US Congress recognizes Nanjing City as 'Model for International Cooperation'
- Source: Xinhua
- [08:11 June 11 2010]
- Comments
The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to recognise Nanjing City of China as a "Model for International Cooperation" in order to award the city's active involvement in cooperation with the United States in education, innovation and entrepreneurship, and this was the first Chinese city to win such an award, Li Jiansheng, executive chairman of the US-China Partnership Committee said.
The House passed the bill, tabled by Representative John Tierney of Massachusetts, on Tuesday night, Li said, adding that this will pave the way for further cooperation between China and the United States in education, innovation and entrepreneurship, which are very conducive to build a stronger China in the future.
"I rise today to speak about a model for international cooperation that is said to hold promise and future opportunities for the United States," Tierney said when he was taking the floor at the House. "The City of Nanjing is working to improve the quality of life of its residents with a global initiative that has potential to create a great opportunity for some in the United States."
For over a decade, Nanjing "has reached beyond the borders of the People's Republic of China to create new strategies in education, innovation and entrepreneurship, increasing the level of understanding between our two nations and stimulating US- China idea exchange," he said.
"It is expected that this international cooperative initiative will inure to the benefit of the residents of Nanjing as well to the residents of the United States, including businesses, residents and educational institutions in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," he said.
Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province in East China, has forged close ties of cooperation and partnership with Boston and Massachusetts in 2008. The city government has hammered out a series of programs to lure top talents from overseas.
"This is the first time for the US Congress to recognize a model for a Chinese City for the partnership in entrepreneurship innovation, technology and education," Gene Hartigan, co-chairman of the US-China Partnership Committee, told Xinhua on Thursday.
"This will get great attention from leaders in Washington D.C. and become the model for cooperation in the future between the US and China in partnership in these areas," he said. "Currently the US and Chinese government have a platform called Strategic and Economic Dialogue. This statement approved by congress will create a new dialogue in innovation and entrepreneurship between the US and China."
"This will send a clear message to the American technology, education and business community that Nanjing is a place to do business for the future," Hartigan said. "It shows that the US government believes the future presents many opportunities for Nanjing and China as a whole to develop partnership programs in technology and innovation and provide a great opportunity for many young scholars as well to bring their technology and ideas to Nanjing and China to develop."
"It will also encourage more US companies to explore Nanjing and China as a new opportunities for innovation business development, where new ideas and concepts can be created to help the development of Chinese society while providing US companies with new markets," he said. "The US will use Nanjing as a model and then move this model to other parts of China to expand innovation and entrepreneurship."
"Nanjing is well prepared because over the past two years Nanjing, working together with the US-China Partnership Committee and the New England Board of Higher Education, have been working on the International R&D University City, International Technology Transfer (China) Center and the China Global Entrepreneur Conference," he said. "This is the result of much preparation."
The China Global Entrepreneurship Conference (CGEC), slated for Aug. 7-9 in Nanjing, gathers abundant resources aimed at helping global entrepreneurs start and grow their business, and access the booming Chinese market.
As partners with CGEC, the Nanjing City government is expected to offer enormous support to global entrepreneurs, including financial resources from government-owned banks, investment firms and funds, as well as numerous research grants, free facilities and tax incentives.
More than 20 prestigious private investment funds from China and around the world have joined the local government and created a multi-billion dollar investment fund to support innovative, exciting new projects that come to the conference, reports said.
