The Tenth Anniversary of Free Trade Pilot Zones in China:Fundamental Experiences and Enhancement Strategies

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China,the country has established 21 Free Trade Pilot Zones(FTZs),achieving significant pioneering results in reform and opening up and creating a strong demonstrative effect nationwide.The basic experience from a decade of FTZs includes:adhering to the centralized and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee;combining top-level design with encouragement of grassroots innovation;leveraging the distinct characteristics and strengths of FTZs to form a differentiated development pattern;maintaining the integration of opening up with domestic reforms;using openness to drive reforms;and organically combining openness with national security assurance.Under the current and future new circumstances,China’s FTZs face new challenges and tasks.In accordance with the directives of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China,an enhancement strategy for the FTZs needs to be implemented.This involves the following:First,accurately understanding and responding to the changing situation to create strategic opportunities.Second,shifting paradigms to implement innovation-driven strategies,using the new development pattern concept to guide the reform experiments and construction of the FTZs.Third,granting more autonomy to FTZs for reforms,pursuing progress while maintaining stability,and solidly advancing the reform experiments in the FTZs.Fourth,orderly expanding the opening up of the service sector and cautiously advancing the internationalization of the renminbi.Fifth,promoting innovative development in trade to build a strong trade nation.Sixth,establishing synergy with bilateral FTZs,Belt and Road cooperation,and national diplomatic strategies to enhance the linkage effect.

The Impact of the Establishment of National High-tech Zones on Total Factor Productivity of Chinese Enterprises

The National High-tech Zone(NHTZs)is an important strategic platform for cultivating high-tech industries and realizing high-quality economic development in China.Based on the combined data from 2006 to 2014 of the industrial enterprise database,the customs database,and the China Development Zones Audit and Announcement Catalogue(abbreviated asthe Catalogue),this paper systematically investigates the influence of the construction of NHTZs on enterprise’s total factor productivity(TFP).Results show that NHTZs have a positive impact on the TFP of enterprises in the zone,and this conclusion is still valid after considering endogeneity problems.Furthermore,the above productivity effects of NHTZs are heterogeneous in terms of enterprise ownership,external environment and establishment time,and NHTZs have greater stimulation effects on enterprise productivity after comparing with other types of functional zones.An investigation of the specific mechanisms at play shows that NHTZs promote the TFP of enterprises in the zone through the release of preferential policies,strengthening the“technology spillover effects”of imported intermediate goods,enhancing enterprise’s innovation ability and attracting talent.In addition,based on the decomposition of industry productivity,this paper also investigates the impact of NHTZs on changes in industry productivity and finds that NHTZs promote the overall productivity of specific industries mainly by stimulating the productivity improvement of incumbent enterprises and expanding the market share of high-productivity enterprises.Moreover,the preferential policies of NHTZs do not significantly stimulate high-productivity enterprises to enter the zones,nor do they cause low-productivity enterprises to exit.This research is helpful in objectively evaluating the economic effects of the NHTZs in China and in providing a theoretical basis for its further adjustment.

A Study on Theoretical Model and Applied Evaluation of Land Use Performance of High-tech Zone in Urban Fringe: A Case Study in Haidian District, Beijing

High-tech industrial zone is an important carrier for constructing innovative cities. It also plays an important role in implementing the national independent innovative strategy. How-ever, most of the high-tech industrial zones have many problems in their development process, such as efficiency of land use, weakness of oriented function and lack of land intensive. To solve these problems, the authors of this paper introduced the concept of land use performance and established the theoretical model to assess the land use performance of high-tech industrial zones. The model consists of the following three-dimensional parts: land use benefit, land use efficiency and innovative function. Based on this theory model, an index system which was composed of three secondary indictors, eight tertiary indictors and 37 fourth-grade indictors was set up to evaluate the land use performance of high-tech zone. To avoid the defects of plus model and function model, the authors brought out a three-dimensional evaluation model to examine the index of the land use performance of the high-tech industrial parks, which equals to the evaluation indicator system of land use performance of high-tech zone based on the above research. The authors examined the land use performance of five different high-tech industrial parks in Haidian District, Beijing City. The results indicated that the indicator system per-forms better in the aspect of evaluating land use benefit, land use efficiency and function of the high-tech industrial zone compared with other models.

