Conference on High-Quality Development and International Cooperation of Chinese Cities held in Beijing
On July 24, the Conference on High-Quality Development and International Cooperation of Chinese Cities was held in Beijing. Guided by the 14th Five-Year (2021-25) Plan, the conference discussed the promotion of high-quality development in areas of industrial restructuring, green industry, scientific and technological innovation, reform of state-owned enterprises, and opening up of cities. The conference was held by Global Times. Representatives from many cities that have made remarkable achievements on high-quality development, hundreds of well-known entrepreneurs, economists and experts attended the conference.
Xie Rongbin, Deputy Editor-in-chief of the Global Times and Chair of People.cn, in his keynote speech claimed that high-quality development is an important theme of China's social economic development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period and beyond. He also believed that improving the industrial chain, central to China's socialist modernization, and economic quality, efficiency and competitiveness is crucial to cities' high-quality development.
Wei Jianguo, vice chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchange (CCIEE) and former vice minister of the Ministry of Commerce, said that the driving force for high-quality development of cities will come from the integration of new policies and the "dual circulation" strategy. All cities, including development zones and free trade zones, must have distinct and forward-looking strategies. Wei also stressed that the competition among the future cities is no longer the competition among individual cities, but among urban agglomerations. Therefore, cities must complement each other.
According to the 14th Five-Year Plan and the outline of the long-term goals of 2035, China will create new opportunities for the digital economy, promote deep integration of digital technology and the real economy, enable the transformation and upgrade of traditional industries, and strengthen economic development. In this regard, Zhang Wei, chief expert of the China Association for Trade in Services and former vice president of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said that the digital economy is the largest area of urban high-quality development. Digital development and "carbon neutralization" will be crucial, and we should take the opportunity to solve urban environmental problems and build smart cities, he added.
Huang Hanquan, director of the Price and Cost Investigation Center of the National Development and Reform Commission, pointed out in his speech: "the modern industrial system is a basis for the high-quality development of cities. The Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee last year made it clear that the focus of economic development should be on the real economy, and we are required to modernize the industrial and supply chain, develop strategic emerging industries, and speed up the development of the service industry, infrastructure, transportation digitization and so on."
At the conference, representatives of Changsha, Chengdu, Huai'an, Taizhou and other domestic cities shared their achievements and experiences on attracting investment, improving business environment, system innovation, and industrial upgrading. They also talked about how to promote high-quality development of cities.
Jiang Jizheng, deputy secretary general of the Changsha Municipal People's Government and director of the General Office, said at the conference that Changsha is a charming and dynamic city. It joined the national trillion club in 2017 and achieved a GDP of 1.2142 trillion yuan （$187.38 billion） by 2020, and ranks sixth among provincial capitals in the country. Jiang pointed out that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Changsha will implement the "three high and four new" strategy, promote high-quality and sustainable social and economic development.
Xiang Jin, the second-level inspector of Chengdu Development and Reform Commission, said that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, they will seize strategic opportunities, such as the construction of the "Belt and Road Initiative," the development of the Yangtze River economic belt, the large-scale development of the western region, and the construction of the two-city economic circle in Chengdu and Chongqing. This will make Chengdu an important national economic, scientific and technological center.
As the "manufacturing capital," the GDP of Taizhou in Zhejiang Province reached 526.3 billion yuan in 2020. In Taizhou, there are 65 listed companies in China and overseas. Jiang Bingfeng, member of the standing committee of the Taizhou Municipal CPC Committee and head of the publicity department, believed that the private economy is crucial to Taizhou's success. In the future, he said, they will vigorously promote the innovation and healthy development of private enterprises.
As a well-known Taiwan capital gathering highland on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, Jiangsu Huai'an has cumulatively settled more than 1,300 Taiwan-funded projects, with a total investment of more than $20 billion. It has also formed a Taiwan capital agglomeration pattern of "Kunshan in the south and Huai'an in the north" in Jiangsu. Sun Dengtao, director of the Business Office of the Huaian Municipal CPC Committee, pointed out that Huai'an will continuously perfect their policies to benefit enterprises in the future. They will also launch better incentive policies to encourage leading Taiwan-funded industries, develop national high-tech enterprises, and promote listing of enterprises with revenue totaling more than $10 billion.
