People’s Daily: Henan Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone focuses on five positioning,
constructsfive centers, and boosts Henan to achieve high-quality development
Since 2023, Henan ZhengzhouAirport EconomyZone (ZAEZ) has put the constructionof the “Air Silk Road”as the priority, focused on the “five positioning”of the zone, built “five centers”, kept cultivating ten industrial clusters, and started the development and construction of six functional areaswithin the zone. With great sense of adventure and endeavor, it achieved a year-on-year growth of 13.1% in regional GDP, 20% in industrial added value above designated size, 24.8% in fixed asset investment, 15% in retail sales of consumer goods, and 6.6% in per capita disposable income of urban residents. The year-on-year growth ratesofthe five economic indicatorsare among the top in HenanProvince.
In 2024, ZAEZ will consciously fulfill its duties and missionstoaccelerate development and construction, and strive to promote high-quality developmentby means ofmaking breakthroughs in attracting investment, carrying outprojects, opening up, improving urban constructionandservices.
Finding a new position and braving a new mission
In March 2013, the establishment of Henan Zhengzhou Airport EconomyZonewas approved by the State Council, which isthe first state-level aviation economic development pilot zone approved by the State Councilin China.
Since January 2023, ZAEZhas earnestly implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPCCentral Committee and the State Council, focusing on the “five positioning”—the pilot area of the “Air Silk Road”, the national airport economic experimental area, the Central Plains economic zone, the core growth pole of Zhengzhou metropolitan area, and the modern international world-class logistics hub, dedicated to build ZAEZ into “five centers”—the international advanced manufacturing center, the internationalcommercial logistics center, the international innovation and entrepreneurship center, the international creative fashion center, and the international talent center.
Build an international advanced manufacturing center. ZAEZ focuseson the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry and the cultivation of new quality productivity. It buildsthe trillion-level electronic information industry clusterwith international influence,the hundred-billion-level new energy vehiclescluster, the biomedical industry cluster,and the ten-billion-level aerospace industry cluster, which constitutea strategic and overall advanced manufacturing system.
Build an international commerciallogistics center. ZAEZ givesfull play to the advantages of integrating the“airport, high-speed railway, international landport and highway”.It constructsa modern logistics operation system of “channel+hub +network”, developsmultimodal transport and characteristic logistics, and deeply involvesin the global industrial chain and supply chain. The favorabletransportation locationof ZAEZ has been transformed into the advantageof hub economy.
Build an international innovation and entrepreneurship center. Guided by the construction of Henan Academy of Medical Sciences, Henan Academy of Chinese Medicine, and ZhongyuanMedical Science District, ZAEZacceleratesthe formationoffirst-class innovation atmosphere, and promotesthe efficient synergy of the “government, industry, university, research, financial support, agent service, and application of research achievements”, so as to smooth the “first mile”of innovation planningand sourcingand the “last mile”of research achievements transformation. Meanwhile, ZAEZ exerts to improve policies to support and reduce the costof innovation and entrepreneurship, empower entrepreneurship, optimize the environment for employment and entrepreneurship,and build an international platform for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Build an international creative fashion center. ZAEZ fully implements the brand strategy of “Aeropolis of China”, gives full play to the important role of the creative fashion industry in economic transformation and upgrading, and enhances the soft power of the city. It promotes the integrated development of cultural creativity, design services and related industries with high standards, making Zhengzhou a youth-friendly city and a new highland for creative industries.
Build an international talent center. ZAEZ exerts to implement the “Air Silk Road talent attracting action”, highlighting the pursuit of “high, sophisticatedand scant”technologies, being market-performance and industrial-development oriented. It introduces vigorously first-class strategic scientific and technological talents, outstanding young talents, and talents in urgent need from home and abroad. It also improves the comprehensive talent evaluation and salary incentive mechanism, which focus on innovation performance. ZAEZ keeps optimizing employment services for international talents, building an international community, and attracting high-level talents from home and abroad.
Attachingfull attention toindustries and releasing new force
In 2023, ZAEZ signed a total of 153 industrial projects, accounting to 155.379 billion yuan, of which 12 projects were above 3 billion yuan, and 101 projects were started.
ZAEZ accelerates the construction of a modern industrial system led by scientific and technological innovation. It vigorously attracts leading enterprises in the industry, and actively introduces and cultivates “specialized and special new”enterprises.
The formation of a trillion-scale electronic information industry cluster has been sped up. The Hyperfusion Global Spare Parts Center and Loongson Central ChinaHeadquarters are successfully put into operation.
A hundred-billion-scale new energy automobile industry cluster has begun to take shape. The key manufacturing base of BYD in central China has been put into production, laying out the whole industrial chain such as complete vehicles, key components, and batteries. The 6 millionth BYD new energy vehicle rolled off the production line inZAEZ. Geely special vehicle project was introduced by ZAEZ, and the global headquarter building of Skyworth New Energy Vehicle was put into use.
