General Requirements for the City’s Commerce Work in 2024:Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we will thoroughly study and implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Second Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, and General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speeches and instructions regarding Jiangsu’s work. We will earnestly implement the requirements of the Central Economic Work Conference, the Provincial Party Committee Economic Work Conference, and the Provincial Commerce Work Conference. In accordance with the arrangements made at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 13th Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Two Sessions, we will adhere to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability and promoting stability through progress. We will fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy and accelerate efforts to serve the construction of a new development paradigm,coordinate high-quality development with high-level security, take the construction of a “high-level hub for two-way opening-up” as the overarching goal, simultaneously focus on “expanding domestic demand and promoting investment,” and prioritize both “improving quality and increasing efficiency.” We will strive to enhance the effectiveness of investment promotion and business attraction, continuously expand the consumer market, and optimize the development of the open economy. With a sense of responsibility characterized by “daring to act, acting effectively, and pragmatic implementation,” we will make contributions to advancing the new practice of Chinese modernization in Xuzhou through our commerce efforts.
Key Expected Targets for Commercial Development in 2024: Achieve substantial progress in building a high-level hub for two-way opening-up; complete 600 registered and operational projects with investments of 100 million yuan or more citywide, including 100 projects exceeding 1 billion yuan; continue to advance the “No. 1 Investment Promotion Project”; attract no fewer than 20 projects worth 5 billion yuan or more; and achieve greater breakthroughs in projects valued at 10 billion yuan or more.Total retail sales of consumer goods are projected to grow by approximately 6.5%, with imports and exports achieving positive growth. Actual utilization of foreign capital is expected to see a significant increase, while the value of trade in services is projected to grow by about 10% year-on-year. Overseas investment and cooperation will proceed safely and steadily.
I. Enhancing the Quality and Efficiency of Investment Promotion
1. Refine the direction of industrial investment promotion. In accordance with the “one location, one positioning” requirement, focus on the development of the “343” innovation industrial clusters, the “dual-engine drive” of metropolitan industries and modern services, and the forward-looking layout of future industries. Each region should prioritize the cultivation and expansion of 1–2 dominant industries with competitive advantages, while focusing on the development of 2–3 traditional specialty industries;We will place equal emphasis on attracting “large-scale and strong” projects and “new and high-quality” projects, concentrating efforts on introducing a batch of flagship projects with substantial investment and strong demonstration and driving effects, while also implementing a batch of “small but beautiful” projects that “seize market opportunities, strengthen supporting facilities, and fill supply chain gaps.”
2. Revitalize resources for investment promotion. Utilize spatial resources for investment promotion by fully revitalizing idle resources such as underutilized land, existing factory buildings, vacant office buildings, and scattered urban spaces. Make full use of relaxed entry requirements for light-asset projects to create sufficient space for project implementation. Promote application-scenario-based investment promotion by continuously following up on the existing 206 application-scenario projects and launching a new batch of such projects in fields such as new energy and the digital economy.Deepen capital-driven investment promotion. Seek support from the provincial strategic emerging industries fund and collaborate with capital management institutions to attract a batch of key enterprises and projects. Focus on technology-driven investment promotion by leveraging existing science and technology innovation platforms to collaborate with key universities, research institutions, and top talent, thereby establishing and incubating a batch of technology-based projects. Explore “flying land” investment promotion by encouraging qualified state-owned platforms and sectors to establish “flying land” parks in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and other locations, jointly building incubators and innovation centers to facilitate the commercialization of incubation outcomes in Xuzhou.
3. Clarify project attraction pathways. Leverage the role of local leading enterprises as “chain leaders,” intensify coordination with upstream and downstream supporting enterprises, and promote the establishment of more upstream and downstream projects within industrial and supply chains in Xuzhou. Focus on reinvestment by leading enterprises, track market changes and corporate dynamics, optimize and adjust cooperation models and content, and tap into the potential for project reactivation.Focusing on the transformation and upgrading of existing enterprises, we will seize more project cooperation opportunities during technological upgrades and production model shifts, and negotiate and advance a batch of technical renovation projects in traditional industries. By leveraging the phased transfer of industries, we will closely follow national policies and domestic and international industrial development trends, capture information on industrial transfers in key domestic and overseas regions, and accelerate the matching of domestic and foreign investment projects.
4. Accelerate the pace of going-out investment promotion. Uphold high-level leadership-led investment promotion, maintain the routine and intensive efforts of municipal leaders in high-level investment promotion to facilitate the implementation and conversion of major projects; strengthen the “top priority mindset” for investment promotion among the top leaders of each district, and maintain a frequency of two off-site investment promotion trips per month.Effectively organize the “1+4+N” investment promotion events: domestically, focus on the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, and the Sichuan-Chongqing region; organize one comprehensive investment promotion event at the 27th Investment and Trade Fair, four key investment promotion events, and “N” specialized investment promotion events for “343” innovation industry clusters; internationally, focus on Europe, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and countries along the “Belt and Road” route, and organize targeted investment promotion activities through small teams.Strengthen on-site investment promotion efforts, improve the management mechanism for overseas investment promotion, reinforce the municipal-level overseas investment promotion team, and enhance coordination and collaboration with the municipal government’s overseas liaison offices and the overseas investment promotion agencies of various districts to improve the effectiveness of overseas investment promotion. Promote investment attraction through exhibitions, leveraging events such as the Canton Fair, the Supply Chain Expo, the China International Import Expo, and the Service Outsourcing Conference to expand opportunities for project attraction.
5. Strictly Ensure the Quality of Investment Projects. Strictly enforce project entry thresholds, strengthen source-level quality control for investment projects, and establish a negative list management system for project attraction. Strengthen process management for major projects; implement dynamic management of projects valued at 1 billion yuan or more under the “one project, one file” system. For registered projects valued at 1 billion yuan or more, particularly those under the “Investment Promotion Project No. 1,” insist on joint review by relevant departments to ensure the project’s value and quality.Conduct consultation meetings for major projects. Address constraints such as land, energy consumption, emissions, and labor during the implementation process through meeting-based negotiations to propose solutions and facilitate project completion. Improve the investment promotion performance evaluation system. In accordance with full-lifecycle management requirements, scientifically set evaluation indicators, and refine and effectively utilize the closed-loop service evaluation system covering project attraction, construction, commissioning, and transition to regular operations to enhance the contribution of investment projects.
