During the 5th China International Import Expo, on 5th November, UNIDO and the Ministry of Commerce of China jointly held the Hongqiao International Economic Forum parallel session themed on "Accelerating Inclusive and Sustainable industrialization Through South-South Cooperation---Exploring Industrial Parks and Special Economic Zones", highlighting the role of industrial parks and special economic zones in stimulating economic growth and its key role in promoting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Ms. Song Yuyan, The Director of GPIPC was invited to this session and participated in the discussion on the topic of "South-South Cooperation Facilitates Knowledge and Technology Transfer among Industrial Parks and Special Economic Zones". She also shared green and low-carbon transformation experiences accumulated in NETDZs.

High-level representatives from the governments of China, Ethiopia, Egypt, and the African Development Bank, Leaders and research experts from China Federation of Industrial Economics, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Peking University, GPIPC, CHINA-AFRICA TEDA Investment Co., Ltd., and Jiangsu Sino-US Environmental Monitoring Co., LTD. discussed innovative approaches to building and developing modern industrial parks. The forum has attracted the massive attention of experts from industrial parks in different countries. The live stream of the forum was visited more than one million times.

Director Song Yuyan said in the panel discussion that industrial parks and special economic zones are one of the most successful development models since China's reform and opening up, and the parks are the pioneers in green development. As a bridge between the government and enterprises, NETDZs are the vanguard of China's efforts to promote green and low-carbon development. In the future, the NETDZs will further support and participate in South-South cooperation. Relying on the platform set up by the UNIDO, they will tell the story of the green development of China's industrial parks and share it with the world.

Gerd Müller, the Director-general of the UNIDO Spoke highly of the cooperation between the GPIPC and UNIDO. The UNIDO views the industrial parks as an efficient channel to facilitate sustainable industrialization.

Li Fei, the Assistant Minister of the MOFCOM, said that the development of industrial parks is one of the key factors of Chinese success in the economy. He highlighted that industrial parks are an important platform for the opening up of developing countries, attracting international investment and international cooperation.

Xin Guobin, the Vice Minister of Industrial and Information Technology of China expressed gratitude to the UNIDO for the support of Chinese sustainable industrialization. He also introduced the efforts that the Industrial and Information Technology of China has made in the development of industrial parks and its Industrial agglomeration, digitalization, green development, and internationalization.

In the part of the keynote address, Siddharth Chatterjee, United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, Zou Ciyong, Executive Director, Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable, Wang Xiaojun, Trust Fund Director, United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, Lin Yifu, Director of the Institute of New Structural Economics of Peking University and Professor of the School of South-South Cooperation and Development of Peking University, and Chen Chunjiang, Director General, Department of Foreign Investment Management of the MOFCOM stressed the important role of industrial parks in sustainable industrialization and economic growth. In his speech, Zou Shiyong acknowledged the significance of South-South cooperation in supporting knowledge exchange and uniting partners in industrial parks. He also indicated that UNIDO would continue to promote new approaches to making industrial parks places of innovation and development.