On March 20, a high-profile symposium was held in Changsha, Hunan Province - a symposium on promoting the rise of the central region in the new era. This is the first time in five years that the central government has once again planned the rise of the central region in the form of a symposium.
Implementing a coordinated regional development strategy is a major feature and advantage of China's economy. Especially in recent years, "coordination" has been clarified as an endogenous feature of high-quality development.
Prior to the convening of this Hunan symposium, since last year, we have promoted the construction of Xiongan New Area with high standards and high quality, further promoted the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, strengthened comprehensive prevention and control of desertification and promoted the construction of key ecological projects such as the "Three Norths", and promoted the construction of Northeast China in the new era. Regional development symposiums on comprehensive revitalization, further promoting the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and in-depth advancement of the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta have been held one after another.
If you look at this series of symposiums from the perspective of "a national game of chess", some key signs on China's economic map in the new era have become clear.
Innovation is a constant theme in development issues.
"Accelerate the formation of new productive forces and enhance new momentum for development." New productive forces were mentioned for the first time at the symposium on promoting the comprehensive revitalization of Northeast China in the new era. Since then, new productivity has been included in the Central Economic Work Conference and the 2024 Government Work Report, becoming an important roadmap guiding China's economic development.
This symposium on promoting the rise of the central region in the new era also mentioned new productive forces. "Leading industrial innovation with technological innovation and actively cultivating and developing new productive forces" ranks first among the six aspects of work.
Scientific and technological innovation is the core element of developing new productive forces. These symposiums will place technological innovation in a prominent position, especially highlighting the integration and interaction of technological innovation and industrial innovation:
The central region should "pay more attention to the in-depth integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, strengthen major scientific and technological research, and enhance technical support capabilities for industrial innovation and development";
The Northeast region “should promote industrial innovation through scientific and technological innovation and accelerate the construction of a modern industrial system with Northeastern characteristics and advantages”;
The Yangtze River Delta region must “vigorously promote technological innovation and strengthen the in-depth integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation”;
The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region should “combine Beijing’s scientific and technological innovation advantages with Tianjin’s advanced manufacturing R&D advantages”;
Xiongan New Area should “become an innovation highland and a hot spot for entrepreneurship in the new era”;
The Yangtze River Economic Belt should transform “scientific research advantages and talent advantages into development advantages, and actively open up new areas and new tracks for development.”
Gathering the power of all major economic sectors and making greater efforts to lead industrial innovation with scientific and technological innovation is of self-evident significance for enhancing industrial competitiveness, promoting the optimization of industrial structure, and stimulating new economic momentum.
Collaboration is an integral part of regional development.
This synergy is not only an interaction within a region, but also a linkage between major development strategies.
The central region has a special location and has both sides. The development of the central region must achieve "two strengthenings": strengthening in-depth docking with the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and strengthening integration and linkage with the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin.
The Northeast region should "strengthen the connection with major national strategies such as the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the development of the western region"; the Yangtze River Delta should "better link up with the Yangtze River economy belt and radiate across the country"; the Yangtze River Economic Belt should better leverage its unique advantages of "traversing the east and west, connecting the north and the south, connecting the river and the sea, and better connecting the domestic and international markets."
Feng Kui, vice chairman and researcher of the China Regional Science Association, told Sanlihe that coordinated regional development and the construction of a unified large market have become important directions for high-quality development. It is necessary to find a path of reasonable division of labor and optimized development to promote the formation of complementary advantages. New regional economic layout.
In December last year, “giving full play to the comparative advantages of each region, actively integrating into and serving the construction of a new development pattern in accordance with the main functional positioning” was written into the decision-making arrangements of the Central Economic Work Conference.
When the internal force of innovation is strong enough and the coordination mechanism is perfect enough, the business environment will determine the flow of factor resources.
Judging from the above-mentioned symposium, the business environment has become another key word for high-quality development of various regional sectors.
For example, the central region must "strengthen the construction of a market-oriented, legal and international business environment", "further optimize the development environment for private enterprises" and "comprehensively clean up and correct local protective behaviors".
The Yangtze River Delta must "take the lead in implementing policies and measures that encourage, support, and guide the healthy development of the private economy, further optimize the development environment for private enterprises, and promote the healthy and high-quality development of the private economy."
Northeast China must "further optimize the political ecology and create a good business environment" and "create a stable, transparent, standardized and predictable legal environment for all types of business entities."
Xiongan New Area must "create a market-oriented, legal and international first-class business environment" and "form a vivid situation where people's aspirations, factors converge, joint efforts, and common development are achieved."
If the water is deep, the fish will be happy; if the city is strong, the city will be prosperous.
Think of one region from the overall situation, use one region to lead the overall situation, and major regions shoulder major responsibilities.
Produced by "Sanlihe" Studio
(China News Service WeChat official account)