The changes and constants in investment promotion are the norm, the underlying tone, the current state, and the present reality.

The key lies not in “ceremonialism,” but in “practical application.”

In investment promotion, only by wielding “iteration as a sword and practice as a shield” can we make old trees bloom anew, with flowers that shine in a unique way.

In this regard, smaller entities have the advantage of agility. Many regions have seized the initiative, ensuring that their “key investment promotion strategies” remain consistent nationwide.

Whether now or in the future, competition among regions hinges on exploring these keywords to innovate practical investment attraction strategies.

Adapt to the local context—true industrial development knows no “forever.” If investment strategies remain unchanged, the path ahead will only grow narrower.

M0 Land: Qingxi’s Innovation

In recent years, M0 land has emerged, and the first M0 industrial land parcels in various cities have been successively auctioned off.

The first plot of this new M0 land is located in the Qinghu Central Area of Yuliangwei Village, Qingxi Town, Dongguan City. According to incomplete statistics, in less than two years, Dongguan has successfully transferred 11 plots of this new industrial land.

The government’s objective is to forgo land profits, using lower lease and sale prices to attract financially robust technology companies. By building a nest to attract phoenixes, they aim to secure long-term benefits such as industrial output, tax revenue, and employment.

However, real estate developers have sensed a different opportunity. As urbanization progresses, the potential for land appreciation grows stronger. This implies that real estate investments on new industrial land hold greater value.

Consequently, within just two years, the Dongguan municipal government has rapidly introduced “four amendments” to its new industrial land policies.

Today, “new industrial land” goes by different names across regions. With so many cities rolling out policies for this type of land, have they all reached the stage—like Dongguan—where transformation, upgrading, and shifting growth drivers are imperative?

Not necessarily. It depends on each city’s specific needs—it is not merely a “urban trend.”

In terms of urban development, industrial projects are not categorized by hierarchy or strength; any project that suits the city’s current stage and contributes to its sustainable development is a good project.

Conversely, blindly introducing new industrial land management policies may backfire, leading cities into the vortex of real estate speculation.

Industrial Chains and Kunshan’s Model

In Kunshan, a single small medicine bottle has leveraged the massive nucleic acid industry.

Looking back, the Kunshan government conducted thorough research, analysis, and forward-looking planning for emerging industries aligned with its own development, ultimately selecting the small nucleic acid industry as a niche sector.

First, small nucleic acid technology has a solid R&D foundation and represents the future of the global biopharmaceutical sector.

Second, the domestic small nucleic acid industry was in its infancy, offering a first-mover advantage for industrialization.

In 2007, Kunshan High-Tech Zone invested 2 million yuan to establish a public laboratory for nucleic acid application technology through a collaboration between Ruibo Company and the Kunshan Branch of Tsinghua Science Park.

In 2008, the Kunshan government funded the establishment of the Kunshan High-Tech Zone Industrial Technology Research Institute, with the Small Nucleic Acid Biotechnology Research Institute serving as an incubation platform.

Through industrial chain investment promotion, the area has attracted most domestic small nucleic acid enterprises and a group of related enterprises in the industrial chain to cluster here.

The model for fostering and developing the small nucleic acid industry is distinct: it focuses on building platforms to aggregate the elements necessary for emerging industries, nurturing and attracting emerging enterprises, establishing connections among companies at different stages, and forming a relatively complete value chain from technology R&D to industrialization.

Not only is Kunshan’s “chain-based” approach to industrial development commendable, but despite the tenure of six municipal party secretaries, four mayors, and eight deputy mayors in charge of the sector, as well as three directors of the Kunshan High-Tech Zone Management Committee, the original commitment to developing the small nucleic acid industry has never wavered.

Standard Land: The Deqing Reform

The “Standard Land” reform is a highlight of innovation in investment promotion and a hallmark of the “Deqing Reform.”

In August 2017, Yuan Jiajun, then Governor of Zhejiang Province, first proposed establishing the standard land system.

In September of that year, Deqing launched its first standard plot, which was acquired by Deqing Zhejiang Qiju Industrial Co., Ltd. through a public bidding process.

Standard land is a plot of land with “attached” conditions, allowing resources to follow projects and enabling land to be “supplied and used immediately.”

This reform system, originating in Deqing, has gradually gained recognition nationwide.

Regarding entry requirements, output is discussed before land acquisition; if the criteria are met, the project proceeds; otherwise, it is rejected.

For example, if a company projected to generate 15 million yuan in tax revenue seeks to acquire 100 mu of land, it would fail to meet the prerequisite requirement of an annual tax revenue per mu of 300,000 yuan or more.

It is evident that the introduction of standard plots has prompted enterprises to “think twice before acquiring land.” By establishing transparent and detailed land transfer standards in advance, the government attracts high-quality enterprises to compete based on these benchmarks, thereby building a fair and standardized new model for investment promotion.

However, as the “Deqing Model” gained traction, localities across the country have adopted a combined approach of “commitment-based systems, digitalization, and extended services,” pioneering a new model for standard land.

