Sino-Swiss park boosts cooperation

The Sino-Swiss Zhenjiang Ecological Industrial Park aims to serve Swiss and Chinese companies and promote cooperation between the two nations.

The industrial park in East China's Zhenjiang city is expected to receive over $300 million in investments from nine Swiss organizations by July 2014, according to media reports.

The nine investors include Clariant, a specialty chemicals company, and Keller Technologies AG Switzerland, which solves technical problems for modern buildings with low energy consumption.

On July 9, 2012, Chen Deming, former head of the Ministry of Commerce signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Beijing to build the park with Johann N. Schneider-Ammann, Swiss Federal Councilor and head of the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs.

The park was set up in July 2012 and aims to become a center for the display and trade of Swiss and Chinese premium goods, the test and maintenance of Swiss watches and for health services required by the provincial government of Jiangsu, a park spokesperson said.

The Sino-Swiss Free Trade Agreement came into effect on July 1, 2014 when the Zhenjiang-based industrial park started business. On July 2 to 5, 2014, Swiss State Secretary for Economic Affairs Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch participated in the park's Swiss Theme Week.

Zhenjiang New Area, where the park is located, and Cleantech Switzerland jointly run the park and representatives from the two sides regularly meet to discuss ways to attract more companies and investment.

On behalf of the two countries, China's Ministry of Commerce and the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs direct the park's development. To run and manage the park efficiently, the administration committee of Zhenjiang New Area and Jiangsu Dagang Group Co jointly set up a company that specializes in developing industrial parks. Executives from the new company said its employees studied the culture and economic development of Switzerland and Europe to development the park knowledgably. The 20-square-kilometer park includes areas for R&D innovation, ecological industry, recreation and a low carbon living. The 4.5-sq-km innovation area focuses on the display and trade of advanced technologies and products, technology transfer and official businesses. The ecological industry area is a similar size and focuses on advanced manufacturing and modern services.

The 9.5-sq-km living area boasts international homes and good infrastructure and the entertainment area near mountains will include a resort with hot springs and a Swiss style street when complete.

The industrial park is an example of Sino-Swiss cooperation on energy saving and environmental protection. It plans to bring in concepts of clean production and healthy living, popular in countries including Switzerland, Hong Kong-based newspaper Wenweipo reported in July 2014. The park aims to be a base for ecological industries, R&D and international vocational education and a center for trade, watch maintenance and health services.

The park's key complex, the Sino-Swiss Innovation Center, is expected to attract investment and build a reputation as a demonstration of Sino-Swiss free trade as well as a low carbon living within a decade.

songmengxing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 01/23/2015 page7)