This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Zaozhuang City，witnessing a start of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) as well as upcoming breakthroughs. on March 2, 2021， Zaozhuang Municipal Government convened an important conference themed around the implementation of the three-year plan, calling for joint efforts throughout the whole city to build a better Zaozhuang through industrial development. The municipal government is determined to strengthen industry and strives to break a new ground in building a modern and strong city in the new era, by giving priority to major industries and large-scale industries in Zaozhuang.

　　seek breakthroughs through industrial growth with unified understanding and concerted efforts

　　The past 60 years has witnessed glory of Zaozhuang when it was once in a leading position in Shandong industrial and economic development. However, it is depressing that Zaozhuang industry lags far behind other prefectures owing to its sole dependence on the limited number of resources. Facing the fact, Ping Chen, the Secretary of the Zaozhuang Municipal Committee of CPC, admitted the disadvantage instead of shying away from it, “the situation of small volumes, inferior quality and slow growth in industrial development has not been fundamentally reversed yet”, he said. The revenue from enterprises above designated size in Zaozhuang accounted for 3.5 percent of the province in 2010 while it decreased into 1.4 percent in 2020. Besides, the number of enterprises above designated size in Zaozhuang dropped from 3.6 percent in 2010 to 2.5 percent of the total in 2020. In particular, the city was in a serious lack of large-scale enterprises and groups, with only one enterprise on the list of Top 100 Private Enterprises in Shandong and even no enterprises on the list of Top 100 Industrial Enterprises in the country.

　　However, 4.2 million Zaozhuang people all share a common aspiration to rebuilding a powerful industrial city. To this end, Zaozhuang Municipal Party Committee and Government have long been holding fast to the belief that if the industry is thriving, the city will be thriving.

　　To develop the local economy, we have to apply scientific methods and proper priority into daily work with a strategic target on attaining industrial prosperity. The industrial robustness definitely holds the key to the city revitalization. The three-year plan marks the start of the campaign. A good start is half done. The beginning is the most important part of the work, and it will leave a decisive impact on the future.

　　Secretary Chen Ping stresses that government departments at all levels in Zaozhuang City should work hard to reinforce industrial revival with a stronger sense of urgency, sense of mission and responsibility. Only empowered with a shared understanding, unified perception, stronger confidence and concerted focus on industry dimension, can we expect for an industrial boom, economic acceleration and a great leap of the city through industrial upgrading.

　　Take targeted measures to promote the implementation of the six directions.

　　Under the leadership of the Zaozhuang Municipal Party Committee and Government, government departments at all levels are united closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi as the core and enhance the awareness of the Party Central Committee, and also understand the precise steps of the three-year plan.

　　Secretary Chen Ping notes that, to build a powerful city with leading industries and enterprises, it is critical to highlight key points and make precise efforts to tackle tough problems one by one, and strive for breakthroughs one by one, taking steps to implement the blueprint of “a strong industrial city and a prosperous industrial city”.

　　First, take initiative to construct industrial clusters. Guided by the “6+3” modern industrial system planning, Zaozhuang City will build a whole industry chain around leading enterprises with “One Thousand Technology Innovations” and “One Thousand Quality Improvement Programs”. The “double-thousand” project will advance local industrial development towards high-level specialization, differentiation and distinctiveness so as to foster a number industrial clusters with distinctive advantages. More accurately, in the next three or five years, the city strives to build high-end equipment and two chemical industry clusters which are worth hundreds of billions of yuan respectively. Meanwhile, a new material cluster worth fifty billion yuan, two new energy and medicine clusters about thirty billion yuan, and a new-generation information technology cluster in the value of 10 billion yuan will jointly constitute the Flying-geese Industry Model of 2121.

　　Second, achieve breakthroughs in project construction. It is essential to strengthen the awareness that it is projects that hold the key to industrial success. During project construction, we should highlight the importance of early planning, rapid advancing and strong support & guarantee, and meanwhile make unwavering efforts to ensure continued improvement on both quantity and quality of projects. After adapting to general conditions, Zaozhuang Government stay focused on upgrading leading industries and industrial zones with local characteristics, engaged in efficient project planning and rational distribution of projects in order to speed up the complementary and coordinated development while maintaining its local distinctiveness.

　　Third, achieve breakthroughs in attracting investment. Holding to the principle of “Introducing new businesses and high-grade investment”, we work hard to bring in investment through innovative methods and professional teams of investment promtion. We enact a professional standard to screen the best investment, covering six dimensions like investment efficiency, tax amount, technological state, industrial chain length, environmental protection and energy consumption. With this, more industrial projects with strong competitiveness are to be set up to attract abundant external capital. We will strive to hit the target that the total domestic and foreign investment utilized in all industrial sectors of Zaozhuang are estimated to double within three years.

