Special Issue: National New and High Technology Industrial Development Zones in China

² National Hi-tech Zones

² Zhongguancun Science Park

² Wuhan East Lake High-tech Development Zone

² Xi’an High-tech Development Zone

² Baoding National Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone

National Hi-tech Zones

Building national new-and high-technology industrial development zones was a major decision of strategic importance. The decision was made by the Central Party Committee and the State Council during the process of implementing reform and opening up policies and advancing China’s modernization. It’s an essential movement in the face of the challenges brought about by the global technological revolution, aiming at deepening the reform in both economic system and the system for managing science and technology. It is also the result of the central and local governments’ efforts to seizing opportunities, making scientific decisions and working in concert.

In 1985, the Central Party Committee issued the Decision on the Reform of the System for Managing Science and Technology. The Decision facilitated the integration of science and technology with economy, encouraged science and technology professionals to start business and promoted the establishment of science and technology parks in localities with enabling conditions. By the end of 1987, related central departments, after extensive surveys and researches, completed the compilation of Research Report on Zhongguancun’s “Electronics Avenue”, in which the inception of Zhongguancun Science and Technology Industrial Park was proposed. In 1988, the State Council approved and jumpstarted the Torch Program (Huoju Jihua), an initiative which explicitly highlighted the building of hi-tech industrial development zones as a main focus. Under this Program, the Beijing New Technology Industrial Development Experimentation Zone was incorporated. It was the first of such zones with distinct features of high technologies and new technologies. Between 1991 and 1992, the State Council approved to establish 51 national new-and high-technology industrial development zones (hereinafter referred to as “hi-tech zones”) in different localities, promulgated various policies and ushered in the new era for the development of hi-tech zones in China.

In 2009, to cope with the international financial crisis and world economic recession, the State Council issued the Advice on Relying on the Role of Science and Technology to Underpin the Sound and Robust Economic Development. The Advice provided that “national hitech zones should be fully leveraged to play a pooling, radiating and motivating role in leading the new and high technology industries and support the local economic growth”. During this period, the State Council approved the successive inceptions of “National Innovational Demonstration Zone” within the hi-tech zones of Zhongguancun in Beijing, Zhangjiang in Shanghai, and East Lake in Wuhan. This was another milestone measure taken in tandem with the effort of building China into an innovative nation, opening a new chapter for the development of national hi-tech zones. Moreover, the State Council heeded the call of the reality to accelerate raising the administrative status of provincial hi-tech zones. After provincial-level zones in Yangling of Shaanxi province and Ningbo of Zhejiang province were given the national status respectively in 1997 and 2007, another 51 provincial zones were elevated to become national-level ones in 2009. As a result, the total number of national hi-tech zones reached 105 and a brand new industry layout was in place.

Over the past two decades, the national hi-tech zones have been adhering to the policies of reform and opening up, pursuing home-grown innovation, and practicing the insightful judgment that science and technology constitute a primary productive force. The zones proactively promote the integration of science and technology with economy, the combination of market and government, and of central government and local governments. As a result, innovative resources are pooled together and leveraged to enable hi-tech enterprises to grow rapidly, producing enormous amount of innovative achievements. The vibrantly booming new and hi-tech industries leads to the harmonious progress that are made in every economic and social front, thus playing a leading and exemplary role in China’s economic restructuring and growth mode transition. The national hi-tech zones now serve as a beacon of China’s development approach of relying on scientific advancement and technological innovations to underpin economic and social development and blaze the trail of home-grown innovation with Chinese characteristics; a main launching pad for China’s new-and hi-tech industries; and a champion in strategies of scientific development, innovative development and sustainable development. These zones have the following key features:

1. Hinged on reform to explore and build newtype industrial parks

National hi-tech zones have been committed to liberalizing and developing productive forces through institutional reforms. Innovations in institutional settings are treated as equally important as technological innovations. In so doing, the hi-tech zones tie technologies closely with economic incentives, foster enterprises to become technological innovators, and, for the first time, set up new mechanisms and new modes conducive to tapping the potential of technological and innovative resources, creating a favorable environment for the robust development of new and hi-tech industries.

National hi-tech zones press ahead reforms among the enterprises to establish modern corporate management systems, explore mechanisms and systems that are helpful to establish the enterprises as the key actor in market and keep improving policies and regulations that enable enterprises to grow and become champions of innovation. The zones also make open explorations on the synergy between enterprises, universities and research institutes, technological and financial interaction, talents recruiting and developing, among others. At the same time, proinnovation and pro-entrepreneurship organizations are supported by the zones, and public service platforms are opened, constituting a well-structured, well-functioning service system with distinct features. These cater to the needs of technology-based enterprises in innovating, and promoting the open sharing of scientific and technological resources. Following the philosophy of "small government and big service" and in accordance with the patterns of technological innovation and hi-tech industrial development, national hi-tech zones