The National Development and Reform Commission issued a document, launching the action plan to promote high-quality construction of national-level new areas.

Action Plan to Promote High-Quality Construction of National-Level New Areas

National-level new areas (hereinafter referred to as new areas) are comprehensive functional platforms undertaking major national development and reform and opening-up strategic tasks. Currently, there are 19 nationwide, including Shanghai Pudong, Hebei Xiong'an New Area, Tianjin Binhai, Chongqing Liangjiang, Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago, Lanzhou, Guangzhou Nansha, Shaanxi Xixian, Guizhou Gui'an, Qingdao West Coast, Dalian Jinpu, Sichuan Tianfu, Hunan Xiangjiang, Nanjing Jiangbei, Fuzhou, Yunnan Central Dian, Harbin, Changchun, and Jiangxi Ganjiang New Area. In recent years, following the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, each new area has steadily advanced reforms and innovations concerning overall and specialized fields, gathering a number of industrial clusters with strong competitiveness and influence, playing an important exemplary and leading role. On the new journey, to further gather and stimulate the strong momentum of responsibility and entrepreneurship in new areas, enhance pioneering exploration and demonstration functions, and build important growth poles driving high-quality regional economic development, the following action plan is proposed for key tasks to be focused on in the next three years.

I. Overall Requirements

Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, adhere to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, focus on promoting high-quality development, combine goal orientation with problem orientation, persist in deepening supply-side structural reform and expanding effective demand in a coordinated manner, closely center on the positioning of comprehensive functional platforms for reform and opening-up, promote new areas to make greater contributions in building a modern industrial system, implement precise policies to stimulate economic vitality, deepen exploration in key reform areas, strive to build a leading zone for high-quality development, a new highland for reform and opening-up, and a new benchmark for urban construction, better serve major regional strategies and regional coordinated development strategies, and contribute to the construction of Chinese-style modernization.

II. Enhance the Technological and Industrial Competitiveness of New Areas

(1) Strengthen the source function of technological innovation. Leverage the advantages of concentrated technological innovation resources, support high-level comprehensive national science centers such as Zhangjiang and Nansha Science City in undertaking construction tasks, complete and put into operation a batch of large scientific facilities, study the feasibility of building a new batch of major scientific infrastructure in new areas with conditions during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, and support the tilt of regional technological innovation resources and platforms toward qualified new areas.

(2) Promote high-level cross-regional collaborative innovation. Support relevant new areas in seizing major opportunities brought by coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, integration of the Yangtze River Delta, construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing twin-city economic circle, and development of the middle reaches urban agglomeration of the Yangtze River, establish and improve collaborative innovation mechanisms, implement joint tackling of core industrial technologies and cross-regional transformation of scientific and technological achievements, promote orderly flow and efficient allocation of innovation elements, and serve the construction of regional technological innovation systems.

(3) Consolidate and enhance the competitive advantages of new areas' industries worth hundreds of billions and leading industries. Focus on industries in new areas with an annual output value reaching 100 billion yuan or 1-2 leading industries such as automobiles, new displays, equipment manufacturing, petrochemical, smart home appliances, and textiles. The provinces (cities) where they are located shall propose targeted policy measures, support the implementation of manufacturing technology transformation and upgrading projects, strengthen the level of resource and factor guarantees, and attract the clustering of key links in the industrial chain.

(4) Support new areas in optimizing key industrial layouts. Promote quality and efficiency improvement of national new industrialization demonstration bases located in new areas, support qualified regions to focus on cultivating advanced manufacturing clusters in new areas, encourage the construction of related pilot zones and leading zones focusing on new areas' advantageous industries, and encourage the creation of green factories, supply chains, and industrial parks.

(5) Orderly advance intelligent manufacturing and digital transformation. Accelerate the construction of national new-generation artificial intelligence innovation development pilot zones and national AI innovation application leading zones located in new areas. Shanghai Pudong New Area empowers thousands of enterprises in digital transformation, Tianjin Binhai New Area creates a batch of typical application scenarios. Study support for the layout and construction of future industry leading zones in qualified new areas. Relying on digital transformation pilots for SMEs located in new areas and important tasks such as new areas undertaking the construction of national computing power hub nodes, implement major intelligent manufacturing projects and layout a batch of industrial internet platforms.

(6) Support new areas in central and western and northeastern regions to enhance industrial acceptance and cultivation capabilities. Support relevant provinces (cities) to comprehensively leverage platforms such as new areas and industrial transfer demonstration zones, improve coordination mechanisms, promote differentiated development, collaboratively enhance industrial acceptance capabilities, and provide appropriate support from central budget investment for qualified projects. For new areas such as Lanzhou, Shaanxi Xixian, Guizhou Gui'an, Harbin, and Changchun, the provinces (cities) where they are located shall formulate special plans for industrial cultivation and enhancement to promote the agglomeration and cluster development of industries with comparative advantages and improve industrial competitiveness.