　　Fourth, make advances in reform and opening-up. Further attempts will be in place to carry out the “9 plus 2” reform strategy, giving rise to some famous brands with Zaozhuang characteristics. We should further delegate authority to the market, energize market entities and allow the market to play a decisive role in allocating resources. Meanwhile, we should strengthen policy guidance, enhance the level of platform, highlight the linkage between three players, including foreign trade, foreign investment and economy, so eventually the open economy in Zaozhuang City will be raised to a new height.

　　Fifth, achieve breakthroughs in science and technology. To improve the industrial competitiveness of Zaozhuang City, it is significant to strengthen the leading role of technological innovation among all enterprises and to implement a phased cultivation program for innovative enterprises. The strategic goal within the three years is to set up 135 high-tech enterprises and 45 above-the–provincial-level industrial enterprises featured with specialization, refinement, and differentiation. Therefore, we should explore the possibility of reward systems, encouraging more investment on sci-tech innovation in enterprises. We should boost the commercialization of scientific and technological findings and advance collaborative innovation by bringing together enterprises, academia, and research institutes. In addition to the ongoing enhancement of “Zaozhuang talents” policy，we will continue to reformulate or optimize 18 new policies to attract people with talents, further implement the recruitment model of “talent plus projects” to develop more talented people or bring in new high-level talents every year.

　　Sixth, create a market-oriented and law-based business environment. To boost confidence of investors and entrepreneurs, it is necessary to establish a new public service mechanism to ensure that one policeman is at service for one enterprise. Besides, reforms should be deepened to streamline administration, delegate power, improve regulation, and upgrade services. The focus of the above reforms is to maintain a positive government image associated with efficient administrative service. Sustained efforts should be paid to facilitate higher living standards and sense of wellbeing within three years. Thereby, the image of Zaozhuang City will become a new billboard for further investment, and both entrepreneurs and recruited talents will live a better life, convenient and comfortable.

　　with the above three-year-plan breakthroughs, by the end of 2023, the number of industrial enterprises in Zaozhuang will have reached 1,100 and the annual revenue of enterprises above designated size and industrial investment will have increased by more than 10%. Specifically, the value-added output of the agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery will have reached 19.5 billion yuan, with 6 modern agricultural industrial zones above the provincial level and 450 leading agricultural enterprises above the municipal level. Additionally, the online retail sales from 710 mega companies in retail, wholesale, catering industry will have reached 16 billion yuan. The total expenditure on tourism will have increased to 27 billion yuan with one 5A scenic spot, one 4A scenic spot, one five-star hotel and 23 projects related to health care and elderly care.

　　Set forth explicit goals and requirements with scientific performance appraisal system

　　How to carry out the three-year plan? According to Secretary Chen Ping, it is advisable to pursue an effective mechanism characterized with smooth coordination and collaboration between different sectors, setting forth explicit goals and requirements with scientific performance appraisal system. For some major difficulties and bottlenecks, the centralized and unified leadership should directly take inter-connected and coordinated measures. Authorities of county and municipal governments, or sometimes even higher-level officials whenever necessary, will be required to work together for a direct and efficient solution to some tricky issues.

　　Moreover, Accountability systems for officials should be adopted, with which government leaders hold full responsibility for districts, projects, enterprises and safe production in manufactories within their local areas. Their contribution to project progress should be made public either on public screens or other media regularly, like once-a-month circular, once-a-quarter evaluation or once-a-year on-site observation. We should formulate appraisal indicators in line with individual variance and differentiation, and then enact the assessment index system which is both scientific and practical. Each and every government member is supposed to take some responsibility and be evaluated against appraisal indicators. Those who are not able to accomplish tasks when holding accountability should be removed from their positions and receive punishment when necessary.

　　Promote “the spirit of the ox” and turn slogans into action

　　Impressive accomplishments stem from pioneering efforts. Secretary Chen Ping states that the Zaozhuang government officials across all levels should improve their working style. Party and government officials at all levels should promote the spirit of hard-working oxen in serving the people, driving innovation and working tirelessly. Meanwhile, it is essential to seek truth from facts and stay realistic and pragmatic one step at a time. Moreover, Party and government officials should set an good example of accommodating mistakes, overcoming difficulties and taking on responsibility. Hardships and hazards can never intimidate officials as dauntless explorers. In the drive to achieve modernization, the city of Zaozhuang thriving on invigorating industry is gathering new momentum through aggressive and concerted efforts in the course of building a modern and strong city.

　　The city of Zaozhuang was established for its industrial strength and has enjoyed prosperity because of its booming industry in the past. Zaozhuang will thrive and embrace a greater prospect on the basis of industry development target unfolded in the three-year plan. (by Kan Jinjian)