Over the past year, Zhongshan has facilitated the signing of investment projects totalling over 100 billion yuan, and achieved significant milestones in manufacturing projects worth over 10 billion yuan. Currently, the city is striving to create the most favourable business environment with the fastest project approval time in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Upon completion of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge in 2024, Zhongshan is poised to emerge as the pivotal transport hub on both sides of the Pearl River Estuary, gradually integrating into the one-hour commuting circle of the GBA.
First-class business environment to attract investment
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge, set to be completed in 2024, will help establish Zhongshan as the most important transportation hub city on both sides of the Pearl River Estuary. The photo shows the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge under construction. Photo: Ye Zhiwen
At the end of February, Zhongshan held the Q1 groundbreaking ceremony for key projects, especially those involved in high-end manufacturing. The 69 projects commencing construction on that day had a total investment of 56.44 billion yuan, mostly related to advanced manufacturing such as new materials, 5G integrated semiconductors and new-generation optical communications.
One of those projects is the Pearl River Bridge project. The Pearl River Bridge brand is a time-honoured one, offering high-quality Chinese seasoning and food products to over 100 countries and regions worldwide. The company built its first production base in Zhongshan in 1991.
One year ago, due to a lack of available land in the original production base, the company considered siting its planned seasoning product intelligent manufacturing base outside Zhongshan. Upon learning this, the Zhongshan Municipal People’s Government took significant measures to allocate suitable land for the company throughout the city.
Qiao Xiaojian, president of Pearl River Bridge, said that it was this unwavering commitment to creating an efficient and top-notch business environment that led the company to remain firmly rooted in Zhongshan.
Upgrading traditional manufacturing for a modern system
Zhongshan’s manufacturers strive to make hi-tech products that are synonymous with high quality. The photo shows an automated production line in a Zhongshan enterprise. Photo: Ye Zhiwen
By renovating and upgrading inefficient industrial parks in local villages and towns, Zhongshan has included about 22.67 sq km of land as industrial space in around two years. These efforts by the city with the second smallest area in Guangdong showcase Zhongshan’s commitment to upgrading its traditional manufacturing base.
Lin Weiqiang, director of Zhongshan’s Industry and Information Technology Bureau, recently revealed that this year over half of the city’s industrial investment will come from projects with capital increase and production expansions, mainly involving investments in digital and intelligent equipment.
A closer look at the 69 key manufacturing projects mentioned above show that Zhongshan’s capital increase and production expansion make up most industrial investments.
This indicates that Zhongshan has made great efforts in the transformation of inefficient industrial parks in local villages and towns. With more development space, local enterprises can take root in Zhongshan to increase capital and expand production. Manufacturing enterprises can thus enjoy a better business environment in Zhongshan and feel more confident in investing in the city.
Meanwhile, the second transformation subdistrict in the Waisha Science and Innovation Park, which embraces intelligent manufacturing, electronic information, new materials and precise instrument production, has also begun construction.
At the Zhongshan Municipal High-quality Development Conference, held on February 18, participants included representatives from sci-tech institutes, such as the Zhongshan Institute of Changchun University of Science and Technology, and manufacturing enterprises like Union Optech Co., Ltd, and Galanz.
Huang Guobin, co-president of Beijing-based Davinci Motor Corporation, pointed out that when they settled projects in Zhongshan, they could feel the city’s warmth. Now he has become an investment promotion commissioner for the city.
As a large manufacturing city, Zhongshan is comprehensively building a modern system to boost its new industrialisation. To promote the upgrading of traditional industries and develop new quality productive forces, Zhongshan needs to gain more support from entrepreneurs.
Attracting talent from China and abroad
A promotion fair for the introduction of overseas Chinese doctoral returnees was held in Cuiheng New Area, Zhongshan. Photo: Ye Zhiwen
At the Zhongshan Municipal High-quality Development Conference, the city unveiled its recruitment of global talent covering 10 industry clusters. As the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge is about to be put into operation this year, over 100 key enterprises and scientific research institutes in Zhongshan jointly issued a demand for over 1,000 talented individuals to start their businesses there.
In 2022, it enacted 23 measures to attract global talent. Now, the city is home to over 1.11 million talented individuals engaged in various fields.
On February 28, a promotion fair for the introduction of overseas Chinese doctoral returnees was held in Cuiheng New Area, Zhongshan. Over 100 doctoral graduates from top global universities across 20 countries and regions worldwide, such as Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard University, attended the fair.
With superior geographical advantages, Zhongshan is a traffic hub and the geometric centre of the GBA, from which one can reach five international airports and ports within one hour. This year, the operation of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge will shorten the travel time between Zhongshan and Shenzhen to 20 minutes.
In the future, with the planned construction of the Nansha-Zhongshan Intercity Railway, Shenzhen-Zhongshan Intercity Railway, and the extension of Foshan Metro to Zhongshan, the integrated development of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan and Zhongshan will further be enhanced.
Zhongshan is also a city suitable for living, working and travelling. The traditional manufacturing city offers complete industrial facilities, so innovative technologies and ideas can be easily transformed into achievements. In recent years, Zhongshan has made more efforts to support talent to settle down and work in the city. While renovating inefficient industrial land, the city is also reshaping its industrial spaces into 10 modern thematic industrial parks, each covering about 6.67 sq km, to rebuild the industrial pattern and provide more platforms for talent.
Over the last few years, Zhongshan has prioritised creating a market-oriented and law-based international business environment. The whole city is dedicated to serving enterprises. Now it has become one of the cities in the GBA with the fastest project approval.
Those investing and working in Zhongshan can be assured of a better future in the city.
By Ye Zhen, Luo Lijuan, and Zheng Longjun
