China, Singapore talk cooperation

Ligong Causeway, the only long dike along the Jinji Lake in the Suzhou Industrial Park, is the first commercial street with distinctive Chinese features in Suzhou. Photos by Ge Baojian / For China daily

The 14th China-Singapore Joint Steering Council Meeting kicks off on Friday in Suzhou Industrial Park in the city of Suzhou, Jiangsu province.

The industrial park, which marked its 18th anniversary this year, provides a perfect platform for cooperation between the two nations, said local officials.

The park is co-developed through a collaboration between the governments of China and Singapore.

Over the last 18 years, the industrial park has served as a pilot project for China's reform and opening-up.

Since the 13th China-Singapore Joint Steering Council Meeting in 2011, the industrial park has been following the guidelines of the council and pushing forward new initiatives in terms of socioeconomic development and improving the partnership between China and Singapore, said the park's director of its administrative committee Yang Zhiping.

The park's growth has maintained strong momentum during recent years.

In 2011, it recorded a regional general budgetary income of 16.4 billion yuan, $1.94 billion in newly added actual use of foreign investment, and a total trade volume of $77 billion.

The industrial park has developed a diversified economy, and it has now entered a stage of transformation and upgrades.

A batch of key programs and emerging industrial projects has been launched, including Samsung's high liquid crystal panel, and nanotechnology has also witnessed rapid growth as a prioritized sector.

The industrial park's Dongsha Lake Equity Investment Center has become the only national "Venture Capital Center of the Top 1,000 Program". The regional service-centered economy continues to grow rapidly, with the incremental value of the service industry accounting for 35.7 percent of the GDP in 2011.

In terms of science and innovation, the park has strong vitality.

In 2011, the park's total number of newly added science and technology projects reached 630, ranking first in Suzhou.

Financial input in the science and technology sector further increased, with investment in R&D accounting for 4.6 percent of the GDP. This investment has paid dividends in terms of an increase in the amount of patented technology coming out of the park.

"Innovative professionals continue to flock to the park, which is taking a lead among the development zones nationwide in terms of talent attraction," Yang said.

Its urban construction is also in full swing. Based on the premise of building a comprehensive business city, the design of Huxi CBD will be further optimized, the construction of Jinji Lake Financial and Trade Zone, Yangcheng Lake Resort, Moon Bay Business District and other key districts will be accelerated, and a batch of high-rises and ultra-high buildings will be built, the director noted.

Furthermore, the regional ecological environment will be continuously optimized.

The social undertakings of the park are also a highlight.

The industrial park's archives and cultural center are honored as National Grade-A Venues.

A group of schools, hospitals, supermarkets, galleries, museums as well as tourist and leisure amenities have been completed and put into service.

The social security system is being further improved and the integration of governance over districts and townships has been accelerated.

The park is thankful for the experiences it has gained from Singapore, according to management.

The park sent 188 professional managers to Singapore to attend software training, and two biology and nanometer technicians to JTC Corporation of Singapore for on-the-job training in science and technology carrier planning, construction and management, effectively propelling the second round of startup development in the park and marking a new success of its strategy to go global.

Premier Wen Jiabao once said that Suzhou Industrial Park has "kept its characteristics throughout the cooperation, made developments in practice, achieved innovation in the reference, made great achievements and accumulated rich experience". He hopes the park will "play a key pilot and experimental role in the overall development of southern Jiangsu."

zhoufurong@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/06/2012 page17)