Zhongshan's "Golden Positioning Battle": Using Overseas Chinese as a Bridge to Precisely Invest in Biomedicine and Artificial Intelligence

Ask AI · How can biomedicine and AI projects strengthen the foundation of Zhongshan’s innovation high ground?

Southern Finance Reporter Sun Jingfang, Zhongshan Report

On March 30th, the 2026 Zhongshan Overseas Chinese Investment Conference and the 13th Zhongshan Talent Festival were held at Zhongshan Wenquan Hotel. This is Zhongshan’s first high-level investment event open to overseas Chinese worldwide, themed “Using Overseas Chinese as a Bridge · Wisdom Converges in Zhongshan,” gathering representatives of overseas Chinese from over 20 countries and regions, top experts and scholars, and well-known entrepreneurs.

Now that the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor has been operational for nearly two years, Zhongshan has already entered the “Shenzhen half-hour living circle,” and the city’s strategic value has undergone a historic restructuring and upgrade. Relying on the solid foundation of “industrial city, manufacturing dominance,” combined with a complete industrial chain supporting three billion-yuan-level and eight hundred-million-yuan-level industrial clusters, Zhongshan precisely positions itself in future sectors such as biomedicine and artificial intelligence, aiming to transition from a “transport hub” to an “industrial highland” and “talent magnet.”

From “Half-Hour Living Circle” to “Industrial Ecosystem”

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor has completely rewritten the spatial-temporal pattern of the east and west banks of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Zhongshan, from the hinterland of the Pearl River West Bank, has leapt to become a strategic pivot connecting the Pearl River Estuary innovation circle. The “half-hour living circle” not only facilitates commuting but also enables the free flow of innovation elements, industrial resources, capital, and talent, promoting Zhongshan’s transformation from a cost-effective area to an innovation high ground, completing a reassessment of its value from a geographic node to the core of an industrial ecosystem.

Leveraging the corridor dividend, Zhongshan precisely positions itself in the strategic emerging industries of biomedicine and artificial intelligence, building a closed-loop industrial ecosystem through major project implementation. At the conference, 46 high-quality projects were signed in 8 batches, covering talent cultivation, biomedicine, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and other fields, with a number of benchmark projects directly consolidating the industrial foundation.

Hong Kong Xinhua Group invested 2.5 billion yuan in the Cuiheng New District Hengmen area to develop a comprehensive project integrating fishing port culture, leisure tourism, and commercial services, creating a demonstration zone for integrated industry and city, injecting strong momentum into building a marine economy powerhouse. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University co-established a Technology Innovation Research Institute with Zhongshan, planning to train 200 master’s degree students in the first year, forming a full-chain ecosystem of “talent cultivation + scientific research transformation + entrepreneurial incubation,” facilitating the transformation of university achievements into local industries.

In the field of biomedicine, Shanghai Weizhi Zhuo Biotechnology settled in Zhongshan Life Science Park, establishing a liver therapeutic organoid technology platform R&D center. Its core product, HepaCure, a bio-artificial liver, is in the global leading Phase II clinical stage, filling the gap in high-end cell therapy and regenerative medicine in Zhongshan. Meanwhile, the landing of frontier projects such as stem cells and artificial hearts marks Zhongshan’s move beyond simple manufacturing in biomedicine toward innovative drugs, cell therapy, and other “high-precision” R&D sectors.

In the AI sector, Zhongshan shows a clear path dependence. Xie Qinglu, President of Tianji Artificial Intelligence Technology, who worked in Silicon Valley for 15 years, stated frankly that Zhongshan’s electronics industry foundation is solid, and the most needed for AI development is leading talent. Introducing top talent through overseas Chinese business bridges has become Zhongshan’s breakthrough approach. At the AI intent enterprise forum held in the afternoon, companies like Shanghai Qinglang Intelligent expressed optimism about Zhongshan’s industrial chain support and cost advantages, planning to establish manufacturing bases or R&D centers in South China, relying on Zhongshan’s electronics manufacturing foundation to improve “computing power + algorithms + scenarios + manufacturing” AI industry support. This shows Zhongshan’s attempt to find the best integration point for AI industrialization between Shenzhen’s tech innovation “hardcore” and its own manufacturing “base.”

