhibition centers, homestays, and restaurants.

In addition to the upcoming Sino-French Cultural Exchange Center, the Ateliers Jean Nouvel will also explore the opportunities to work with other companies in Huadu on more design projects.