Guiding Opinions on Expanding Investment in Strategic Emerging Industries to Foster and Strengthen New Growth Points and Growth Poles

National Development and Reform Commission High-Tech [2020] No. 1409

Relevant departments of the State Council, as well as the Development and Reform Commissions, Departments (Commissions, Bureaus) of Science and Technology, Commissions of Industry and Information Technology (Departments), and Departments (Bureaus) of Finance of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps:
   To thoroughly implement the Party Central Committee and the State Council’s directives on solidly ensuring the “Six Stabilities” in the context of regular epidemic prevention and control, Regarding work, we must fully implement the “Six Guarantees” tasks, expand investment in strategic emerging industries, and foster and strengthen new growth drivers and growth poles. We should better leverage the pivotal role of strategic emerging industries as an important engine, accelerate the building of a modern industrial system, and promote high-quality economic development. The following opinions are hereby put forward:
   I. General Requirements
   Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we will fully implement the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Second, Third, and Fourth Plenary Sessions of the 19th Central Committee. We will coordinate efforts to control and prevent the epidemic and promote economic and social development, unswervingly uphold the new development philosophy, and focus on key industrial chains, leading enterprises, and major investment projects. We will strengthen the provision of production factors, foster synergy among upstream and downstream sectors, between production, supply, and sales, and among large, medium, and small enterprises. We will accelerate the high-quality development of strategic emerging industries and cultivate and bolster new drivers of economic growth.
   —— Focus on key industrial sectors. Focus on leveraging our strengths, addressing our weaknesses, and strengthening our weak areas; accelerate adaptation to, leadership in, and creation of new demands; and promote the emergence of scale effects in key industrial sectors.
   —— Build a highland for agglomeration and development. Fully leverage the advantages of industrial clusters—such as the concentration of factor resources, efficient industrial synergy, and a well-rounded industrial ecosystem—and make good use of open platforms like free trade pilot zones and free trade ports to foster the emergence of new regional growth poles.
   —— Enhance the capacity to ensure key elements. “Funds follow the projects, and resources follow the projects.” Principles that guide the rational allocation and effective concentration of key factors such as talent, land use, and energy consumption.
   —— Optimize the investment service environment. By optimizing the business environment, increasing fiscal and financial support, innovating investment models, and smoothing channels for supply-demand matching, we can unleash market vitality and investment potential.
   II. Focus on Key Investment Sectors and Industries
   (1) Accelerate the upgrading and efficiency enhancement of the next-generation information technology industry. Increase investment in 5G infrastructure and accelerate 5G deployment. In terms of commercial development, government agencies at all levels, enterprises, public institutions, and other organizations will be given priority access to site selection for base station construction. We will also study and promote the inclusion of 5G base stations in the construction standards for commercial buildings and residential housing. We will accelerate breakthroughs in core technologies such as foundational materials, key chips, high-end components, next-generation display devices, and critical software. We will vigorously advance the construction of key projects and major initiatives, and actively expand rational and effective investment. We will steadily promote integrated innovation and converged applications of technologies including the industrial internet, artificial intelligence, the internet of things, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) networks, big data, cloud computing, and blockchain. We will accelerate the development of new urban infrastructure based on informationization, digitalization, and intelligentization. Focusing on emerging areas with strong growth potential—such as smart radio and television, media convergence, 5G broadcasting, smart water management, smart ports, smart logistics, smart municipal services, smart communities, smart home services, smart tourism, online consumption, online education, and healthcare—we will launch special initiatives to digitally empower small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), encouraging SMEs and micro-enterprises to “move to the cloud, leverage data, and gain intelligence,” thereby fostering the emergence of a number of pillar industries. We will implement a digital rural development strategy, accelerate efforts to address shortcomings in rural internet infrastructure, strengthen the construction of digital rural industrial systems, encourage the development of information products and applications that meet farmers’ production and living needs, and cultivate new formats and models for rural internet-based businesses. We will also implement the “Internet Plus” initiative for agricultural products to help them leave villages and enter cities, promote the establishment of agricultural and rural big data centers and build comprehensive big data platforms for key agricultural products, and speed up the digital transformation of the entire agricultural value chain. (Responsible departments: The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce, the National Health Commission, the State Administration of Radio and Television, China State Railway Group, etc., each responsible according to their respective duties.)
