Mariam Alshamsi (2nd L), consul general of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Guangzhou, talks with Gina Andreadi (3rd L), consul general of Greece in Guangzhou, at the booth of the Consulate General of the UAE in Guangzhou during the FinExpo, which opened at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Futian District on Thursday. Chen Siqi

Chen Siqi

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GINA ANDREADI, consul general of Greece in Guangzhou, praised Shenzhen and the Guangdong-Macao-Hong Kong Greater Bay Area for their rapid pace of innovation and advancements in fintech, noting that these developments could serve as an inspiration for others.

The distinguished guest shared her thoughts with Shenzhen Daily after touring the 18th Shenzhen International Financial Exposition (FinExpo), which opened Thursday in Hall 9 of the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Futian District.

The three-day, 15,000-square-meter FinExpo, one of the largest in China’s financial industry, has drawn 160 exhibitors from financial institutions, such as banks, insurance companies, securities firms, and trading platforms, as well as higher education institutions.

“Shenzhen has attracted many young engineers and fintech professionals who are eager to see what it is like here,” said Andreadi. “We really look forward to cooperating in innovation, financial services, and green services with China.”

Behzad Mirzaei, an Iranian businessman based in Hong Kong, came to attend the expo Thursday morning.

“China has completely digitized its economy, with solid examples like WeChat Pay, AliPay, Ant Financial Group, and Ping An,” said Mirzaei.

With over 20 years of experience in providing banking and basic financial services to customers, Mirzaei noted that he decided to attend the FinExpo for the first time this year because it has become much more international.

This year’s expo invited institutions from the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Argentina, and the British Virgin Islands to exhibit financial service solutions for companies.

Shenzhen is working on building a financial center with global impact. The trading volume of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange ranks first in Asia and third in the world.