A Cypriot delegation comprising MPs and businesspeople and headed by House President Demetris Syllouris had on Saturday 9/11  in the fast- growing Chinese city of Shenzhen a series of meetings with giant Chinese technological companies with a view to look into the potential of cooperation between them and research centres, universities and investment agencies in Cyprus.

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The delegation visited the offices of the Chinese leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices, Huawei, where they met its executive leaders and saw some of its technological achievements. Moreover it paid visits to the Ping’ an financial, insurance and digital services centre where it was briefed about these services and the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, which is considered one of the major graduate business schools in China, with a leading role in the growing Chinese private sector.
 
In statements, Syllouris said that the Cyprus parliament was undertaking an initiative to bring foreign research centres, universities, investment organizations and businesspeople closer to Cyprus, with a view to modernize the country’s economy, in the framework of the electronic governance and in order “to be able to enter an era in which research will bring production and the creation of new jobs for scientists.”

He noted that China had the know-how, the power and the economic capacity to cooperate with the small country of Cyprus and its remarkable human resources, its universities, so that Cyprus could enter into a new era.
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Syllouris said that certain small steps had been made during the last two years, at the House initiative, noting that the government had also made a lot of thigs and that through cooperation Cyprus can enter into the new route of digital economy.

He recalled that the Cyprus House had organized conferences on the fourth Industrial Revolution and had undertaken an initiative to promote Blockchain technology, an issue that will be regulated through legislation.
 
Syllouris said that they were very much impressed from what they saw in Shenzhen, noting that the most impressive thing was that the technological achievements have been intertwined with the economic, financial and insurance sectors as well as with issues related to everyday life, like the smart cities and healthcare. He noted that what they seek was cooperation on these issues.
 
The Cypriot delegation also visited on Saturday in Shenzhen the Exhibition on the Reform and Opening-up of China and the Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning.  

The MPs participating in the delegation are Nicos Tornaritis, Yiorgos T. Georgiou, Christakis Tziovanis, Yiorgos Prokopiou, Elias Myrianthous and Michalis Giorgallas.
 
The parliamentary delegation is paying a visit to China at the invitation of the Chinese National People’s Congress.

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Meanwhile, Singapore-based blockchain technology developer Pundi X and Cyprus-based artificial intelligence firm Borghese Ventures signed on Saturday 9/11 morning in Shenzhen, in Syllouris’ presence, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the implementation of blockchain technology for private and public sectors based in Cyprus.

According to a press release, with the MoU, Pundi X and Borghese Ventures will jointly establish a committee to explore and evaluate the feasibility of possible blockchain-related projects that they will roll out to assist Cypriot businesses as well as the government. A Cypriot entity will be set up to explore the feasibility of implementing blockchain technology solutions and a blockchain-based payment network across Cyprus powered by Pundi X technology.

CNA - Maria Koniotou