(7) Encourage central enterprises to deepen cooperation with new areas. Support new areas to rely on their provinces (cities) to carry out industrial docking, technological cooperation, and other activities with central enterprises, organize willing central enterprises to conduct industrial cooperation tours in new areas, and encourage central enterprises to set up R&D departments, subsidiaries, branches, etc., in qualified new areas.

III. Multiple Measures to Expand Effective Demand

(8) Plan and build major projects at a high level. New areas shall establish and improve a major project database, include all projects listed in relevant national plans and projects supported by central budget investment, local government special bonds, and other national supports, strengthen key supervision, implement dedicated personnel tracking, reverse scheduling, and chart-based operations. Relevant departments and provinces (cities) shall actively support qualified projects in new areas in conjunction with the preparation of the 15th Five-Year Plan key plans and review and promotion of major project construction.

(9) Regularly carry out proactive project construction services. Improve mechanisms for coordinating and resolving difficulties and problems, deepen reforms such as the notification commitment system, acceptance with missing documents, and combined evaluation, accelerate the standardization and normalization of engineering project approval, and further improve the efficiency and service level of investment project approval, filing, planning permission, construction permits, and other procedures in new areas.

(10) Innovate ways to connect and attract investment projects. Explore methods such as jointly releasing new area investment opportunity lists, organizing delegations to carry out "going out" and "bringing in" series of activities, proactively release resource elements, create market opportunities, and attract various capitals and enterprises to settle.

(11) Promote expansion and quality improvement of characteristic consumption. Actively tap the market potential of local characteristic industrial products, standardize the development of new business formats and models such as online sales and live e-commerce, help build smooth and efficient production and marketing chains, and promote the enhancement of product influence. Innovatively hold events such as the Qingdao International Beer Festival and Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, enrich characteristic consumption scenarios, and provide high-quality and convenient services.

(12) Cultivate new consumption formats. Support new districts with conditions to adapt locally and strengthen the "first store economy" and "first launch economy." Support new districts such as Shanghai Pudong, Tianjin Binhai, Chongqing Liangjiang, and Guangzhou Nansha to actively build important international consumption center carriers. Deeply implement the "three products" action of increasing varieties, improving quality, and creating brands, conform to the trend of changing consumption concepts, discover and cultivate a batch of independent, emerging, high-end, and niche characteristic brands, and cultivate new consumption growth points such as domestic "trendy products."

(Thirteen) Further leverage the advantages of Lingang and open platforms. Support relevant new districts to seize the opportunities of building international hub ports such as Shanghai Port, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, Dalian Port, Tianjin Port, Qingdao Port, and Guangzhou Port, focus on developing port-related industries and modern shipping services, enhance the functions of port hubs and water transport channels, promote factor agglomeration, and expand the space for land-sea domestic and international linkage and maritime economy development.

(Fourteen) Innovate and expand bilateral and multilateral cooperation models and fields. Chongqing Liangjiang New Area explores jointly building the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Science and Technology Innovation International Cooperation Benchmark Park with Singapore, driving practical cooperation with ASEAN countries in industries, infrastructure, green development, and other fields. Harbin New Area explores cooperation in local currency settlement, commercial arbitration, export certification, and technology achievement transformation. Fuzhou New Area and Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone explore establishing a cross-strait cooperation and co-construction development model based on industrial parks. Guangzhou Nansha New Area, based on the Bay Area and in coordination with Hong Kong and Macau, builds a comprehensive service base for Chinese enterprises "going global."

(Fifteen) Expand channels for foreign exchange cooperation and display. Utilize large-scale events with main venues or permanent sites in new districts such as the Summer Davos Forum and the "Belt and Road" Science and Technology Exchange Conference to promote the advantages and characteristic products of new districts, connect global high-quality science and technology innovation resources, and expand the depth and breadth of participation in international cooperation. Encourage new districts to form delegations to participate in large international and domestic exhibitions according to industrial development needs, set up new district display areas, and jointly hold investment promotion and trade facilitation activities.

4. Support new districts in deepening reforms in key areas.

(Sixteen) Steadily advance the implementation of comprehensive reform pilot experiments. Support Shanghai Pudong New Area to accelerate the implementation of comprehensive reform pilots, coordinate the promotion of reforms in important fields and key links, and carry out overall institutional innovation around "efficiently completing one matter" and "strengthening one industry." Relevant departments and provinces (cities) with conditions take the lead in conducting related reform pilot experiments in new districts, implement major reform measures, and formulate related action plans and annual key tasks. Actively explore administrative division settings that promote coordinated and integrated development between new districts and administrative districts.

