Han Liming, mayor of the Nanjing Municipal People's Government, delivers a speech at the Conference on Promoting the Construction of Manufacturing High-quality Development Pilot Zone in Lishui, Nanjing, March 24, 2020. (Photo/Geng Zhichao)

Han Liming, mayor of the Nanjing Municipal People's Government, reaffirmed the development of the manufacturing industry in Lishui district, saying, “The manufacturing industry in Lishui shows a powerful and promising trend,” at the Conference on Promoting the Construction of Manufacturing High-quality Development Pilot Zone in Lishui, Nanjing, March 24.

The conference opened a new chapter in Lishui district’s drive to boost the manufacturing industry. In 2019, Lishui was approved as the only high-quality manufacturing development pilot zone in Nanjing, and is now accelerating its efforts to form a “three-pillar” development pattern along with the Nanjing Development Zone and Jiangning Development Zone.

Lishui has been blessed with great opportunities to develop the manufacturing industry. It has geographical advantages, a sound ecological system, an abundance of industrial space and a complete network of supporting industries, Han pointed out.

Lishui also enjoys other favorable conditions, including the establishment of major projects such as the National Airport Economic Demonstration Zone, the bonded logistics area, and an airport-based area for customs clearance, Han added.

Lishui’s manufacturing industry has shown sound momentum for accelerated development, Han mentioned.

Last year, the district signed 163 manufacturing projects, each valued at 100 million yuan or above, and put 27 high-quality manufacturing projects into operation. The total industrial output of industries above designated size registered an annual growth of 12 percent there.

Driven by the manufacturing sector, the district rose to 52nd place last year out of the country’s top 100 players in terms of comprehensive strength, compared to 72nd place in 2014. In addition, it also ranks highly in the city’s assessment of promoting high-quality development.

Supporting the construction of a high-quality development pilot zone in Lishui is an important decision by the CPC Nanjing municipal committee and the municipal government. This year, the city rolled out 21 measures to support the building of national and provincial pilot zones. To further boost efforts, Lishui announced 10 policies to support the manufacturing sector.

By holding the conference, Lishui hopes to showcase its vitality and passion for developing the manufacturing industry, and become a role model in this respect, Han said.

She hopes the district will seize the favorable opportunities for development, and make breakthroughs in five aspects: expanding the scale of the manufacturing industry, achieving integrated development, promoting intelligent manufacturing, encouraging cross-industry integration, and maintaining green development.

Efforts should also be made to improve key indicators such as industrial added value, investment, and industrial enterprises above the designated size, which requires the district to attract investment and introduce projects, cultivate enterprises and increase added value so as to foster new growth points, Han said.

The district should guide enterprises to strengthen their capabilities in R&D, production, marketing, and consumption, optimize the industrial ecology, match local enterprises, strengthen the concentration of industries so as to improve their competitiveness, and enhance the magnetic effect of the industrial cluster.

Building the pilot zone for high-quality development of the manufacturing industry will both energize intelligent manufacturing and explore new paths for the city to pursue high-quality manufacturing development, Han pointed out, expressing the hope that Lishui will be able to accumulate experiences to better guide the development of the entire city.

Lishui should also set an example for the city regarding institutional innovation, cultivation of enterprises, openness and cooperation, and business environment.

Meanwhile, the district is encouraged to make breakthroughs in drawing investment and promoting a higher level of opening-up. It should make good use of the platforms to improve its functions in international trade and exhibitions, and become a new growth point of Nanjing’s opening-up layout.

The Nanjing municipal Party committee and the municipal government will step up efforts to support Lishui’s high-quality development of the manufacturing sector, Han said.

The city will support project construction, build a city-level coordination mechanism, introduce more trial policies and projects to Lishui, and help solve issues related to policy implementation and running of the projects. It will also support reform and innovation, give Lishui more authority to review and approve projects, and support the district in carrying out reforms for administrative approval, so as to offer more benefits to the relevant enterprises.

The city will also guarantee supplies of production factors, incorporate major manufacturing projects of Lishui into provincial- and city-level industry catalogues, accelerate the establishment of various industrial funds, support Lishui in hosting important exhibitions and create an environment conducive to industrial development.