II. Unleashing the Potential of the Consumer Market
6. Enhance the “Huaihai New Consumption” brand. With the “Year of Consumption Promotion” as the central theme, continue to organize the “Huaihai New Consumption” seasonal shopping festival series to stimulate consumption. Capitalize on seasonal and holiday consumption trends to establish a sustainable model featuring “monthly events, seasonal themes, and year-round continuity.” Host more than 10 municipal-level consumption promotion events throughout the year to further invigorate the consumer market.Support enterprises in participating in the province-wide “Sales Competition,” accelerating the creation of a vibrant consumption atmosphere.
7. Expand traditional consumption. Focusing on elements such as “food, accommodation, transportation, tourism, shopping, and entertainment,” we will continue to strengthen traditional consumption. We will take the lead in organizing the 21st China (Xuzhou) Pengzu Fuyang Festival and collaborate to successfully host the “Xuzhou Flavors · Tourism Season” cultural and tourism series, international marathon events, the Agriculture-Commerce Interconnection Conference, and other integrated commerce-tourism-culture consumption activities to promote the upgrading of traditional consumption quality.Leveraging the Huaihai International Expo Center, we will increase support for local enterprises participating in domestic and international trade fairs, expositions, shopping festivals, folk festivals, and specialty markets, thereby continuously expanding exhibition-related consumption.
8. Boost major consumer spending. Fully implement national policies such as tax exemptions for the purchase of new energy vehicles, standardizing and expanding the circulation of used cars, and supporting the consumption of green and smart home appliances. The municipal government will organize two green and smart home decoration and furnishing consumption promotion events, five green and smart home appliance convenience service outreach events, and multiple automobile exhibitions. Support will be provided to enterprises that meet retail growth targets in accordance with regulations.We will continue to implement trade-in programs for automobiles, home appliances, and home furnishings to promote product upgrades. We will encourage retail petroleum enterprises to conduct promotional activities offering price discounts to stimulate petroleum consumption.
9. Expand new forms of consumption. Host the 2024 Xuzhou E-commerce Live Streaming Festival, organize participation in the “Online New Year Shopping Festival” and the “Double Quality Online Shopping Festival,” and continue to expand online consumption. Organize the “Huaihai Famous Brands Season” consumption event in central commercial districts to amplify the influence of Xuzhou brands.Launch events such as the “Time-Honored Brands Carnival” to create new growth points for “trendy domestic products.” Actively develop new consumption scenarios centered on flagship store economies, product launch economies, debut event economies, and night economies. Support traditional commerce enterprises in utilizing tools such as live streaming and mini-programs to develop new retail formats including community group buying, on-demand retail, and smart stores.
III. Improving Market and Distribution Systems
10. Strengthen the foundation of commerce and circulation. Revise the “Xuzhou City Commercial Network Plan” to build a more comprehensive commercial service system.Advance the upgrading of central commercial districts; implement “one-floor-one-plan” renovations for aging commercial buildings within these districts; accelerate the development of projects such as Deji Plaza, Pacific Department Store, and the Wenmiao Commercial District; and establish the Datong Street Historic Brand District. Promote the digital transformation of traditional commercial districts, build smart commercial districts, and strive to create more “National Model Smart Stores.” Accelerate the renovation and upgrading of pedestrian streets, aiming to create two national and provincial model districts.Implement the three-year "County-Level Commercial Leadership Initiative," aiming to designate one county as a national leader in county-level commerce and to construct or renovate 12 township commercial centers. Strengthen the development of county-level e-commerce industrial clusters, adding one new provincial-level county-level e-commerce industrial cluster and promoting "digital-commerce integration" in three existing provincial-level e-commerce industrial clusters. Launch the "15-Minute Convenience Living Festival" and establish 15 new 15-minute convenience living circles.
11. Cultivate and Develop Commercial Entities. Gradually cultivate modern commerce and distribution enterprises, achieving a net increase of more than 400 large-scale trade enterprises. Implement the E-commerce Entity Cultivation Initiative to promote the transformation of individual businesses into enterprises and small businesses into standardized enterprises. Cultivate 40 e-commerce enterprises with online retail sales exceeding 50 million yuan and add 15 new large-scale e-commerce enterprises.Attract more well-known domestic and international brands to launch their products in Xuzhou or open their first stores here. Encourage enterprises to develop membership stores, discount stores, and specialized stores. Promote the establishment of high-end commercial enterprises such as RT-Mart M Membership Stores and Hema Fresh. Strengthen the development of branded convenience store chains to enhance the concentration of regional brands.Implement the “Five New Initiatives” for time-honored brands and designate 8 provincial-level time-honored brands. Explore models for the integration of domestic and international trade, support 17 enterprises in provincial-level pilot programs for such integration, actively seek provincial-level policies, and expand both domestic and international markets.
12. Promote cost reduction and efficiency gains in commerce and distribution. Accelerate the construction of the provincial-level modern commerce and distribution system demonstration zone and the standardization of commerce and distribution services; vigorously develop green distribution and establish 2 new national-level green malls.Advance the construction of the national circulation and supply security system for daily necessities, support key project development, and build a supply security system characterized by smooth transitions and robust safeguards. Host the National Agricultural-Commercial Interconnection and Rural Revitalization Production-Sales Matching Conference to establish a distinctive national brand for agricultural product production-sales matching. Implement the Special Action for High-Quality Development of Commerce and Logistics, strive to have 1–2 enterprises selected as national key contact enterprises for commerce and logistics, and work toward becoming a national demonstration city and pilot enterprise for supply chain innovation and application to enhance supply chain efficiency.