Achievements and Problems of Reform of Investment Management System for Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone

The establishment of Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone provides many possibilities for China's economic construction. This paper made a comparative analysis on investment management system of Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone and traditional investment management system,discussed achievements and problems of reform of investment management system of Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone,and finally came up with pertinent policy recommendations.

The Role of China's High-Tech Zones in Its Regional Economic Development

National high-tech industrial development zones represent a major strategy of the Chinese government in developing high-tech industries and spurring regional economic growth. The effect of this policy is yet to be proven. Based on the panel data of 283 Chinese cities between 1984 and 2012, this paper investigates the effect of high-tech zones on regional economic development. Empirical results suggest that first, national hightech zones have remarkably enhanced regional GDP and per capita GDP growth, and this conclusion still holds true after multiple rounds of robustness test; second, the economic effect of national high-tech zones is subject to diminishing marginal return and compared with higher-tier cities, lower-tier cities benefited more from the creation of national hightech zones. This paper concludes that national high-tech zones where special policies are experimented and offered not only drive economic development but, if properly distributed across regions, may help reduce regional economic disparities as well. The results of this study provide important implications for the future distribution of national high-tech zones and the creation of other relevant policies.

Spatial Pattern Evolution and Industrial Characteristics of Economic and Technological Development Zones and High-tech Industrial Zones in China

Economic and technological development zone and high-tech industrial zone are important types of development zone in China,and there are differences in their connotation and goal setting.In this paper,basic data of national and provincial economic and technological development zones and high-tech industrial zones in China were collected and arranged.Kernel density analysis and other GIS spatial analysis techniques were used to analyze the evolution laws of spatial patterns of economic and technological development zones and high-tech industrial zones in cities from 2006 to 2018.First,the agglomeration intensity was compared by measuring the degree of regional agglomeration and dispersion on the two time nodes.Next,kernel density method was used to explore the evolution of the two in the spatial layout and location,and analyze development commonness and difference of economic and technological development zones and high-tech industrial zones.Finally,the trend and reason of spatial evolution of development zones with different leading industries were explored.Research results show that:①the agglomeration degree of layout of high-tech industrial zones is stronger than that of economic and technological development zones,and there are similarities and differences in distribution trend of spatial patterns of the two types of development zones;②the distribution of labor-intensive,capital-intensive and technology-intensive development zones is concentrated at smaller scales and dispersed at larger ones;③although there are differences between the economic and technological development zones and the high-tech industrial zones in the goal,support,structure and function,management system and so on,their spatial development presents a trend of convergence.In the future,when enhancing urban-rural planning and public administration,governments should combine the trend of industrial transformation and upgrading,and optimize spatial layout of development zones by adjusting industrial structure,layout,transportation and land use.

Hainan Island to Construct Free Trade Pilot Zones

In April of 1988,the establishment of Hainan Province was officially approved at the first session of the 7th National People’s Congress and Hainan Island was designated as a special economic zone.Since then,the beautiful Hainan Island has embraced unprecedented development opportunities and entered into a new historical stage of deepening reform and opening up economically.By virtue of continuous efforts throughout the past 30 years,Hainan has turned into an important portal for China’s reform and opening up as a frontier island.

Pilot Free Trade Zones:Taking Reform and Opening-up to New Heights

CONSTRUCTION of Pilot Free Trade Zones(PFTZs)is a strategic measure of China’s reform and opening-up policy.Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China(CPC),it has taken the policy’s effectiveness to new heights.

A Study of the Industrial Development in Huazhong Agricultural High-tech Industrial Development Zone

This paper illustrates the current situation and problems concerning the industrial structure in Huazhong Agricultural High-tech Industrial Development Zone,and analyzes the internal contradictions that exist in industry: small-scale land operation has become an inherent obstacle to the industrial development in Agricultural High-tech Zone; farmers are always in a passive position in industrial restructuring optimization; government's policy failures and rent-seeking behaviors have hindered industrial development; the research,popularization and application of agricultural science and technology is not suited to industrial development requirements. Finally,this paper makes the corresponding recommendations for industrial development in Huazhong Agricultural High-tech Industrial Development Zone.

