Development zone to revitalize Northeast China

Ambitious project will promote development of province and region, Song Mengxing reports.

The Changchun-Jilin Industrial Innovation and Development Demonstration Zone in Jilin province, aims to promote revitalization of Northeast China and play a big role in regional cooperation in Northeast Asia.

On Feb 26, the Jilin provincial government announced at a press conference that it had begun construction of the Changchun-Jilin demonstration zone, which will promote implementation of the Changchun-Jilin-Tumen development and opening-up strategy.

With its good environment and policies, Changchun attracts many investors from home and abroad.

The Changchun-Jilin Industrial Innovation and Development Demonstration Zone will facilitate economic integration in Northeast China.

The Changchun-Jilin-Tumen Development and Opening-up Pilot Zone covers one-third of the area of Jilin province and the economic demand and supply in the region accounts for half of those of the province.

Contracts for six projects including an Asia-Pacific international agriculture and food security industry demonstration zone were signed on Feb 26 for an investment total of 42.5 billion yuan ($6.78 billion).

Eight banks including the Bank of China signed contracts for credit extensions and lines of credit worth 50 billion yuan.

Construction of the Changchun-Jilin Industrial Innovation and Development Demonstration Zone will improve a modern industrial system centering on advanced manufacturing, modern services and agriculture.

It will also focus on opening up and cooperation as well as reform and innovation to promote the economic development of Jilin province, Northeast China and even Northeast Asia.

The demonstration zone, planned to cover 3,710 square kilometers, will include two areas, the Northeast Changchun Opening-up and Development Pilot Area and the Jilin City Industrial Development Demonstration zone.

The Northeast Changchun Opening-up and Development Pilot Area will comprise the Changde New Area, Changchun Airport Economic Development Zone, Northeast Asian International Logistics Park and the Northeast Changchun Innovation Industry Zone.

The Jilin City Industrial Development Demonstration Zone will include the Jilin Economic and Technical Development Zone, the northern part of the Jilin High-tech Industrial Development Zone, the Chuanying Economic Zone and the China-Singapore Jilin Food Zone.

The infrastructure and urban service system of the Changchun-Jilin demonstration zone is planned to be completed by 2020 and will feature a well-developed modern industrial system including advanced manufacturing, modern services and agriculture.

Advanced manufacturing in the zone focuses on equipment manufacturing, new materials, medicine and medical equipment manufacturing, deep processing of resources and electronic information industry.

Modern services development puts its emphasis on financing, science and technology service, commerce and logistics, tourism and entertainment, cultural creative industry, vocational education and provision for the aged.

Modern agriculture aims to boost overall grain production capability, optimize agricultural structure, improve agricultural development ways and increase farmers' income.

Many benefits

The Changchun-Jilin demonstration zone will also strengthen the foreign trade and economic cooperation of Jilin province.

It will make full use of the Changchun Xinglong Free Trade Zone, build an inland port, set up designated checkpoints for imported and exported goods including meat and fruits, and build a new external logistics channel for Jilin province.

It will seek to attract funds and technologies from developed countries and regions and strive to develop export-oriented industries.

Based on the necessity of Northeast China' revitalization and cooperation among Northeast Asian countries and regions, the demonstration zone will serve business events and businessmen and build itself as a gathering area for the headquarters of Northeast Asian multinational enterprises and a specialty industrial park.

The demonstration zone in Changchun will also step up external cooperation in science and technology.

It plans to be a Northeast Asian science and technology innovation center by guiding scientific and technological cooperation among universities, research institutes, high-tech enterprises in Jilin province and in other countries.

It will attract advanced technologies in electronics, new materials, biotechnology and petrochemical engineering and environmental protection.

It will also host events including trade fairs for scientific and technological achievements, displays of scientific and technological products, scientific and technology forums as well as attracting investment.

It will further improve the Chuangchun Xinglong Free Trade Zone, China Tumen River Region (Hunchun city) International Cooperation Demonstration zone, China-Singapore Jilin Food Zone, Northeast Asian International Logistics Park and Northeast International Science and Technology Innovation Center.

The demonstration zone will also attempt to win the support of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and countries near Jilin province, including Russia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Mongolia, to set up consulates or permanent offices of consulates to facilitate exchanges between Jilin and those countries.

It plans to hold large international conventions and exhibitions for Northeast Asian countries and regions including summit conferences and mayoral forums. It will also ask for support from the central government in China to attract Northeast Asian international and regional organizations.

It will set up living quarters for foreign residents from Northeast Asia and provide them with services including bilingual education and a cultural infrastructure with national characteristics to attract talent and investors as well as facilitate cooperation between the demonstration zone, Jilin province and other Northeast Asian countries.

Jiang Chaoliang, governor of Jilin province, is heading a coordination and promotion team for the construction of the Changchun-Jilin demonstration zone.

The team is in charge of coordinating the development of the zone and ensuring the implementation of its overall and specific plans.

Group members of the team will also coordinate the layout of major industries, infrastructure and preferential policies.

Areas within the zone will cooperate on industrial layout, soliciting foreign capital and investment, the establishment of platforms; scientific and technological innovation, construction of infrastructure, and the development and use of talent to better integrate resources in different areas and push overall development of the zone.

Jilin province carried out strategies for Northeast China's revitalization in 2007, including the plan to establish the Changchun-Jilin-Tumen Development and Opening-up Pilot Zone.

The plan gained support from the central government when the State Council gave an official reply in August 2009 to a document outlining planning for the Tumen River Region Cooperation Development Framework.

That made the construction of the pilot zone a national strategy.

In November 2013, the central government deployed strategies for the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, initiatives put forward by President Xi Jiping.

This brought new opportunities for development of the Changchun-Jilin-Tumen region.

The Jilin provincial party committee and government were able to have areas in Jilin province included in the "One Belt, One Road" projects and decided to build the Changchun-Jilin Industrial Innovation and Development Demonstration Zone.

Local governments aim to make the zone an important platform for further implementing the Changchun-Jilin-Tumen strategies and to seek support from "One Belt, One Road" projects.

On Feb 5, the Jilin provincial government issued approval for the overall strategy of the demonstration zone and began construction.

Changchun and Jilin cities are the most prosperous areas with the densest resources in Jilin province. Building the Changchun-Jilin demonstration zone will help the two cities unite and help promote Jilin province's comprehensive economic growth and competitiveness.

The demonstration zone is seated in the middle of the Changchun-Harbin megalopolis, one of the 20 key urban agglomerations in China.

It will facilitate economic integration in Northeast China with a coastal economic belt in Liaoning province, an economic circle in Shenyang, capital city of Liaoning, and the Harbin-Daqing-Tsitsihar industrial corridor in Heilongjiang province.

Contact the writer at songmengxing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 03/12/2015 page7)