   (2) Accelerate the pace of innovative development in the bio-industry. Accelerate the implementation and localization of major industrial projects and initiatives in areas such as innovative vaccines, in vitro diagnostic and testing reagents, and antibody-based therapeutics, and encourage the upgrading and replacement of vaccine varieties and manufacturing processes. Systematically plan the construction of a national biosecurity risk prevention and control and governance system, increase investment in biosecurity and emergency response fields, strengthen the development of an innovative national platform for biological product inspection and testing, and support the establishment of centers for genetic cell and genetic breeding technology research and development, synthetic biology innovation, and biopharmaceutical technology innovation, thereby promoting the healthy development of biotechnology. Reform and improve the review and approval mechanisms for traditional Chinese medicine, and foster the research and development and industrial growth of new TCM drugs. Implement bio-technology projects that benefit the public, creating markets for domestically innovative pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and other products. (Responsible departments: The National Development and Reform Commission, the National Health Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the National Medical Products Administration, etc., each responsible according to their respective duties.)
   (3) Accelerate efforts to address shortcomings in the high-end equipment manufacturing industry. We will focus on supporting the production of high-end equipment, including industrial robots, specialized robots for construction, healthcare, and other sectors; advanced instruments and meters; rail transit equipment; high-end five-axis CNC machine tools; energy-efficient asynchronous traction motors; cutting-edge medical and pharmaceutical equipment; aerospace equipment; marine engineering equipment; and high-tech vessels. We will also carry out pilot demonstrations of smart manufacturing and intelligent construction. Furthermore, we will develop and promote urban municipal infrastructure operation and maintenance technologies, specialized sensors for agricultural production, smart equipment, automated systems, and management platforms. We will establish a number of innovation centers, demonstration bases, and pilot counties. Leading enterprises will be encouraged to build “Internet Plus” platforms. A demonstration factory for collaborative manufacturing, establishing a high-standard industrial internet platform. (Responsible departments: National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China State Railway Group, etc., each responsible according to their respective duties.)
   (4) Accelerate the strengthening of the new materials industry’s strengths and address its weaknesses. Focusing on ensuring the stability of industrial and supply chains in key areas such as large aircraft, microelectronics manufacturing, and deep-sea mining, we will accelerate breakthroughs in fields including photoresist, high-purity targets, high-temperature alloys, high-performance fiber materials, high-strength, high-conductivity, and heat-resistant materials, corrosion-resistant materials, large-size silicon wafers, and electronic packaging materials. We will implement an innovative development action plan for new materials, enhance the technological capabilities of specialty resources such as rare earths, vanadium-titanium, tungsten-molybdenum, lithium, rubidium-caesium, and graphite across all stages—from extraction and smelting to advanced processing—and speed up the expansion of applications for graphene and nanomaterials in sectors including optoelectronics, aerospace equipment, new energy, and biomedicine. (Responsible departments: The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and other agencies, each responsible according to their respective duties.)
   (5) Accelerate the leapfrog development of the new energy industry. Focusing on the “bottleneck” issues in the manufacturing of new energy equipment. The key issues include accelerating the R&D of core technological components such as main bearings, IGBTs, control systems, and high-voltage DC submarine cables. We must speed up breakthroughs in bottlenecks related to complementary energy technologies involving wind, solar, hydro, and storage; advanced fuel cells; high-efficiency energy storage; and ocean energy generation. Additionally, we should build an infrastructure network encompassing smart grids, microgrids, distributed energy systems, new types of energy storage, hydrogen production and refueling facilities, and fuel cell systems. We need to enhance the digitalization and intelligence levels of existing infrastructure networks for advanced coal-fired power generation, nuclear energy, and unconventional oil and gas exploration and development. Furthermore, we should vigorously promote integrated energy services, foster coordinated interaction among energy sources, grids, loads, and storage, and, where conditions permit, advance the energy utilization of straw. (Responsible departments: The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the National Energy Administration, etc., each responsible according to their respective duties.)
