A grand reception is being held here in Guangdong Province to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
It is a big moment for everyone who has witnessed or is part of Guangdong's transformation as the province becomes one of China's richest, most open, and most innovative regions.
Over the past decades, this region has seen one of the fastest growths in human history, not just in economic metrics, but in every aspect of people's livelihoods.
David P. Roye Jr. from the United States was among the foreign guests invited to the reception. As a world-renowned pediatric orthopedic expert, Roye has trained hundreds of Chinese clinical doctors and provided treatment to over one thousand Chinese children. He was awarded the "Guangdong Friendship Award" in 2023.
"My first visit to China was in 1997. Obviously, the changes are seismic, huge," Roye told GDToday. "Medical infrastructure and medical training have improved so much. The social support network has improved so much. Everything has changed dramatically since I first visited China. I'm happy to be part of it."
Seventy-five years on, as China rises as a major global power, the global community also holds high hopes for China, and for the country's biggest economic powerhouse as well.
Jason Le Yu is the Project Director of the China-LAC Technology Transfer Center, which is situated in Dongguan, Guangdong. "Guangdong province has been number one in GDP in China for 35 consecutive years and has been number one in innovation for 7 consecutive years," he explained to us why the center was set up in the province. "So, it is very natural for us to land here in Guangdong province."
Yu told GDToday that relations between Latin America and China were just commerce, but now things have changed. "Now, China wants to establish supply chains overseas," he said. "Latin America is very rich in natural resources, like mining, agriculture, and forestry. I think there's going to be a lot more partnership between Chinese and Latin American firms."
Japanese entrepreneur Ishihara Akihiko is the head of Toray Membrane (Foshan). He has been in China for more than two decades.
Ishihara said he has high hopes for Guangdong's future. "I also think that it is a very easy place to live," he added. "I would like to continue to do my best in Guangdong Province."
Reporter: Xachary, Grace
Script: Xachary
Video: Wiingheng
Editor: Will, Steven, James