Original Title: Notice Issued by the General Office of the People’s Government of Shandong Province on the “Several Measures to Support Qingdao West Coast New Area in Further Deepening Reform and Innovation and Accelerating High-Quality Development”
Several Measures to Support Qingdao West Coast New Area in Further Deepening Reform and Innovation and Accelerating High-Quality Development

　　To thoroughly implement the "Guiding Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Supporting National-Level New Areas in Deepening Reform and Innovation to Accelerate High-Quality Development" (State Council General Office Document [2019] No. 58), better leverage the exemplary, leading, and radiating role of the Qingdao West Coast New Area, actively participate in the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin, the construction of a maritime power province, and the development of a global marine center city, and promote the integration of the Jiaodong Economic Circle, the following measures are hereby proposed to support the Qingdao West Coast New Area in further deepening reform and innovation and accelerating high-quality development.

　　I. Enhancing Scientific and Technological Innovation Capabilities

　　Support the West Coast New Area in taking the lead or participating in major national “Science and Technology Innovation 2030” projects and talent recruitment programs for national-level key platforms. Provide support for innovation platforms in the West Coast New Area, including provincial-level and above key laboratories, technology innovation centers, new-type R&D institutions, clinical medical research centers, engineering research centers, and enterprise technology centers; the provincial and municipal governments will jointly provide subsidies for newly upgraded national-level innovation platforms in the West Coast New Area.Support the construction of major scientific facilities, such as the Thermal Physics Experimental Facility for Atmospheric Engines, and innovation platforms like the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Marine Science Research Center, to build a National Marine Science City. Support the West Coast New Area in piloting market-oriented and enterprise-style restructuring reforms for technology development research institutions. Encourage the clustering of financial and science and technology innovation institutions in the Tangdao Bay area and foster the development of venture capital and private equity industries.Implement reforms and innovations in science and technology finance and green finance, and actively explore effective models for financial support of scientific and technological innovation. (Led by the Provincial Department of Science and Technology; the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, Provincial Department of Finance, Provincial Market Regulation Bureau, Provincial Local Financial Regulatory Bureau, People’s Bank of China Jinan Branch, and Qingdao Banking and Insurance Regulatory Bureau shall assume responsibility according to their respective duties)

　　II. Accelerating the Development of the Marine Economy

　　Support the West Coast New Area in building a science, education, and industry base with distinct marine characteristics, and promote the integrated development of science, education, and industry. Support the West Coast New Area in establishing a national innovation demonstration zone for marine economic development. Support the construction of the National Marine Gene Bank at the BGI North China Center in Qingdao, and strive to have it included in the National Gene Bank. Support the West Coast New Area in building a National Marine Environmental Protection Big Data Center. Coordinate the protection and development of nearshore island and reef resources, innovate new models for island economic development, and strive to establish a national pilot project for the construction of offshore energy islands.Accelerate the construction of the National Deep-Sea Green Aquaculture Pilot Zone and the Modern Marine Pasture Demonstration Zone. Vigorously develop distinctive and competitive industries such as high-end shipbuilding, marine engineering, and marine biomedicine; accelerate the construction of the China Academy of Marine Engineering and the National Marine Drug Pilot Production Base; and support the creation of a provincial “goose-formation” cluster for modern marine industries and a national cluster for strategic emerging marine industries.Support the planning and construction of relevant areas for the National Key Cold Chain Logistics Base and build a Northeast Asian center for seafood processing and trade. Establish and improve the working mechanisms of the East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform, promote its substantive operation, and deeply integrate into international marine openness and cooperation. Support the inclusion of the development and construction of the Dongjiakou Port Area in corresponding national and provincial development plans, and accelerate the construction of a world-class marine port. Enhance the international transshipment capacity of Qingdao Port and build it into an international shipping hub for Northeast Asia.(Led by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission; the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Provincial Energy Bureau, Provincial Oceanic Administration, Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, Provincial Big Data Bureau, and Provincial Department of Transportation shall assume responsibility in accordance with their respective duties)

