Supporting the move to high-quality growth
Ian Chung, CEO of AECOM China and Japan
A1 From my industry's perspective, China has accomplished something in a few decades that may take others hundreds of years. Its advancement in urbanization and infrastructure development has helped nurture many world-class cities that are now crucial to the future. AECOM is honored to have been a part of this over the past 40 years. We are proud to have been a contributor in building a better China and our biggest achievement has been successfully leveraging AECOM's global experience to deliver a better world for people in China.
A2 After so many years of rapid growth, to focus on high-quality growth is definitely a bold strategic move. As a global company, we always admire China's efficiency in implementing national strategies. Along with its shift of focus on quality growth, we find its city cluster initiative inspiring. AECOM has already gained valuable experience by working on projects in city clusters like the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei province cluster, the Yangtze River Economic Belt, as well as the Greater Bay Area. We are committed to continuing to offer our world-leading integrated services in urban development and infrastructure building to create new international icons in these regions.
A3 We have learned that the bill has entered the review and debate stage and we will pay close attention to how the law will evolve and how it will impact us. The nation's continuous efforts in further opening-up are definitely welcomed by foreign companies like AECOM. We just designated our Shanghai office as our China headquarters in December, and in the second quarter this year, we will officially open our western hub in Chengdu. We look forward to a more open and foreign-investment friendly operating environment where we can further develop our capabilities in China.
A4 A demand for higher quality of life and a sustainable future is a natural aspiration. At AECOM, "inspire" and "anticipate" are two of our core values that influence everything we do. It's our mission to elevate communities and understand the complexity of our clients' challenges and help them see further. We will continue to bring global perspectives and transformational outcomes such as transit-oriented development and infrastructure-oriented development to address the critical challenges that the nation may encounter on its path to providing a sustainable future for its citizens.
A5 We sincerely appreciate government efforts to streamline procedures and enhance efficiency. Considering China's strategic importance to AECOM, such efforts will allow us to more effectively and efficiently capitalize on our scale and breadth as a fully integrated infrastructure company. We have confidence in China and look forward to growing along with Chinese enterprises to build a better future for China and beyond.