To the People’s Governments of All Cities, Counties (Districts), and All Departments and Directly Affiliated Agencies of the Autonomous Region Government:

To thoroughly implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speeches on the development of the digital economy, actively foster new drivers for economic transformation, and build new competitive advantages in the digital economy and a new hub for the big data industry, in accordance with the “14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Big Data Industry” (MIIT Regulation [2021] No. 179), the “Implementation Plan for Computing Power Hubs within the National Integrated Big Data Center Collaborative Innovation System” (NDRC High-Tech [2021] No. 709),the “Implementation Plan for High-Quality Development of the Autonomous Region’s Electronic Information Industry” (Ning Party Office [2020] No. 88), and other relevant documents, and in light of the actual conditions of our region, the following implementation opinions are formulated.

I. Promoting Industrial Agglomeration

(1) Scientifically Plan Industrial Layout. Adhering to the principles of “adapting to local conditions, pursuing differentiated development, and fostering industrial agglomeration,” we will accelerate the construction of the Ningxia Hub—a national node of the National Integrated Computing Power Network—and build the Zhongwei Data Center Cluster to high standards, thereby establishing a computing power support base serving the entire nation.Support the Yinchuan Economic and Technological Development Zone Incubation Center in establishing a National Specialized Software Park. Encourage localities to build big data industrial clusters based on their industrial foundations and big data applications, accelerate the formation of a scientific and orderly industrial division of labor and regional layout, and improve the quality and efficiency of development. (Responsible Units: Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission, Department of Industry and Information Technology; People’s Governments of all cities, counties [districts])

(2) Build an Ecosystem for Clustered Development. For enterprises entering big data industrial clusters, priority will be given to recommending them for national and autonomous region-level big data policy support under equal conditions. Local municipal, county (district) governments, and industrial parks may offer preferential rates or exemptions on rent for R&D facilities and standard server rooms. Enterprises are encouraged to strengthen technical cooperation and information sharing to build a multi-party collaborative, mutually beneficial industrial ecosystem.(Responsible Units: Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission, Department of Industry and Information Technology; People’s Governments of all cities, counties [districts])

(3) Ensure Land Allocation for Project Construction. Actively support land allocation for big data, cloud computing, and software enterprise projects. For projects that comply with relevant planning requirements, priority shall be given when allocating annual quotas for new construction land. Regarding revenue from the transfer of state-owned land use rights, after deducting various special funds set aside in accordance with regulations and funds with clearly defined expenditure purposes, the portion of land transfer revenue retained by local governments may be used to support project construction within the scope permitted by policy.(Responsible Units: Department of Natural Resources of the Autonomous Region, Department of Finance, and People’s Governments of all cities, counties [districts])

(4) Reduce electricity costs for production. Enterprises in big data, cloud computing, and related sectors shall benefit from the autonomous region’s policies to reduce electricity costs for competitive industries. Through direct power transactions and local government support, the end-user electricity rates for data centers in the Western Cloud Base shall be reduced. Local governments may provide appropriate subsidies for high-reliability power supply costs associated with data center projects. (Responsible Units: Development and Reform Commission of the Autonomous Region, Department of Industry and Information Technology, and People’s Governments of all cities, counties [districts])

II. Strengthening Efforts to Cultivate and Attract Enterprises

(5) Attracting Leading Enterprises to Settle in the Region. Actively attract leading domestic and international enterprises in big data, cloud computing, and related fields—characterized by large investment scale, cutting-edge technology, advanced management, and strong industry-driving capabilities—to establish operations in our region, thereby fostering new industrial models and business formats. For leading enterprises in big data, cloud computing, and related fields that settle in our region, financial support of up to 2 million to 3 million yuan may be provided over a three-year period, equivalent to 20%–30% of their actual investment.(Responsible Units: Department of Industry and Information Technology of the Autonomous Region, Department of Finance, and People’s Governments of all cities, counties [districts])

(6) Supporting Enterprises to Grow Larger and Stronger. Implement a cultivation plan for big data, cloud computing, and software enterprises; support enterprises in expanding into markets outside the region; establish and improve evaluation and incentive mechanisms; select leading enterprises and high-growth enterprises; and prioritize their recommendation for applications for relevant national and autonomous region policy support. Software and information technology service enterprises whose annual main business revenue exceeds 10 million yuan or 30 million yuan for the first time will be granted one-time financial support of 500,000 yuan and 1 million yuan, respectively.(Responsible Units: Department of Industry and Information Technology of the Autonomous Region, Department of Finance, and People’s Governments of all cities, counties [districts])

(7) Promote the Integration and Application of Technologies. Encourage big data, cloud computing, and software enterprises to provide application services to government, society, and businesses; conduct pilot demonstrations for the development of the big data industry; create typical application scenarios; and enhance the level of informatization and data value realization. Support the construction of big data platforms, promote data circulation and application, and drive the circulation and appreciation of data as a production factor. (Responsible Units: Department of Industry and Information Technology of the Autonomous Region, Department of Finance, and People’s Governments of all cities, counties [districts])

(8) Support the Use of Cloud Computing Services. Support the construction of cloud service platforms and the provision of cloud services through industrial cloud models. Provide support for the development and application of industrial apps through post-subsidy mechanisms. Encourage local cloud service enterprises to reduce their fee standards to attract and drive enterprises and institutions across the region to adopt cloud computing services. (Responsible Units: Department of Industry and Information Technology of the Autonomous Region, Department of Finance, and People’s Governments of all cities, counties [districts])

III. Focus on Promoting Innovation-Driven Development

(9) Strengthen Research and Development of Key Technologies. Encourage enterprises to conduct basic research in big data, cloud computing, and software technologies, achieve breakthroughs in core and key technologies, and develop innovative products. Provide financial support of up to 20% of the investment amount (capped at 2 million yuan) for projects approved as national or autonomous region-level outstanding big data and software products, solutions, or pilot demonstration projects. (Responsible Units: Department of Industry and Information Technology of the Autonomous Region, Department of Finance, Department of Science and Technology)

