Reported by Li Zijiao, Chief Reporter of Haibao News

　　Great is the Confucian way of business, and supreme is its integrity practiced around the world.

　　As the birthplace of Confucius, Mencius, and Confucian culture, Shandong has, since ancient times, been infused with the brilliance of thoughts such as "When the Great Way rules, all under heaven belong to the people", and "coexistence of all nations in harmony, and universal harmony under heaven." To further explore and promote the cultural heritage and foster the integration of outstanding traditional culture with modern economic society, Shandong Province launched the inaugural Conference of Great Business Partners (CGBP) in September 2018, and established it as a biennial event to continuously advance the high-quality implementation of the Investment and Talent Attraction initiative.

　　Over the past eight years, this grand event has been successfully held three times and will return for its 4th session in the autumn of 2025. As a shining emblem of Shandong's openness to the world, it has also become a key platform for connecting global resources, rallying the strength of Confucian entrepreneurship, and driving high-quality development.

　　Eight Years in Retrospect: An Extraordinary Journey with Abundant Achievements

　　The 1st CGBP assembled over a thousand elites from various fields both domestically and internationally, with more than 4,000 experts, scholars, and entrepreneurs engaging in dynamic exchanges of ideas and seeking business opportunities. During the conference, more than 100 projects were signed in the Top Ten industrial sectors, establishing it as one of the highest-profile and most influential economic, trade, and cultural events in Shandong.

　　In the face of the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2nd session pioneered an online meeting mode, attracting over 7,000 guests from 20 countries and regions worldwide for online exchanges. The conference showcased 312 premium projects, with over 100 cooperation agreements signed, highlighting Shandong's unwavering determination and resilience in further opening up and optimizing its business environment during the pandemic.

　　The 3rd CGBP further elevated its scale and influence, bringing together nearly 800 delegates from 21 countries and regions to explore the meaning and practice of Confucian entrepreneurship in the new era. Over 400 major investment projects were signed at the conference, with both foreign and domestic ones achieving significant breakthroughs, fully showcasing Shandong’s tremendous potential and broad prospects for high-quality development.

　　The first three sessions saw the signing of a total of 709 cooperative projects, including 585 domestically funded ones with a total investment of 1.35 trillion yuan, and 130 foreign-funded ones with contracted foreign capital totaling 5.11 billion US dollars. These events have made important contributions to boosting investment across the province.

　　Now, the 4th CGBP is about to launch. This session will build on previous achievements, further focusing on the creative transformation and innovative development of traditional Chinese virtues, vigorously promoting the entrepreneurial spirit of the new era, and gathering broader wisdom and strength to help shape the Shandong chapter of Chinese modernization.

　　Spirit of the Times: The Confucian Entrepreneurship Leading a New Era of Openness

　　From the inaugural event in 2018 to the 4th session set for 2025, CGBP has been held in succession. This reflects the strength of cultural heritage amassed over millennia in Shandong, stands as an innovative journey to drive high-quality development across the province through Qilu culture, and, above all, embodies the determination and confidence of this major economic powerhouse to embrace the world and pursue its future aspirations.

　　These eight years mean far more than a simple measure of time; To be precise, they tell an epic story with Confucianism as the soul and entrepreneurship as the body, charting a spiritual odyssey from cultural self-awareness and practical exploration to a global sense of responsibility.

　　It serves as a vivid embodiment of the creative transformation and innovative development of culture:The conference has transformed Confucian core values, such as benevolence, integrity, harmony, and responsibility, into ethical norms and codes of conduct for modern business civilization. Through the annual in-depth interpretation and promotion of Confucian entrepreneurship, the conference has injected a spirit of humanistic care and value orientation that transcends short-term interests into the global business community, setting a model for the integration of outstanding traditional Chinese culture with the modern economy.

　　It serves as an open hub for service strategy:Leveraging Shandong's strategic location at the sea-land intersection under the Belt and Road Initiative, the CGBP seamlessly connects global capital, technology, and networks. The projects signed at previous conferences span critical sectors, including infrastructure, high-end manufacturing, new energy, and the digital economy, significantly enhancing Shandong's role in major national strategies, such as ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin and green and low-carbon transition.

　　It serves as a powerful engine propelling development:From fostering modern, advantageous industrial clusters across the top ten industrial sectors to attracting a wealth of high-quality foreign investment projects, the conference has consistently remained focused on Shandong's primary mission of replacing old growth drivers with new ones. By precisely aligning the demand and supply under the Investment and Talent Attraction initiative, it has continuously fueled the province's efforts in optimizing and upgrading its industrial structure while sustaining healthy economic growth.

　　It serves as a bridge for global dialogue and cultural exchange:Drawing on Confucian values and using business as a platform for partnership, the conference has become an important gateway for advancing international economic and trade cooperation as well as mutual learning between civilizations. From offline events to virtual meetings, its ever-expanding international circle of friends and growing influence tell the world open, inclusive, innovative, and enterprising stories of Shandong and China.

　　Building on the Past to Forge a New Path Together

　　Through the CGBP, Shandong leverages Confucianism as a bridge, connecting like-minded elites from around the world through the bond of Qilu culture, and attracting them to implement their projects in the fertile soil of Qilu and reap the rewards of the future. The choice of Confucian entrepreneurs to invest in Shandong reflects their appreciation of its vast consumer market, advanced commerce and logistics, and excellent business environment. Even more, they value how deeply Confucian culture is intertwined with business development on this land.

　　This is Shandong's unique strength and the assurance for its ongoing invitation to outstanding entrepreneurs across the globe to seek collaboration and win-win success together. Looking ahead, the growing influx of high-quality projects will come together as a vital source to fuel Shandong's pursuit of high-quality development.

　　Having weathered eight years of trials and triumphs, we will journey along the same path in favor of the Great Way. From the conscious pursuit of cultivating oneself and managing household affairs to the commitment of governing the nation and bringing peace to the world, the journey of the CGBP is a vivid epitome of the revival of Chinese commercial civilization. It is a grand avenue linking the past and the future, paving the way to a more inclusive, compassionate, and sustainable business world. The road ahead stretches far, but with steady progress, we will ultimately reach the destination. Our original aspiration remains steadfast, and through unwavering actions, we can achieve ever greater heights.