The 4th Weifang Development Conference and the Weifang Investment and Promotion Conference is held in Weifang, East China's Shandong province on April 2. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Fourth Weifang Development Conference and the Weifang Investment and Promotion Conference kicked off in Weifang, Shandong on April 2. Over 300 guests, including academicians from both the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, heads of universities and research institutes, and renowned entrepreneurs, gathered to explore opportunities and foster collaboration.

The conference aimed to build a platform for communication, cooperation, and exchange between Weifang and renowned figures or entities from various fields worldwide. The goal is to enhance opening-up, expand investment, and promote the development of Weifang.

Dialogues on the development of the metaverse industry, green and low-carbon high-quality development, and cross-border e-commerce were held alongside the main conference. Other activities included the Weifang city exhibition and a high-end talent exchange and docking conference.

During the conference, the Weifang Municipal People's Government signed cooperation agreements with Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Shandong University. A collective signing ceremony for key investment projects was also held.

Since the first Weifang Development Conference in 2018, the event has convinced over 1,300 Weifang entrepreneurs to return home and start businesses, facilitating over 200 projects with a total investment of over 100 billion yuan ($13.8 billion). It has also helped attract 256 academicians, experts, scholars, and scientific researchers from both home and abroad, and led to the establishment of 92 academician workstations and research institutes. The conference has achieved a unification of political, economic, and social benefits.

With a solid foundation for internationalization, impressive strength in new industrialization, a first-mover advantage in agricultural modernization, and broad space for economic globalization, Weifang is poised for rapid development. The city is committed to fostering new quality productive forces and becoming a new beacon of high-level opening-up.

Weifang invites people from all walks of life to come to this vibrant and open city to invest, cooperate, and achieve great things.

A collective signing ceremony for key investment projects is also held at the event. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]