From June 22 to 24 (local time), Liang Lei, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Dazhou Municipal Party Committee and the Mayor of Dazhou, headed a Dazhou delegation on a visit to the United Kingdom. They thoroughly practiced Xi Jinping's diplomatic thinking and showcased Dazhou’s developmental strengths and expanded its global network. The visit served as a strategic effort to enhance friendly cooperation between China and the United Kingdom.

During the visit, Liang and his delegation held substantive discussions with representatives from prestigious institutions, including the University of Cambridge, Cambridge Innovation Park, GivEnergy Ltd, NPOW™, the UK-China Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Promotion Association, and the China-UK Business Development Centre.

Development Centre

The talks centered on deepening collaboration in high-growth sectors such as digital economy, artificial intelligence, next-generation energy storage, modern pharmaceuticals, and wellness tourism. By fostering exchanges in these sectors, the delegation sought to unlock new opportunities for bilateral cooperation, reinforcing Dazhou's commitment to high-standard openness and high-quality development.

Liang noted that under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, China-UK relations are currently demonstrating a positive development momentum. Liang highlighted Dazhou's unique advantages as a city abundant in resources, with advanced transportation infrastructure, political stability, and promising development prospects. The city is actively capitalizing on national and provincial strategic opportunities by prioritizing industrial and manufacturing development while fostering new productive forces tailored to local conditions. This approach aims to build a modern industrial cluster system under the "3+3+N" framework. Adhering to the philosophy of "viewing Dazhou beyond its borders and positioning it within the global context", the city persistently elevates its openness and integrates into worldwide trade networks. Liang expressed that Dazhou stands ready to deepen exchanges and mutual learning with Britain, and engage in pragmatic cooperation in smart manufacturing, digital economy, agricultural machinery, commerce, logistics, and technological innovation to deliver more mutually beneficial projects. Liang extended a warm invitation to British enterprises, urging them to "focus on Dazhou, choose Dazhou, and invest in Dazhou" as Dazhou always upholds a pro-business philosophy that ensures "confidence in investment and secured operations" for all enterprises.

UK representatives noted Dazhou's unique strategic location and strong advantages, highlighting its promising development prospects. They expressed their willingness to leverage their strengths and act as a bridge for cooperation, building long-term, stable, and strategic partnerships. This including deepening collaboration in areas such as economy and trade, agriculture, and technology, helping more projects take root and succeed in Dazhou.

From June 24 to 26 (local time), Liang Lei, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Dazhou Municipal Party Committee and the Mayor of Dazhou, headed a Dazhou delegation on a visit to France. They thoroughly implemented Xi Jinping's diplomatic thinking through strengthened economic ties and cultural exchanges. The mission focused on seizing contemporary opportunities to expand mutual learning and cooperation, further sharpening Dazhou's competitive edge in high-standard openness and quality development. During the visit, Liang held a meeting with Daniel Spagnou, Mayor of Sisteron, France. Both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on resource endowments, industrial development, and regional advantages. Both sides pledged to uphold the spirit of China-France diplomatic relations, enhance cultural exchanges, and strengthen cooperation in cultural tourism, foreign trade and investment. They agreed to share expertise in urban planning and management, contributing to a more robust and dynamic comprehensive strategic partnership between China and France. RICHEL from France is very influential in greenhouse horticulture. Liang visited the company's production base and gained a thorough understanding of its production, operation, management and service situation. He had an in-depth conversation with the company's president Benjamin Richerd. Liang stated that Dazhou, a typical hilly and mountainous area, is a major agricultural city in Sichuan, has maintained its position as the province's top grain producer for twelve years in a row. RICHEL's products and services cover a wide range of areas, including thermal engineering, irrigation, fertilization, and climate control. It is hoped that both sides will actively seek collaboration opportunities in the agricultural sector, implement projects that align with mutual interests, and jointly explore opportunities for the development of new productive forces in agriculture. eiSos, one of Europe's leading manufacturers of electronic and electromechanical components, has established in-depth industrial cooperation with Sichuan Xinlian Electronics Technology Co., Ltd., located in Kaijiang Industrial Park in Dazhou. Liang visited the company's quality control room, laboratory, and warehouse, and held in-depth discussions with Hernnder, the company's product manager. Liang highlighted Dazhou's abundant resources, strategic location, and excellent transport links. Dazhou is accelerating its development pace with focus on its IT sector, creating promising opportunities for partnership between both sides. He looks forward to deepening practical cooperation between both sides, and jointly expanding markets with Chengdu, Chongqing and Xi'an for mutual benefits. They pledged to deliver optimal support and guarantees to facilitate enterprises in building industrial chains in Dazhou, ensuring long-term growth. Liang also visited GAUTIER in France and the former site of the Institut Franco-Chinois de Lyon.