Gu Xiaobin, member of the Party working committee and chief economist of the Administrative Committee of the Guangzhou Development Zone, pointed out at the conference that the Guangzhou Development Zone is the first experimental zone for the reform and innovation of the business environment in Guangdong Province. Optimizing the business environment is the most important way to promote high-quality development. There are policies to ensure that the market is dynamic and innovative. He added that the Guangzhou Development Zone will contribute more than expected to the "14th Five-Year Plan."
Guangzhou Nansha Economic and Technological Development Zone, located in the geometric center of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, has become a coastal new city after many years of development. In the past "13th Five-Year Plan," Nansha became an important growth point of Guangzhou. At present, its goal is to become an innovative beacon of the Greater Bay area and a model of the future city. Zhao Hongxing, executive deputy director of the District Innovation work Bureau, said at the conference that where there are industries, there is competitiveness. In recent years, Guangzhou Nansha Economic and Technological Development Zone has accelerated the creation of strategic emerging industries .
Located on the main axis of Chengdu, Jianyang in Sichuan is not only an important gateway from eastern and southern Sichuan to Chengdu, but also the bearing place of the new area in the east of Chengdu. The opening of Tianfu International Airport has made Jianyang the forefront of Sichuan's opening up. The functional area of e-commerce logistics industry in the west of Jianyang City is only 13 kilometers away from Tianfu International Airport. Jiang Heping, deputy secretary of the Party work Committee and director of the management committee of the functional area, said that the goal of the functional area is to become a new national e-commerce logistics hub. They will strive to build a demonstration base for e-commerce, innovation and entrepreneurship by 2025.
Xie Rongbin, Deputy Editor-in-chief of the Global Times and Chair of People.cn
Xie Rongbin, Deputy Editor-in-chief of the Global Times and Chair of People.cn, in his keynote speech claimed that high-quality development is an important theme of China's social economic development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period and beyond. He also believed that improving the industrial chain, central to China's socialist modernization, and economic quality, efficiency and competitiveness is crucial to cities' high-quality development.
Wei Jianguo, vice chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchange (CCIEE) and former vice minister of the Ministry of Commerce
Wei Jianguo, vice chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchange (CCIEE) and former vice minister of the Ministry of Commerce, said that the driving force for high-quality development of cities will come from the integration of new policies and the "dual circulation" strategy. All cities, including development zones and free trade zones, must have distinct and forward-looking strategies. Wei also stressed that the competition among the future cities is no longer the competition among individual cities, but among urban agglomerations. Therefore, cities must complement each other.
Zhang Wei, chief expert of the China Association for Trade in Services and former vice president of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade
According to the 14th Five-Year Plan and the outline of the long-term goals of 2035, China will create new opportunities for the digital economy, promote deep integration of digital technology and the real economy, enable the transformation and upgrade of traditional industries, and strengthen economic development. In this regard, Zhang Wei, chief expert of the China Association for Trade in Services and former vice president of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said that the digital economy is the largest area of urban high-quality development. Digital development and "carbon neutralization" will be crucial, and we should take the opportunity to solve urban environmental problems and build smart cities, he added.
Huang Hanquan, director of the Price and Cost Investigation Center of the National Development and Reform Commission
Huang Hanquan, director of the Price and Cost Investigation Center of the National Development and Reform Commission, pointed out in his speech: "the modern industrial system is a basis for the high-quality development of cities. The Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee last year made it clear that the focus of economic development should be on the real economy, and we are required to modernize the industrial and supply chain, develop strategic emerging industries, and speed up the development of the service industry, infrastructure, transportation digitization and so on."
At the conference, representatives of Changsha, Chengdu, Huai'an, Taizhou and other domestic cities shared their achievements and experiences on attracting investment, improving business environment, system innovation, and industrial upgrading. They also talked about how to promote high-quality development of cities.