   (6) Accelerate the development of foundational support capabilities for the intelligent and new-energy vehicle industries. Launch city-level demonstrations for the comprehensive electrification of vehicles in the public sector, increasing the proportion of electric vehicles in sectors such as urban buses, taxis, sanitation services, and urban logistics delivery. Accelerate the construction of charging/battery-swapping stations for new-energy vehicles, and enhance the availability of fast-charging facilities at highway service areas and public parking spaces. Coverage of battery-swapping stations. Implement road tests and demonstration applications for intelligent connected vehicles, intensify efforts to build vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) infrastructure, and accelerate the application and industrial development of intelligent vehicles in specific scenarios. Support the establishment of a number of big data centers for autonomous driving operations. Taking the support of intelligent vehicle applications and the improvement of mobility as entry points, build an integrated perception system that integrates urban roads, buildings, and public facilities. Develop a “Vehicle-City Network” platform based on the City Information Model (CIM), integrating both dynamic and static urban data, and promote the coordinated development of intelligent vehicles and smart cities. (Responsible departments: The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Transport, etc., each responsible according to their respective duties.)
   (7) Accelerate pilot and demonstration projects in the energy-saving and environmental protection industry. Implement comprehensive demonstration projects for green urban development, and support regions with suitable conditions to integrate urban renewal and renovation of old residential communities in towns and cities, thereby improving urban ecological environments and carrying out energy- and water-saving renovations of buildings and related facilities within these communities. Promote typical contract-based water-saving management models such as water-saving benefit-sharing, encourage innovative development of commercial models for contract-based water-saving management, and foster the growth of the water-saving services industry. Conduct demonstrations of shared logistics containerization systems to achieve efficient, cyclical use of standardized storage and logistics containers. Organize and implement pilot projects for multimodal transport systems. Develop smart agriculture by advancing automatic monitoring of agricultural production environments and intelligent management of production processes. Pilot the establishment of a new ecological governance system based on artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies in megacities. Explore innovative environmental governance models such as integrated environmental management outsourcing and environment-oriented development (EOD) approaches, enhance the quality of environmental governance services, and promote the sustained development of the environmental protection industry. Intensify efforts to cultivate industries focused on energy-saving, water-saving, and environmental protection equipment, as well as the seawater desalination industry, and accelerate the demonstration and widespread adoption of advanced technologies and equipment. Implement green consumption demonstrations, encouraging green transportation, green shopping malls, green hotels, and green e-commerce platforms—green circulation entities—to accelerate their development. Actively promote green construction, speed up the coordinated development of smart construction and building industrialization, vigorously develop steel-structure buildings, improve resource utilization efficiency, and significantly reduce energy, material, and water consumption levels. (Responsible departments: National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, China State Railway Group, etc., each responsible according to their respective duties.)
   (8) Accelerate the integrated development of the digital creative industry. Encourage the integrated development of the digital creative industry with sectors such as manufacturing, culture and education, tourism and sports, health care and elderly care, and smart agriculture, thereby boosting market consumption vitality. Build a number of digital creative industry clusters, strengthen platforms for digital content supply and R&D of technological equipment, and establish high-level live-streaming and short-video bases, first-class esports centers, and immersive product experience and exhibition centers. Provide VR tourism and AR... Diversified consumer experiences encompassing marketing, digital museums, creative design, smart broadcasting, and intelligent sports. We will develop high-definition television, ultra-high-definition television, and 5G-based advanced video technologies, leveraging the synergistic effects of online audiovisual platforms and industrial parks to integrate and cluster resources. This will help streamline the value chain from content creation and distribution to the electronic information equipment industry, and foster seamless integration between online and offline cultural entertainment and comprehensive information consumption, thereby shaping a new-era, fully integrated audiovisual industry ecosystem. (Responsible departments: The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the State Administration of Radio and Television, the General Administration of Sport, etc., each responsible according to their respective duties.)
   III. Building a New High Ground for Cluster-Based Industrial Development
   (9) Deeply advance the national strategic emerging industry cluster development initiative. Establish a tiered development system for industrial clusters, and cultivate and build 10 strategically emerging industry bases with global influence, as well as 100... Establish strategic emerging industry clusters with international competitiveness, and guide and reserve 1,000 distinctive ecological systems for strategic emerging industries, thereby creating a development pattern characterized by clear division of labor and seamless interconnection. Initiate a new batch of national strategic emerging industry cluster construction at an appropriate time. Foster several world-class advanced manufacturing clusters. Comprehensively leverage policies in finance, land, finance, science and technology, talent, and intellectual property to provide coordinated support for projects including industrial cluster development, cultivation of leading enterprises, R&D of critical technologies, and talent training. (Responsible departments: The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Commerce, the People’s Bank of China, the National Intellectual Property Administration, and other relevant departments, each responsible according to their respective duties.)
