China can help AP take rapid strides

During the six-day visit, AP delegation signed a record 29 MoUs with Chinese industries

Addressing Chinese investors and industrialists, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu envisioned his mission to develop a world-class capital city for the State. He explained the advantages of Andhra Pradesh having abundant water, 24x7 power and a long coastline creating a favourable climate for investors. He also elaborated the potential that the Indian market holds for foreign investors

‘Development is possible when we are open to learn’

The Government of People’s Republic of China and the Communist Party of China have extended an invite to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to lead a delegation on behalf of the Government of India. Visiting China weeks ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip also bestowed a privileged responsibility upon us. It was aimed at fostering goodwill in political and business relations. Each meeting beginning from April 12 saw with positive people from sides endeavouring to express optimistic upshots.

India and China are two fastest growing economies that are at the center of focus in the world. These countries are in pursuit of matching superior economic progress on the lines of a friendly political context. Our meetings with political leaders in China reflected the country’s deep connect with India. Responding positively to the Chief Minister’s invite to visit India, the leaders expressed hope in fostering better ties with India in future ties. While Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to India last year opened a facet in Indo-China ties, the leaders expressed hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in May will strengthen the association.

In Beijing, we met Wang Anshun, Mayor of Beijing, and Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang. The leaders added that they were looking towards India as their next destination to expand growth ventures and said that the country provided a favourable climate for expansion. Following our meeting with Wei Hong, Governor of Sichuan province, he wished that Andhra Pradesh and Sichuan would evolve as sister-states. We also met Shanghai Mayor Tang Lianghzi and Shanghai Party Secretary Han Zheng, who mentioned that they were looking for reinforced relations between India and China during times ahead.

In the six-day visit, the government delegation signed a record 29 MoUs with various industries in China. 17 Government-to-Business (G2B) MoUs and 12 Business-to-Business (B2B) MoUs were signed in Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai. The MoUs covered a wide range of sectors from apparels, construction, manufacturing to solar energy. Andhra Pradesh government is also offering single-desk system and country-specific desks to foreign investors.Our delegation to China also included leaders from the business industry giving them a platform to directly interact with their peers in China. From Beijing to Chengdu to Shanghai, we met business delegates from diverse sectors. Meeting business entrepreneurs, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu welcomed them to explore newer opportunities that India has to offer.

Each meeting with various companies in China afforded abundant opportunities. We were in awe with the infrastructure each company has developed and the technological marvel they have put in place to excel. Interaction with business leaders made us understand that China has a lot to offer for India to learn. What makes them so successful in every department is their commitment and accountability towards their work.Apart from business meetings, we also attended three business round-table meetings in Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai. The meetings were aimed at listening to business and political experts’ insights on business opportunities in Andhra Pradesh. Some of the excerpts provided during the meetings were novel to us and inspired us to implement some points into reality.

Addressing delegates in the meetings, the Chief Minister envisioned his mission to develop a world-class capital city for the State. He explained the advantages of Andhra Pradesh having abundant water, 24x7 power and a long coastline creating a favourable climate for investors. He also elaborated the potential Indian market holds for foreign investors. He also mentioned that China’s commitment to invest $20 billion in India gives right signal for the world and the investment community. Envisioning the current scenario of the state, he said that he was keen to develop Andhra Pradesh as a logistics hub for Southeast Asia.

Various Chinese delegates from construction, solar and wind power, Information Technology and other industries have expressed their interest in being partners in the development of the capital region of the State. We visited the Yangshan Deepwater port in Shanghai. It has emerged as the world’s busiest container port, acting as an important transport hub and gateway for foreign trade. China’s key to success is primarily the importance it has given to employing skilled labour.

This stresses urgent necessity for India to switch focus on generating skilled labour. One important thing that we drew from interacting with various leaders in China is that India and China have similar resources and social backgrounds. Both nations still are sufferers of poverty. However, China’s unparalleled economic growth allowed it to become first developing country to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of reducing by half the number of its people living in extreme poverty and hunger.

China’s development is reform-driven economic growth fuelled with a well-funded national poverty reduction programme that has helped in about a major reduction in rural poverty.India is now under the effective leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is committed to accelerating the growth momentum of the country, making it on par with other developed countries. This has also created a positive path for a visionary leader like Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to work towards developing a sunrise state from scratch.

The immediate challenge ahead of us is to overcome hurdles that are in way to growth-promoting policies using democratic methods. We need to overcome our democratic deficiencies and join together towards greater commitment and fuller social responsibility. However, the new government has brought in a positive sign: the booming strength of India’s middle class is a potent ally in the pursuit of the needed economic reforms. We hope that this visit will contribute in a significant measure to the mission of accelerating economic growth, boosting investment, creating employment opportunities and transforming quality of life of our people.

By Kambhampati Rammohan Rao