Chongqing- In the year 2021, with an improving business environment, 347 projects had been transferred from China's East Coast areas to Southwest China, Chongqing. According to the local government source, the Chongqing Riverside Industrial Transfer Demonstration Zone, the pilot area targeting the transfer projects, has given full play to advantages in resources, markets, facilities, innovation, and the business environment to implement the industrial transfer projects from the eastern regions of China. This endeavor attracted 52.3 billion yuan ( USD 8.2 Billion) in total annual investment.
As a result, economic performance in the zone drove regional GDP growth to around 3 percent points higher than the average in Chongqing Municipality, which provides a strong illustration of the great strides achieved in development and enhanced capabilities.
The Demonstration Zone is the third such pilot scheme to be approved by the National Development and Reform Commission and the second to be implemented in Western China.
Channel logistics play a key role
A smooth transportation network has provided logistical guarantees in the course of the industrial transfer, as open channels facing in all key directions allow multiple districts across Chongqing to harness their advantages and play an ever greater role within the demonstration zone.
In Fuling District, improvements to the road network in support of the local 'one district - dual cluster' setup have been accelerated, while cooperation with Wanzhou and Changshou districts has been initiated to build a service-orientated national logistics hub for production.
Meanwhile, Yongchuan District has become the first district outside the Chongqing Urban Area to enjoy the transportation advantages of both a ring-road expressway and high-speed railway connections. Yongchuan has also accelerated construction of the Zhutuo Operations Zone, which is set to add a further 5.5 million tons to the port's carrying capacity.
The Yongchuan Big Data Industrial Park has achieved great progress in technology for self-driving vehicles as part of the Demonstration Area. (iChongqing file photo)
New platforms for industrial clusters
Whilst concentrating on infrastructure, the demonstration zone has created platforms to forge a breakthrough in clustering large-scale industrial transfer projects.
For example, Bishan and Rongchang districts have taken the opportunity to upgrade themselves into national high-tech zones, while Yongchuan has successfully established the National Agricultural Science and Technology Park, in addition to the National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Demonstration Base.
The Chongqing Municipal Development and Reform Commission has supported these developments by successfully obtaining 78.4 million yuan from the central budget, which has been earmarked to construct infrastructure and public service platforms in the demonstration zone, which in turn will further enhance the industrial carrying capacity.
As a result, more enterprises have chosen to settle in the Demonstration Area, such as BYD and the Southwest Intelligent Manufacturing Center of Great Wall Motors, while industrial projects for new energy vehicles and charging piles have been clustered.
Core innovation drives upgrades
The Demonstration Area has thoroughly implemented the innovation-driven development strategy led by big data intelligence, which has allowed enterprises to become the main carrier for new technologies, the construction of new platforms, and a conducive atmosphere for innovation and entrepreneurship.
A prime example is the Fuling High Tech Zone, which has created a systematic platform for technological innovation based on key industries each having one institution for research and development, while pillar industries are encouraged to set up multiple R&D centers. Currently, the proportion of enterprises with R&D institutions in Fuling now stands at over 50 percent.
Rongchang has joined hands with Yongchuan and Luzhou, and Neijiang (RYLN) across in Sichuan Province to establish a guidance fund for scientific and technological achievements and a sub-fund for venture capital.
These have combined to form a collaborative development strategy for national high tech zones, based on the pattern of one Ministry of Science and Technology, Sichuan Province, acting in tandem with Chongqing Municipality, and the RYLN quartet (1+2+4 model).
Meanwhile, Bishan has encouraged private innovation through an indirect subsidy program where funds are sourced from the capital and have succeeded in attracting SME clusters thanks to incubators that hatch new technology firms.
In 2021, approval was secured for the creation of 131 new high-tech enterprises, the addition of 413 scientific and technological businesses, and 30 municipal-level research institutions.
The Yongchuan Hi-Tech Zone has played a key role in the process of industrial transfer from the eastern regions of China. (iChongqing file photo)
Business environment further improved
Jiulongpo District has established a system of ten operational mechanisms supporting business promotion, which allow for swift preliminary judgments for information analysis, strong leadership in major projects, and regular deployments performed on a weekly to monthly basis.
In order to further this endeavor, Banan has set up a task force for investment promotion geared towards industrial clusters, adhering to a system that requires yearly deployments, quarterly activities, monthly reports, weekly progress consolidation, and daily inventories.
Yongchuan has actively set up foreign investment agencies in the Yangtze River Delta, Beijing Tianjin Hebei, Guangdong Hong Kong Macao, and the Chengdu Chongqing economic circles, while Fuling has dispatched professional investment teams to Shenzhen, Shanghai, and other major cities to actively explore socialized, professional and platform-based investment promotion.
The Demonstration Area has also focused on optimizing the business environment in order that settled enterprises' feel at home.' This goal has been achieved thanks to improvements made in the scope, efficiency, and results of services provided to the business sector across the board.
For instance, Fuling organized a team of 117 specialists to provide a full range of 24-hour services to more than 200 enterprises under their jurisdiction and designated over 260 official matters where enterprises can request the dedicated attention of commissioners.
At present, the average processing time for administrative licensing in the Demonstration Area has been reduced by more than 60%, while the average number of trips made in person to official departments in such matters has been reduced from 1.01 to 0.28.
Looking to the future, a representative from the Municipal Development and Reform Commission commented, 'In the next step, we shall continue to improve the effectiveness of long-term mechanisms, enhance our carrying and service capacities, and encourage districts and counties to connect with outside agencies proactively. This will accelerate the process of industrial transfer and boost high-quality development in the Demonstration Area.'