Chenzhou continues to make use of its geographical advantages and strengthens the cooperation with Qianhai, Hengqin and Nansha Areas. It takes the opportunity of China (Hunan) Pilot Free Trade Zone (Hunan FTZ), and makes utmost efforts to build an important growth pole connecting Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, an innovation demonstration zone for the Agenda for Sustainable Development, a pilot free trade zone with higher openness, a demonstration zone for transferring and upgrading resource-based industries, a demonstration zone for inheriting red culture and promoting green development, a demonstration zone for southern and western Hunan to undertake industrial transfer, and a demonstration zone for cooperation between Hunan and Jiangxi provinces. 

 

 

 

As the gate connecting Hunan FTZ and the GBA, Chenzhou seizes opportunities to attract enterprises to settle here. 89 of the 102 reform and innovation tasks have been implemented; 228 of 264 implementation measures have been taken. And it took the lead in introducing 10 measures for the registration reform of “enclave economy” in the province. A mode of “headquarters plus production bases” to cultivate market players has been explored. 

 

In May this year, Chenzhou issued Hunan’s first measures for bonded maintenance. It clarifies that enterprises in Chenzhou Comprehensive Bonded Zone can carry out global maintenance business, and repair products involving 55 categories such as integrated circuits, aerospace and construction machinery. 

 

Jiang Huadong, deputy general manager of Chenzhou Stone Electronics Co., Ltd., said that the company is the first one to enjoy relevant preferential policies in Hunan. Located in Chenzhou Comprehensive Bonded Zone, the company is engaged in the maintenance, testing and assembly of mobile phones and electronic communication products. 

 

“The relevant policies give our business great advantages over others, so that we can carry out global maintenance business with confidence. Generally, goods need to be transported from the port to the factory, and back to the port after maintenance, so the company has to bear much import and export tax costs,” Liao Xiren, general manager of Churong Furniture Technology Co., Ltd., noted. 

 

Liao Xiren said that the company built a factory from Guangdong Province. The industrial chains here used to be incomplete, and many spare parts needed have to be purchased from other places, but now there are many hardware factories and other spare parts manufacturers. 

 

After the establishment of Hunan FTZ, the transportation of goods has been more convenient than before. Owing to the fast sea-rail combined transportation, it takes only a couple of days to import woods. 

 

Chenzhou’s goal is to ensure the operation and production with high efficiency of enterprises in Chenzhou Area. Therefore, Chenzhou Area created a home-like environment for enterprises. 

 

Wang Yanxiong, director of the general office of GiantSun Power Corporation, said happily: “Over the past year, it has made me feel at home. As a member who has lived and worked in the area for a long time, and witnessed the rapid changes of Chenzhou Area, I feel proud of it.”

 

At the end of July this year, when the 2021 Hunan-Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Investment and Trade Event was held, Chenzhou Electronic Information Industry Investment Promotion Conference was also held in Shenzhen. A total of 20 key projects worth 7.13 billion yuan were signed.  

 

Chenzhou is also constantly promoting the construction of supporting facilities, giving full play to Chenzhou’s advantageous resources, and strengthening the construction of an open Chenzhou in southern Hunan. 

 

“This year, I saw Chenzhou’s efforts and exploration in such sectors as foreign trade, cross-border e-commerce and processing trade, which really brought convenience to enterprises and the people. I’m so proud,” He Bin, deputy director of Chenzhou Bureau of Commerce, said that next, Chenzhou Area will strengthen efforts to innovate systems to seek more benefits for the masses.

 

 

Chenzhou will build itself into a demonstration zone for regional economic cooperation between Hunan, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao while building it to the inland area to undertake industrial transfer and the transformation and upgrading of processing trade. 

 

Now, a total of 87 projects have been introduced in Chenzhou Area; 80% of them are from the GBA. There are 1,063 new enterprises in Chenzhou Area which has joined efforts with 12 industrial parks above the provincial level. 

 

On March 5, Chenzhou’s first China-Europe freight train, Chenzhou-Mala cross-border e-commerce train, started from Chenzhou International Port to Malashevich (Poland). Compared with the previous sea transportation, this train also saves 20 days for the transportation of goods. 

 

On October 14, a freight train loaded with 15 tons of e-commerce goods such as office supplies and Christmas ornaments worth 300,000 dollars set off from the GBA to Belgium via Chenzhou International Inland Port. 

 

On October 21, a freight train roared past Chenzhounan Railway Station, which would leave the country from Horgos Port and arrive in Europe. It’s the first train operated by Chenzhou after it’s included as the scheduled freight train by China Railway Corporation in October this year, marking the regular operation of China Railway Express (Chenzhou). 

 

The connection of roads has brought earthshaking changes. Chenzhou continues to give full play to its regional advantages, and the leading role of opening up to the outside world. 

 

Zhou Yue, general manager of Home of Central and Eastern Europe, visited Chenzhou twice in September and October. He said that in the past year, Chenzhou Area has made fruitful achievements. Attracted by Chenzhou’s superior location and business environment, Zhou’s company plans to build Southern China Distribution Center for Central and Eastern European commodities in Chenzhou. 

 

“As a transit station for freight train in South China, Chenzhou provides a good trade environment for international trade. We will also give full play to freight trains to deliver high-quality goods from Central and Eastern Europe to consumers along the route,” Zhou Yue added.  

 

Xu Yiqun is responsible for the logistics work of China-Europe freight trains in the logistics park. As a native of Chenzhou, he witnessed the development of Chenzhou Area this year, and recorded the whole process of Chenzhou Area connecting Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao and the Eurasian mainland.  

 

Liu Zhiren, secretary of the CPC Chenzhou Municipal Committee, said: “Actively connecting with the development and integrating into the economic layout of the GBA is a major and strategic choice for Chenzhou’s future development. In the future, Chenzhou Area will actively undertake industrial transfer, strive to build an important inland platform for the transformation and upgrading of processing trade, and build a demonstration zone for cooperation between Hunan, Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.”