Representatives from Chinese and South Korean enterprises visit the China Merchants Group History Museum yesterday. Liu Xudong

Yang Mei

yangmei_szdaily@163.com

THIRTEEN small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from Gwangju, South Korea, attended a business-matching event yesterday at the Nanshan International Cultural Exchange and Service Center (NSIC).

The event, aimed at fostering cooperation between Chinese and South Korean companies, featured one-on-one meetings between the South Korean SMEs and their Chinese counterparts. In the afternoon, representatives from the companies toured Zhaoshang Subdistrict and visited renowned companies, the China Merchants History Museum, the China Merchants Shekou Innovation Center, and Sea World.

The event was co-organized by Zhaoshang Subdistrict, the Global Business Center-Shenzhen of the Korean SMEs, and the Startups Agency. The participating Korean companies, which had concluded a trip to the 135th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair), represent various industries including cosmetics, cultural and creative products, and plastics and chemicals.

“This business-matching event serves as an important platform to facilitate communication and cooperation between Chinese and South Korean companies,” said Zhou Rui, secretary of the Party Working Committee of Zhaoshang Subdistrict, in his welcoming remarks. “It also marks a significant step for our subdistrict’s development as a mature international block.” Zhou encouraged more South Korean entrepreneurs to explore collaboration opportunities in Nanshan District and Zhaoshang Subdistrict.

At the business-matching event, Shenzhen Mingtong Business Management Co. Ltd., based in Huaqiangbei, and Chungcheongbuk-do Future Club, an organization that assists South Korean companies in expanding globally, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU). The goals of the MOU are to strengthen communication and collaboration between the two entities, facilitate the sale of products from Chungcheongbuk-do Future Club member companies in the Mingtong Cosmetics Market, and promote each other’s businesses at industry fairs and exhibitions.

Kim Seon-soo, chief representative of the Global Business Center-Shenzhen, told Shenzhen Daily that the Korean companies were eager to tap into the Guangdong market. They expressed an interest in establishing offices in Shenzhen and discussing other collaborative ventures.

Kim highlighted the event’s success in connecting Human First Co. Ltd., a South Korean maternity and baby product company, with nine potential buyers from Shenzhen, which exceeded expectations. “We initially hoped each company would secure three potential buyers,” Kim said. “Human First exceeding that number is a positive outcome.”

A representative from Human First said it was their first visit to Shenzhen. They were impressed by the efficiency of the Guangdong supply chain and the vast potential of the Chinese market.

Zhaoshang Subdistrict is one of the most internationalized areas in Shenzhen and is home to over 6,000 expats from more than 100 countries and regions. It is also home to the Korea International School in Shenzhen, the only international school catering specifically to children of South Korean expatriates.