"Enclave" Investment Promotion: The Jingjiang Model

In June 2017, national ministries and commissions issued their first joint document and provided high-profile support for “enclave economies” and “enclave industrial parks.”

This directly broke down administrative barriers in investment promotion, aiming to facilitate the flow of resources among cities and counties.

Jiangsu is home to a typical example of such an economic “enclave”—the Jingjiang Industrial Park.

In August 2002, the county-level cities of Jiangyin and Jingjiang—which belong to different administrative regions—jointly signed a "Memorandum of Joint Development" for the park; in February of the following year, the formal proposal was submitted to the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, and the park was inaugurated in August; three years later, the park was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission as a provincial-level economic development zone.

This “pioneering model” of two cities directly operating an industrial park quickly attracted nationwide attention.

Practice has proven that the “enclave economy” is not a “prized piece of meat” to be blindly pounced upon, nor should it be outright rejected simply because of differences in industrial types.

Similarly, host regions must move beyond a parochial mindset, prioritize overall development and long-term interests, and fully mobilize the enthusiasm for cooperation in economically underdeveloped areas.

Based on the principles of profit sharing and risk sharing, both parties can jointly establish a “committee”: one party provides the land, while the other registers and establishes an investment company. They would contribute capital in a predetermined ratio to jointly build the industrial park. Initial profits would be used solely for park operations, while subsequent profits would be shared according to a predetermined ratio.

Industrial Upward Expansion: Bao’an Pilot Program

In 2019, the *Shenzhen Bao’an District Guidelines for Industrial Upward Development (Trial)* sparked a wave of industry-wide discussion on “industrial upward development.”

For the government, moving industry into high-rise buildings is an effective measure to alleviate the tension between urban expansion and the tight supply of construction land.

It not only improves land utilization efficiency but also drives industrial restructuring and the transformation and upgrading of the economic structure.

Taking Shenzhen as an example, the objective of the “20+8” industrial layout is to foster new growth drivers, introduce new production capacity, and achieve new growth, and “industry-in-buildings” projects serve as a key mechanism for implementing this industrial cluster strategy.

On the one hand, “industry-in-buildings” facilitates spatial concentration, strengthens industrial chain collaboration, and helps build high-end manufacturing clusters.

On the other hand, preferential rental rates significantly enhance the appeal to emerging industries and technology companies, serving as an effective entry point for introducing advanced production capacity.

From the introduction of relevant policies to the actual implementation of “moving industries into high-rises” and the launch of large-scale investment promotion campaigns, many regions across the country have seized this “new opportunity.”

However, the resulting challenges of industrial integration also warrant careful consideration. First and foremost, how much industrial space is actually needed, and can it accommodate such a large volume of industries?

The real consideration lies in the alignment between the “innovative outcomes” generated by “industry in high-rises” and the “costs incurred.”

Ultimately, the end goal of moving industries indoors is attracting investment, and industrial positioning determines product design.

Yield per Mu: First Proposed in Keqiao

In 2006, while the entire country was engaged in a massive, extensive, and extensive expansion, a small town in Shaoxing City—Shaoxing County (which was upgraded to Keqiao District in 2013)—pressed the “pause button.”

It was once a veritable “dye vat”: home to the China National Textile City—Asia’s largest fabric distribution hub—the district’s concentrated printing and dyeing industry accounted for one-third of the nation’s production capacity, making this small town a standout among “China’s Top 100 Districts.”

However, as its development was relatively ahead of its time, the problems it encountered were equally ahead of their time. For many years, pollution caused by the traditional textile and dyeing industry left the city scarred.

Reflecting on these hardships, Shaoxing took the lead nationwide in proposing the “output-per-mu” principle. It established an enterprise-level “output-per-mu efficiency” orientation, constraint, and evaluation mechanism focused on land conservation, intensive use, energy conservation, and emission reduction—and has seen tangible results.

The first phase of the “Output per Mu” initiative—the grassroots exploration phase—aims to achieve the greatest developmental impact with the least consumption of resources and environmental impact.

Resources flow to those with the highest output per mu. Enterprises in the A and B tiers enjoy “VIP” treatment in resource allocation: they receive funding when they need it, personnel when they require them, and resources such as land, energy, and emission quotas are concentrated toward these enterprises.

For example, reducing water, electricity, and gas fees, allocating additional emission quotas, and offering preferential financial credit policies... In 2018, A and B-tier enterprises in Zhejiang saved 2.44 billion yuan in electricity costs alone—all “real money.”

Meanwhile, life has become much tougher for C and D-tier enterprises, which face regulatory controls and rectification measures. Not only have their pollution discharge fees risen, but their access to loans and electricity has also been restricted—a strategy designed to “force” these enterprises to improve.

Consequently, after “heroic” enterprises taste the “sweet rewards” of priority support, they will thrive even more, while simultaneously compelling “bloated and inefficient” enterprises to accelerate their transformation and upgrading, thereby escaping their current predicament. For enterprises settling in the region, local authorities will no longer prioritize “seniority over capability.”