Xi'an International Trade and Logistics Park in Shaanxi province played host to the Free Trade Zone Innovation and Development Summit on Nov 7.

As a sub-forum of the Global Hard & Core Technology Conference 2017, which opened on the same day in Xi'an, the summit was designed to boost the development of free trade zone by making use of science and technology and innovation.

Zhai Beiqin, Vice Director of China (Shaanxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone, addressed the summit by explaining how it is a platform where people can share the commercial values brought by the Belt and Road Initiative and the construction of pilot free trade zones .

More than 300 guests, including representatives and experts from the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce and Peking University and directors of free trade zones in Tianjin city and Sichuan, Fujian and Henan provinces, showed up at the summit. The participants engaged in in-depth discussions on how to apply scientific and technological innovation to better carry out the Belt and Road Initiative and to reform the pilot free trade zones.

Lu Hengjun, head of Xi'an Municipal Bureau of Commerce, also recommended the city for the summit on the basis of its history, culture, location, education, human resources, industrial bases, investment environment and construction of the pilot free trade zone.

Li Pingwei from the Xi'an International Trade and Logistics Park also encouraged attendees of the summit to take part in the construction of the pilot free trade zone and expressed his confidence in China’s inland free trade port and the Belt and Road Initiative. 　

Professor Zhai Kun from the School of International Studies at Peking University gave a speech at the summit in which he suggested Xi'an to introduce more talented professionals from developed cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai. Zhai also stressed the importance of core technologies and the application of technology to popular products.

Attendees who also made speeches at the summit were Zhang Zhigang, president of Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Ren Yuling, a well-known economist and Zhao Xiaolei, professor in the School of Science and Economics at Shanghai University.

source:http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/m/shaanxi/itl/2017-11/15/content_34729218.htm