Province seeks to ensure high-quality growth on journey to further modernize economy
Northeast China's Liaoning province is ramping up efforts to improve its capabilities in science and technology, to secure high-level and high-quality development during the country's 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25).
"This year marks the start of Liaoning's new journey of modernization and the first year of China's 14th Five-Year Plan and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035. To do a good job in opening up is of great significance to promoting the high-quality development of Liaoning's economy and leading overall revitalization," said Pan Shuang, deputy director of the Liaoning Department of Commerce, at a recent news conference.
"This year, we will focus on attracting investment, to provide support for Liaoning's establishment of a modern economic system."
Giving full play to the industrial characteristics and future development direction of its cities, Liaoning will plan and package a series of investment projects in a targeted way, to further tap the cooperation potential of both sides in resources, technologies, capital and management, according to the local government.
To improve investment attraction, the province has introduced an action plan, which proposes guidelines covering investment directions, regions and industries.
The province plans to hold the second Liaoning International Fair for Investment and Trade in late September and an array of investment promotion activities in the regions of the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in June, October and November.
To fully leverage the role of exchange mechanisms and platforms for major economic and trade activities, Liaoning will participate in this year's Yellow Sea Rim Economic and Technical Exchange Conference and the China International Import Expo, carrying out investment activities and promoting industrial and project cooperation for enterprises.
The province is also paying attention to stabilizing and improving its foreign trade in terms of both quantity and quality.
Liaoning will strengthen services for enterprises and continue to improve trade facilitation, to accelerate the cultivation and expansion of foreign trade enterprises in the province, with a goal to increase the number of import and export companies with solid performance by more than 450 this year.
Serving as an important engine of Liaoning's economic development, its economic development zones are expected to experience a wave of innovative development and rapid growth.
"We will strengthen the team of economic development zones in Liaoning, and strive to reach around 120 provincial-level economic development zones in the province during the 14th Five-Year Plan," a senior Liaoning official said in a recent interview.
The province will also work on optimizing regional distribution to avoid homogeneous competition and low-level development and to form a development pattern of economic development zones with their own characteristics and differentiation.
Taking scientific and technological innovation as a major driving force for economic and social development, Liaoning province is also stepping up its efforts to promote technological development, introduce leading professionals and high-level innovation teams and improve the transfer and application of scientific and technological achievements.
"We will give full play to the leverage of government funds for science and technology and guide enterprises to increase investment in innovation," said Zang Baoling, director of the planning and platform division at the Liaoning Department of Science and Technology.
This year, a total of 800 million yuan ($122.3 million) will be used as special funds to support local scientific and technological advancement, according to Zang.
In late April, the province will hold a talents introduction campaign to publicize the advantages and preferential policies of Liaoning's scientific research and development and help to forge a platform for the province to attract more talents and high-level teams.
Later this year, the province will organize its cities and high-tech zones to promote their policies and innovation needs in high-level talent intensive cities, including Beijing; Shanghai; Guangzhou in Guangdong province; and Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.
Wu Yong contributed to this story.
Yingkou Port in Liaoning province is an important comprehensive hub port connecting China and the world. The port operates routes to more than 150 ports in more than 40 countries and regions. [Photo/China Daily]
A performance test for industrial robots is conducted at Siasun robotics manufacturing base in Liaoning province. [Photo/China Daily]