Jiang Jizheng, deputy secretary general of the Changsha Municipal People's Government and director of the General Office
Jiang Jizheng, deputy secretary general of the Changsha Municipal People's Government and director of the General Office, said at the conference that Changsha is a charming and dynamic city. It joined the national trillion club in 2017 and achieved a GDP of 1.2142 trillion yuan （$187.38 billion） by 2020, and ranks sixth among provincial capitals in the country. Jiang pointed out that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Changsha will implement the "three high and four new" strategy, promote high-quality and sustainable social and economic development.
Xiang Jin, the second-level inspector of Chengdu Development and Reform Commission
Xiang Jin, the second-level inspector of Chengdu Development and Reform Commission, said that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, they will seize strategic opportunities, such as the construction of the "Belt and Road Initiative," the development of the Yangtze River economic belt, the large-scale development of the western region, and the construction of the two-city economic circle in Chengdu and Chongqing. This will make Chengdu an important national economic, scientific and technological center.
Jiang Bingfeng, member of the standing committee of the Taizhou Municipal CPC Committee and head of the publicity department
As the "manufacturing capital," the GDP of Taizhou in Zhejiang Province reached 526.3 billion yuan in 2020. In Taizhou, there are 65 listed companies in China and overseas. Jiang Bingfeng, member of the standing committee of the Taizhou Municipal CPC Committee and head of the publicity department, believed that the private economy is crucial to Taizhou's success. In the future, he said, they will vigorously promote the innovation and healthy development of private enterprises.
Sun Dengtao, director of the Business Office of the Huaian Municipal CPC Committee
As a well-known Taiwan capital gathering highland on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, Jiangsu Huai'an has cumulatively settled more than 1,300 Taiwan-funded projects, with a total investment of more than $20 billion. It has also formed a Taiwan capital agglomeration pattern of "Kunshan in the south and Huai'an in the north" in Jiangsu. Sun Dengtao, director of the Business Office of the Huaian Municipal CPC Committee, pointed out that Huai'an will continuously perfect their policies to benefit enterprises in the future. They will also launch better incentive policies to encourage leading Taiwan-funded industries, develop national high-tech enterprises, and promote listing of enterprises with revenue totaling more than $10 billion.
Gu Xiaobin, member of the Party working committee and chief economist of the Administrative Committee of the Guangzhou Development Zone
Gu Xiaobin, member of the Party working committee and chief economist of the Administrative Committee of the Guangzhou Development Zone, pointed out at the conference that the Guangzhou Development Zone is the first experimental zone for the reform and innovation of the business environment in Guangdong Province. Optimizing the business environment is the most important way to promote high-quality development. There are policies to ensure that the market is dynamic and innovative. He added that the Guangzhou Development Zone will contribute more than expected to the "14th Five-Year Plan."
Zhao Hongxing, executive deputy director of the District Innovation work Bureau
Guangzhou Nansha Economic and Technological Development Zone, located in the geometric center of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, has become a coastal new city after many years of development. In the past "13th Five-Year Plan," Nansha became an important growth point of Guangzhou. At present, its goal is to become an innovative beacon of the Greater Bay area and a model of the future city. Zhao Hongxing, executive deputy director of the District Innovation work Bureau, said at the conference that where there are industries, there is competitiveness. In recent years, Guangzhou Nansha Economic and Technological Development Zone has accelerated the creation of strategic emerging industries .
Jiang Heping, deputy secretary of the Party work Committee and director of the management committee of the functional area
Located on the main axis of Chengdu, Jianyang in Sichuan is not only an important gateway from eastern and southern Sichuan to Chengdu, but also the bearing place of the new area in the east of Chengdu. The opening of Tianfu International Airport has made Jianyang the forefront of Sichuan's opening up. The functional area of e-commerce logistics industry in the west of Jianyang City is only 13 kilometers away from Tianfu International Airport. Jiang Heping, deputy secretary of the Party work Committee and director of the management committee of the functional area, said that the goal of the functional area is to become a new national e-commerce logistics hub. They will strive to build a demonstration base for e-commerce, innovation and entrepreneurship by 2025.
