Chengdu Building Image on Business Conference

　　Sichuan's capital Chengdu is preparing to host the high-profile Fortune Global Business Forum¹ later on this month.

 

　　CRI's Hu Jia now on the potential impact the event may have on Chengdu's fortunes.

 

　　Chengdu is preparing to hold one of the world's most prestigious² business gatherings³ this month.

 

　　The city attracted investment from 31 Fortune 500 companies over the last year. Now it's been selected as the first city in western China to host such a high profile business event.

 

　　"We chose Chengdu because of its economic potential and appeal to international companies through innovation, preferential policies and expertise⁴ of organising conferences."

 

　　Yang Yu is vice⁵ secretary-general of Chengdu's municipal government. He says multinational⁶ firms are setting their eyes on western China.

 

　　Chengdu is now catching⁷ up with more developed areas on China's east coast.

 

　　The city of around 15 million people is setting up a global transport system.

 

　　This May it started direct flights to the German financial centre of Frankfurt. A direct connection to London is expected to start in September. And talks are underway to include Paris on this list.

 

　　Chengdu's also developing its railway.

 

　　"The first direct freight train to the city of Lodz in Poland has created an environmentally friendly connection between two continents. It unblocks barriers, allowing Chengdu and the western region to establish itself as a trade and logistics hub for the European market."

 

　　The Chengdu-Europe train goes through Kazakhstan, Russia, and Belarus. It cuts up to 10 days off the previous train connection with Europe.

 

　　Zhou Min is an official from the customs service in Chengdu. He says they've cut red tape to speed up the process.

 

　　"Inland customs clearance⁸ is more expensive than in port cities. But exports from here can be cleared in one day."

 

　　He says western areas can build on this ease of exporting to Europe.

 

　　A train service between Lodz and Chengdu is planned to start later this year.

 

　　Even though the city now has 29 direct international cargo⁹ flight routes and a 13-day direct freight train to Europe, Wu Xiankui, Deputy Secretary-General of Sichuan Provincial¹⁰ Government says, Chengdu still needs to do more.

 

　　"While our influence in China or Southeast Asia is significant, people in the US or Europe still know little about the city. We're developing a lot ourselves. But external support is also necessary."

 

　　The local government hopes the upcoming Fortune Global business forum will help Chengdu along this path.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Hu Jia.

1 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

2 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

3 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

4 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

7 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

8 clearance   

n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理

参考例句：

• There was a clearance of only ten centimetres between the two walls.两堵墙之间只有十厘米的空隙。
• The ship sailed as soon as it got clearance. 那艘船一办好离港手续立刻启航了。

9 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

10 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。