　　III. Vigorously Develop the “Four New” Economy

　　Support the West Coast New Area in building a first-class industrial internet industrial park. Launch pilot projects for the “intelligent transformation and integration” of high-end manufacturing, and support the creation of a National Experimental Zone for High-Quality Manufacturing Development and a Demonstration Base for New Industrialization. Encourage and support headquarters economy projects in the marine sector—including corporate headquarters, regional headquarters, procurement centers, R&D centers, financial management centers, and settlement centers—to prioritize establishing operations in the West Coast New Area.Support institutional and mechanism innovations in the Lingshan Bay film and television service management system; build Oriental Movie Metropolis to high standards; vigorously develop the film and television cultural industry; and establish the core zone of the province’s “1+N” film and television industrial base layout. Support the West Coast New Area in hosting the 5G High-Tech Video Industry Development Conference; accelerate the construction of the 5G High-Tech Video Experimental Park; and build a high-tech video industry demonstration zone with significant international influence.(Led by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission; the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, the Provincial Publicity Department, the Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and the Provincial Radio and Television Bureau shall assume responsibility in accordance with their respective duties)

　　IV. Promoting Pilot Implementation of Major Projects

　　Strengthen provincial-level coordination to prioritize the West Coast New Area in undertaking national and provincial reform pilot tasks, and give priority to locating major projects that support national strategies within the West Coast New Area. Support the inclusion of eligible major projects and leading enterprises in the West Coast New Area into the scope of provincial-level key projects and support programs for leading enterprises.Encourage the Provincial New and Old Growth Drivers Transformation Fund, the Blue Economy Zone Industrial Investment Fund, and other funds to increase investment in the West Coast New Area to serve the real economy and support technological innovation. Support the West Coast New Area in accelerating the construction of LNG unloading facilities and gas storage capacity. (Led by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission; the Provincial Energy Bureau is responsible according to its respective duties)

　　V. Innovating Employment Mechanisms

　　Support functional zones within the West Coast New Area in exploring the implementation of appointment-based systems and performance appraisal systems, and permit the adoption of compensation systems such as concurrent positions with dual remuneration, annual salary systems, and negotiated wage systems. Support two-way personnel exchanges between the West Coast New Area and provincial-level departments.The West Coast New Area is permitted to independently determine the annual number of civil servants to be recruited within its established staffing quota, with the Qingdao Municipal Party Committee’s Office of Institutional Reform and Staffing reporting this to the Provincial Party Committee’s Office of Institutional Reform and Staffing for record-keeping. A “revolving door” mechanism for talent mobility will be established in the West Coast New Area to facilitate the integration of government agencies, public institutions, universities, research institutes, and enterprises, supporting two-way talent flow.Completely lift residency restrictions in the West Coast New Area. Each year, a group of professional cadres will be selected to undergo practical training in leading domestic cities or multinational corporations. Support the West Coast New Area in sending cadres abroad for training and education. (Led by the Organization Department of the Provincial Party Committee; the Provincial Party Committee’s Office of Institutional Reform, the Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security, the Provincial Public Security Department, and the Provincial Department of Science and Technology shall assume responsibility according to their respective duties)

　　VI. Promoting All-Round, High-Level Opening-Up

　　Accelerate integration into the new development paradigm centered on the domestic economic cycle, with the domestic and international cycles reinforcing each other. Improve the collaborative mechanism with customs authorities in provinces (regions) along the Yellow River Basin. Support the establishment of an Import Trade Promotion and Innovation Demonstration Zone and the China-Japan (Qingdao) Local Development Cooperation Demonstration Zone to build strategic platforms for international openness and cooperation. Support the West Coast New Area in building international communities, international hospitals, and international schools to create an international “simulated” environment and establish the “International Living Room” brand.Strive to have sub-venues for national-level exhibitions and conferences, such as the China International Import Expo, established in the West Coast New Area. Organize dedicated sessions or prioritize promotional activities for the West Coast New Area during major events including the Qingdao Summit of Multinational Corporation Leaders, the Confucian Business Conference and Qingdao Enterprise Summit, the Japan-Korea Shandong Week, the Europe Business Week, the “Dialogue with Shandong” series, the Shandong International Confucian Business Association, and the New Momentum·Qingdao Exhibition and Trade Fair.Leveraging superior port resources and infrastructure, support the prioritized development of business sectors such as shipping and trade, industry-city integration, and offshore engineering equipment in the West Coast New Area. Accelerate the transformation and upgrading of modern ports and the development of a modern logistics system to build an international land-sea logistics hub. (Led by the Provincial Department of Commerce; Qingdao Customs, the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the Provincial Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the Provincial Department of Civil Affairs, the Provincial Department of Education, the Provincial Health Commission, and the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology shall assume responsibility according to their respective duties)

