Pudong measures aimed to spur development

A new set of measures have been announced by the city government yesterday to push the Pudong New Area to become the nucleus of high-quality Chinese-style development.

Under the fresh new measures, Pudong will deepen reform and expand the opening-up that will see it play a leading role in the country. It will focus on technological innovation and industry upgrade and promote urban construction to create a better life for its residents.

If the announced 20 measures are implemented, Pudong’s GDP is very likely to witness an annual increase of 7-8 percent. After seven years, Pudong’s economic aggregate is expected to exceed 2 trillion yuan (US$29 billion), according to Ma Chunlei, director of Shanghai Development and Reform Commission.

Pudong will be granted greater autonomy in economic regulation, administrative examination, making plans and in law enforcement.

It means that Pudong will have the same rights as a city government in managing local economic affairs. In some cases, it will no longer need approval from the city. It can make its own decision and implement it as well.

The new area will continue to streamline administrative processes to create better business environment. For example, opening a hotel usually requires visits to different departments for several licenses, including fire certificate and food safety license. But under the new measures, a single comprehensive operation license will do.

“Standards will be announced soon,” said Hang Yingwei, director of Pudong.

Besides, Pudong hopes to become a global innovation center with original ideas and a great ecosystem — a key factor for that being attracting more talent. Under new measures, Pudong will relax restrictions on age, education background and work experience to woo foreign talent.

Fu Guoqing, deputy director of Shanghai Science and Technology Commission, said Pudong will be the first to explore the “credit management” system, under which companies with good credits will be given priorities.

These companies will not have to submit foreign talent’s working experience documents, occupational and police clearance certificates. They don’t need to go to the educational authorities or embassies and consulates to authenticate educational certificates.

Every paper submitted to obtain working and residence permits for foreign talent will be considered authentic, meaning these companies don’t need to wait for days for officials to check the papers, Fu added.

Pudong accounts for one-fifth of the city’s total land area and one-fourth of the population, but it contributes one-third of the city’s economic aggregate. In 2018, the regional GDP exceeded 1 trillion yuan.

Pudong has 2,247 innovation companies, accounting for 25 percent of the city’s total. It has identified six “core industries,” namely, integrated circuit, new medicine, smart manufacturing, aviation and aerospace, future cars and big data.

Last year, the industrial scale of the integrated circuit in Pudong reached 100 billion yuan, accounting for 73 percent of the city’s total. Now, it is promoting the construction of an integrated circuit industrial park that is likely to attract thousands of companies.

In the pharmaceutical field, the industrial scale in Pudong reached 67.2 billion yuan last year, about 46 percent of the city’s total. A 10-square-kilometer industrial zone that involves all chains is currently being built.

Besides, Pudong is accelerating the development of its Zhangjiang artificial intelligence island and Lingang smart manufacturing base, an aviation industrial park in Zhuqiao Town.

Tesla’s plant in Lingang is expected to be put into operation by the end of this year. Pudong aims to create more than 200-billion-yuan worth of new-energy and AI-backed cars. 5G, the latest technological trend, will be trialed in Pudong first.