Guangzhou ready to welcome 1,000 to global forum

Around 1,000 government officials and senior business executives will attend the 2017 Fortune Global Forum, which will open Wednesday in this Guangdong provincial capital.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Chairman and CEO of Tencent Holdings Ma Huateng, Alibaba Group Chairman Jack Ma, and Foxconn Technology Group chairman Terry Gou are among the participants expected to attend the forum, which ends on Friday, according to Alan Murray, chief content officer of Time Inc and editor-in-chief of Fortune.

Of the companies that will attend the event, 152 are among the world's top 500, with more than 50 having established their headquarters in South China's Guangzhou. The companies annually earn more than $9 trillion and employ 23.5 million workers, Murray told a press conference on Sunday.

"Guangzhou is the ideal city to hold the 2017 Fortune Global Forum as the city is the political, economic and transportation center in Guangdong province and the southern Chinese region," Murray said.

Murray, who arrived in Guangzhou on Sunday morning, said Guangzhou looks more beautiful every time when he comes to the city. This is Murray's third visit to the southern metropolis.

"The 2017 Fortune Global Forum has great significance as it takes place after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China," he said.

Government officials and business executives will exchange views and discuss development and cooperation in innovation scientific industry and the role innovation science will play in boosting the development of the world economy and promoting international cooperation during the 3-day event, Murray said.

Cai Chaolin, a member of the Standing Committee of Guangzhou Committee of Communist Party of China, said after a dozen of months of preparation, Guangzhou is ready for the forum's opening, under theme of "Openness and Innovation: Shaping the Global Economy".

Zhang Hongbin, deputy director of the International Affairs Bureau at the State Council Information Office, said the Chinese government attaches great importance to the forum, which is expected to help promote Sino-foreign cooperation.