IV. Promoting Stable and Quality-Driven Foreign Trade
13. Cultivate and strengthen foreign trade entities. Support and foster 100 enterprises with import and export volumes of 100 million yuan or more, including 1 enterprise with over 10 billion yuan and 10 enterprises with over 1 billion yuan. Establish a Foreign Trade (Cross-Border E-Commerce) Association to promote the steady development of the foreign trade sector. Relying on local leading enterprises, guide upstream and downstream enterprises in sectors such as construction machinery and photovoltaics to go global across the entire supply chain.Launch the “Service Provider + Platform” Expansion Initiative to fully leverage the leading role of flagship enterprises such as Suhao and Sumec, and accelerate the introduction of a batch of platform-based and service-oriented enterprises. Successfully complete the pilot tasks for the construction machinery quality and efficiency improvement project, and encourage eligible enterprises to apply for the National Used Vehicle Export Pilot Program. Implement a strategy for the integration of domestic and foreign trade, promoting enterprises in sectors such as timber and glass products to transition from supply-side operations to self-operated sales. Actively address international trade frictions, ensure the proper filing and archiving of major trade dispute cases, and strengthen guidance and services throughout the entire process.
14. Deepen the development of international markets. Formulate and implement a municipal-level trade promotion plan, organizing more than 300 enterprises to participate in domestic and international exhibitions such as the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), the Canton Fair, and the Dubai International Furniture Fair. Strengthen economic and trade exchanges with countries and regions in Europe, the United States, Japan, and South Korea, while expanding into emerging markets such as ASEAN and Central Asia, and increasing the proportion of participation in exhibitions in these emerging markets.Implement the “Silk Road Trade” Promotion Plan to guide key enterprises in establishing marketing outlets along the Belt and Road routes, and continuously increase the proportion of imports and exports with Belt and Road and RCEP countries.
15. Accelerate the development of new trade formats. Issue the “Action Plan for High-Quality Development of Cross-Border E-Commerce” and continue to host events such as cross-border e-commerce talent and skills competitions. Focus on advancing the “cross-border e-commerce + industrial clusters” model, cultivate three distinctive cross-border e-commerce industrial clusters (including construction machinery), and continue to develop five provincial-level cross-border e-commerce industrial parks, 11 overseas warehouses, and seven well-known cross-border e-commerce brands, with annual cross-border e-commerce transaction volume exceeding 6 billion yuan.Enhance the functionality of the Xuzhou Digital Trade Service Platform, facilitate the entry of 50 enterprises, and generate an additional 1 billion yuan in trade volume. Expand market procurement trade and achieve full county-level coverage of “Shicaitong” service sub-centers.
16. Make every effort to expand the scale of imports. Leverage the advantages of platforms such as the China-Europe Railway Express, the Port Area’s export supervision warehouses, import bonded warehouses, and bonded logistics centers to build a commodity trading center. Relying on customs special supervision zones, explore the establishment of an import commodity exhibition center to facilitate the import of high-end equipment and key components for key industrial projects, and expand the scale of trade in intermediate goods such as solar cells and iron ore. Utilize national-level exhibitions such as the China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) to increase imports of high-end consumer goods.
17. Strengthen and optimize the service trade sector. Build a National Service Outsourcing Demonstration City to high standards and host the “2024 China (Xuzhou) International Service Outsourcing Cooperation Conference.”Support the development of provincial-level service trade bases such as the Xuzhou Software Park and the Pizhou Economic and Technological Development Zone; encourage provincial-level demonstration zones like the Xinyi Internet Industrial Park to strive for higher rankings; support municipal-level demonstration zones in their efforts to become provincial-level demonstration zones; and cultivate a group of public technology, information, training, and cloud crowdsourcing platforms for international service outsourcing. Aim to establish one new provincial-level digital trade platform, one leading platform-based digital trade enterprise, and one key service trade enterprise.
V. Expanding the Scale of Two-Way Investment
18. Strengthen the Attraction of Foreign Investment Projects. Focusing on the needs to fill gaps, strengthen, and extend the “343” industrial chain, launch the “Knock on the Door” campaign for foreign investment promotion. Target key countries and regions such as the U.S., Europe, Japan, and South Korea, and organize targeted overseas investment promotion and domestic investment inspection activities to attract more foreign investment projects in advanced manufacturing and high-tech industries that align with industrial policies. Guide local foreign-invested enterprises to strengthen cooperation with upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain and attract the clustering of supporting projects from developed countries.Attract 15 new foreign investment projects with a total investment of over $30 million throughout the year.
19. Innovate methods for utilizing foreign investment. Establish a dedicated task force for the QFLP pilot program to accelerate its implementation, secure the establishment of more QFLP fund projects, and strive to achieve a total QFLP foreign investment volume exceeding $100 million for the year. Broaden channels for foreign investment, encouraging the introduction of international capital through foreign mergers and acquisitions and round-trip investment. Strengthen investment attraction in productive services, high-end service sectors, and headquarters-based institutions, and strive to achieve breakthroughs in foreign investment within the financial sector.
20. Implement a special campaign for capital increases and share expansion. Strengthen the promotion and implementation of policies such as deferred taxation, and encourage existing foreign-invested enterprises to increase capital and expand capacity through additional investments, reinvestment of profits, and debt-to-equity swaps. Increase support for key enterprises and projects undergoing capital increases, boost the enthusiasm of foreign-invested enterprises for capital increases and share expansion, and strive to ensure that capital increases received throughout the year exceed $200 million.
21. Accelerate the development of foreign investment clusters. Promote the establishment of the Sino-German (Xuzhou) International Cooperation Park and the Caterpillar Supporting Industrial Park within the Xuzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, creating a benchmark zone for high-end manufacturing dominated by German enterprises and featuring a concentration of foreign firms. Leveraging existing resources, attract more Japanese and South Korean enterprises to cluster in Xuzhou. Utilize the development zone as the primary platform, guided by the concept of integrating industry and urban development, to optimize and strengthen the construction machinery industrial cluster in the foreign investment sector.
