Dozens of top global business leaders will converge on South China's Guangdong Province in early November to help chart a new economic course for the region.

The Guangdong government will bring in 23 foreign business, finance and education executives to provide advice during the 2003 International Consultative Conference on the Future Development of Guangdong Province on November 3 and 4.

Chen Shanru, director-general of the Guangdong Development and Planning Commission, told a press conference yesterday in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, that the province -which borders Hong Kong and Macao - needs foreign support to keep its economic advantages in the coming years.

Prosperous Guangdong Province faces fierce competitions from other regions at home and abroad, Chen said.

The theme of this year's conference is "International Competitiveness and the Development of Guangdong Province."

The international advisers attending will include company presidents, chairpersons and chief executives from AIG, Alstom Company, Canon Inc EDF (Electricite de France), Emerson Electric Co, Ericsson Group, Ernst and Young International, Marubeni Corporation, Nokia, Royal Dutch Shell Group, Sanyo Electric Co, British Petroleum, DuPont Corporation, Honda Motor Co and Siemens AG.

They will come mainly from the United States, Europe, Japan and Australia.

Most major offshore companies have set up firms, joint ventures and representative offices in Guangdong and understand the province's economy and structure.

At the conference, participants are expected to report to and advise the Guangdong Governor Huang Huahua and vice- governors on global economic trends and Guangdong's development strategy.

Several forums and seminars will also be organized during the event to help promote economic co-operation between Guangdong companies and their overseas counterparts.

Guangdong has greatly benefited from the advice offered since holding the first meeting in November of 1999.

The conference, which takes place every two years, has become an important event of Guangdong Province.

It has helped boost Guangdong's reputation at home and abroad and improve economic relations and understanding between Guangdong and major international companies, according to Chen.

(China Daily September 11, 2003)