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Luohu and Barcelona: A New Era in Cooperation

On May 8, 2025, Luohu, a pivotal district within Shenzhen, China, hosted an economic and trade promotion meeting in the vibrant city of Barcelona, Spain. This meeting marked a significant step toward fostering a win-win partnership between these two dynamic regions, focusing on technological innovation, sustainable development, and cross-border investments.

Building Bridges Between Regions

The event welcomed officials and business representatives from both Luohu and Barcelona, emphasizing the importance of deepening exchanges that could stimulate economic activities and enhance cooperation. The participants recognized the flourishing sino-Spanish relations and the promising bilateral collaboration rooted in complementary economic strengths and a shared commitment to free trade and globalization.

Luohu's leadership expressed a strong intent to boost consumption, advance service sector growth, and foster integrated developments alongside Hong Kong. This strategic aim underscores the district's ambition to elevate its partnership with Barcelona, which stands as Spain’s largest industrial and commercial hub, particularly in burgeoning fields such as digital economy, smart cities, jewelry exhibitions, and cultural tourism.

Luohu's Strategic Advantages

Luohu representatives highlighted several key advantages of the district: it serves as the developed core area of Shenzhen, strategically linking to global markets, featuring an internationally recognized business environment and offering bright developmental prospects. Last year alone, the trade volume between Shenzhen and Spain reached an impressive $28.71 billion, facilitated by direct flight connections established after the cities became sister cities in 2021.

The investment promotion official from Luohu noted, “Barcelona’s supercomputer and the innovative sustainable initiatives from Valencia are valuable models that we can draw inspiration from.” They further underscored the flourishing collaboration in high-end technology, urban development, and port logistics, indicating expansive prospects in fields like digital economy, premium manufacturing, and fashion consumption.

Mutual Investment Interests

Acknowledging Shenzhen’s role in the world’s second-largest economy, Spanish attendees not only extended an invitation to Spanish firms to invest in Luohu but also welcomed investments from Shenzhen-based businesses into Barcelona. The officials from Barcelona encouraged sectors like technology parks, green projects, and cultural creativity, aiming to promote mutual investments and industrial integration between the two cities.

The PIMEC, an association representing small and medium-sized enterprises in Spain, proposed the establishment of an institutional platform known as the “Luohu-Barcelona SME Cooperation Platform.” This initiative is envisioned to facilitate mutual investments, technological cooperation, and R&D among SMEs from both regions. Furthermore, the association advocated for transparent information exchanges regarding policies, regulations, taxation, and registration protocols, alongside promoting collaboration among universities, research centers, and businesses.

A Foundation for Future Collaboration

The event culminated in signing several agreements on cooperation between Luohu and Barcelona, alongside animated discussions between entrepreneurs and government officials from both parties. This meeting has effectively set a solid foundation for deeper future collaborations, aiming to leverage the strengths of both cities in the pursuit of sustainable and mutually beneficial economic growth.

As both districts look forward to sustained engagement, the collaborative spirit shared during this meeting represents a promising leap towards a vibrant economic partnership, fostering innovation and development for a brighter future.