California Governor Gavin Newsom (C) is intrigued by a BYD car during a visit to Shenzhen Bus Group Antuo Hill Depot in October.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (C) during a visit to Huawei in Shenzhen in July.
It seems that Shenzhen is not only a mecca for entrepreneurs, but also a coveted stop for foreign heads of state and government.
The city has become a must-visit option for many foreign political dignitaries visiting China this year.
This year, Shenzhen has so far welcomed foreign heads of state and government officials from eight countries — the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Malawi, Algeria, Venezuela, Zambia, Hungary, Angola, and Papua New Guinea.
It has received more foreign delegations at or above the deputy ministerial level than in 2019. What is Shenzhen's appeal for them?
Epitome of China's development
As an important showcase for China's reform and opening-up achievements, Shenzhen plays a special role in telling China’s stories.
This year, events such as the "China in Sight, Global Insight" Forum, Legislators Forum for Friendly Exchanges, and World Innovative Cities Forum drew the world's attention.
"Shenzhen symbolizes the miracle of China's transformation," Danilo Türk, former president of Slovenia, said at the "China in Sight, Global Insight" Forum. Türk believed Shenzhen's technological advancements have established the city as a global brand and a leading force in the world.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Shenzhen for an official visit after attending the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing this October. "Hungarian entrepreneurs said that Shenzhen is a must-visit place. So here we come," Orban said, praising Shenzhen as the most successful city in China.
Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said he recommended Shenzhen to the president because Shenzhen is a must-visit place if one wants to experience China’s rapid development and understand how China has become so successful.
Tech-driven innovative city
On Oct. 24, California Governor Gavin Newsom arrived at the Shenzhen Bus Group Antuo Hill Depot in Shenzhen, his first stop on the Chinese mainland of his weeklong trip to China.
Newsom was not only intrigued by the charging facilities and different-sized electric buses produced by the Shenzhen-based electric automaker BYD, but also test-drove BYD's off-road SUV Yangwang U8, which is capable of doing 360-degree tank turns.
"This is another leap in technology, the next-level leap," Newsom said with a thumbs-up after the test drive.
"I was inspired by the city and what you're doing in green transportation. We’ve had the vision. We never thought it would be realized this quickly. It’s extraordinary," Newsom said before leaving the city.
During his visit to Shenzhen in September, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema visited four technology companies: BYD, Huawei, Tencent, and ZTE, and witnessed the signing of cooperation memorandums of understanding between the Zambian technology and science ministry and Huawei and ZTE.
"Zambia urgently needs to develop digital platforms, and Huawei is a reliable partner in this area. Huawei has leading innovation and strength in ICT," Hichilema said. "We will achieve win-win results with BYD's technology and our resources."
"The technologies we see at Huawei are not only modern, but also for the future," Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, president of the DRC, stated during a visit to Huawei in May.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune visited BYD and Huawei in July. During his visit to BYD's headquarters, Tebboune expressed hopes that BYD would establish a factory in Algeria to manufacture electric cars.
Valuable experiences
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro paid special attention to Shenzhen's development experiences during his visit in September.
"We really want to learn from Shenzhen’s development experiences and hope to take this opportunity to open up cooperation between Venezuela and Shenzhen in the future. We have embarked on a new path, which Shenzhen has already walked," he said.
During a visit to Shenzhen in July, Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera said Malawi is currently moving towards industrialization and will actively learn from Shenzhen's innovative development experiences.
Shenzhen has been an exemplary model for Angola, offering numerous development experiences that are valuable to learn from, Angola's Foreign Minister Téte António said during his visit to Shenzhen earlier this month.