China first started implementing Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in the year 1980 in southeastern coastal area, with Zhuhai being one of them. As a pilot area in reform and opening-up, beyond tax incentives to foreign investors, SEZs enjoy simplified customs procedures and fewer regulatory constraints.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Zhuhai SEZ. According to the Information Office of Zhuhai Municipality, "In 40 years, Zhuhai has become one of the cities with the widest development space, the best development environment and policies in the Pearl River Delta."
Opening-up has made Zhuhai more attractive and unlocked its potential for development. Many foreign-funded companies have come to the city where quality enterprises experience fast growth.
Print Rite Group, the Hong Kong-funded enterprise, has seized the opportunities of SEZ and set up its Print Rite printer ribbon manufacturing plant in Zhuhai. He Liangmei, chairman of the board of directors of Print Rite Holdings Co., Ltd., said, "Close to Hong Kong and Macao, Zhuhai has a low cost for land and labor. The government has supported companies in innovation and transformation and upgrading." Now, the company has exported products to more than 120 countries and regions globally.
It is the efficient regulatory mechanisms and convenient customs clearance that have made Zhuhai a popular destination for multinational companies. In the first quarter of this year, Zhuhai has already signed more than 30 new key projects ranging from equipment manufacturing, new materials, information technology to pharmaceuticals, the value of which exceeds 5.8 billion USD.
To retain capital in the long run, the city must continuously maintain its comparative edge by refining and expanding the benefits it offers investors. To this end, Zhuhai has identified its next strategic advantage: strengthening cooperation with Macao and Shenzhen to build a hub for the efficient allocation of resources such as human capital, technology and funding.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has connected Zhuhai, Hong Kong and Macao more closely. With the Bridge, the trip from Zhuhai to Hong Kong has been drastically shortened from 4.5 hour drive to within an hour.
After the opening of the Bridge, many multinational consumer goods companies are looking to set up warehouses in Zhuhai. Enterprises enjoy low fixed costs and efficient service here, as well as the ability to easily access managerial talents.
Ding Liqiang is intimately familiar with the seismic shift that this infrastructure has brought to Zhuhai. Ding came to Zhuhai to set up a company specializing in cross-border e-commerce business, which has charted an annual sales growth rate of over 50% for the past three years. Ding believes that Zhuhai can become a logistics hub, a highland for modern services, and a new gateway connecting Chinese and overseas markets.
Guo Yonghang, secretary of the Zhuhai Municipal Party Committee, stated that to strengthen cooperation with Macao, Zhuhai has not only provided policy support and expanded cooperation fields, but also made greater efforts to develop emerging industries, planning to build an in-depth cooperation zone between Guangdong and Macao.
As a key area for cooperation between Macao and Zhuhai, the Hengqin Free Trade Zone of Zhuhai, has accumulated more than 440 achievements in system innovation in ten years' development. The Zone's GDP now grows at an average annual rate of 64%.
Now, cooperation with Shenzhen further boosts Zhuhai's growth. "Zhuhai takes initiative to undertake the industrial transfer resources of Shenzhen, promote the flow of high-end factors, to build a modern industrial system with international competitiveness," said Guo.
Source: The Information Office of Zhuhai Municipality
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