Based on its regional advantages and positioning, ZAEZ makes planning in new fields. It adheres to the concept of integrated development, giving priority to the development of Zhongyuan Medical Science District, Advanced Manufacturing Cluster, Yuanbo Digital Creative Industry Park, International Trade Exhibition area, Aviation Hub, North Port Headquarters and Modern Service Industry Development Area, and strengthening the new momentum and new advantages.
The construction of Zhongyuan Medical Science District has been sped up. On July 15, 2023, the inauguration ceremony of the reconstruction of Henan Academy of Medical Sciences(HAMS)was held inZAEZ. On October 15, 2023, a special event was held for the construction of Central China Medical Science District, which was listed among the tenth phase of the major projects that have been signed, started and put into operation in Henan Province. On February 27, 2024, Henan Academy of Chinese Medicine was inaugurated. Zhongyuan Medical Science District, Zhongyuan Science and Technology District, and Zhongyuan Agricultural Valley, the three scientific and technological innovation platforms, have been formed.
Zhengzhou International Land Port (ZILP), located in the international trade exhibition area, is an important platform of opening-up for Henan to actively integrate into the the “Belt and Road”initiative. At present, the 300,000-square-meter warehouse and the 400,000-square-meter professional service station for new energy vehicles in the west of ZILP have been put into use; in the east part of ZILP, the first phase of the China-Europe Express train (Zhengzhou) assembly center will be completed and put into use by the end of 2024. Zhongyuan International Convention and Exhibition Center, with a total construction area of 1 million square meters, has been partially completed and put into use. In 2023, the World Robot Competition Championship (Zhengzhou) was held successfully in the Center. The third National Vocational Skills Competition will be held after the Center is fully completed in 2025.
The Science and Technology Innovation City, located in the Beigang Headquarters Economy and Modern Service Industry Development Zone, makes an overall plan of the Scientic Incubation Center and the Commercial Center. Henan University of Electronic Science and Technology and Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics and Astronautics are about to start construction, creating a new talent center of higher education.
The automobile city, located in the advanced manufacturing agglomeration area, covers a planned area of 31.4 square kilometers. The plan for new energy vehicle related industry chain is being formulated, which will form a modern manufacturing base led by new energy vehicles and other industries.
Making investment on ZAEZ and establishing new advantages
ZAEZis actively engaged in the “Belt and Road”initiative, full of vitality.
National strategic opportunities come one after another. ZAEZwas approved to build a “double innovation demonstration base”and “pilot area for introducing talents”. Furthermore, “foreign currency rental business for operational leasing”and “pilot for cross-border RMB innovation business”were approved.
ZAEZhas the advantage of transportation. The cargo and postal throughput of Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport has exceeded 700,000 tons, ranking among the top 40 in the world. It has opened 234 passenger routes and 49 freighter routes. Zhengzhou Airport Station of the high-speed railway has become a key node of the “米-shaped”high-speed railway network in Henan Province. On January 15, 2024, the first pilot train departed from Zhengzhou Airport Station. In the future, Zhengzhou International Land Port will be built into a large inland international port, a world-class international railway hub, and a demonstration area for the innovation and development of China-Europe freight trade and production, able to guarantee the operation of “ten million trains and ten million tons”of China-Europe freight trains.
ZAEZ has the advantage of opening-up. The “1+1+7”system has been established (the port system consists of the first-class Zhengzhou Airport and Zhengzhou Xinzheng Comprehensive Free Trade Zone, responsible for fruits, chilled aquatic products, edible aquatic animals, meat, live animals, mail and medicine). The “7×24-hour”customs clearance mechanism and “advance declaration”customs clearance mode have been fully implemented, thus the overall customs clearance time for imports and exports ranking first in the country. ZAEZ focuses on “buy and sell global”. In 2023, cross-border e-commerce completed 123 million business orders, with the value of 16.621 billion yuan. In the same year, the total import and export volume of ZAEZ is 414.362 billion yuan, accounting for 51.11% of Henan Province. Zhengzhou Xinzheng Comprehensive Free Trade Zone has achieved a total of 407.278 billion yuan of foreign trade imports and exports, and the import and export scale ranks first in China.
ZAEZ has the advantage of super large market. Henan Province has a population of nearly 100 million people. There are 10 million business entities, and the total retail sales of social consumer goods are of 2.6 trillion yuan. The two-hour high-speed rail circle, with Zhengzhou as the center, covers 400 million people, which forms a super large market.
ZAEZ has the advantage of business environment. It keeps optimizing the working mechanism of “unified leadership and ten joint measures”, carrying out the activities of “10,000 people help 10,000 enterprises”, implementing the “136N”comprehensive reform, and launching the reform of “unified certificate”, “separation of business permit and license”and “1+X”commercial registration. As a result, a market-oriented, legalized and internationalized business environment has been formed and efficiency has been enhanced.
ZAEZ warmly welcomes businessmen and insightful people at home and abroad to make investment and share opportunities for mutual development.
(Source of figures: the Administrative Committee of ZAEZ)
