SIP, with an area of less than 300 square kilometers, has managed to increase its accumulative tax revenue to more than RMB1.09 trillion, total investment in fixed assets to RMB1.1 trillion, and total imports and exports to US$1.54 trillion over the past 30 years, writing a wonderful story about reform, innovation and persistence.

SIP centering on Jinji Lake (Photo by Wang Jiliang, a journalist of people.cn)

SIP’s success should be first attributed to the blueprint made at the very beginning. Following the general planning, an eight-square-kilometer zone was developed first, and then it was continuously expanded.

Many pioneering ideas were integrated into the planning, like building the Jinji Lake area into an open park for the public, while experience borrowed from Singapore, such as reserving land for future projects.

Now, SIP has expanded its area to 278 square kilometers, and announced in 2022 to create a new spatial pattern with the Jinji Lake area as the center and the Yangcheng South Bank Innovation Town and the Wusongwan Future City as the sub-centers.

Another secret for SIP’s success is its consistent effort to pursue higher goals. For eight consecutive years, SIP has retained the top spot in the country’s comprehensive evaluation of National Economic and Technological Development Zones (NETDZs), and it is sparing no effort to develop into a world-class high-tech park.

Since 2012, SIP has entered the orbit of high-quality development, with the local GDP exceeding RMB300 billion and general public budget revenue exceeding RMB40 billion. And new records have been continuously set in other aspects.

Modern SIP (Photo provided by SIP)

SIP’s achievements can also be attributed to its constant pursuit of integrated industrial and urban development. The emerging industries of biomedicine, nanotech application and AI, which SIP gives top priority to develop, are prosperous, while manufacturing is being upgraded and services multiplied. A well-structured industrial ecosystem has formed.

At the same time, SIP has become more and more livable, with public facilities and spaces greatly improved and public services easier available. The local education, social security, medical service and resident service systems have been significantly improved.

A night scene of Oriental Arc (Photo by Wang Jiliang, a journalist of people.cn)

SIP’s good practices are being duplicated in other areas. So far, 11 industrial parks have been set up in six provinces in the country based on SIP’s experience, and several projects of similar kind have been put into operation in Myanmar, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and Belarus.

SIP is now in its prime years, and a better future can be expected.

Source: http://js.people.com.cn/, November 24, 2024