Taiyuan speeds up the construction of a modern industrial system focusing on advanced equipment manufacturing, new materials and information technology industries. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]
Taiyuan city, capital of North China's Shanxi province, has been pursuing transformation and high-quality development since 2020.
Transforming industries
Taiyuan has been speeding up the construction of a modern industrial system focusing on advanced equipment manufacturing, new materials and information technology industries. It has also been accelerating the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries and the growth of emerging industries.
In 2020, the added value of Taiyuan's strategic emerging industries increased 4.7 percent, accounting for 22.1 percent of the added value of industrial enterprises above a designated size – those with annual revenue of more than 20 million yuan ($3.11 million). Also, the city added 216 service enterprises above the designated size.
Constructing projects
Taiyuan has achieved remarkable results in the construction of key projects. The city introduced and signed 177 provincial-level investment promotion projects in 2020 with 147 starting construction in the same year. There were 47 provincial-level key projects and 140 municipal-level key projects with a total investment of 56.79 billion yuan in place.
Deepening reform
Taiyuan has continued to deepen reform by undertaking 49 national and provincial reform pilot tasks and completing 99 key reform tasks in 11 areas. The city has accelerated the construction of the national demonstration zone for sustainable development agenda innovation and deepened the comprehensive reform of the energy revolution and education. Its successful experience reforming the rural collective property rights system was promoted throughout China.
Boosting innovation
Taiyuan has invested 1 billion yuan in the special science and technology fund and 1 billion yuan in the talent development fund for three consecutive years. It also added 1 billion yuan to the industrial transformation and upgrading fund to further support the innovation-driven development strategy.
There have been 80 key laboratories and 78 engineering technology research centers at the provincial level and above in the city. The city has won 170 national and provincial science and technology awards, accounting for 79 percent of Shanxi province's total. Industrial enterprises above a designated size all have their own research and development centers.
Furthering opening-up
Taiyuan has undertaken the transfer of advantageous industries and high-quality projects from the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The city signed an agreement to further cooperation with Xiamen, a port city in East China's Fujian province. It has actively participated in the China International Fair for Investment & Trade and the China International Import Expo and hosted the China (Taiyuan) International Energy Industry Expo in 2020 to further improve its international profile in various fields.
Optimizing the business environment
Taiyuan has reduced 56 approval items and 423 approval procedures to streamline the business registration process. More than 87.3 percent of the application and approval service items can now be handled online, which has reduced the business registration time by 65 percent.
The government service environment index ranked seventh in the third-party evaluation of the top 100 cities in the country's economic aggregate in 2020.