Comprehensive Control Measures and Effect Evaluation of Groundwater Over-exploitation Areas in High-tech Zone,Jining in 2020

Groundwater over-exploitation is a major problem in groundwater development, utilization and protection. At present, the area of shallow groundwater over-exploitation in the High-tech Zone is 76 km^(2). In this study, the system and mechanism construction, engineering measure construction, and control effect of national comprehensive control project of groundwater over-exploitation areas in the High-tech Zone in 2020 were evaluated, and the comprehensive control of groundwater over-exploitation in the High-tech Zone in the year was summarized to provide effective basis for the continuous implementation of comprehensive control of groundwater over-exploitation. At the same time, the water-saving and exploitation reduction effect and generalizability of different measures were studied to provide useful reference for other over-exploitation areas.

Economic Development Strategies and Optimization of High-tech Development Zones from the Perspective of"Four-transform and Three-famous":Taking Nanchang High-tech Development Zone as an Example

In recent years,high-tech development zones(hi-tech zones)have always occupied a very important position in the strategy of promoting China's innovative development.The combination of the"four-transform and three-famous"coordinated economic development strategy pioneered by Zhejiang Province in 2015 and the coordinated economic development of high-tech zones is particularly important for modern China at a critical time for innovative economic development.In this article,based on the research on the coordination mechanism of economic activities and development of Nanchang High-tech Zone,the development course of high-tech zones in China is elaborated,the early economic models in high-tech zones of Nanchang and China are analyzed,the existing problems in the structure of economic development of high-tech zones are analyzed in depth,the main driving factors for promoting the economic development of high-tech zones are studied from the aspects of capital,space,industry,economic model,etc.,and corresponding development strategies for high-tech development zones in China are proposed.

Evolution of Industrial Competitiveness Based on Evaluation of Urban Competitiveness of Dongguan City:A Case Study of Songshan Lake High-tech Zone

Based on the theoretical system of urban competitiveness,the evaluation model of urban competitiveness from the perspective of competition and cooperation was established.According to the significance index and explanatory index,the urban competitiveness was divided into urban comprehensive competitiveness(UC),urban internal node competitiveness(NC)and external competitiveness of urban network(EC).The scores and rankings of UC,NC and EC in 2006,2010 and 2015 were obtained by conducting the comprehensive evaluation of the urban competitiveness of Dongguan City with integrated usage of the principal component analysis and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution and the data of other 20 cities in Guangdong province,Hong Kong and Macao.The research showed that the competitiveness of Dongguan City has been greatly improved during the decade of 2006–2015,and the regional cities in Guangdong Province had significant differences,which are reflected in the two dimensions of urban internal node competitiveness(NC)and external competitiveness of urban network(EC).Based on this,this study further analyzed Dongguan’s urban competitiveness from two dimensions of NC and EC,and took Dongguan Songshan Lake High-tech Zone as an example to study how to promote Dongguan’s urban competitiveness from the industrial level.

Fruitful Results in the China(Guangxi)Pilot Free Trade Zone

Over the past two years,the Guangxi Pilot FTZ has accelerated the construction of infrastructural facilities and taken active steps to align its progress with national strategies for development.GUANGXI Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China boasts beautiful natural scenery and rich resources.With a solid industrial foundation,the region houses many world leading enterprises.However,for many years,Guangxi had lagged behind other provincial-level regions of China in development.Though it borders Vietnam,the autonomous region failed to develop a strong export-oriented economy.Its link with the domestic market was also weak.The lack of systematic policies and high-level platforms for opening-up hindered Guangxi’s development.In 2019,the China(Guangxi)Pilot Free Trade Zone(FTZ)was officially inaugurated.

