Friends used to ask, where are you?

I said: I am in Nanning.

The friend asked again: Where is Nanning? Is it a city in Guilin?

I am speechless? This is the time of 1999.

Nanning, as the capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, has encountered such embarrassment countless times. Nowadays, this little-known border town is changing at a rapid speed under the background of Guangxi's efforts to promote the cooperation in the Pan-Beibu Gulf Economic Zone.

"The future goal of this city is to become a regional international city!" Ma Biao, secretary of Nanning Municipal Party Committee, recently demonstrated Nanning's dream in an interview with mainstream media in China, including China News Agency.

Ma Biao revealed that Nanning has held three consecutive China-ASEAN Expositions and leapt onto the international stage. The China-ASEAN Commemorative Summit held here last year made the outside world fully appreciate the charm of Nanning. Nanning is attracting businessmen from China and ASEAN for trade docking with its indispensable function. The continuous expansion of bilateral trade between China and ASEAN will make Nanning a regional financial center.

"We have taken substantial steps towards a regional financial center. Relevant parties in Guangxi are discussing with China Development Bank to realize the goal of building a financial center. A commercial bank in Nanning is about to transform into Beibu Gulf Bank. In 20051February, the State Council approved the early opening of RMB business in Nanning to foreign financial institutions. Nanning became the first city in Guangxi to open RMB business to foreign financial institutions. " Ma Biao said.

The Beibu Gulf Bank, which will be established soon, is likely to become a regional, joint-stock and diversified cross-regional bank based on a commercial bank in a city of Guangxi, after reorganization, capital contribution and listing, and can play a greater role in financial radiation in the ASEAN region. In this cooperation plan, China Development Bank, as a strategic partner, will jointly promote the establishment of Beibu Gulf Bank with Guangxi, provide loan support, and solve the funding problem of the establishment of Beibu Gulf Bank.

In addition, China Development Bank will jointly set up the Beibu Gulf Industrial Investment Fund with Guangxi. The two sides will set up a joint working group to increase the sources of funds for fund development and speed up fund raising. China Development Bank will also provide corresponding loan support for the overall planning and construction of Beibu Gulf (Guangxi) Economic Zone.

The secretary of the municipal party Committee said that building a financial center is a symbol of a regional international city. In fact, the content of this huge plan to build a regional international city goes far beyond this. He said that the specific contents of building a regional international city include: building logistics, commerce, processing and manufacturing bases, and building information centers, transportation centers and financial centers in the region.

Although this grand blueprint is a complex system engineering, the substantive work of various contents has been carried out simultaneously. In addition to financial construction, the construction of regional international logistics base has also been put on the agenda. The planned Nanning regional international logistics base covers an area of about 18 square kilometers, located in the south of Nanning, adjacent to the expressway, about 22 kilometers away from the city center and 90 kilometers away from Qinzhou Port, an excellent port in Guangxi.

Nanning is promoting airport expansion, railway and highway network construction, and speeding up the construction of regional three-dimensional transportation hub projects. In order to better serve Qinzhou, Fangchenggang and Beihai in Beibu Gulf, Nanning is actively planning to develop a new comprehensive urban area-wuxiang new district, which focuses on style and administration and integrates residence, logistics, leisure and entertainment. Move the focus of urban construction to the south, close to port cities such as Qinzhou and Fangchenggang, and turn the new city into an important headquarters base of the Pan-Beibu Gulf Economic Cooperation Zone.

The "head of household" of more than 6.6 million Nanning citizens said that the wave of pan-Beibu Gulf regional economic cooperation has pushed Nanning to the forefront. As the capital, it is the strategic choice and development direction of Nanning, the capital, to lead the regional development of Guangxi Beibu Gulf and build a regional international city. Committed to serving the Pan-Beibu Gulf regional economic cooperation, this metropolis will eventually become the financial center of this region.

Nanning, I am proud of you!