DPARK Foreign-related Economic, Innovative & Culture Park
DPARK is located at No.738 Changyang Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, near the China Tobacco Museum. It has two European-style buildings, and an entrance with engraved English characters “DPARK”. It is the first government approved foreign-related park in Shanghai, offered to you by the president of the park, Mr. Antonio Duarte, the entrepreneur who owns the dual nationalities of France and Portugal, founder of ARIA Automobile Industry Regional Association, former VP during six years of Mechanical Industry Federation and was awarded the Businessman of the Year in 2000 by the magazine 《Le Novel Economiste》.
In April 2009, the Shanghai Yangpu District People’s Government hired Mr. Duarte as the Ambassador for European Investment Promotion. In the same year, DPARK Foreign-related Economic, Innovative & Culture Park was approved and in May 2010, DPARK was officially opened. The leaders of the Yangpu District Government and French Lille Government jointly attended the opening ceremony and unveiled this unique foundation of Euro-Chinese economic reforms.
Mr. Duarte aims to help European small and medium-sized enterprises to develop in China, providing office leasing, business registration, financial assistance, personnel, visa and other one-stop services for foreign enterprises. Meanwhile, Mr. Duarte promotes the investment opportunities for Shanghai in Europe. DPARK is a platform for small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe to communicate with the Chinese government.
Mr. Duarte helped French listed nursing home & rehabilitation group settled in DPARK to cooperate with the China Development Bank Orient to become one of the representatives signing projects of Sino-French medical enterprises.
In 2017, with the support of the leaders of Yangpu District, DPARK has been approved to enjoy the tax preferential policy equivalent to the national level park, so that the foreign-funded enterprises settled in DPARK can also enjoy the support of the Chinese government.
The working language of DPARK covers French, English and Chinese.
The governmental agencies settled in DPARK are UFE Shanghai, the Representative Office of Lille, France and the China Liaison Office of Fondation Charles de Gaulle.
Nearly forty foreign-funded enterprises have settled in DPARK and many European ambassadors, politicians, consul generals in Shanghai, economic counselors and well-known entrepreneurs are frequently found visiting it.
DPARK was also honored as the « Small French Center » by the French Minister of Transport and the French consul general in Shanghai.
Mr. Duarte was entrusted by the French government to help the delegation of Hauts de France, the delegation of Lille Government and Nice Government to visit China to investigate the investment environment in China, and vice versa help and arrange for the delegation of the Ministry of Commerce of China, the Propaganda Dept. of Shanghai, Yangpu District Government of Shanghai and the state-owned enterprises of Beijing and Shanghai to visit France and Portugal to discuss the cooperation in the fields of culture, economy, scientific and technological innovation, and so on.
On January 23, 2013, Mr. Duarte was entrusted to arrange and accompany the French government delegation headed by the Special Representative of the French Government for China Affairs, the former First Secretary of the Socialist Party and Mayor of Lille, Madame Aubry, to visit China Development Bank Capital.
Mr. Duarte is also the founder of the French Duarte Group which was listed in France in 1997. He was awarded as the outstanding entrepreneur of the year by the French Economists in 1999. He designed, developed and manufactured the first electric supercar Fetish.
Because of the economic cooperation and exchange, Mr. Duarte became the Ambassador for European Investment Promotion of Yangpu District, Shanghai. In July 2010, he took the lead and helped Yangpu District Government to sign a friendly agreement with Lille Government, that helped Yangpu District Commerce Committee to work with French Euratechnologies Park in the field of scientific and technological innovation. Later, he was offered the position of European Economic Adviser for China Development Bank Capital and the Board Advisor for China Development Bank Orient.
In 2015, DPARK held the Xu-Ricci Philosophy & Culture Salon with Benoit Vermander, the Professor of Philosophy, Fudan University and became a promoter of economic and cultural exchanges between China and France.
On July 8, 2014, Mr. Duarte signed an educational cooperation agreement with Yuan Xin, the Party Committee Secretary of the Philosophy Institute, Fudan University
In 2015, Mr. Duarte was entrusted by the Organizing Committee of China International Industry Fair to invite France to become the « guest country » of the fair. Mr. Duarte recommended it to the Ministry of Industry of France, the ambassador to China and the consul general in Shanghai, and accompanied them to investigate it for many times. Mr. Duarte has helped French industrial enterprises to participate in this fair for several consecutive years.
