The 2022 Conference on Overseas Chinese Pioneering and Developing in China (COCPDC) took place on Nov 15 in the Optics Valley Chinese Sci-tech City of the East Lake High-tech Development Zone (also known as Optics Valley of China, or OVC), Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province and will run until Nov 17.

The event, entitled "Overseas Chinese Together Build the Future", saw nearly 500 overseas Chinese representatives from 49 countries and regions, as well as leaders from Fortune 500 companies, foreign chambers of commerce and high-tech firms from abroad, sign up. This year's conference includes 21 sessions, including one focusing on the innovative cooperation between Hubei province and RCEP members, one for green industry and environmental protection, and one for Hubei products going global. In addition, the conference also features special activities for the overseas alumni association and exchanges for specific countries, such as Japan and Hungary.

Three academicians – Wang Yanxin, Zhang Qingjie and Yang Chun, attended the event, and about 65 percent of guests invited to the conference are holders of master's degrees or higher.

So far, the organizing committee of the COCPDC has received 193 projects to be signed into effect at the conference, involving a total investment of 161.09 billion yuan ($22.73 billion).

After 21 years of development, COCPDC has become a powerful platform for boosting regional economic and social development, with more than 2,600 investment projects signed into effect worth 560 billion yuan.