　　VII. High-Level Development of the Pilot Free Trade Zone

　　Implement institutional innovations centered on investment and trade facilitation, and take the lead in replicating the reform experiences of the Pilot Free Trade Zone across the entire West Coast New Area.Support the Qingdao Zone in conducting commodity trading for cotton, oil and gas, minerals, rubber, and other commodities, and build a commodity trading and allocation platform with international influence. Support the West Coast New Area and the Qingdao Zone of the Shandong Pilot Free Trade Zone in implementing the “Action Plan for the Early Implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).” Relying on the West Coast New Area Bonded Logistics Center (Type B), vigorously develop cross-border trade. Build a regional offshore trade center. Accelerate the construction of the “China-Japan-Korea Consumer Zone.”Support the implementation of port-of-loading tax refunds for goods transshipped through Qingdao Port for export, and designate Qingdao Port as a port of departure. Support the Qingdao Zone in conducting a pilot program to integrate bonded warehouses and export supervision warehouses. Support the West Coast New Area in piloting security models for cross-border data transmission, and support efforts to promote the flow of data as a production factor and cultivate a data trading market.Support the strengthening of judicial institutions for international commercial dispute resolution in the Qingdao Zone. Support pioneering initiatives in advancing the internationalization of the RMB. For cross-border transfers of domestic trade financing assets where the authenticity and legality of the transaction have been verified, support pricing and settlement in RMB. (Led by the Provincial Department of Commerce; the Provincial Cyberspace Administration Office, Provincial Department of Finance, Provincial Bureau of Local Financial Supervision, Provincial Big Data Bureau, Provincial High Court, People’s Bank of China Jinan Branch, Qingdao Securities Regulatory Bureau, and Qingdao Customs shall assume responsibility according to their respective duties)

　　VIII. Strengthening Support for Key Factors

　　Promote the inclusion of West Coast New Area marine use projects in national major strategic projects and prioritize their incorporation into relevant provincial-level or higher plans to ensure marine use rights for these projects. Support the West Coast New Area in conducting regional assessments in eligible areas, so that projects entering the zone no longer require separate assessments. Support the adjustment of functional planning for the Huangdao Petrochemical Zone and surrounding areas, accelerate the expansion of the chemical industrial park in the Dongjiakou Economic Zone, and develop high-end petrochemical industries. Implement a pilot program for the industrialization of carbon capture technology in the West Coast New Area.Support the West Coast New Area in innovating ecological and environmental management systems and conducting pilot projects on climate finance. Support the West Coast New Area in advancing carbon peaking and carbon neutrality efforts across sectors including energy, industry, construction, and transportation. Explore establishing an indicator allocation and trading mechanism in the West Coast New Area that determines energy and resource usage rights based on output benefits. Support the rational allocation of production, living, and ecological spaces within the New Area, and guide Qingdao City to prioritize the scale of construction land for the New Area in the formulation of the new round of territorial spatial planning.Support applications for piloting the financial regulatory “sandbox mechanism,” and actively seek national support for the establishment of private banks and the approval of securities and other corporate financial institutions. (Led by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission; the Provincial Department of Natural Resources, Provincial Oceanic Administration, Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, Provincial Department of Transportation, Provincial Bureau of Local Financial Supervision, People’s Bank of China Jinan Branch, Qingdao Banking and Insurance Regulatory Bureau, and Qingdao Securities Regulatory Bureau shall assume responsibility according to their respective duties)

