The government of Shuozhou, a city in Shanxi province, held conferences on April 17 and 18 in Beijing, in an attempt to attract more Shuozhou-born entrepreneurs and people with professional skills to return home and foster local innovation and entrepreneurship.

Officials from Shuozhou extended a warm welcome to attendees, who were all Shanxi residents and have succeeded in various fields, at the symposium on April 17.

A symposium appealing for Shuozhou-born entrepreneurs and people with professional skills to return home and help boost local innovation and entrepreneurship is held at Beijing International Convention Center on April 17. [Photo by Sun Ruisheng/China Daily]

"Shuozhou-born entrepreneurs and experts will be vital to the city’s economic and industrial transformation. We hope that more Shuozhou-born individuals will invest in and advance technological innovation in this promising city," said Wang Anpang, a top official in Shuozhou.

"The government will offer a good investment environment, better services and preferential policies to facilitate business and scientific research by investors and professionals," he added.

Wang Anpang, a top official in Shuozhou, addresses the brainstorming session in Beijing on April 18. [Photo/sxsznews.com]

There were 19 projects, including 16 investment projects worth 30.79 billion yuan ($4.48 billion) agreed at the symposium. The cooperation projects cover various fields, such as new energy, manufacturing, medical care and environmental protection.

More than 12 Shuozhou business representatives and professionals, such as Liu Bin (dean of the Graduate School at China University of Political Science and Law) and Zhang Jinfang (CEO of Chipone, a leading IC company in China), put forward and shared their ideas to boost the economy and culture in Shuozhou at a brainstorming session held by Shuozhou's government on April 18.

The group of government officials also visited Beijing-based companies to seek partnerships.