Yiwu delegation visits PolyU | The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

A delegation from Yiwu, led by Mr WEN Jianfei, Vice Mayor of Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, Deputy Secretary of the Yiwu Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Yiwu, visited The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) on 6 August. The delegation was warmly welcomed by Dr LAM Tai-fai, PolyU Council Chairman; Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, PolyU President; and other members of the University’s senior management. During discussions, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to aligning with national development strategies and supporting overall national development. They also exchanged views on topics including brand globalisation, joint innovation, industrial upgrading, talent development and social empowerment.

This marked the first visit by a Yiwu delegation to PolyU. Not only did the visit help forge strong ties between the commercial and trade hub of the Yangtze River Delta and the innovation highland of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, but it also signified the start of an impactful partnership between the “world’s supermarket” and a global top 50 university, by bringing together Yiwu development experience and PolyU innovation. Looking ahead, both parties will collaborate to contribute to university-local innovation, meet national strategic needs and support the Nation’s development into a powerhouse in technology, education and talent cultivation.

The Yiwu delegation members included Mr CHEN Dezhan, Secretary of Party Committee and Chairman of Zhejiang China Commodities City Group Co., Ltd.; Mr WANG Chenggang, Member of the Party Leadership Group of Yiwu Municipal Government and Director of the Investment Promotion Bureau of the Management Committee of the International Trade Comprehensive Reform Pilot Zone; Mr WANG Zhehuai, Deputy Director of the United Front Department of the Yiwu Municipal Committee and Chairman of the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese; Mr XU Jian, Secretary of Party Committee and Director of Yiwu Education Bureau; Mr WANG Dong, Secretary of Party Committee and Director of Yiwu Commerce Bureau; Ms ZHANG Weiwei, Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Yiwu Municipal People’s Government; and Mr LOU Jingmin, Deputy Secretary of Party Committee and Deputy Director of Yiwu Health Bureau. Prof. Zijian ZHENG, PolyU Vice President (Knowledge Transfer); Prof. LI Xiangdong, Dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment; and Prof. Horace MUI, Dean of Students, also attended the discussions.

Dr Lam Tai-fai extended a warm welcome to the delegation. He noted that Yiwu’s transformation from a small city into a world-renowned commercial hub was a remarkable achievement, showcasing the city’s exceptional wisdom and innovative spirit. “As President Xi Jinping once remarked, Yiwu’s development is ‘inexplicable, springing from nothing and turning stone into gold’. Its unique development experiences are deeply inspiring, reflecting an approach defined by bold innovation and skilful creation that aligns perfectly with PolyU’s vision and mission. As an innovative research university, PolyU has consistently upheld innovation as its driving force, actively promoting high-calibre research, knowledge transfer and talent cultivation in support of the Nation’s development needs. Yiwu’s success story serves as an invaluable model from which PolyU can learn and draw inspiration.”

He stated that PolyU looked forward to deepening its exchanges and collaboration with Yiwu in fields such as education, research and talent cultivation. By leveraging their respective strengths, both parties can join hands to serve national strategic needs and make a greater contribution towards supporting the Nation’s development into a powerhouse in technology, education and talent cultivation.

Prof. Jin-Guang Teng briefed the Yiwu delegation on PolyU’s latest developments, educational strengths and research achievements. He noted that the University’s academic disciplines are closely aligned with the evolving needs of Hong Kong’s industrial development. Alongside its strong foundation in engineering, PolyU has a number of distinctive disciplines, including fashion and textiles, design, hotel and tourism management, logistics and maritime studies, as well as land surveying and geospatial science, which have long held world-leading positions.

He stated that PolyU’s research and innovation endeavours aim to contribute to national development and benefit society. The University has participated extensively in national aerospace research and development projects, including the Chang’e lunar exploration and the Mars exploration missions. PolyU also tackles challenges faced by society and industry through organised interdisciplinary research. Furthermore, PolyU actively promotes the translation of research outcomes and has established a number of translational research institutes across the Chinese Mainland to advance industrial upgrading and support high-quality economic development. He looked forward to deepening cooperation with Yiwu in areas such as talent cultivation, industry-academia collaboration and design.

Mr Wen Jianfei praised PolyU achievements while outlining Yiwu’s market-driven innovation miracle and future strategies. He explained that Yiwu is currently pursuing two key strategies—brand globalisation and product innovation—to build an “international Yiwu”. As Yiwu requires high-level international research resources for its development, he hopes to leverage PolyU strengths to empower the local industry and enhance the city’s quality of life.

“The calibre of a university determines the quality and standing of a city.” Mr Wen Jianfei expressed his hope for future collaboration with PolyU in fields including product design and development, as well as future city innovation. He also hopes to draw upon PolyU disciplinary strengths to develop joint educational initiatives, thereby bringing world-class, internationalised, high-level educational resources to Yiwu. Additionally, he hopes to collaborate with PolyU to establish Yiwu as an innovation and entrepreneurship hub for global youth, further developing an internationalised innovation ecosystem.

Prof. Jin-Guang Teng accompanied the delegation on a tour of the PolyU library, the University Gallery and the campus cafeteria “U Garden”. They also visited PolyU’s landmark Jockey Club Innovation Tower. The delegation highly commended the University’s seamless integration of cutting-edge technology into its campus facilities.

When the “world’s supermarket” meets the “global top 50 university” and the “Yiwu development experience” meets “PolyU innovation”, the result is a collaboration anchored in the two strategic regions of the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. PolyU and Yiwu will drive the deep integration of top-tier research resources with significant industrial advantages. Together, they aim to set a benchmark for university-local collaborative innovation that empowers new quality productive forces and injects strong momentum into the Nation’s high-quality development.