   (10) Enhance the innovation leadership of industrial clusters. Launch and implement the Project for Enhancing the Innovation Capacity of Industrial Clusters. Leverage the advantages of science and technology innovation centers and comprehensive national science centers, which are rich in innovation resources, to promote the growth and development of specialized industrial clusters. Relying on leading industry-academia-research institutions within these clusters, jointly establish a number of innovation platforms—including industrial innovation centers, engineering research centers, industrial metrology and testing centers, quality inspection centers, enterprise technology centers, standards innovation bases, technology innovation centers, manufacturing innovation centers, and industrial intellectual property operation centers—as well as key regional platforms for undertaking industrial transfer. Encourage enterprises in critical links of the industrial chain to set up cluster-based collaborative innovation centers and industrial research institutes. (Responsible departments: The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State Administration for Market Regulation, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Intellectual Property Administration, etc., each responsible according to their respective duties.)
   ( 11) Promote the deep integration of industry and urban development. Launch and implement a demonstration project for the integrated development of industrial clusters and urban areas. Use industrial cluster development to drive the integrated convergence of production, living, and ecological systems, thereby accelerating the formation of an industrial ecosystem complex that is innovation-driven, resource-rich, spatially intensive, and both livable and conducive to business. Speed up the digital transformation of infrastructure in industrial clusters—including transportation, logistics, ecological protection, and water resources. Promote the joint construction and sharing of resource and environmental facilities within industrial clusters, as well as the intelligent utilization of energy resources and the centralized treatment of pollutants. Explore the model of “core carrier zone management agency +” A new construction model featuring “investment and construction companies + specialized operating companies” will be promoted to accelerate the transformation of core carrier zones into comprehensive service platforms for enterprises, integrated industrial chain resource hubs, and value-recreation platforms. Strategic emerging industry clusters that meet the relevant criteria will be encouraged to pilot real estate investment trusts (REITs) in the infrastructure sector through market-oriented approaches. (Responsible departments: National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Water Resources, China Securities Regulatory Commission, China State Railway Group, etc., each responsible according to their respective duties.)
   (12) Focus on creating application scenarios for industrial clusters. Launch and implement the construction of application scenario projects for industrial clusters. Focusing on fields such as 5G, artificial intelligence, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) networks, big data, blockchain, and the industrial internet, we will first pilot a batch of demonstration application scenarios within clusters that meet the necessary conditions. We will regularly release lists of application scenario projects targeted at specific market entities, select and promote a number of exemplary application scenarios in emerging industries based on their merits, and provide certain support to the entities adopting these applications. We encourage enterprises within the clusters to develop customized application scenarios tailored to specific needs. The “product + service” model will innovate approaches to promoting and applying products with independent intellectual property rights and integrated applications of renewable energy, thereby strengthening the domestic industrial loop. (Responsible departments: The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the National Energy Administration, the National Intellectual Property Administration, etc., each responsible according to their respective duties.)
   (13) Enhance the public service capabilities of industrial clusters. Implement a project to enhance the public service capabilities of industrial clusters. Relying on industry associations, specialized institutions, and research organizations, establish a number of professional industrial cluster promotion agencies. Advance the construction of a national standard reference data system. Build integrated innovation and public service complexes for industrial clusters, strengthening support from industrial public service platforms covering R&D and design, metrological testing, standard certification, pilot-scale verification, inspection and testing, intelligent manufacturing, industrial internet, and innovation commercialization. Create high-quality industrial spaces that integrate technology transfer, industrial acceleration, and incubation and transformation services. Cultivate a group of solution providers in fields such as intelligent manufacturing, green manufacturing, and the industrial internet. Support clusters with suitable conditions to focus on emerging applications and carry out the construction of new infrastructure—including 5G, data centers, artificial intelligence, industrial internet, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) networks, and the Internet of Things. (Responsible departments: National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Ministry of Commerce, State Administration for Market Regulation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, etc., each responsible according to their respective duties.)
   IV. Enhance the capacity for financial security
   (14) Strengthen the guidance of government funds. Effectively coordinate and make good use of government funds at all levels and of various types, venture capital, and government-funded industrial investment funds. Innovate the methods of government funding support and strengthen the role of government investment in driving major projects in strategic emerging industries. Encourage local governments to establish special fund programs for strategic emerging industries and, following market-oriented approaches, guide and mobilize social capital to set up industrial investment funds. Focusing on ensuring the stability of industrial and supply chains in key areas, encourage the establishment of credit risk compensation mechanisms for small, medium, and micro-sized enterprises and increase support for strategic emerging industries. (Responsible departments: The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Finance, etc., each responsible according to their respective duties.)
