The Guangdong government will support Shenzhen in building a national comprehensive science center as part of the process of constructing the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macao Science and Innovation Corridor, according to a government report delivered at the 3rd Session of the 13th Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress on Tuesday.
In the report, Governor Ma Xingrui said Guangdong will speed up the construction of an international innovation center with global influence and support Shenzhen in building a pilot demonstration area of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Shenzhen will be given more provincial-level administrative power in economic and social management and granted comprehensive authorization to pilot reforms. Guangdong hopes Shenzhen will make breakthroughs in newly emerged industries, and key and core technologies, through the construction of technology platforms like Xili Lake International Science and Education Town, Guangming Science Town, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone and Comprehensive National Science Center.
The province will support Shenzhen in taking advantage of the legislative power of a special economic zone to build a first-class business environment and improve the governance capability of a supermega city.
It has supported Shenzhen to implement the strictest ecological protection rules, increase supplies in quality education and medical resources and build a high-level social security system.
In the regional coordinated development, Guangdong hopes Shenzhen will play its role to lead and drive the region. The province will speed up construction of a metropolis circle comprised of Shenzhen, Dongguan and Huizhou, and plan an industrial expansion belt between Shenzhen and Zhongshan. The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, which is now under construction, will underpin the industrial expansion belt. Zhongshan, in the west bank of the Pearl River, is pushing forward a “Go East” strategy and exploring ways to attract innovation resources and industrial transfers from Shenzhen.
The report also says Guangdong will support the expansion of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone, which was mentioned in the Outline Plan for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area last February.
Guangdong has set new strategies for regional development in the new year that have nine Pearl River Delta cities as the core for leading and driving Guangdong’s development, 14 cities along the coast as the economic belt, serving as the main field of the province’s development, and five cities — including Qingyuan and Heyuan in northern Guangdong — as an ecological development area.