(10) Support the Construction of Innovation Platforms. Support the development of innovation platforms for the big data, cloud computing, and software industries, including open-source communities, computing power scheduling, data trading, collaborative R&D, and technology transfer. Relevant enterprises will be included in the national high-tech enterprise cultivation database for priority development. Support the establishment of innovation platforms such as autonomous region engineering and technology research centers and enterprise technology centers; upon certification, financial support will be provided in accordance with relevant policies. (Responsible Units: Department of Science and Technology, Department of Industry and Information Technology, Development and Reform Commission, and Department of Finance of the Autonomous Region)

(11) Encourage the Development of Technical Standards. Provide appropriate subsidies to enterprises and social organizations that participate in the formulation and revision of international, national, and industry standards, as well as those that take the lead in formulating local or group standards. Encourage enterprises to implement information technology-related standards; provide subsidies for certification fees to enterprises that pass relevant international standard certifications such as CMM and DCMM. (Responsible Units: Department of Industry and Information Technology of the Autonomous Region, Department of Finance, Department of Market Regulation)

(12) Promote industrial collaboration and exchange. Support projects that optimize the development environment for industrial informatization, including assessment and diagnosis, research projects, planning and design, solutions, standard formulation, emergency drills, publicity and promotion, and training. Encourage enterprises, associations, research institutes, and third-party organizations to conduct activities such as industrial ecosystem research, industry data collection, policy consultation, planning formulation, publicity and training, and industrial matchmaking. (Responsible Units: Department of Industry and Information Technology of the Autonomous Region, Department of Finance)

IV. Optimizing the Industrial Development Environment

(13) Improve Information Infrastructure. Intensify efforts to build transmission networks, 5G networks, and gigabit optical networks; accelerate the construction of industrial internet, supercomputing centers, smart pipeline networks, and smart grids to create an intelligent, comprehensive digital information infrastructure. Support the construction of the National (Zhongwei) New Internet Exchange Center and the Ningxia Hub of the National Integrated Computing Power Network; encourage the construction of new data centers in accordance with national green data center standards; and guide existing data centers to undertake energy-saving and greening upgrades.(Responsible Units: Ningxia Communications Administration, Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission, Department of Industry and Information Technology, Department of Finance)

(14) Strengthen financing services. Encourage financial institutions to develop and innovate financial products tailored to big data, cloud computing, and software enterprises; offer secured loans backed by intellectual property and accounts receivable; and expand the scale of unsecured loans. Encourage enterprises to utilize policy-based financing products such as the Ningke Loan and Industrial Intellectual Property Assistance Loan. Leverage the role of the Autonomous Region Government’s Industrial Guidance Fund to support equity financing for enterprises and promote industrial development. (Responsible Units: Autonomous Region Local Financial Regulatory Bureau, Department of Industry and Information Technology, Department of Finance)

(15) Accelerate the development of the talent pool. Support enterprises in attracting and cultivating leading talents, high-level management personnel, and professional technical personnel in the big data, cloud computing, and software industries; high-level talents recruited shall enjoy relevant benefits in accordance with the Autonomous Region’s talent policies. Support enterprises in collaborating with research institutes, universities, and vocational colleges to jointly establish big data industry colleges or electronic information industry colleges, jointly cultivate high-level applied talents, and jointly build public training bases to train professionals with specialized skills.Local governments may provide support to enterprises for recruiting high-level talent, with such funds primarily allocated to talent development. (Responsible Units: Department of Industry and Information Technology, Department of Human Resources and Social Security, Development and Reform Commission, Department of Education, and Department of Finance of the Autonomous Region; People’s Governments of all cities, counties [districts])

(16) Reduce corporate tax burdens. Eligible big data and cloud computing enterprises may enjoy national corporate income tax preferential policies for software enterprises.For newly established big data, cloud computing, and software development enterprises that meet the criteria for tax incentives under the Western Development Strategy, in addition to being subject to a reduced corporate income tax rate of 15%, the following measures shall apply starting from the tax year in which they generate their first operating revenue: a “three-year exemption followed by three years of 50% reduction” on the local portion of corporate income tax; and a “three-year exemption followed by three years of 50% reduction” on urban land use tax for self-used land and property tax for self-used real estate.For enterprises newly recognized as high-tech enterprises by the autonomous region for the first time, the local share of corporate income tax shall be exempted for three years; for those re-recognized in the year following the expiration of their initial certification, the local share of corporate income tax shall be levied at half the standard rate. (Responsible Units: Ningxia Tax Bureau, Department of Finance of the Autonomous Region, and the People’s Governments of all cities, counties [districts])

V. Supplementary Provisions

(17) Big data, cloud computing, and software enterprises investing in and conducting production and business operations in Ningxia shall be provided with appropriate financial incentives and subsidies based on their contributions to local economic and social development. Eligible investment promotion projects shall be subject to the autonomous region’s investment promotion policies. (Responsible Units: People’s Governments of all cities, counties [districts]; Development and Reform Commission, Department of Finance, Department of Commerce, and Ningxia Tax Bureau of the Autonomous Region)

(18) These Guidelines apply to enterprises registered within the administrative region of Ningxia that are engaged in the research, development, production, and operation of next-generation information technologies, including big data, cloud computing, software and information technology services, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and blockchain.

These guidelines shall take effect on April 1, 2022, and remain valid until April 1, 2027. Where existing policies conflict with these guidelines, these guidelines shall prevail.

                                              General Office of the People’s Government of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

                                              January 29, 2022

(This document is publicly released)