Chongqing - Chongqing will host a conference on financial support for high-quality development on July 3, city officials announced at a press briefing on June 30.
The landscape of Chongqing. (Photo/Zheng Ran)
The upcoming event comes as China enters the first year of its 15th Five-Year Plan period. Chongqing, a major industrial hub in western China, is positioning itself as a center for advanced manufacturing and innovation-driven growth.
At the briefing, Zhou Hehua, deputy director of the Office of the Financial Commission of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, said the city is focusing on integrating manufacturing, innovation, and services under its "33618" modern manufacturing cluster system and its "416" science and technology innovation framework.
By the end of the first quarter, Chongqing's medium- and long-term manufacturing loans had climbed to 298.5 billion yuan (about 43.94 billion U.S. dollars), while technology-related lending reached 870 billion yuan, with both posting over 13% year-on-year growth, according to official data.
A high-altitude dual-arm collaborative intelligent welding robot developed by Chongqing Construction Engineering Group is displayed at the 8th Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (WCIFIT). (Photo/Zheng Ran)
Zhou said Chongqing has introduced a series of policy tools, including financing support plans for manufacturing and technology companies, and special products such as "park technical transformation guarantees" and "YuLian loans," designed to help firms access credit.
"Park technical transformation guarantees" is a policy-backed loan scheme providing up to 10 million yuan for industrial park manufacturers' tech upgrades, while "Yulian Loan" is a data-driven supply-chain financing product offering online credit to SMEs based on transaction data.
The upcoming conference will feature a "1+2+2+N" structure, including one main conference, two parallel sessions, two sub-forums, and multiple preparatory events. Officials said the format is designed to improve coordination between financial institutions and industrial projects.
More than 80 major financial institutions and industry leaders from sectors such as smart manufacturing and biotechnology are expected to attend. The city will also release four financing demand lists covering manufacturing, science and innovation, state-owned enterprises, and infrastructure projects.
Authorities said 549 projects have already been matched with financial institutions, with total financing needs reaching nearly 419.4 billion yuan.
Parallel sessions will focus on industrial chain investment under the "33618" system and commercialization of scientific research under the "416" framework. Additional sub-forums will be held in Chongqing's regional centers, including Wanzhou and Yongchuan, focusing on advanced materials and digital industries.
Zhou said Chongqing will also sign strategic cooperation agreements with major financial institutions in areas including green finance, science and technology finance, and logistics finance.
Officials also highlighted progress in financial integration. Since 2023, financial institutions have provided 8.5 trillion yuan in credit support to Chongqing, along with more than 30 regional headquarters, strengthening the city's role as a western China financial center.