Secure Success in Demonstration Zone Construction, Strengthening Opening up
The unveiling ceremony of China (Changchun)-ROK International Cooperation Demonstration Zone approved by the State Council was held on June 29, 2020. Leader of the Standing Committee of the CPC Changchun Municipal Committee and Secretary of the Party Committee of China (Changchun)-ROK International Cooperation Demonstration Zone joined an exclusive interview by Changchun Daily.
In which aspects will the demonstration zone play its pilot role?
In such aspects as system and mechanism, industrial development, cooperation and exchange, the Leader interpreted the pilot role of the demonstration zone.
For industrial cooperation, the demonstration zone will actively guide local enterprises to cooperate with their counterparts from ROK and those known well at home and abroad so as to realize all-round connections with information technology, high-end equipment, intelligent manufacturing, medical health, agriculture and traditional Chinese medicine and cultural industry to usher in talent, science, technology and corporate resources from ROK.
For cooperation in science, technology and education, the cooperation in cultivation of high-caliber talents and cooperative relations among research institutes and construction of joint labs, technological experiment bases, scientific demonstration parks and industrial design centers between the two sides will be expanded. In addition, the famous higher learning institutions of the two countries will be supported to carry out high-level cooperation in schooling and explore mutual recognition of academic degrees and professional qualifications. We will promote the in-depth development of entrepreneurship and innovation, facilitate the construction of an international entrepreneurial and innovation center for the cultivation of international talents, and cooperate to build education and leisure platforms and new think tanks with characteristics of the two countries, and organize the youth of the two countries to carry out scientific, cultural and artistic exchanges. These important measures will create new learning opportunities for the young people in Changchun City, help the connection of education of the city with the education of the world, and create new development opportunities for the young people of the two sides.
For cultural and people-to-people exchanges, the travel agencies from ROK can set up branches inside the demonstration zone, establish a union of tourism enterprises and carry out cooperation and exchanges among union members to facilitate common sharing of tourism resources, promote service quality, meet the change of way of recreation and improvement of quality of life of the people.
In terms of the innovation in system and mechanism, the demonstration zone will be included in the contents of the coordination dialogues at ministerial level between China and ROK for promoting the construction of the demonstration zone. In the meantime, a bilateral working mechanism at department and bureau level will be established with the participation of the Department of Revitalization of the Development and Reform Commission of China, Presidential Committee on Northern Economic Cooperation of ROK, Jilin Provincial Commission of Development and Reform, Changchun Municipal People’s Government and the Administrative Committee of China (Changchun)-ROK International Cooperation Demonstration Zone. The Party Committee (Administrative Committee) of the demonstration zone will also push forward the innovation in system and mechanism by means of introducing modern corporate management, exploring in adopting new mechanisms and methods such as employment system, annual salary agreement and one job and one salary so as to trigger the vitality for the construction and development of the demonstration zone.
What changes can the demonstration zone bring about for China-ROK cooperation and regional cooperation in Northeast Asia?
Judging from the situation of foreign trade, ROK, as a big, important economy in Northeast Asia with higher economic development, and Changchun are highly supplementary to each other in terms of natural resources, mineral deposits, labor forces and structures of economy, commodities and technologies, which in turn will to a great extent promote the cooperation in trade between the two sides.
In addition, according to the overall plan, the demonstration zone will carry out coordinated industrial chain cooperation with ROK. We will make great efforts to develop digital industry, top-end equipment and intelligent manufacturing, medical health and healthy food. We will cooperate with famous enterprises from ROK and those known well at home and abroad to usher in high-quality human resources, scientific and technological resources and corporate resources to promote regional transformation and upgrading, innovative development, and thus improve the regional economic strength and international competitiveness.
In the meantime, China (Changchun)-ROK International Cooperation Demonstration Zone will adopt and popularize pilot experience of Free Trade Area (FTA), take the lead in implementing the protocol of FTA of China, Japan and ROK, carry out opening up of investment in finance, tourism, science and technology, culture and other fields to allow entries of foreign funds and maintain high-level connection channels open, and launch new international air routes. In particular, the 144-hour transit visa free policy will be first implemented in Northeast China. We will lift the restrictions on the proportion of foreign shares of securities companies, securities investment fund management companies and futures companies, cancel the restrictions on the proportion of foreign shares of performance brokerage agencies, and allow the establishment of wholly foreign-owned travel agencies inside the zone to carry out pilot outbound travel business for mainland citizens to other countries and regions except Taiwan. These policies will lead to substantial changes and thus promote to a great extent the development of finance and tourism of Changchun City.
What strategic significance can the demonstration zone bring about to strengthening opening up and helping those left behind catch up?
The founding of the demonstration zone is an important initiative to implement the FTA between China and ROK. Compared with a free trade area, the demonstration zone focuses more on international cooperation, highlights innovation in system and mechanism and is therefore expected to become a role model for the cooperation between the two countries, and is of great significance to dealing with complicated external surroundings, lowering risks of de-globalization, further deepening reform, expanding opening up and facilitating the revitalization of the old industrial base of Northeast China.
The construction of the demonstration zone is a new layout for expanding the “Belt and Road” Initiative and optimizing the space for all-round opening up, strengthening opening up to help those left behind to catch up, and thus reinforce the development vitality and international competitiveness of Changchun City. The demonstration zone is a new platform to promote the cooperation in Northeast Asia especially in the region of Tumen River. It is meant to drive the multilateral cooperation in the region of Tumen River through the bilateral cooperation between China and ROK, and attract internationally top-end factors from Russia, Japan and Mongolia to congregate to form a new development pattern featuring supplementary advantages, intermodal transport, mutual benefits and win-win results. The demonstration zone is also a new carrier to implement the strategic revitalization of Northeast China and promote the all-round, comprehensive rejuvenation of the old industrial base of Northeast China. It is expected to drive in an effective way the integration of Northeast China into the “Belt and Road” Initiative, promote the connection and implementation of the revitalization of the old industrial base of Northeast China and New Northern Policy of ROK for the integration and development of the region.
