In the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, Keppel Corp is planning to build a ‘knowledge city’, which will centre on pulling and maintaining various talents, said yesterday by Lim Chee Onn, Keppel Corp chairman.
The ‘knowledge city’ will probably to be constructed on an undeveloped site, measuring 50 sq km, and is located 35 km north-east of Guangzhou. The ‘knowledge city’ will try to make pleasing conditions for talented individuals in order for them to grow and stay, said Mr. Lim.
Mister Lim didn’t reveal how much Keppel commits to the project, or the nature or extent of its participation.
After signing the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Xue Xiaofeng, the administrative committee chairman of Guangzhou Development District, Mr. Lim, was telling reporters in Guangzhou to make a feasibility study, which will focus on identifying target sectors and industries. The feasibility study could take up to four months.
The project will be the third such idea undertaken by Keppel in China if the study becomes successful.
Keppel Corp is also the leader in the Tianjiin eco-city and Suzhou Industrial Park project, which already had its groundbreaking ceremony held in September a year ago.
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong witnessed the MOU yesterday on his five-day official visit in Guangzhou.
It is the Keppel’s iconic position, which led the Chinese government officials to submit their support repeatedly for the project.
According to Chinese government officials, the knowledge city project could kick-start the renovation of the Pear River Delta region into an advanced knowledge-based economy. The Pearl River Delta region is currently facing high unemployment due to the poor economic conditions and factories shut down in the area.
Governor Huang Huahua of Guangdong told the Senior Minister yesterday that the province of Guangdong is considered as a testbed for new development projects like the knowledge city project.
However, different from the two previous big projects, the knowledge city is supported with government expertise, and is planned to be led by the private-sector.
The Singapore government, for instance, will cater technical expertise from companies and agencies such as the Surbana, Ascendas, Public Utilities Board, Urban Redevelopment Authority and National Environment Agency.
Yesterday, Mr. Goh had a tour in the new economic development district, where he met Zhu Xiaodan, Guangzhou Party secretary, and witnessed the signing of MOU to establish the Singapore-Guangdong Collaboration Council, which is the seventh bilateral economic council between China and Singapore.
The MOU was signed by Guangdong vice-governor Wan Qingliang, who will co-chair the collaboration council, and by Senior Minister of State for Communication and Arts, Education and Information, Lui Tuck Yew.
The council will meet yearly to talk about matters of collaboration between Guangdong and Singapore.
The signing of the two MOUs was held at the Singapore-Guangdong Development Forum yesterday afternoon, in alignment with the visit of Mr. Goh.