China's economic development zones to further facilitate new quality productive forces

BEIJING -- China's national economic development zones will continue to play a role in fostering new quality productive forces in light of local conditions, according to an official speaking on the latest episode of the China Economic Roundtable, the all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency.

In doing so, efforts will focus on fostering synergy between sci-tech and industrial innovation, said Ji Xiaofeng, an official with China's commerce ministry.

China's national-level economic development zones currently host over 700 national incubators and maker spaces as well as more than 18 percent of the country's high-tech enterprises, she said at the roundtable.

"We will strive to set up more industrial innovation platforms while building a complete chain for product certification, large-scale production and testing to accelerate technological innovation and application of such advances in national economic development zones," said Ji.

She said China will support national economic development zones in carrying out major technological upgrades and large-scale equipment renewals to accelerate the transformation and upgrades of traditional industries.

National economic development zones will also develop strategic emerging industries such as biomedicine, new energy, new materials and aerospace, and make forward-looking planning for future industries, according to Ji.

In one of the latest policy pushes, China unveiled a work plan earlier this year encouraging national economic development zones to foster new quality productive forces in light of local conditions by establishing more industrial innovation platforms and computing power infrastructure, among other approaches.

China established its first national-level economic development zone in the northeastern city of Dalian in 1984. In 2024, the number of such zones reached 232, generating a regional GDP of 16.9 trillion yuan ($2.36 trillion).