context: Security concerns and the US–PRC tech competition gave rise to a vision of tech self-reliance. Nevertheless, the PRC is eager to expand its international outreach. Strategically positioning the capital city Beijing, along with Shanghai and the Greater Bay Area, as international scitech centres is part of this effort, not least to attract global talents.
‘Regulations on the construction of Beijing international scitech innovation centre’ were released on 25 January 2024. The regulations facilitate international exchanges through various innovative measures, explains Meng Fanhua 孟繁华 Standing Committee of Beijing Municipal People's Congress education, culture and health office director, including
- keeping the growth rate of government funding for scitech higher than the growth rate of regular government revenue
- improving mechanisms for cross-border use and management of funds
- research commercialisation incentives for higher education and medical institutions through equity and dividends
- granting qualified enterprises, public institutions and social organisations the right to evaluate senior professional titles
- mutual recognition of professional titles and qualifications for overseas talents
- improving the entry and exit mechanisms for state-owned venture capital
- implementing new regulations for scitech credit loans, such as stock option, merger and talent loans
- improving public data sharing and monitoring
- sharing the use of state-funded scitech infrastructure and major equipments
- exploring the R&D reserve system of SOEs
- attracting international scitech talents to serve in scitech social organisations
- improving customs clearance facilitation for scientific research materials
Wang Rongmei 王荣梅 Beijing Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee legal work committee director introduced three main importance of the newly released regulations
- actualising Beijing’s responsibility as an international scitech innovation centre
- a key step towards achieving the strategic positioning of Beijing with
- ‘four centres’
- culture
- talent
- scitech
- international
- ‘five missions’
- building international scitech innovation centre
- national comprehensive demonstration zone for expanding the opening-up of the service industry and the China (Beijing) pilot free trade zone
- digital economy
- supply-side structural reform
- promote the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region
- ‘four centres’
- meeting the demand for a legal guarantee system to support Beijing’s innovation centre
The main aspects of the regulations, as introduced by Wang, are
- clarifying objectives, principles and leadership system
- strategic planning for the Zhongguancun national independent innovation demonstration zone
- positioning enterprises as the main driver for innovation and providing supportive services for innovative activities
- implementing measures to support talents
- establishing innovative ecology
- strengthening international cooperation and exchange