Sichuan is accelerating its way in promoting new urbanization, attracting more and more attention. On the morning of July 6th, China (Sichuan) - German New Urbanization Cooperation Forum co-sponsored by Germany Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and Sichuan Provincial People's Government was held in Chengdu.

　　Mrs. Merkel, German Chancellor, attended the opening of the forum and delivered a speech. Mr. Wang Dongming, secretary of Sichuan Provincial Committee of the CPC, director of Sichuan Provincial People’s Congress, also attended the forum. Mr. Wei Hong, vice secretary of Sichuan Provincial Committee of the CPC and governor of Sichuan Provincial People’s Government delivered an opening remark.

　　In her speech, Merkel mentioned that Germany paid attention not only on the development of coastal eastern areas in China but also the development of emerging western region. Sichuan was an important province in western China area and Chengdu was famous as an ancient city as well as a young, modern cosmopolitan which attracted numerous farmers to the town every year, bringing changes to local government, such as transportation, housing, and aging. Western area could not copy the development model of the eastern coastal area. Sichuan and eastern Germany shared a lot of similarities, especially the advantages after promoting urbanization. They both had the opportunities to achieve more sustainable urbanization of higher quality by using the most advanced technologies in fields such as transportation, housing, and energy conservation and so on. Germany hoped to help Sichuan with urban and rural development strategy. She also wished that enterprises from Sichuan and Germany could cooperate more so that new urbanization in Sichuan was focused not only on the next ten or twenty years, but also on a more distant future.

　　On behalf of Sichuan Provincial Committee of the CPC and Sichuan Provincial People's Government, Mr. Wei Hong extended his warmest welcome to the arrival of German economic delegate led by Merkel, German Chancellor. He said, in recent years, on the basis of the deeper development of China-Germany relationship, the economic relationship between Sichuan and Germany had been much more closer and mutual cooperation had been deepened. German Chancellor Merkel leading the economic delete chose Sichuan as destination, which would enhance greatly the cooperation between Sichuan and Germany. Chinese urbanization, he most development potential in China, was regarded by Merkel as the most impressive event in 21st century. Sichuan’s urbanization was accelerating, causing enormous market opportunities, investigation needs and challenges in urban construction, industrial employment, and government management. We sincerely hoped to enhance exchanges and cooperation with Germany in new urbanization and welcomed friends in economic sector to visit Sichuan, participate in the construction of Sichuan’s urbanization, and share development opportunities brought by new urbanization.

　　The theme of the forum was “new urbanization -- New opportunities in China and German cooperation. Mr. Hubert Lienhard, president of Voith GmbH and Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business, Mr. Ael Schweitzer, president of ALBA Group, and Mr. Joachim Faust, managing partner of HPP Architects, introduced German experience, innovative technologies and products in constructing new urbanization. Chengdu, Deyang and so on introduced new township construction planning and the process of promoting new urbanization, and new opportunities in increasing cooperation with Germany.

　　Before attending the forum, Wang Dongming, Wei Hong and Merkel watched the company boards of Chengdu Xinzhu Bridge and Road Company, and listened cooperation projects of Xinzhu Company and Siemens and the development potential of prospects of rail transportation. 

　　It is reported that Germany is China's biggest source of investment and an important trading partner in the EU and Sichuan had become one of German most important trading partners in western China area. In 2013, the turnover of export between Sichuan and German has amounted to 1.9 billion US dollars. Currently, a large number of Fortune 500 companies from Germany, such as Volkswagen and Siemens, as well as other small and medium-sized enterprises, has investigated in Sichuan, covering fields such as automobile manufacturing, engineering machinery, pharmaceutical chemicals, logistics and finance.

　　Mr. Shi Mingde, Chinese Ambassador to Germany, Mr. Wang Chao, vice Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mt. Stefan Kapferer, state secretariat of Germany Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Mr. Steven Siebert, state secretary of Germany and spokesman of Germany Federal Government, Mr. Michael Clauss, German ambassador to China, Mr. Zhong Mian, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee, vice governor of Sichuan Provincial People’s Government, Mr. Huang Xinchu, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee and secretary of Chengdu Municipal Committee of the CPC, Mr. Chen Guangzhi, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee and secretary-general, Mr. Ge Honglin, mayor of Chengdu also attended the opening ceremony. The forum was presided by Mr. Gan Lin, vice governor of Sichuan Provincial People's Government.

　　Another 240 representatives were also present at the forum, including business executives from German companies, for example, Siemens, Volkswagen, Deutsche Bank, ThyssenKrupp, and Lufthansa, over 40 German business executives in China of DIHK in China, more than 80 representatives of Sichuan enterprises such as Lutianhua, Western Power, Bohong Group and Power Xinchen, and relevant cooperation park managers.