INDO-PACIFIC Zhongguancun: ’s

OE Watch Commentary: In October, China held its 11th annual Zhongguancun Forum. Zhongguancun is a government-backed “incubation zone for start- ups.” It is a place that aims to find “the next big thing in technology.” It is at the forefront of China’s drive to turn the country from a workshop of the world into a global technology powerhouse. During the event, President Xi Jinping sent a letter to congratulate the forum for achieving “win-win Buildings in Zhongguancun/ Panorama of a Tech Hub. results.” China has been leaving no stone unturned Source: Charlie Fong via Wikimedia, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:中关村科技园全景图.jpg, Public Domain. in its effort to become an innovation superpower and Zhongguancun is part of this effort. One of the main goals of the Zhongguancun Forum is to help build a world-leading sci-tech park and innovation highland, according to the first article extract, published in Xinhuanet. An important strategy China uses to build its technological base, is the cooperation in various key technologies with participants from around the world. The excerpts from the second article, published in South China Morning Post a year ago, offer an excellent write-up on the history and goals of Zhongguancun. In 1978, when Deng Xiaoping was about to kick off his economic reforms, Zhongguancun was merely a street where people could purchase consumer electronics (“cun” means “village” in Chinese). In 1988, with the approval of China’s State Council, Zhongguancun became the country’s first hi-tech industry pilot zone. Its mission was to learn from and replicate Silicon Valley. Since then, it has become the “launch pad” for some of the China’s most successful entrepreneurial firms. With the government’s backing, it has been transformed into “a national innovation center with global influence.” Today the 488-square kilometer zone is home to nearly 9,000 hi-tech firms, including some of China’s biggest internet firms, such as Baidu and . It is also located near some of China’s most prestigious universities and research institutes. In the Haidian park of Zhongguancun, there are more than 40 universities, including Peking and Tsinghua Universities, often cited as China’s top two academic institutions. There are also over 200 research institutes and key state laboratories within the vicinity. End OE Watch Commentary (Hurst) “Founded 30 years ago with a mission to “learn from Silicon Valley and replicate Silicon Valley,” Zhongguancun is at the forefront of ’s drive to turn the country from [the]‘workshop of the world’ into a global technology powerhouse.”

Source: “Xi Sends Congratulatory Letter to Zhongguancun Forum,” Xinhuanet, 17 October 2019. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019- 10/17/c_138479841.htm Xi Sends Congratulatory Letter to Zhongguancun Forum President Xi Jinping on Thursday sent a congratulatory letter to the 2019 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) held in Beijing. Xi said in the letter that with the accelerating new round of sci-tech revolution and industrial transformation, innovation, development and cooperation with win-win results have become an inevitable trend. The ZGC Forum is of great significance to the sharing of innovative ideas and development concepts among all countries by discussing cutting-edge science and technologies, future industrial development trends, global innovation rules and innovative governance, he said.

Source: Meng Jing, “Zhongguancun: Beijing’s Innovation Hub is at the Centre of China’s Aim to Become a Tech Powerhouse,” South China Morning Post, 13 November 2018. https://www.scmp.com/tech/start-ups/article/2172713/zhongguancun--innovation-hub-centre- chinas-aim-become-tech Founded 30 years ago with a mission to “learn from Silicon Valley and replicate Silicon Valley”, Zhongguancun is at the forefront of Beijing’s drive to turn the country from ‘workshop of the world’ into a global technology powerhouse. It is home to nearly 9,000 hi-tech firms, including some of China’s biggest internet firms, such as Nasdaq-listed Baidu and Sina Corp. Nearly half of China’s 70 unicorns – start-ups with a valuation of more than US$1 billion each – are located in the area. As many as 80 tech start-ups are born there every day. … in 1988, Zhongguancun became the country’s first hi-tech industry pilot zone. Since then, the areas has become the launch pad for some of China’s most successful entrepreneurial firms with the backing of Beijing to make it “a national innovation centre with global influence”. … Zhongguancun enjoys great advantages in access to talent. The Haidian park of Zhongguancun is home to more than 40 universities, including the world-class Peking and Tsinghua Universities, as well as more than 200 research institutes and national-level laboratories. Government also lends a hand. Preferential policies, including tax breaks and funding, offered in Zhongguancun by local and central government, helps to make the place a magnet for tech talent and companies. To attract global talent, Beijing’s municipal authorities earlier this year announced plans to offer permanent residence for senior hires and allow them to bring their domestic helpers – if needed – with them to China.

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