Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

THE ambitious government work report delivered by Mayor Qin Weizhong at the opening of the annual session of the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Congress, the city’s legislature, yesterday morning sparked lively discussions among foreign consul generals, who attended the meeting as observers.

The report provided a comprehensive review of Shenzhen’s remarkable achievements in 2024 and introduced a visionary blueprint for 2025, emphasizing initiatives in economic growth, technological innovation, and public welfare enhancement.

Among the foreign consular officials were Alan Coêlho de Séllos, consul general of Brazil in Guangzhou, and Andrei Popov, consul general of Belarus in Guangzhou. Both expressed admiration for the work report and a desire for closer cooperation with Shenzhen.

Coêlho de Séllos expressed astonishment at Shenzhen’s development. “The existence of a city like Shenzhen and its remarkable technological prowess are a testament to what can be done through cooperation between governments and academia,” he said.

He also praised the business environment in Shenzhen and expressed hope for Chinese investment in Brazil’s technology and education sectors.

Popov believed that the goals and plans proposed in the report are ambitious and timely. He highlighted the importance of Shenzhen’s role in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’s development and expressed eagerness for joint cooperation projects, particularly in AI applications, high-precision industries, and robotics.

“I think Shenzhen will continue its role as a pioneer of technology, innovation, and science — more specifically in promoting emerging strategic industries like robotics, new energy vehicles, and all sorts of products related to the application of biotechnology,” he told Shenzhen Daily.

Popov also commended Shenzhen’s improving business environment, singling out the city’s efforts in intellectual property rights protection and simplified models of cooperation.

It is worth noting that the meeting is using AI-powered simultaneous interpretation software for the first time, a first at the government level in China. The software was developed by Shenzhen company LAiPIC.