Peter Helis Featured on CCTV-13: Foreign Investor and Passionate Birdwatcher Highlights Guangzhou’s Green Transformation and China’s Growing Soft Power

Guangzhou, 24 November 2025 – Peter Helis (贺励平), Chief Foreign Advisor to Guangzhou Development District and Huangpu District, appeared on CCTV-13’s flagship News Live Room program following the closing of the 15th National Games.

In the interview, Helis brought his unique dual perspective as a senior business advisor who has lived and worked in the Greater Bay Area for over twenty years and as a dedicated birdwatcher. He described the remarkable ecological recovery he has personally witnessed: once-rare migratory birds now return in growing numbers to Guangzhou’s restored wetlands and cleaner skies. “When species that disappeared for decades come back year after year, nature itself is telling us the environment has truly improved,” he said.

Helis also shared candid insights into today’s foreign investment climate. International executives and companies are traveling to China in increasing numbers, he noted, but many are currently in “learning mode” rather than rushing into major new commitments. “They come first to see with their own eyes: the infrastructure, the innovation speed, and especially the rising soft power, the confidence, stability, and quality of life that make long-term partnership attractive again.”

Having called the Greater Bay Area home for more than two decades, Helis emphasized that genuine sustainability and openness remain the region’s most compelling advantages. “This is no longer just a manufacturing base, it is a global innovation hub where people want to live, work, and build the future.”

The full CCTV-13 interview is available here: https://tv.cctv.com/2025/11/23/VIDE8P6Eer3rxLs3FOAHBkR5251123.shtml

About Peter Helis Peter Helis is a German-China business strategist, Guangzhou City Partner Ambassador, and Chief Foreign Advisor to Guangzhou Development District. A resident of China for over 25 years and fluent Mandarin speaker, he bridges European and Chinese enterprises while championing the Greater Bay Area’s sustainable and innovative development worldwide.