22. Strengthen service support for foreign investment. Fully implement the “Jiangsu Province Regulations on the Promotion and Protection of Foreign Investment” and ensure that foreign-invested enterprises receive national treatment in accordance with the highest standards.Refine the list of major projects and strive to have two new projects included in the national and provincial databases of major foreign investment projects. Launch a series of outreach activities to foreign-funded R&D centers and multinational headquarters, aiming to secure approval for one provincial-level foreign-funded R&D center and one functional unit of a multinational corporation. Establish a regular government-enterprise communication mechanism, holding a monthly meeting with foreign-funded enterprises to help them resolve challenges and promote development. Implement full-lifecycle management and service for foreign investment projects to facilitate their swift implementation and commencement of production.
23. Deepen outbound investment and cooperation across multiple sectors. Cultivate leading local multinational enterprises by establishing “three lists”: a database of key outbound investment enterprises, a database of prospective outbound investment projects, and a database of enterprise needs. Support key enterprises in establishing international marketing networks, building overseas production bases, and expanding cross-border industrial chain cooperation. Implement the “collective overseas expansion” strategy to promote horizontal collaboration among enterprises in sectors such as construction machinery and energy resource development, and jointly develop key international markets.Strengthen cooperation with professional organizations such as the China International Contractors Association to secure international engineering projects in sectors like power and energy, as well as mineral development. Expand and strengthen the XCMG Brazil Industrial Park, aiming to attract at least one new enterprise to the park. Enhance risk prevention in foreign investment, supervise and guide overseas enterprises in establishing routine safety assurance and emergency management systems, and strengthen safety production management for overseas projects. Achieve actual foreign investment of over $200 million and overseas engineering contracting revenue of over $50 million for the year.
VI. Accelerate the Development of Open Platforms
24. Promote the innovative development of industrial park platforms. Led by the construction of the Huaihai International Land Port and 12 provincial-level or higher economic and technological development zones, build core pillars for a high-standard hub of two-way opening-up. Strengthen coordination between the Port Area and the Lianyungang Pilot Free Trade Zone, and actively integrate into the construction of the “Belt and Road” New Eurasian Land-Sea Transport Corridor. Support the construction of university science and technology industrial parks in the Yunlong Economic and Technological Development Zone and the Peixian Economic and Technological Development Zone.Encourage qualified development zones to establish overseas investment promotion centers to accelerate the introduction of high-quality projects. Advance the high-quality development of specialized industrial parks such as the National Construction Machinery Industry Innovation Park, the National Safety Technology Valley, and the Donghu Pharmaceutical Industrial Park, adding three new specialized industrial parks with an output value exceeding 10 billion yuan. Encourage parks to implement tiered enterprise cultivation plans, providing targeted policy services tailored to different stages of enterprise development to foster a cohort of industry-leading champions and specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative “little giant” enterprises, thereby building innovation and development clusters within the parks.Promote the replication and dissemination of innovative practices from free trade zones by three joint innovation zones, create a high-standard business environment, and enhance the level of institutional openness.
25. Deepen functional innovation in customs supervision zones. Support the Xuzhou Comprehensive Bonded Zone in innovating the “bonded + industry” development model and accelerate the construction of functional projects such as the Caterpillar industrial manufacturing base. Leverage the functions of the Xuzhou Bonded Logistics Center, the designated supervision site for imported meat, and the Shuanglou Operations Area to provide the city with modern supply chain services integrating raw material supply, storage and transportation of intermediate and finished products, and distribution.Promote the integration of the Xinyi Bonded Logistics Center with multiple platforms such as railways and ports to develop port-adjacent logistics and industries. The annual import and export volumes of the Xuzhou Comprehensive Bonded Zone, Xuzhou Bonded Logistics Center, and Xinyi Bonded Logistics Center will reach 20 billion yuan, 1 billion yuan, and 3.5 billion yuan, respectively.
26. Enhance the operational capacity of open platforms. Formulate and issue the “2024 Key Projects for Enhancing the Functions of City-wide Open Platforms” to continuously strengthen support for foreign trade channels. Fully operationalize the International Mail Exchange Office, strive to launch the 9610 cross-border e-commerce service, achieve “three customs functions in one,” and process over 200,000 international mail items annually.Improve the quality and efficiency of the China-Europe Railway Express, operating over 400 trains annually, with local foreign trade enterprises accounting for more than 45% of exports. Promote the completion and commissioning of Terminal 1 at Guanyin Airport, launch two international (regional) civil aviation passenger routes, and strive to resume international cargo routes.
VII. Strengthening the Capacity for High-Quality Development in Commerce
27. Strengthen the construction of political organs. Persistently use Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to unite hearts and minds and forge a strong spirit; consolidate and deepen the achievements of the thematic education campaign; resolutely uphold the “Two Establishments”; firmly establish the “Four Consciousnesses”; and firmly uphold the “Four Confidences”; and implement the “Two Upholds” throughout all aspects and the entire process of high-quality development in commerce.We will fully implement the responsibility system for ideological work, ensure that leading officials at all levels fulfill their “dual responsibilities” for Party governance, strengthen discipline and rules, resolutely implement the Central Committee’s Eight Provisions, and persistently rectify the “Four Malpractices” while fostering a new ethos.Strictly observe political discipline, adhere to the “Five Musts,” and vigilantly guard against the “Seven Dangers.” Strengthen the rectification of work styles and discipline, precisely apply the “Four Forms” of supervision and discipline enforcement, fully cooperate with the work of the 11th Discipline Inspection and Supervision Group dispatched by the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Municipal Supervisory Commission, and build a “Clean Xuzhou Commerce.”
28. Forge a highly capable cadre team. Focus on building a high-quality, professional commerce team that is loyal, clean, and responsible. Emphasize theoretical study, strengthen professional training, and organize the “Commerce Cadre Lecture Series,” with a focus on exchanging views and conducting discussions around the key tasks of the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government to continuously improve the work capabilities and professional standards of cadres.We will strengthen the selection and appointment of cadres from multiple dimensions, including experience, capability and potential, performance and contributions, and job fit. We will increase incentives and protections for cadres to further motivate staff to act with courage and competence and implement measures pragmatically in promoting high-quality development of the commerce sector.
