NE China's revitalization attracts young entrepreneurs

HARBIN, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- As China continues efforts to revitalize its northeastern region, young entrepreneurs are seeing enormous business opportunities in the country's old industrial base.

Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang Province, is striving to build itself into a city of innovation, advanced manufacturing, modern agriculture, opening up to the north, creative design, and ice-and-snow culture.

"As a young entrepreneur, I see unlimited business opportunities and potential in the city's ambitions," said Hao Qingduo, chairman of Harbin Venture Capital Group Co., Ltd.

"We have to deeply integrate the development of our enterprise with the country's overall strategy of revitalizing the old industrial base of northeast China," Hao told a forum of the 2023 Sun Island Annual Conference for Entrepreneurs, which opened in Harbin on Tuesday.

Northeast China is implementing an innovation-driven development strategy, luring young talent to take root there to help drive its revitalization, said Yang Chunbo, chairman of Longcai Technology Group.

"We should fully tap into the potential of technological progress and industrial development while promoting the development of the young talent as well as that of the city," Yang said.

To push for the full revitalization of northeast China, which includes the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning, and the eastern part of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the real economy is the foundation, sci-tech innovation is the key, and industrial upgrading is the direction, according to a recent key meeting on promoting the full revitalization of northeast China in the new era.

Over the years, the region has taken concrete actions on revitalization, improving its business environment to lure new businesses.

"Our sales revenue hit 70 million yuan (about 9.8 million U.S. dollars) and the figure is expected to exceed 200 million yuan this year," said Lin Weichen, head of government affairs with the Harbin subsidiary of Agile Robots.

Lin said that a spate of preferential policies for high-tech companies, including rent breaks and tax cuts, lured the robotics company to settle in an industrial park in Harbin.

Since its establishment in November 2021, the Shenzhen (Harbin) Industrial Park has attracted 62 companies, 74 percent of which are in the digital economy and bioeconomy.

Thanks to a series of favorable policies, more and more young entrepreneurs and high-tech enterprises have moved in, accelerating the construction of the sci-tech and industrial chains, said Feng Junheng, chairman of the operator of the Shenzhen (Harbin) Industrial Park.