China’s Jiangmen hosts 2023 Overseas Chinese Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Conference

The 2023 Overseas Chinese Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Conference (OCBC) was recently held in Jiangmen, "the city of overseas Chinese" in southern China's Guangdong province.

Organized by the People's Government of Jiangmen Municipality, over 700 representatives of overseas Chinese from 90 countries and regions, including more than 100 overseas Chinese youth, gathered here to observe the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and tap the opportunities for business, investment, employment, and education.

The conference saw one in-person main venue in Jiangmen and 12 online branch venues in 11 countries and regions on five continents.

The OCBC also witnessed the signing ceremony of hiring overseas Chinese advisors to contribute to Guangdong's high-quality development, donation project of seedings for green and beautiful Guangdong, and cooperation projects of Chinese-language education. Besides, a promotion of the 11 GBA cities, field studies, and four parallel sessions were held, which revolve around establishing overseas Chinese organizations, developing overseas Chinese youth, Chinese-language education, and Chinese-language media.

More than 100 overseas Chinese youth representatives were invited to share their future outlook and aspirations as well as cultivate local traditions and culture, for the sustainable development of the overseas Chinese community.

Jiangmen, undertaking the conference, also launched the 2023 China (Jiangmen) Overseas Chinese Carnival in the ancient town of Chikan, Kaiping, showcasing intangible cultural heritage such as Pancun Lantern Festival, Lion Dance, Wing Chun, etc., as well as cuisine, coffee and tea here.

Jiangmen, the home to 5.3 million overseas Chinese, is an important window for them to observe Guangdong and even China. In recent years, Jiangmen has accelerated the construction of platforms to enhance its four major functions of "cultural exchange, economic and trade cooperation, protection of rights and interests, and think tank of overseas Chinese affairs".

Jiangmen built in last year the first service center and platform to facilitate overseas Chinese investment and taxation, offshore public legal service center and online notarization service for overseas Chinese, etc. The Jiangmen Center of Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration was also established to provide efficient and convenient international arbitration services for overseas Chinese.

Source: The People's Government of Jiangmen Municipality