   (15) Enhance the level of financial services. Encourage financial institutions to innovate and develop financial products and services tailored to the characteristics of strategic emerging industries, increase support for core enterprises in industrial chains, optimize financial services for upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain, and refine internal assessment and risk-control mechanisms. Encourage banks to explore establishing financial service centers or business units dedicated to emerging industries. Promote cooperation among government, banks, and enterprises. Build effective mechanisms for investing medium- and long-term funds, such as insurance capital, into strategic emerging industries. Formulate classification guidelines for listed companies in strategic emerging industries, optimize the issuance and listing system, and strengthen support for strategic emerging industries through platforms like the STAR Market. Increase the issuance of corporate bonds by enterprises (companies) in strategic emerging industries. Support venture capital and private equity funds in their investments in strategic emerging industries. (Responsible departments: The People's Bank of China, the CBIRC, the CSRC, the NDRC, and other agencies are responsible according to their respective duties.)
   (16) Promote investment by market entities. Leveraging the core strengths of state-owned enterprises, we will optimize the layout and structure of the state-owned economy and intensify investment in strategic emerging industries. We encourage enterprises of all ownership types that meet the necessary conditions to independently or jointly undertake national projects related to R&D, innovation capacity building, and industrialization in strategic emerging industries. We support enterprises of all ownership types in leveraging their respective strengths, strengthening cooperation in strategic emerging industries, and promoting integrated development among large, medium, and small enterprises. We will revise the Negative List for Foreign Investment Access and the Catalog of Industries Encouraged for Foreign Investment, further easing or eliminating restrictions on foreign investment and adding more entries for strategic emerging industries. (Responsible departments: National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Commerce, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, etc., each responsible according to their respective duties)
   V. Optimize the investment service environment
   (17) Deepen the “delegation, regulation, and service” reform. Fully promote the “logistics connectivity, capital connectivity, personnel connectivity, and policy connectivity” of major projects. Deepen the reform of the investment approval system, promote the commitment-based approval process for strategic emerging industry investment projects, streamline and integrate project filing procedures, further enhance the application of the online approval and supervision platform for investment projects, and accelerate the transition to fully online processing. Conduct a comprehensive review of the entry and administrative licensing procedures for new industries, new business models, and new formats, streamline approval steps, shorten processing times, and implement “one-stop online services.” (Responsible Department: The National Development and Reform Commission takes the lead; each department is responsible according to its assigned duties.)
   (18) Accelerate the market-based allocation of factors of production. Fully leverage the decisive role of the market in resource allocation and better enhance the role of the government. Coordinate the allocation of key factors such as land use, water use, energy consumption, and environmental protection, giving priority to major projects and initiatives that meet high-quality development requirements by ensuring adequate provision of indicators for land, forest land, construction sand, and energy consumption. Strengthen the market-oriented allocation of industrial land and encourage localities to revitalize and make efficient use of existing land reserves. (Responsible departments: The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Commerce, etc., each responsible according to their respective duties.)
   (19) Improve inclusive and prudent regulation. Promote the establishment of a new regulatory mechanism that is tailored to the characteristics of emerging business models and new formats, and is based on credit. Standardize administrative law enforcement practices and advance cross-departmental joint “double-random, one-public” inspections. Regulatory oversight and “Internet Plus Regulation” to refine and quantify standards for administrative penalties. (Responsible Department: The National Development and Reform Commission takes the lead; each department is responsible according to its assigned duties.)
   (20) Foster a favorable investment environment. All regions and departments should actively carry out policy consultations and publicity and guidance efforts, adopting an “online and offline” approach. Through various formats such as industry investment promotion conferences, high-quality project selection competitions, government-bank-enterprise matchmaking events, and high-end forums, we will strengthen exchanges and cooperation, boost enterprises’ willingness to invest, stimulate social innovation and vitality in investment, and strive to create a favorable atmosphere across society that encourages, motivates, and enables all sectors to boldly, willingly, and skillfully invest in the development of strategic emerging industries. (Responsible Department: The National Development and Reform Commission takes the lead; each department is responsible according to its respective duties.)

National Development and Reform Commission

Ministry of Science and Technology

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

Ministry of Finance

2020 September 8 day