High-tech Industrial Development Zones in Nanjing,Suzhou,Changzhou and Wuxi

Nanjing High-tech Industrial Devel-opment Zone It is a state-level high-tech in-dustrial development zone approved by theState Council, with an area of 16.5 sq km,comprising seven sq km of industrial area,five sq km of Taiwan invested area, three sqkm of university teaching and scientificresearch area and 1.5 sq km of compositeservice area. The development zone is 13.5 kmfrom the city center, with convenient trafficconditions, three state highways and a pro-

Characteristics and Development Modes of Standardization forChina's National High-Tech Zones:A Review

Indigenous innovation focused on the development of technical standards has become the core of China's innovation policy,since China released the "Outline of the National Program for Longand Medium-Term Scientific and Technological Development (2006-2020)" in 2006.Meanwhile,standardization issues are greatly emphasized by high-tech zones which serve as the major carriers of national economic growth as well as innovation clusters in the context of fast-growing international standardization.By means of the effective guide of the government,the standardization of high-tech zones in China now presents a wide range of operating modes.Specifically,they can be divided predominantly into the government promotion mode,the alliance collaboration mode,the research-standard-industry linkage mode,and the talent training mode,in terms of the main body of work and influence factors.

High-tech Industrial Zones Take Lead in Industrial Innovation

China’s 56 leading high-tech industrial zones have led the country’s industrial innovation, playing an important role in the nation’s social and economic development, a government statement said on Jan 1.

以制度型开放创新为核心 高标准高质量推进中国(新疆)自贸试验区建设

在我国自贸试验区建设十周年之际,2023年10月国务院印发了《中国(新疆)自由贸易试验区总体方案》,正式批准设立中国(新疆)自由贸易试验区,使新疆成为我国第22个自贸试验区,也是我国西北边境地区首个自贸试验区。文章深入研究分析了新疆自贸试验区设立的重大意义,并就自贸试验区在拉动我国经济增长和实现高质量发展中的作用,制度创新在自贸试验区打造一流营商环境、提升现代产业国际竞争力等方面所发挥的作用和影响,以及制度型开放创新与逆全球化背景下深入实施自贸试验区提升战略的关系等问题进行了全面分析与思考。在此基础上,就如何以高水平开放为引领,以制度创新为核心,高标准高质量建设新疆自贸试验区提出了思路与对策建议。

自由贸易试验区助力新质生产力形成的机理与策略分析

高水平对外开放是加快发展新质生产力和构建新发展格局的强大外部动力。自由贸易试验区建设作为推进高水平对外开放的重要举措,是以改革开放创设良好国际环境的开路先锋,是以制度型开放发展新质生产力的先导示范。文章通过分析自由贸易试验区助力新质生产力形成的机理发现,自由贸易试验区作为改革开放的新高地,契合新质生产力高水平对外开放、科技创新、产业升级和绿色发展的理念和定位。为进一步发挥自由贸易试验区对新质生产力的先行驱动作用,未来应从单一自由贸易试验区、区域跨自由贸易试验区、自由贸易试验区与自由贸易区的视角出发,聚焦自由贸易试验区特色产业,布局创新链和产业链,构建新质生产力所需产业体系;推进区域多个自由贸易试验区合作,促进科技协同创新,打造战略性新兴产业集群;加强自由贸易试验区与自由贸易区的协同联动,主动融入区域经济一体化的创新链和产业链,为新质生产力发展营造良好的国际环境。

绿色数字金融缓解财政压力了吗?——来自改革创新试验区的证据

基于2014—2021年285个城市数字金融普惠指数及相关数据,将绿色金融改革创新试验区绿色数字金融相关政策如何缓解地方财政压力视为“准自然实验”,描述绿色数字金融的内涵,利用双重差分法提取中国绿色金融改革创新试验区数字金融的变化趋势,将其作为衡量绿色数字金融的标准,实证中国绿色金融宏观政策背景下微观数字金融发展对缓解地方财政压力的贡献程度、异质性特征及作用机制。绿色数字金融显著缓解了地方财政压力,结论通过了稳健性和内生性检验;绿色数字金融对不同资源禀赋、不同行政等级和不同财政分权程度的城市财政压力影响具有异质性;绿色数字金融可以通过金融发展的补充效应、能源结构和产业结构的优化效应缓解地方财政压力;绿色数字金融可以促进财政透明度的提升。建议总结和推广绿色数字金融发展经验并及时扩容试验区,根据效用最大化原则缓解地方财政压力,可优先从低行政级别财政压力较大的城市中选择资源型和强财政分权城市进行试验区扩容或推行绿色数字金融相关政策,并积极推动绿色财政数字化建设。