Haidian investment effort named tops at Doha forum

Topping more than 40 candidates from around the globe, the Investment Promotion Bureau of Haidian District in Beijing was crowned the best investment promotion award at this year's World Investment Forum on April 20 in Doha, Qatar.

It was also the only investment promotion agency from Asia to win an award at the forum, organized by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

Known as "China's Silicon Valley", the district is now home to a range of high-tech domestic operations and more than 40 global brands including Microsoft, AMD and IBM.

Liang Jie, director of the bureau, said the award is a milestone for the district.

"The investment promotion bureau has been improving its service to create a good environment for investors," said Liang, who is also executive deputy director of the administrative committee of Zhongguancun Haidian Science Park.

"I believe that Haidian district will witness another wave of investment in the near future as the science and technology park in the district's north and Zhongguancun Science City in the south accelerate development."

Rich resources

Haidian ranks among the top areas in the world for human resources with more than 80 institutes of higher education - including renowned Peking University and Tsinghua University - located in the district providing about 120,000 college graduates every year.

It is also home to more than 200 State-level institutions for scientific research and 500 academicians at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, about 36 percent of the national total.

As well, three-quarters of the entrepreneurs who finish overseas studies and come to Beijing choose to establish their startups in the district.

About 20 percent of the software produced nationwide is from companies in the district. Haidian is also China's biggest center for the Internet industry with operations by 21 of the country's top 100 commercial websites including Baidu, Sina, Sohu and Tencent.

According to incomplete statistics, total revenue from the high-tech industry in the district hit 879.1 billion yuan ($138.9 billion) last year. Some 200,000 technicians are employed in the district.

It is also a leading center for combining the high-tech industry with finance, modern services and the creative sector.

According to the most recent statistics, Haidian now has 223 listed companies, about a half of the total in Beijing. There are 460 equity investment agencies in the district managing more than 190 billion yuan in funds.

Altogether there are 1,878 finance agencies in the district, mainly represented by the companies in the Zhongguancun Finance Building and Zhongguancun Private Equity Building.

It is also the home to the China Technology Exchange, the Beijing Software and Information Services Exchange and International Technology Transfer Center.

Its technology trading agencies are concentrated in the Capital Science and Technology Intermediary Agency Building and Zhongguancun Intellectual Property Rights Building.

Preferential environment

To build Zhongguancun into a globally influential center for technological innovation, the State Council has approved a range of polices including tax breaks for high-tech companies.

Deputy Mayor Meng Jingwei said Haidian will help small and medium-sized enterprises with financing by attracting more equity investment, securities, credit and insurance operations.

Services to key enterprises

The Investment Promotion Bureau of Haidian District recently released a list of about 500 key enterprises in 2012 and 2013 in Haidian that will enjoy a priority to receive government support services.

These services include a coordinating system between key enterprises and the district administration, symposiums for enterprises, social networking events, assistance with administrative procedures, labor, social and medical care security systems for staff members, help with recruiting talent and publicity.

Encouraged by the award won at the World Investment Forum, administrators of Haidian said the district has sped up its moves to become one of the world's best science and technology zones.

Wang Peisen contributed to the story.

xujingxi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 05/30/2012 page10)