(Seventeen) Grant greater reform autonomy to new districts. Encourage provinces (cities) to adopt list management, integrated reform, and other models to delegate provincial-level economic management powers that can be delegated to new districts according to legal procedures, and grant certain social affairs management powers to qualified new districts according to regulations and conditions. Encourage relevant provinces (cities) to expand government data sharing with new districts through negative list management and other methods.

(Eighteen) Implement special policies for talent introduction. Support Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou Nansha, and Chongqing Liangjiang New Areas to deeply carry out pilot standards for recognizing foreign "high-level, sophisticated, and scarce" talents, exploring standards and service systems reflecting new district characteristics. Encourage relevant provinces (cities) to grant more authority for recognizing intermediate and senior professional and technical titles based on the development needs of industries worth hundreds of billions and leading industries. Encourage qualified new districts to explore introducing urgently needed high-level specialized talents through special posts relying on public institutions and to explore comprehensive reform pilots for foreign expert service guarantees.

(Nineteen) Improve land use efficiency in new districts. Guide new districts to formulate and implement special plans to improve land use efficiency, explore policies to reduce inefficient construction land, increase the supply ratio of "standard land" for industrial use, support qualified new districts to implement mixed industrial land supply according to the principle of mutual benefit based on functional uses, and explore reasonable conversion of different types of industrial land. Support provincial-level separately listed new districts in increasing the scale of new construction land and annual plan indicators. Except as otherwise stipulated by the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the overall land and space planning of new districts and detailed planning of cross-city new districts shall be organized and prepared by the provinces (cities) where they are located.

(Twenty) Increase financial support and guarantee efforts. Encourage financial institutions to lawfully and compliantly support major projects in new districts such as affordable housing, "dual-use" public infrastructure, and urban village renovation under the "three major projects." Under the premise of strictly preventing local government debt risks, allow localities to arrange local government special bonds to support the construction of eligible infrastructure projects.

(Twenty-one) Deepen reform and innovation measures to improve urban function and quality. Shanghai Pudong New Area fully implements special action plans such as boutique urban areas and optimized upgrading to build modern towns, accumulating a batch of new experiences and practices around people-oriented city construction. Sichuan Tianfu New Area explores establishing systems such as park city planning guidelines, index evaluation, and value transformation, and deeply promotes the national standardized comprehensive pilot of park cities. Shaanxi Xixian New Area accelerates the implementation of major projects for "Xi'an-Xianyang integration" industrial collaboration and connectivity, exploring innovative paths for collaboration, industrial cooperation, and integrated public services.

5. Strengthen overall coordination and organizational implementation.

(Twenty-two) Improve work coordination and promotion mechanisms. Implement the Party's leadership throughout all fields and processes of new district construction and development, providing strong political and organizational guarantees for promoting high-quality construction of new districts. According to the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, under the overall guidance of the Central Leading Group for Regional Coordinated Development, relevant departments strengthen work guidance on new district construction based on functional division, improve support policies, promptly study and resolve major difficulties and problems, and promote new districts to play a greater role in serving major regional strategies and regional coordinated development strategies.

(Twenty-three) Formulate and improve new district laws and regulations. Support provinces (cities) with conditions where new districts are located to formulate and improve local regulations and local government rules such as new district regulations according to laws and regulations, clarify new district functional positioning, development goals, management systems, and elevate effective experiences and practices to legal systems.

(Twenty-four) Implement local main responsibilities. Provinces (cities) where new districts are located should effectively strengthen organizational leadership, improve work measures, guide new districts to focus on new situations and requirements, prepare and promote a new round of overall plans or plans for high-quality construction of new districts, clarify goals, tasks, and implementation paths for the next 3-5 years and the medium to long term, and provide necessary policy support. The formulation and revision of enterprise-related policies should fully listen to enterprise opinions and suggestions. Fully utilize provincial-level consultation and coordination mechanisms, improve supervision and implementation mechanisms, regularly schedule key work progress, and promote the implementation and effectiveness of various measures. Each new district should play a main role, formulate detailed and specific implementation plans, clarify timetables and blueprints, and ensure that all goals and tasks are completed on time and with quality.

(Twenty-five) Strengthen monitoring, evaluation, and follow-up supervision. Carry out high-quality statistical work for new districts, improve evaluation and tracking monitoring mechanisms for new district construction and development, and the National Development and Reform Commission, together with relevant parties, closely track new district construction status and the implementation progress of key tasks in action plans, reporting major matters promptly.