29. Strengthen industry regulation in the commerce sector. Advance the construction of a commerce integrity system, reinforce “Internet Plus Regulation” and “double random, one public” regulatory mechanisms, launch a “Promoting Integrity in Commerce” publicity campaign, and strive to create national-level case studies of integrity-driven commerce.Further strengthen the management of single-purpose commercial prepaid cards and refined oil circulation. Research and formulate management policies for single-purpose commercial prepaid cards, develop a service system for such cards, and strengthen the filing requirements for issuing companies and the custody of funds. Select 1–2 counties (cities) or districts to conduct pilot programs and explore practical regulatory measures.
30. Ensure workplace safety in the commerce sector. Focus on key safety tasks in commercial areas such as gas stations, scrap vehicle recycling enterprises, commercial premises, and gas usage in the food service industry. Firmly uphold the bottom line of preventing major and particularly serious accidents as well as incidents with severe negative impacts, and promote sustained stability and improvement in workplace safety conditions within the commerce sector. Improve emergency supply assurance and monitoring and early warning systems to ensure the supply of daily necessities and medicines.
Attachment: 2024 City-wide Key Tasks for the Commerce Sector
Attachment
2024 City-wide Key Tasks for the Commerce Sector
Project Name
No.
Project Description
Specific Measures
Responsible Department
I. Enhancing the Effectiveness of Investment Promotion
1
Clarify the Focus of Industrial Investment Attraction
① Strengthen top-level design. Formulate and issue the 2024 Citywide Investment Promotion Work Guidelines to clarify the key directions, priority sectors, and major events for the year’s investment promotion efforts; leverage the guiding role of performance evaluations by optimizing the citywide investment promotion performance evaluation indicators to steer the direction of investment promotion work across the city.
Investment Promotion Division
2
Optimizing Investment Promotion Resources
① Promote investment in application scenarios. Continue to monitor the progress of the existing 206 application scenario projects and launch a new batch of projects focused on areas such as new energy and the digital economy.
② Deepen investment promotion through capital. Strengthen information sharing with municipal fund management departments, encourage fund companies to engage in project negotiations at an early stage, conduct proactive assessments, and accelerate the implementation and commercialization of projects.
③ Focus on technology-driven investment promotion. Strengthen the synergy between investment promotion and talent recruitment, prioritize inviting technology professionals during investment promotion activities, and leverage innovation platforms such as the Yunlong Lake Laboratory and the Cell Therapy Drug Innovation Center to accelerate the incubation and establishment of technology-based projects in Xuzhou.
3
Clarify Project Attraction Pathways
① Compile a list of key enterprises already established in the city’s priority areas, collaborate with the municipal government’s liaison offices outside the city to establish a “follow-up” mechanism for these enterprises, identify and address their needs, and encourage them to reinvest.
② Identify projects in various districts that have been put on hold following negotiations with high-quality market entities in recent years; encourage districts to monitor market changes and corporate developments, optimize cooperation models and content, and work to reactivate these projects.
③ Identify and engage with local enterprises regarding their intentions for technological upgrades, process optimization, equipment modernization, and capacity expansion, with the goal of implementing 100 technical renovation projects annually.
I. Enhancing the Effectiveness of Investment Promotion
4
Accelerate the Pace of Going Global for Investment Promotion
① Ensure high-level leadership involvement in investment promotion. Provide logistical support for municipal leaders’ investment promotion trips and encourage key officials from various districts to conduct investment promotion activities.
Investment Promotion Division
② Facilitate the phased transfer of industries from both domestic and international markets. Target key regions and maintain momentum in investment promotion activities. Domestically, organize one comprehensive investment promotion conference and four key investment promotion events; collaborate with relevant functional departments to organize multiple “343” industry-specific investment promotion events. Overseas, conduct no fewer than four targeted investment promotion missions led by small teams.
③ Deepen investment promotion through exhibitions. Leveraging renowned domestic and international trade shows, organize at least five on-site investment promotion sessions throughout the year to expand channels for sourcing high-quality project information.
④ Strengthen the investment promotion team. Organize no fewer than 12 online investment promotion seminars and 2 in-person industry knowledge training sessions throughout the year. Select and dispatch municipal-level investment promotion personnel stationed abroad, adjust the economic and trade representative in Singapore, and enhance coordination with the municipal government’s overseas liaison offices and the investment promotion agencies of various districts and counties. Establish an overseas investment promotion system that integrates domestic and international efforts, links municipal and local levels, and connects the city, counties, and districts.
5
Strictly Ensure the Quality of Investment Projects
① Strengthen source-level quality control for investment projects. Establish a negative list management system for investment promotion. Implement comprehensive, document-based oversight for major projects valued at 1 billion yuan or more, covering the entire process from negotiation and signing to implementation. Conduct preliminary project assessments to comprehensively evaluate project scale, quality, and business model, and promptly request high-level support from municipal authorities to accelerate the negotiation process.
② Adhere to joint review of major investment projects. Each quarter, for projects valued at 1 billion yuan or more proposed for registration in the project database, issue joint review opinions covering aspects such as industry category, investment scale, initial investment, investment intensity, technological content, tax revenue per mu, and employment.
③ Conduct coordination meetings for major negotiation projects. Organize project coordination meetings every two months to address, at the municipal level, key constraints—such as land, energy consumption, emissions, and labor—that hinder the implementation of major negotiation projects.
④ Expand investment promotion information channels. Improve and promote the smart investment promotion system, and enrich the investment promotion database, key investor database, business association resource database, and Xuzhou network resource database.
Investment Promotion Center
II. Improve the Modern Commerce and Distribution System
6
Strengthening the Foundation of Commerce and Distribution
① Revise the “Xuzhou City Commercial Network Plan.” Build a more comprehensive urban and rural commercial service system.
