An event titled "Business Consuls' Visit to Changsha" took place in Changsha from April 10 to 11. It was hosted by the Changsha Municipal People's Government and undertaken by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Changsha Branch and the Office of Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Changsha Municipal Committee. Business consular officials from Peru, South Korea, France and other countries came to experience Changsha. Focusing on the two open platforms of Hunan Xiangjiang New Area and Hunan Pilot Free Trade Zone Changsha Area, they paid field visits, conducted two-way exchanges, and had immersive experiences.

Walking into the Earthmoving Machinery Park of Zoomlion Intelligent Industrial Town, Hunan Xiangjiang New Area, the delegation was deeply impressed by an all-round, full-process automatic intelligent production line. The production line's remarkable efficiency in producing one excavator every 6 minutes on average amazed them.

"Zoomlion's model serves as a useful reference for the transformation of our country's traditional industries, and also has great potential for cooperation," said Froilan Pamintuan, commercial vice consul of the Philippine Consulate General in Guangzhou. So far, Changsha's construction machinery enterprises, including Zoomlion, have gone global with more than 20 overseas production bases. Their products are sold in more than 180 countries and regions around the world.

The delegation also joined an interactive Q&A session on the open economy, together with foreign professionals, and representatives from the government authorities of trade promotion, foreign affairs, science and technology, industry and information technology, commerce, and culture and tourism, relevant departments of Hunan Xiangjiang New Area, and export-oriented and foreign-funded enterprises. During the session, the delegation raised various questions, which were answered warmly by the participants.

At the Hunan Free Trade Zone Changsha Area, the delegation first visited the Changsha Visa Application Center of VFS GLOBAL, the world's largest visa service provider. The center provides "doorstep" visa services to residents of Hunan and its neighboring provinces, with its business covering 22 countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy.

During the visit, the delegation participated in an activity for new consumption experience and cooperation exchanges. They exchanged views on Changsha's night-time economy and new consumption with representatives of the Hunan New Retail Industry Council, the Hunan Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Import and Export Group Co., Ltd. and several local food brands.

"Paris is the capital of fashion, and Changsha is also a unique city full of vitality. I hope Changsha's consumer goods can come to France, and I will promote more French brands to Changsha," said Laurent Cuenoud, deputy consul general of the French Consulate General in Wuhan.

The two-day trip to Changsha was not sufficient to fully satisfy the delegation's curiosity about the city. They all agreed to meet in Changsha again in the future. Changsha will continue to work closely with foreign embassies and consulates and business associations in China, especially consulates-general in Guangzhou and Wuhan, to create more platforms and opportunities for international business cooperation.