TEDA Cooperation Zone: Striving Forward under the Guidance of the Twenty Spirits

The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out that "we have implemented a more proactive opening strategy and jointly built the'Belt and Road' to become a popular international public product and international cooperation platform". On the coast of the Red Sea, the 14-year-old China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone (TEDA Cooperation Zone for short) has become an industrial park with the best comprehensive environment, the largest investment density, the highest unit output, and the most concentrated Chinese-funded enterprises in Egypt. It is called "a model of China-Egypt economic and trade cooperation" by Egyptian President Sisi ". On the eve of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the main domestic company in the TEDA Cooperation Zone, the Party Branch of China-Africa TEDA just completed the general election. Recalling the past, looking at the present, and thinking about the future, the construction of the TEDA Cooperation Zone will move forward vigorously and courageously under the guidance and guidance of the party.

We have implemented a more proactive opening-up strategy, and the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" has become a popular international public product and international cooperation platform. my country has become a major trading partner of more than 140 countries and regions, and the total trade in goods ranks first in the world., Attracting foreign investment and foreign investment ranks among the top in the world, forming a larger, broader, and deeper opening-up pattern.

-- Report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China

In 2008, TEDA began to lead the construction and operation of TEDA cooperation zone. In the same year, the cooperation zone was unveiled at the Cairo International Expo with a new image and was fully constructed. By 2009, the then prime ministers of China and Egypt jointly awarded the starting area of the TEDA Cooperation Zone, and the development of the cooperation zone opened a new chapter. In 2013, China put forward the "Belt and Road Initiative" cooperation initiative; in 2014, Egypt put forward the development strategy of "Suez Canal Corridor Development". The following year, the Suez Canal Economic Zone (referred to as the Special Economic Zone) -- the TEDA Cooperation Zone, as a key project of the special zone, is located at the golden meeting point of the two national strategies, ushering in a once-in-a-a-lifetime development opportunity. The TEDA Cooperation Zone has gradually become a model project for China-Egypt cooperation. The Egyptian Prime Minister, who visited the zone and witnessed the signing of six square plots of land, called it "the place where dreams begin".

 

 

In January 2016, President Xi Jinping visited Egypt and, together with President Sisi, unveiled the extension of the TEDA Cooperation Zone. During the period, the two heads of state witnessed the "Joint Development of the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone" being written into the "Five-Year Implementation Outline of the People's Republic of China and the Arab Republic of Egypt on Strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Two Countries" and witnessed the "the People's Republic of China Ministry of Commerce" Signing of the Agreement with the General Administration of the Suez Canal Economic Zone of the Arab Republic of Egypt on the Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Egypt. During his visit to Egypt, President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the headquarters of the Arab League. In his speech, the President mentioned the TEDA Cooperation Zone twice-which was also included in the second volume of "Xi Jinping on State Administration" to promote the "Belt and Road" international cooperation.

 

 

With the common attention of the leaders of the two countries, with the strong support of the central and local government departments at all levels and shareholders, the TEDA Cooperation Zone has become more and more healthy on a new historical journey, and has gradually become an important platform for China-Egypt production capacity and economic and trade cooperation. It provides a solid foundation and favorable conditions for the two countries to jointly build the "Belt and Road. It is praised by the governments of the two countries as "bridge of Sino-Egyptian cooperation" and "beautiful business card of Sino-Egyptian economic and trade cooperation".

We must implement the new development concept completely, accurately and comprehensively, adhere to the direction of socialist market economy reform, adhere to a high level of opening up to the outside world, and accelerate the construction of a new development pattern with the domestic cycle as the main body and the domestic and international double cycle promoting each other.

-- Report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China

During the "Belt and Road Initiative" Summit Forum in April 2019, Muhab Mamish, Chairman of the General Administration of the Suez Canal Economic Zone in Egypt, and Zhang Yuzhuo, then member of the standing Committee of the Tianjin Municipal CPC Committee and secretary of the Binhai New area District CPC Committee, signed a Memorandum of understanding on jointly promoting the accelerated Development of the Sino-Egyptian TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Tianjin, marking that the TEDA Cooperation Zone has become China's first batch of overseas park upgrading projects.