The Talent Retention Logic Behind the Full Lifecycle Service Chain

In the era of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor, cross-city talent flow has become the norm. “Attracting” talent is no longer enough; “keeping” and “developing” talent well is crucial. At this conference, Zhongshan launched two flagship initiatives: the Shenzhen-Zhongshan cross-city public transportation industry talent monthly pass and a 400 million yuan Cuihu Fund, forming a full-cycle talent service chain covering attraction, cultivation, retention, and utilization.

To solve the “double city commute” problem in Shenzhen-Zhongshan, Zhongshan launched the cross-city public transportation industry talent monthly pass, offering a 50% discount to recognized industry talents, covering three core cross-city lines T01A, T01B, and others. This detail reflects a shift in Zhongshan’s talent strategy: after the “battle for people” enters the second half, retaining talent is no longer just about financial subsidies but about creating a “low-friction” livable and business-friendly environment, enhancing the city’s attractiveness to high-end talent through refined services.

Alongside the monthly pass, the Cuihu Fund’s “Global Dreamers” recruitment plan, with a total scale of 400 million yuan, focuses on key industries in Zhongshan such as health medicine, new energy, and information technology, providing “capital + industry” dual empowerment for high-level talent projects. The fund not only offers financial support but also connects industry chain resources, application scenarios, and market channels, helping talent startups move from “technological feasibility” to “market success,” supported by financial strength to realize innovative dreams.

In talent introduction systems, Zhongshan continues to expand its global talent network, appointing elites like Xi Ning and Xie Wenjian as global talent advisors, with the total number exceeding 100, covering universities, enterprises, and industry-leading institutions, forming a “network” linking global talents. Simultaneously, European Academy of Sciences academician Chen Junlong and Chinese Academy of Engineering foreign academician Zhang Youming were appointed as “Zhongshan City Distinguished Experts,” providing top-level intellectual support for industrial upgrading.

Reconstructing the Value of the Overseas Chinese Business Network

As a renowned hometown of overseas Chinese, Zhongshan’s resources of overseas Chinese and Chinese from all over the world serve as a natural bridge connecting domestic and international dual circulation. At this conference, Zhongshan moved beyond relying solely on overseas Chinese business investment, promoting the overseas Chinese business network from trade intermediary to global platform, brand carrier, and cooperation hub, achieving a transformation from “product going abroad” to “brand going abroad,” and turning “Zhongshan manufacturing” into “Zhongshan brands.”

On-site, Zhongshan added “China (Zhongshan) Famous and Excellent Products Exhibition and Trade Centers” in Nigeria (Lagos), Norway (Oslo), and other six countries, building integrated platforms for overseas display, trade, and promotion. The Nigeria exhibition and trade center, relying on 20 years of overseas Chinese market resources in Africa, precisely matches local needs, promoting customized export and localized production of small appliances, solar products, and other Zhongshan quality goods, while attracting overseas Chinese funds, technology, and projects to feed back into Zhongshan, forming a virtuous cycle of “product going abroad + attracting investment into hometown.”

Currently, Zhongshan has established exhibition and trade centers in multiple countries worldwide and formed a “Overseas Chinese + Business” cooperation alliance with 24 overseas chambers of commerce, weaving a broad, responsive global business network, transforming overseas Chinese from “fighting alone” to “group empowerment,” injecting overseas Chinese momentum into “selling goods worldwide.”

Li Zhenjie, President of the Norway Guangdong Chamber of Commerce, suggested that Zhongshan should focus on green technology, marine economy, and high-end manufacturing when connecting with the Nordic market, shifting from product export to brand internationalization and technological cooperation, while deepening two-way exchanges of high-end scientific research talents, leveraging overseas Chinese bridges for resource complementarity and collaborative development.

Zheng Zhijian, President of the Nigeria Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Fellow Towns Association, who has been working in Africa for 20 years, said that Zhongshan’s small appliances and photovoltaic products are highly recognized in Africa. The overseas exhibition and trade centers are promoting systematic export of products, with bulk orders already shipped to Africa. “Zhongshan products are of solid quality and fully capable of building independent brands in Africa.”