Municipal Construction Office
② Promote the upgrading of central business districts. Implement a “one-building-one-plan” renovation approach for aging commercial properties in these districts, accelerate the development of projects such as Deji Plaza, Pacific Department Store, and the Wenmiao Commercial District, and establish the Datong Street Heritage Brand District.
Circulation Division
③ Establish a national smart commercial district demonstration zone. Complete the construction of a big data platform for the central commercial district and strive to designate one national model smart store.
④ Accelerate the renovation and upgrading of pedestrian streets. Strive to designate 2 national and provincial model streets.
⑤ Implement the three-year plan for the County-Level Commercial Leadership Initiative. Strive to designate one county as a national model for county-level commerce, and construct or renovate 12 township commercial centers.
Municipal Construction Office
⑥ Strengthen the development of county-level e-commerce industrial clusters. Promote the "digital-commerce integration" of three provincial-level e-commerce industrial clusters: Suining Home Furnishings, Fengxian Dashahe, and Pizhou Guanhu.
E-commerce Division
⑦ Develop community commerce. Launch the “15-Minute Convenience Living Festival” and establish 15 new 15-minute convenience living circles.
Municipal Construction Division
7
Fostering the Development of Commercial and Trade Entities
① Foster the development of modern commerce and distribution enterprises. Achieve a net increase of more than 400 large-scale trading enterprises.
Operations Division
② Implement the E-commerce Entity Cultivation Initiative. Promote the transition of individual businesses to corporate entities and small businesses to standardized enterprises in the e-commerce sector; cultivate 40 e-commerce enterprises with online retail sales of 50 million yuan or more; and add 15 new e-commerce enterprises meeting the scale criteria.
E-commerce Division
II. Improve the Modern Commerce and Distribution System
7
Fostering the Development of Commercial Entities
③ Enhance the concentration of regional brands. Attract more well-known domestic and international brands to launch their products or open their first stores in Xuzhou; encourage enterprises to develop membership stores, discount stores, and specialized stores; promote the establishment of high-end commercial enterprises such as RT-Mart M Membership Stores and Hema Fresh; and strengthen the development of branded convenience store chains.
Circulation Division
④ Innovative Development of Time-Honored Brands. Implement the “Five New Initiatives” for time-honored brands and designate 8 provincial-level time-honored brands.
⑤ Explore best practices in domestic and international trade integration, support 17 provincial-level pilot enterprises in this initiative, actively seek provincial-level policies, and expand into both international and domestic markets.
8
Promote cost reduction and efficiency gains in commerce and distribution
① Vigorously develop green distribution. Establish 2 new National Green Malls.
Circulation Division
② Host the National Agricultural-Commercial Interconnection and Rural Revitalization Production-Sales Matching Conference to establish a distinctive national brand for agricultural product production-sales matching.
Municipal Construction Division
③ High-quality implementation of the national system for ensuring the supply of essential daily necessities.
Operations Division
④ Promote high-quality development in commerce and logistics. Aim to have 1–2 enterprises selected as national key contact enterprises in commerce and logistics.
Circulation Division
III. Promoting Stable Volume and Improved Quality in Foreign Trade
9
Fostering and Strengthening Foreign Trade Entities
① Compile a list of key foreign trade enterprises. Strengthen operational monitoring, credit support, and on-site visits and surveys to help enterprises resolve practical difficulties. Aim to have 100 enterprises with annual import and export volumes of 100 million yuan or more, including 1 enterprise with over 10 billion yuan and 10 enterprises with over 1 billion yuan.
Foreign Trade Division
② Establish a Foreign Trade (Cross-Border E-Commerce) Association.
III. Promoting Stable Volume and Improved Quality in Foreign Trade
9
Fostering and Strengthening Foreign Trade Entities
③ Fostering local enterprises. Leveraging leading enterprises such as XCMG Group and Zhongrun Solar, we will guide upstream and downstream enterprises in sectors such as construction machinery and photovoltaics to expand globally across the entire supply chain.
Foreign Trade Division
④ Launch the “Service Provider + Platform” Expansion Initiative. Fully leverage the leading role of flagship enterprises such as Suhao and Sumec to accelerate the introduction of a group of platform-based and service-oriented enterprises.
⑤ Accelerate pilot program development. Successfully complete the pilot tasks for the construction machinery quality and efficiency improvement project, and encourage eligible enterprises to apply for the national used machinery export pilot program.
⑥ Implement a strategy for integrating domestic and foreign trade. Encourage enterprises in sectors such as timber and glass products to transition from supply-only operations to self-operated sales.
⑦ Actively address international trade frictions. Ensure the proper filing and archiving of major trade dispute cases, and strengthen guidance and support throughout the entire process.
10
Deeply expand international markets
① Develop and implement a municipal trade promotion plan. Organize more than 300 enterprises to participate in domestic and international trade fairs such as the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), the Canton Fair, and the Dubai Furniture Fair.
② Strengthen economic and trade ties with countries and regions such as the United States, Europe, Japan, and South Korea; expand into emerging markets such as ASEAN and Central Asia; and increase the proportion of exhibitions held in these emerging markets.
③ Implement the “Silk Road Trade” promotion plan. Guide key enterprises to establish marketing outlets along the Belt and Road routes and increase the share of imports and exports with Belt and Road and RCEP countries.
III. Promoting Stable and Quality-Driven Foreign Trade
11
Accelerate the Development of New Forms of Trade
① Issue the "Action Plan for High-Quality Development of Cross-Border E-Commerce" and continue to organize events such as cross-border e-commerce skills competitions.
Foreign Trade Division
② Focus on promoting the development of "cross-border e-commerce + industrial clusters." Cultivate three specialized cross-border e-commerce industrial clusters in construction machinery, electric vehicles, and glass. Continue to develop five provincial-level cross-border e-commerce industrial parks, 11 overseas warehouses, and seven well-known cross-border e-commerce brands, with annual cross-border e-commerce transaction volume exceeding 6 billion yuan.
③ Enhance the functionality of the Xuzhou Digital Trade Service Platform, facilitate the onboarding of 50 enterprises, and generate an additional 1 billion yuan in trade volume.