 

 

The upgrading work is carried out from six aspects: optimizing the business environment, accelerating industrial agglomeration, expanding the functions of the park, promoting the linkage of two zones, improving financial services, and promoting people to people exchanges. At the level of optimizing the business environment, the TEDA Cooperation Zone will complete the construction of the expansion zone with high quality, continuously optimize the construction of its own supporting service facilities and soft services, and reach the first-class level of the international economic and trade cooperation zone. At the level of accelerating industrial agglomeration, we will continue to increase investment promotion, and investment promotion models such as "industrial clusters" and "parks in the garden" will be formed to realize the gathering of leading enterprises and their upstream and downstream supporting enterprises in the cooperation zone. Expand the functional level of the park, with the goal of building the cooperation zone into a trade and logistics distribution center and bridgehead for Chinese used cars and building materials in the Middle East and North Africa, and actively promote the expansion of the park's functions and enhance the attractiveness of the region by focusing on the formation of business models and completion platforms for each business sector. Promote the dual-zone linkage level, and will use the resources and policy advantages of the Tianjin Pilot Free Trade Zone and the location advantages and development foundation of the TEDA Cooperation Zone to promote the establishment of a dual-zone linkage between the Binhai New Area and the Suez Canal Corridor in Egypt. In addition, actively improve the park's financial services, promote the internationalization of the RMB, expand financing channels, and innovate financing methods; use the cooperation zone as a platform to promote cultural exchanges between China and Egypt, and help Egypt cultivate local talents.

 

 

In August 2021, the "dual zone linkage" between Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone and TEDA Cooperation Zone and the first launch ceremony of China's second-hand car export to Egypt were held in the Lingang Business Building of Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone. Second-hand cars from China gather here, board the ship from Tianjin Port, and then sail along the "Maritime Silk Road" to the TEDA cooperation zone.

In July 2022, the "dual-zone linkage" between Tianjin Dongjiang Comprehensive Bonded Zone and TEDA Cooperation Zone and the launch ceremony of China's new energy vehicle export to Egypt were officially held.

The TEDA Cooperation Zone takes the second-hand car business as a starting point to create a bridgehead for the trade and logistics distribution of China's second-hand cars and spare parts in the Middle East and North Africa, which is conducive to the superposition of resources and policy advantages of domestic and foreign parks, and promotes the accelerated formation of the "double cycle" pattern.

China adheres to the basic national policy of opening up to the outside world, firmly pursues a win-win strategy of opening up, and continues to provide new opportunities for the world with China's new development, promote the construction of an open world economy, and better benefit the people of all countries. China adheres to the correct direction of economic globalization, jointly creates an international environment conducive to development, and jointly cultivates new driving forces for global development.

-- Report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China

After more than 10 years of development, the economic and social benefits of the TEDA Cooperation Zone are very significant.

As of the end of June 2022, the TEDA Cooperation Zone has attracted a total of 134 companies to settle in, with actual investment exceeding US $1.4 billion, cumulative sales exceeding US $3.3 billion, and taxes and fees exceeding US $0.2 billion, directly providing more than 4000 jobs, and industry-driven employment about 50000 people. Many leading Chinese industry companies such as Jushi, Xidian, Universiade, and Midea, as well as international companies from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and other countries and regions, invest and develop here.

A large number of world-class enterprises have settled in the TEDA cooperation zone, which not only brings huge economic benefits to Egypt, but also improves the technical level of related industries in Egypt, and fills some market gaps in the entire Middle East and even Africa. For example, Jushi Egypt Glass Fiber Company has not only made outstanding contributions in employment and taxation, but also filled the gap in glass fiber production in North Africa, making Egypt the fifth largest glass fiber producer in the world after China and the United States.

 

 

A large number of enterprises entering the zone have trained and exported a group of professional technical workers and business managers for Egypt. The TEDA Cooperation Zone also held various trainings, and organized outstanding Egyptian employees and managers to visit and study in China, so as to improve the management level and enhance the service concept through intuitive experience.

While creating economic benefits for Egypt, the TEDA Cooperation Zone also actively fulfills its social responsibilities and participates in various charitable and public welfare activities for many times, so that the TEDA Cooperation Zone has been widely concerned and appreciated by the host country.

 

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