　　IX. Focus on Creating a World-Class Business Environment

　　Support the West Coast New Area in benchmarking against advanced regions such as Shenzhen, Pudong New Area, and the Hainan Free Trade Port to continuously deepen reforms in streamlining administration, delegating powers, and improving government services, and to build a market-oriented, law-based, and international business environment.Support the West Coast New Area in striving to become a national pilot for business environment innovation and in playing a leading and exemplary role. Provincial-level business information systems or platforms shall grant the West Coast New Area corresponding access rights and interfaces to deepen process reengineering and the “one-stop online service” initiative. Further accelerate the standardization of government services; for new items added to the provincial government service system, ensure tiered adoption to build a new area with the highest service efficiency and optimal overall costs.Support the establishment of the China Qingdao West Coast New Area National Intellectual Property Rapid Rights Protection Center and a trademark service reception window of the National Intellectual Property Administration. Support the establishment of a bankruptcy tribunal to optimize the allocation of market resources and strengthen the protection of creditors’ rights. Support eligible banks operating in the New Area in upgrading from branches to secondary branches, and further increase business authorization and resource allocation. (Led by the General Office of the Provincial Government; the Provincial Market Regulation Bureau, the Provincial Big Data Bureau, the Provincial Court, and the Qingdao Banking and Insurance Regulatory Bureau shall be responsible according to their respective duties)

　　X. Support for Major Infrastructure Construction

　　Plan and construct major transportation projects such as the Qingdao-West to Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway Second Corridor Connection and the Qingdao-Rizhao High-Speed Railway. Accelerate the planning and construction of the Dongjiakou Port freight rail network. Accelerate the construction of port-access and industrial park railways, promote direct high-speed rail, expressway, and passenger transport links between the West Coast New Area and Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, and establish a “one-hour transportation circle” in Jiaodong.Support the West Coast New Area in planning and constructing a future-oriented urban transportation system, reserving connections for rail transit with surrounding regions. Strengthen the hub functions of Qingdao West Station and support the addition of select trains originating and terminating there. (Led by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission; the Provincial Department of Transportation and the Provincial Department of Finance are responsible according to their respective duties)

　　XI. Promoting High-Quality Urban Governance

　　Construct underground utility tunnels tailored to local conditions, systematically advance the development of sponge cities, and implement initiatives to improve the quality and efficiency of sewage treatment and address shortcomings in drainage infrastructure. Support the West Coast New Area in exploring and implementing differentiated, targeted regulatory policies within the framework of Qingdao’s “one city, one policy” approach to real estate market regulation. Build a new type of smart city and establish a regional “urban cloud brain hub.”Deepen reform and innovation in social governance to create a new pattern of social governance characterized by joint construction, co-governance, and shared benefits. Promote the balanced distribution of high-quality educational resources in the West Coast New Area and guide renowned provincial and municipal primary and secondary schools to establish branch campuses there. Work to attract provincial-level general and specialized medical institutions to establish a presence in the West Coast New Area. (Led by the Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development; the Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission, the Provincial Big Data Bureau, the Provincial Department of Education, and the Provincial Health Commission shall assume responsibility according to their respective duties)

　　XII. Improve the Coordination and Implementation Mechanism

　　Regularly convene the Joint Conference on High-Quality Development of Shandong’s Marine Economy in the West Coast New Area to pool various marine resources and innovative elements, and coordinate the implementation of all tasks.Improve the implementation mechanism for the "Regulations of Shandong Province on Qingdao West Coast New Area." Support the establishment of an innovative and coordinated development mechanism between the Qingdao Area of the China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone and the West Coast New Area. Relevant provincial departments shall, in accordance with their respective functions, clarify responsibilities and provide active support to the West Coast New Area in areas such as planning formulation, policy implementation, funding allocation, institutional innovation, and pilot demonstrations. (Led by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission; relevant provincial departments are responsible according to their respective duties)