On June 27th, the "Invest in China Year" National Economic and Technological Development Zone Special Promotion and the 10th "Dialogue between Development Zones and the Fortune Global 500" event were held in Nanjing. This event is one of the investment promotion activities of the "Invest in China Year" series, jointly hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and the People's Government of Jiangsu Province, and organized by the People's Government of Nanjing, the Investment Promotion Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce, and the Department of Commerce of Jiangsu Province. It is co-hosted by the National Development Zone Alliance for the Coordinated Development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Jiangning Economic and Technological Development Zone.
The event, with the theme "Invest in China - Creating a Better Future of Openness and Prosperity," aims to provide a communication and exchange platform for foreign-funded enterprises and national-level economic development zones, strengthening investment cooperation and gathering development momentum.
The event attracted more than 130 national-level economic development zones, over 200 well-known domestic and foreign enterprises, international organizations, foreign chambers of commerce, as well as several local commerce departments and industrial parks, with about 400 guests in attendance.
Chen Chunjiang, Member of the Party Group and Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Commerce
Chen Chunjiang, Member of the Party Group and Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Commerce, and Fang Wei, Vice Governor of Jiangsu Province, together with Janvier D. Nkurunziza, Director of the Investment and Enterprise Division of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), attended the event and delivered speeches.
"In 2023, it is a year of special significance for the development of China's outward-oriented economy," said Chen Chunjiang, Member of the Party Group and Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Commerce, in his speech. He stated that China will further study and rationalize the reduction of negative lists for foreign investment access, and increase the openness of the modern service industry. The role of national-level economic and technological development zones and other open platforms will be utilized to steadily advance institutional opening in terms of rules, regulations, management, and standards.
Director Janvier D. Nkurunziza emphasized that global political and economic development will still experience ups and downs, and the global business environment will continue to change. However, the unstoppable journey of sustainable development must continue. He highlighted the importance of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), green finance, and sustainable development investments. He pointed out that the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) has just officially issued the "General Requirements for Sustainability-Related Financial Disclosures" and "Climate-Related Disclosures," marking a new era in sustainability reporting standards. The issuance of these two standards is an important milestone in the construction of a global baseline for sustainable disclosures and holds immense significance for promoting sustainable development of the global economy, society, and environment.
Zhan Xiaoning, the Director of the Investment and Enterprise Division of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
During the keynote session, Wang Yawei, the Deputy Director-General of the Foreign Investment Department of the Ministry of Commerce, elaborated on the innovation, development, and investment opportunities in the national-level economic and technological development zones in the new era. He presented the current situation of these zones' development and the key focus areas for their future work. Zheng Yi, the President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, shared the characteristics, trends, and latest considerations of foreign enterprises' investments in China.
Lin Tao, a member of the Nanjing Municipal Committee and Secretary of the Jiangning District Committee, as well as the Party Secretary of the Jiangning Economic and Technological Development Zone, promoted and introduced the development of the Jiangning Economic and Technological Development Zone.
In addition, the conference also hosted three industry project matchmaking meetings on digital economy, green and low-carbon industries, and new energy vehicles. The event was attended by over 130 national-level economic and technological development zones, 19 provincial departments responsible for commerce, 20 municipal departments responsible for commerce, nearly 200 executives from well-known multinational companies and international organizations, key business associations, as well as representatives from domestic enterprises. During the green and low-carbon industry project matchmaking meeting, Huang Yanxiang, the CEO of CarbonNewture was invited to speak.
CEO Huang Yanxiang of CarbonNewture
According to data released by the Ministry of Commerce during the event, China currently has a total of 230 national-level economic and technological development zones, spread across 31 provinces, regions, and municipalities. These national-level development zones, covering only 0.3% of the country's land area, contribute 1/10 of the regional GDP and 1/5 of the industrial added value nationwide. In 2022, the national-level development zones generated a regional GDP of 15 trillion yuan, an increase of 117% compared to 2013. In the same year, the actual utilization of foreign investment and the volume of imports and exports in the national-level development zones accounted for over 20% of the national total, making them an important platform for China's integration into the global industrial system.
Huang Yanxiang stated that the construction of "near-zero carbon" demonstration parks, leading the way in achieving carbon neutrality, and setting development benchmarks, is of great significance for the implementation of the "dual-carbon" strategy and the achievement of high-quality development in national development zones. "Near-zero carbon" refers to a state that is close to carbon neutrality, emphasizing the dynamic process of transitioning from low-carbon to zero-carbon.
Huang Yanxiang pointed out that near-zero carbon parks serve as important carriers for both local governments and businesses in achieving the dual-carbon transition. For counties and cities, on one hand, they can undertake significant tasks in meeting the dual-carbon targets, and on the other hand, high-quality near-zero carbon parks can have a radiating effect, driving surrounding areas to undergo zero-carbon transformations and achieve better results. For businesses, near-zero carbon parks can not only lead the way in responding to the dual-carbon targets but also provide practical measures to help enterprises achieve these targets, ensuring that the dual-carbon goals are effectively implemented.