Luohu, Barcelona meet each other halfway in pursuit for win-win cooperation

BARCELONA, Spain, May 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Luohu, a central district of Shenzhen, one of China's most dynamic city economies, organized an economic and trade promotion meeting in Barcelona on May 8th.

This event brought together officials and business representatives from both regions, facilitating deeper exchanges on technological innovation, sustainable development, and cross-border investments, while jointly exploring new avenues for expanding bilateral cooperation.

Participants at the meeting commended the strong momentum in Sino-Spanish relations and the vast potential for bilateral collaboration, rooted in the economic complementarity between the two nations and their shared commitment to free trade and economic globalization.

Luohu is committed to promoting consumption, the growth of the service sector, and integrated development with neighboring Hong Kong. The district aims to strengthen cooperation with Barcelona, Spain's largest industrial and commercial city, in areas such as the digital economy, smart cities, jewelry exhibitions, and cultural tourism.

Officials from Luohu highlighted the advantages of the district, including its position as the earliest developed area and central urban area of Shenzhen with a strategic location advantage connecting the world, an internationally top-tier business environment, and highly promising development prospects, offering vast potential for cooperation between the two parties.

Statistics show that the trade volume between Shenzhen and Spain surpassed $28.71 billion last year, with direct air routes connecting the two cities since they established a sister city relationship in 2021.

"The supercomputing center in Barcelona and the innovative initiatives in Valencia's sustainable city are both valuable models for us to learn from," said Luohu's investment promotion officer. "Our collaboration in cutting-edge technology, urban development, and port logistics is thriving. There is immense potential for cooperation in the digital economy, high-end manufacturing, and fashion consumption."

Acknowledging Shenzhen's significance in the world's second-largest economy, the Spanish side not only echoed Luohu's invitation to Spanish companies but also welcomed investments from Shenzhen-based enterprises in Barcelona.

Officials from Barcelona encouraged investment from Shenzhen, particularly in technology parks, green projects, and cultural creativity, promoting mutual investment and industrial integration between the two cities.

The Association of Small and Medium Enterprises of Spain (PIMEC) suggests establishing an institutionalized platform, such as creating the "Luohu-Barcelona Small and Medium Enterprise Cooperation Platform," to facilitate mutual investment, technological cooperation, and joint research and development among small and medium enterprises.

They also propose encouraging transparent information exchange on policies, regulations, taxation, and registration procedures, as well as promoting collaboration between universities, research centers, and businesses.

The event witnessed the signing of memoranda of understanding on cooperation between Luohu and Barcelona, as well as enthusiastic exchanges between entrepreneurs and officials from both sides. This has laid a solid foundation for deeper collaboration between the two parties in the future.