④ Expand market procurement trade. Achieve full coverage of “Shicaitong” service sub-centers across all counties.
12
Make every effort to expand the scale of imports
① Leverage the advantages of platforms such as the China-Europe Railway Express, export supervision warehouses and import bonded warehouses in the Port Area, and bonded logistics centers to establish a commodity trading center.
② Relying on customs special supervision zones, explore the establishment of import commodity exhibition centers to facilitate the import of high-end equipment and critical components for key industrial projects, and expand the scale of trade in intermediate goods such as solar cells and iron ore.
③ Utilize national-level exhibitions such as the China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) to increase imports of high-end consumer goods. Strive to further optimize the city’s export and import structure.
13
Strengthen and Improve the Service Trade Sector
① Support the development of provincial-level service trade bases such as the Xuzhou Software Park and the Pizhou Economic and Technological Development Zone; encourage provincial-level demonstration zones such as the Xinyi Internet Industrial Park to strive for higher rankings; support municipal-level demonstration zones in their efforts to become provincial-level demonstration zones; and cultivate a group of public platforms for international service outsourcing, including technology, information, training, and cloud crowdsourcing platforms.
Trade in Services Division
② Establish provincial-level demonstration projects, aiming to create 1 provincial-level digital trade platform, 1 provincial-level platform-based digital trade leading enterprise, and 1 provincial-level key enterprise in the service trade sector.
IV. Expand the Scale of Two-Way Investment
14
Strengthening the Attraction of Foreign Investment Projects
① Focus on industry-specific investment promotion. Aligning with the needs to fill gaps, strengthen, and extend the industrial chains under the “343” strategy, we will target key countries and regions such as the U.S., Europe, Japan, and South Korea to attract more foreign investment projects in advanced manufacturing and high-tech industries. Throughout the year, we aim to secure 15 new foreign investment projects with a total investment of at least $30 million each.
Foreign Investment Division
Investment Promotion Division
② Conduct business-to-business investment promotion. Support leading local enterprises in strengthening cooperation with upstream and downstream businesses within the industrial chain to attract clusters of supporting projects from developed countries.
15
Innovate Approaches to Utilizing Foreign Investment
① Accelerate the implementation of the QFLP pilot program. Establish a dedicated task force for the pilot program to attract more QFLP fund projects and strive to ensure that the total volume of foreign investment through the QFLP program exceeds $100 million for the year.
Foreign Investment Division
② Broaden investment channels and sectors. Encourage the introduction of international capital through foreign mergers and acquisitions and round-trip investment; strengthen investment attraction in productive services, high-end service sectors, and headquarters-based institutions; and achieve breakthroughs in foreign investment utilization within the financial sector.
16
Implement a Special Campaign for Capital Increases and Share Expansion
① Strengthen policy incentives and guidance. Formulate and implement a three-year action plan for capital increases and share expansion in foreign-invested enterprises, enhance the promotion and implementation of deferred tax policies, and guide existing foreign-invested enterprises to increase capital and expand capacity through additional investments, reinvestment of profits, and debt-to-equity swaps.
② Accelerate the Process of Capital Inflow. Establish a city-wide list of capital increase and share expansion projects for foreign-invested enterprises, coordinate efforts to resolve challenges faced by enterprises in raising capital, and facilitate the prompt inflow of foreign capital for major projects such as Zhongneng Silicon Industry, Hyosung Carbon Fiber, and Blanken Metal. Strive to achieve a total capital inflow exceeding $200 million for the year.
17
Accelerate the development of foreign investment clusters
① Establish Sino-foreign industrial parks. Promote the establishment of the Sino-German (Xuzhou) International Cooperation Park and the Caterpillar Supporting Industries Park within the Xuzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, creating a benchmark zone for high-end manufacturing dominated by German enterprises and featuring a concentration of foreign companies.
Development Zone Division
Foreign Investment Division
② Enhance the concentration of Japanese and South Korean industries. Focus on key competitive industrial chains from Japan and South Korea, and leverage platforms and resources such as the East Asia Entrepreneurs Taihu Forum and Hyosung Group to attract more Japanese and South Korean enterprises to cluster and develop in Xuzhou.
③ Strengthen the Development Zones as the Main Hub. Leverage the development zones as the primary platform, guided by the concept of integrated industry-city development, to optimize and strengthen the construction machinery industrial cluster in the foreign investment sector.
IV. Expand the Scale of Two-Way Investment
18
Strengthening Support Services for Foreign Investment
① Accelerate project development. Refine the list of major foreign investment projects, implement full-lifecycle management and support services, and facilitate the swift commencement of operations. Strive to have two new projects included in the national and provincial databases of major foreign investment projects, and concentrate resources to provide focused support.
Foreign Investment Division
② Enhance the capabilities of foreign-invested enterprises. Launch a series of outreach activities to foreign-invested R&D centers and multinational headquarters, strengthen tiered cultivation efforts, and strive to secure approval for one provincial-level foreign-invested R&D center and one functional unit of a multinational corporation.
③ Intensify support for foreign-invested enterprises. Establish a regular government-business communication mechanism, strengthen research and analysis of foreign-invested enterprises, hold regular meetings with foreign-invested enterprises, and assist them in resolving challenges and promoting development.
19
Deepening Outbound Investment and Cooperation Across Multiple Sectors
① Foster the growth of domestic multinational enterprises. Establish three databases—a database of key outbound investment enterprises, a database of prospective outbound investment projects, and a database of enterprise needs—to support key enterprises in establishing international marketing networks, building overseas production bases, and expanding cross-border industrial chain cooperation.
Foreign Economic Affairs Division
② Implement the “Collective Overseas Expansion” strategy. Promote horizontal collaboration among enterprises in sectors such as construction machinery and energy resource development to jointly explore key international markets; collaborate with professional organizations such as the China International Contractors Association to secure international engineering projects in areas like power and energy, as well as mineral resource development.
③ Advance the development of overseas industrial clusters. Expand and strengthen the XCMG Brazil Industrial Park, aiming to attract at least one new enterprise to the park.
