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China names Beijing, other city clusters as global tech hubs in self-reliance push

Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang says national capital and its neighbours should become ‘world-class science centre’ at high-profile tech forum

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This year’s Zhongguancun Forum is themed “Full Integration Between Technological and Industrial Innovation” and more than 1,000 guests from over 100 countries and regions are expected to participate. Photo: Xinhua
Ben Jiangin Beijing
China is stepping up its efforts to build Beijing and its environs, along with other major city clusters, into “international technological innovation centres”, according to a high-ranking official – part of the country’s accelerated push for tech self-sufficiency.
Speaking at the opening of the state-backed Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing on Wednesday, Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang said the country would intensify its campaign to achieve “high-level self-reliance in science and technology” by cultivating a group of city clusters to pool their resources and support the country’s ambition of becoming a global technological powerhouse.

Ding, also a member of the powerful Politburo Standing Committee of the ruling Communist Party, said China would develop and position the “Jing-Jin-Ji” region, encompassing Beijing and the neighbouring port city of Tianjin as well as Hebei province, as a major source of innovation.

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The Yangtze River Delta, covering Shanghai and surrounding cities, as well as the Greater Bay Area, spanning southern Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macau, would be included.

While highlighting the distinguishing features of each cluster, Ding addressed Beijing’s unique strengths at length, citing the national capital’s more than 90 universities and colleges and more than 1,000 research facilities and laboratories.

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“We support Beijing in fully leveraging its leading role, with Zhongguancun as the primary hub, to strengthen coordinated innovation and industrial collaboration with Tianjin and Hebei to develop the region into a world-class science centre and innovation highland,” Ding said.

Zhongguancun, which hosts several top research universities and the offices of many leading tech companies, is at the heart of China’s drive to create its own version of Silicon Valley.
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