8 contracts signed for China-Japan cooperation

Contracts for eight key projects were signed during the opening ceremony of the China-Japan (Dalian) regional development cooperation demonstration zone on Monday in Dalian’s Jinpu New Area in Liaoning province.

The zone, which mainly focuses on high-end manufacturing equipment and new materials, covers an area of nearly 53 sq km, with four parts — the New Japanese Industrial Park, Songmu Island, Xizhong Island and Huayuankou.

Tan Zuojun, Party chief of Dalian, said the northeastern port city will further optimize its business environment, create a quality service environment for enterprises, increase support and ensure smooth construction progress in the zone.

Tan said Japan has become Dalian’s largest trading partner and a major source of foreign investment. Dalian, after Shanghai and Bangkok, has become the third-largest city with the most Japanese enterprises in the world.

“We have every reason to believe that these advantages will be enhanced and expanded with the establishment of the demonstration zone in Dalian, which will help the city to become a dynamic and attractive place for foreign investment,” he said.

In April, the National Development and Reform Commission approved the establishment of the demonstration zone for China-Japan regional development cooperation in Dalian, Tianjin, Shanghai, Suzhou, Jiangsu province, Qingdao (Shandong province) and Chengdu (Sichuan province).

The demonstration zone in Dalian will build cooperation platforms for technological innovation, industrial docking and financial services to strengthen cooperation with Japan and drive industrial transformation and upgrades in Northeast China.

Deng Hanzhu contributed to this story.