④ Strengthen risk prevention in overseas investment. Ensure enterprises fulfill their primary responsibilities; supervise and guide overseas enterprises in establishing routine safety assurance and emergency management systems; strengthen safety production management for overseas projects; and effectively mitigate operational risks abroad.
V. Accelerate the Development of Open Platforms
20
Promoting Innovative Development of Park Facilities
① Promote high-quality development of industrial parks across the city. We aim to ensure that the GDP of industrial parks accounts for more than 52% of the city’s total, and that actual utilization of foreign capital and foreign trade imports and exports account for no less than 80% and 80% of the city’s total, respectively.
Development Zone Division
② Construct the Huaihai International Port Area to high standards, strengthen coordination with the Lianyungang Pilot Free Trade Zone, and actively integrate into the construction of the “Belt and Road” New Eurasian Land-Sea Transport Corridor.
V. Accelerate the Development of Open Platforms
20
Promoting Innovative Development of Park Facilities
③ We will rigorously advance the construction of distinctive industrial parks such as the National Construction Machinery Industry Innovation Park, the National Safety Technology Valley, and the Donghu Pharmaceutical Industrial Park to high standards, and establish three new specialized industrial parks with an output value exceeding 10 billion yuan each.
Development Zone Division
④ Support the construction of university science and technology industrial parks in the Yunlong Economic Development Zone and the Peixian Economic Development Zone.
⑤ Encourage qualified development zones in Pizhou, Peixian, and other areas to establish overseas investment promotion centers to accelerate the introduction of high-quality projects.
⑥ Encourage development zones to actively implement tiered enterprise cultivation plans, providing targeted policy services tailored to different stages of enterprise development, fostering a group of industry-leading champions and specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative “little giant” enterprises, and enhancing the innovation and development clusters within the zones.
⑦ Promote the replication and promotion of innovative practices from free trade zones by three joint free trade innovation zones, create a high-standard business environment, and enhance the level of institutional openness.
21
Deepen functional innovation in customs supervision zones
① Support the Xuzhou Comprehensive Bonded Zone in innovating its “bonded + industry” development model and accelerate the construction of a number of functional projects, such as the Caterpillar industrial manufacturing base. Achieve annual import and export volume of over 20 billion yuan.
Port Division
② Leverage the functions of the Xuzhou Bonded Logistics Center, the designated supervision site for imported meat, and the Shuanglou Operations Area to provide the city with modern supply chain services that integrate raw material supply, storage and transportation of intermediate and finished products, and distribution. Achieve annual import and export volume of over 1 billion yuan.
③ Promote the integration of the Xinyi Bonded Logistics Center with multiple platforms, including railways and ports, to develop port-adjacent logistics and industries. Achieve annual import and export volumes of over 3.5 billion yuan.
V. Accelerate the Development of Open Platforms
22
Enhancing the Operational Capabilities of Open Platforms
① Formulate and issue the "2024 City-wide Key Projects for Enhancing Open Platform Capabilities" to continuously strengthen support for foreign trade channels.
Port Division
② Fully operationalize the International Mail Exchange Office, strive to launch the 9610 cross-border e-commerce service, achieve “three customs functions in one,” and process over 200,000 international mail items annually.
③ Improve the quality and efficiency of the China-Europe Railway Express, operating more than 400 trains annually, with local foreign trade enterprises accounting for over 45% of exports.
④ Promote the completion and commissioning of Terminal 1 at Guanyin Airport; launch two international (regional) passenger air routes; and strive to resume international cargo routes.
VI. Strengthening the Capacity for High-Quality Development in Commerce
23
Strengthening the Development of Political Organs
We will persistently use Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to unite our hearts and minds and forge our spirit, consolidate and deepen the achievements of the thematic education campaign, resolutely uphold the “Two Establishments,” firmly establish the “Four Consciousnesses,” and strengthen the “Four Confidences,” ensuring that the “Two Upholds” are implemented in all aspects and throughout the entire process of high-quality development in the commerce sector.We will fully implement the accountability system for ideological work, ensure that leading officials at all levels fulfill their “dual responsibilities” for Party management and governance, strengthen discipline and rules, strictly observe political norms, precisely apply the “four forms” of supervision and discipline enforcement, fully cooperate with the work of the 11th Discipline Inspection and Supervision Group dispatched by the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Municipal Supervisory Commission, and build a “Clean Xuzhou Commerce.”
Party Committee of the Agency
24
Building a Strong Cadre Corps
We are committed to building a high-quality, professional commerce workforce that is loyal, clean, and accountable. We emphasize theoretical study, strengthen professional training, and organize the “Commerce Cadre Lecture Series.” We will enhance the selection and appointment of cadres through a multidimensional approach, taking into account their experience, capabilities, potential, performance, contributions, and job fit. We will increase incentives and protections for cadres to further motivate staff to act with courage and competence and implement measures pragmatically in promoting high-quality development in the commerce sector.
Party Committee of the Agency
Organization and Personnel Division
VI. Strengthening Capabilities for High-Quality Development in Commerce
25
Strengthen Industry Regulation in the Commerce Sector
① Promote the development of a business integrity system, strengthen “Internet Plus Regulation” and “double random, public disclosure” regulatory approaches, and launch the 2024 “Integrity in Business Promotion Month” campaign.
Circulation Division
② Further strengthen the management of single-purpose commercial prepaid cards and the circulation of refined oil products; research and formulate management policies for single-purpose commercial prepaid cards; develop a service system for single-purpose commercial prepaid cards; and select 1–2 counties (cities) or districts to conduct pilot programs.
26
Ensure workplace safety in the commerce sector
① Focus on key tasks related to work safety in the commercial sector—including gas stations, scrap vehicle recycling enterprises, commercial premises, and gas-powered catering facilities—to ensure the continued stability and improvement of the work safety situation in the commercial sector.
Circulation Division
Municipal Construction Division
② Improve the emergency supply assurance and monitoring and early warning systems to ensure the supply of daily necessities and medicines.
Operations Division
Circulation Division
