Chongqing Summit Seeks to Bridge Capital and Industry as City Accelerates Economic Transformation

CHONGQING, China, July 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A major financial summit was held in Chongqing on July 3 aimed at strengthening connections between capital and the city's innovation-driven industries. The "Financial Support for High-Quality Development" conference featured deal-signing, investment pitches, panel discussions, and startup showcases, all designed to channel more private and institutional funding into local supply chains, technological innovation, and infrastructure projects. The event served as a targeted matchmaking platform—connecting companies seeking growth capital with financial institutions looking for investment opportunities in one of China's fastest-growing urban centers.

During the conference, the city unveiled four new financing lists covering industrial, technological, infrastructure, and state-owned enterprise projects. In total, 549 projects are seeking approximately RMB419.4 billion in funding. Following multiple rounds of matchmaking, 60.66% of these projects have already secured matching investors. As of the end of the first quarter, the city's medium- and long-term manufacturing loans reached RMB298.5 billion, while sci-tech lending hit RMB870 billion—up 13.9% and 13.1% year-on-year, respectively.

Beyond project pipelines, the conference delivered tangible outcomes: 56 contracts valued at RMB154.9 billion were signed on-site. The funds are directed toward some of China's most dynamic industrial sectors, including connected electric vehicles and next-generation electronics manufacturing. Perhaps more telling is the diversity of financial backers—banks, securities firms, and asset managers all participated.

Zhang Zemin, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said Chongqing is cultivating a collaborative ecosystem that unites universities, research institutes, hospitals, and corporations. He called on investors to focus on early-stage, innovative companies developing hard-tech healthcare technologies. Separately, Yin Qi, chairman of Afari Technology, observed that artificial intelligence and the automotive industry are now advancing in tandem. He urged deeper integration of R&D, manufacturing, capital, and talent to foster a self-sustaining industrial environment.

Executives from three major financial institutions—Xu Siwei, chairman of state-owned China Reform Holdings Corporation; Chen Liang, chairman of China International Capital Corporation (CICC); and Li Liang, founding partner of Hillhouse—said they would continue to increase investment to drive Chongqing's technological innovation and industrial transformation by strengthening collaboration between finance and industry.

The event, organized by the Chongqing municipal government in partnership with its finance, technology, industry, and economic planning agencies. Two off-site sessions, held in the regional hubs of Wanzhou and Yongchuan, will explore each region's role in Chongqing's future growth.

SOURCE Xinhua Finance