On September 12, 2018, Gao Yun, Secretary of the District Committee of Huangpu District of Shanghai, met with Mr. Duarte to discuss the cooperation on the project of « European Cultural Capital »
On July 5, 2018, Mr. Duarte attended the 2018 Shanghai International Forum on Green Architecture and delivered a speech. DPARK Foreign-related Economic, Innovative & Culture Park was praised by the experts in the forum as a successful case that an industrial plant in Shanghai transforms to modern service, and also the representative of low-carbon green buildings
On January 22, 2019, Mr. Duarte was awarded the « 2018 Annual Quality Award » of Yangpu District, Shanghai
On January 25, 2019, Li Yueqi, the Secretary of Yangpu District Committee of Shanghai, met with Mr. Duarte to discuss « the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France », « the Exhibition of General de Gaulle and China Friendship », and how to do a good job in the internationalization of Yangpu District as a national model base for Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation
In addition, Mr. Duarte has always been enthusiastic about charitable activities. Since 2012, he donated Chinese and foreign paintings to the annual charity party of UFE Shanghai for auction every year. The proceeds are donated to groups in need. He came and went between China and France, bought medical drugs in France and brought them back to China. He worked with A PLEINES MAINS to donate medicines for leprosy treatment and provide all the help for leprosy areas in Guangxi Province, China.
Because of his outstanding contribution to Shanghai’s economic construction, cultural prosperity, social development and foreign exchange and cooperation, Mr. Duarte was awarded the Shanghai Magnolia Silver Award in September 2015. In September 2017, Ying Yong, the Mayor of Shanghai awarded the Shanghai Magnolia Honorary Award personally to Mr. Duarte. After the award ceremony, Mr. Duarte made a wonderful speech as the representative of the winners. He was interviewed by STVN and ICS on the spot and reported on the evening news. As the winner of the Shanghai Magnolia Honorary Award, Mr. Duarte was requested to continue to give full play to his European resources and contacts to better serve the development of Shanghai in the cultural and economic fields and to be an “ambassador” to publicize Shanghai’s excellent investment and business environment.
On September 30, 2017, Mr. Duarte was awarded the Shanghai Magnolia Honorary Award by Ying Yong, the Mayor of Shanghai
2019 is an important year. On the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Mr. Duarte was nominated for the National Medal of Friendship. In the same year, on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Shanghai Magnolia Award, Mr. Duarte is encouraged by the Foreign Affairs Office of Shanghai, to launch the « Magnolia Award Winners » Club – Shanghai International Think Tank. The aim is to deepen mutual understanding, enhance friendship, unite the winners of Magnolia Award, make them feel belonging and recognition, and offer suggestions for Shanghai’s international development, participate in a series of activities for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 30th anniversary of the Magnolia Award: public welfare long-distance running and charity concert, and assist in inviting officials of consulates in Shanghai and executives of foreign-funded enterprises to participate.
On January 26, 2019, Mr. Duarte was invited to attend the second meeting of the 13th Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (held in Shanghai World Expo Center)
On January 27, 2019, Xi Jinping, Chinese President exchanged congratulatory messages with Emmanuel Macron, French President to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. After two years of preparation, on April 23 and 24, 2019, Mr. Duarte will hold a Chinese art exhibition entitled « Night Light: Chinese Culture in Lens, Hauts de France » jointly with the government of Hauts de France and Louvre Lens. The exhibition will be held at the old site of the Bank of France next to Louvre Lens. Mr. Duarte and the government of Hauts de France jointly invite more than 300 entrepreneurs from China and France to attend the Forum on the theme of the « New SilkRoad », to visit the parks related to digital culture, digital security, environmental protection materials and the park related to the third industrial revolution, to strengthen the friendship between China and France, as well as economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation. Zhai Jun, the Chinese Ambassador to France, and the Chairman of Hauts de France will attend the event. In autumn, Mr. Duarte and the Fondation Charles de Gaulle are planning to hold an exhibition of “the 55th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and France, the friendship between Charles de Gaulle and China” in Shanghai.
On June 5, 2017, the China Liaison Office of Fondation Charles de Gaulle was settled in DPARK
On September 13, 2018, Mr. Godfrain, the chairman of Fondation Charles de Gaulle signed a contract with Mr. Duarte to sponsor the “Sino-French Entrepreneurs Club” jointly
