New Development Blueprint for Nansha to be implemented in March 2024
On 20 Jan 2024, the Standing Committee of Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress held a press conference on the “Regulations on Deepening Globally Oriented Comprehensive Co-operation amongst Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in Nansha” (hereafter “Regulations”).
The Regulations include 58 articles on building Nansha into a major strategic platform based on the GBA, coordinating the development between Hong Kong and Macao, and working with a global perspective. The Regulations comprehensively sort out the legislative needs for the construction and development of Nansha, remove obstacles to reform and development through legislation, and provide a strong legal guarantee for Nansha to deepen the comprehensive cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao facing the world. The Regulations have been adopted by the 8th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th Guangdong Provincial People's Congress and will come into effect on March 1, 2024.
Optimize the innovation ecology and promote technological innovation
Technology is the primary productive force, talent is the primary resource, and innovation is the primary driving force. To enhance scientific and technological innovation capabilities, the Regulations focus on scientific and technological innovation and provide special provisions in Chapter 2.
For instance, to increase the enthusiasm for scientific and technological innovation, the Regulations stipulate the loss compensation for key high-tech industries established in Nansha. Also, qualified enterprises within the encouraged catalogue industry in the Nansha pilot zone shall enjoy a reduced corporate income tax rate of 15%.
Promote industrial development and build a modern industrial system
Emerging industries represent the direction of a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, and are key areas for cultivating new momentum for development. The Regulations set out rules based on the development situation in Nansha with focuses on the development of strategic emerging industries, digital industries, intelligent manufacturing, intelligent connected automobile industries, marine industries and green industries.
Article 15 of the Regulations stipulates that Nansha's industrial structure should be optimized, planning for emerging industrial clusters such as deep sea, deep space and deep earth should be arranged and future industries should be planned scientifically. Strategic emerging industries including integrated circuits and semiconductors, biomedicine, commercial aerospace, artificial intelligence, new energy vehicles and new energy storage will be in focus.
Deepen opening up cooperation and expand the space for development
Driving reform and development through opening up is vital for continuously accomplishing new achievements in the modernization of the country. To better attract foreign capital and expand foreign investment, Article 22 of the Regulations supports Nansha in building a comprehensive service base for Chinese enterprises to "go global" and a service platform for foreign investment in Nansha to provide one-stop comprehensive services for enterprise investment and safeguard China's Enterprises’ overseas investment interests and the rights and interests of foreign enterprises.
On constructing the shipping and logistics hub, article 24 of the Regulations stipulates that Nansha is supported to enhance its international shipping logistics hub function and strengthen the construction of the "Guangdong Nansha" shipping port and smart terminal; Nansha bonded oil supply enterprises carry out bonded oil direct sales in accordance with national regulations supply business. It also supports one-stop customs clearance and security inspection procedures for goods at the Nansha International Freight Centre, and the development of sea, air and rail combined transport, etc.
Strengthen collaboration with Hong Kong and Macao to build a benchmark for urban development
The "Nansha Plan" proposes to build Nansha into an important carrier and strong support for Hong Kong and Macao to better integrate into the overall development of the country.
To better attract Hong Kong and Macao residents and international talents to work and live in Nansha, the Regulations take multiple measures to strengthen coordination with Hong Kong and Macao from three major aspects and build a benchmark for urban development.
Firstly, focus on strengthening cooperation in urban planning and construction, stipulating to increase the transportation of Nansha, communication infrastructure construction, and promoting the construction of smart cities.
Secondly, strengthens guidance and support for entrepreneurship and employment, and proposes that Nansha should establish a shortage talent list system and regularly publish a demand catalogue to guide Hong Kong and Macao youths to Nansha for internships, traineeships, and employment.
Thirdly, optimize services and management facilitating people’s livelihood such as visa, taxation, residence, housing, education, medical care, pension, social insurance, etc., to provide a convenience and optimization systems.
In addition, Article 38 of the Regulations also include innovation in the supervision of drugs and medical devices, strengthens the introduction of medical services from Hong Kong and Macao, and proposes that medical and health service providers from Hong Kong and Macao can set up medical institutions in Nansha in the form of sole proprietorship, joint venture, or cooperation in accordance with regulations.
Disclaimer: The original article is published by Southcn.com and has been translated into English. If there is any inconsistency or ambiguity between the English version and the Chinese version, the latter shall prevail. The full text of the article, in Chinese, can be found below:
https://www.gdpc.gov.cn/gdrdw/rdlz/lfgz/content/post_195924.html