Action Plan of Shaanxi Province for Construction of the “Belt and Road” in 2017

The following action plan is formulated to implement the strategic objectives and tasks as specified in the Project Plan for the Silk Road Economic Belt Promotion and the 21st Maritime Silk Road in Shaanxi Province (2015-2020).

I. Constructing Centers of Transportation, Trade and Logistics

1. Building an integrated three-dimensional traffic network. Accelerate the capacity expansion of state highways in Shaanxi Province, promote construction of eight-direction high speed rail network, clear provincial exits and regional passageways and construct fast paths that link Shaanxi with the neighboring provinces, Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, etc. Increase non-stop flights across continents, in Southeast Asia, and to Japan and Korea, to cover the major cities along the Silk Road. Build Xi’an Xianyang International Airport into an international aviation hub, so that a passenger flight network and an international aviation logistics port that connect the five continents will be built.

2. Building an international logistics hub. Promote the traffic capacity for logistics channels and construction of the main logistics system of “three networks and three ports” across the Province. Improve functions of Xi’an International Port District as land route ports, accelerate construction of the comprehensive logistics center on the newly-built railways, expand the custody area along Xi’an railway ports and strengthen their communication with the coastal ports, and construct a national demonstration area for multimodal transportation. Support the expansion of China Railway Express, improve the international railway logistics network of “two stems, multiple branches and two hubs” (two stems referring to the western and the middle lines; multiple branches extending to Moscow, Hamburg, Warsaw etc.; two hubs referring to one in Xi’an the other in Europe). Support expansion of international cargo airlines in Xi’an Xianyang International Airport, so as to establish an air cargo company. Promote cooperation with Hainan Airlines, Jingdong and other enterprises in logistics. Build a “one-stop” service system for cargo and mail air transportation for Shaanxi, Ningxia and Qinghai to promote the integral development of aviation logistics.

3. Promoting construction of the customs clearance system. Improve integration of the customs clearance system and the inspection & quarantine area. Deepen cooperation of customs clearance, inspection and quarantine with the countries along “the Belt and Road”, with emphasis on information communication, regulation recognition and law enforcement assistance to facilitate international trades. Accelerate application and construction of the specified ports. Promote building of a “One Window” for electronic ports and international trades, and the customs clearance system of “three mutual” at Shaanxi ports.

4. Supporting development of the cross-border e-commerce. Improve the service and regulatory systems for cross-border e-commerce, create new methods for managing customs clearance supervision, inspection, quarantine, exchange settlement, and tax reimbursement, try to build an experimental area for cross-border e-commerce, develop a variety of platforms for cross-border e-commerce, foster and expand e-commerce businesses, promote the general export, direct import and bonded import in cross-border e-commerce, to ensure the steady growth and upgrading in foreign trade.

5. Expanding import & export trade. Improve the collaborative service mechanism for foreign trade and economy and strengthen tracking service for the key foreign trade business. Foster and expand foreign trade business and subjects in Shaanxi Province. Promote the “going out” of the advantageous enterprises so that there will be a continuous increase in export and foreign trade efficiency. Support enterprises to build “overseas storage warehouses” and “exhibition centers for Shaanxi products”, to form a pattern of “buying and selling globally”. Invite more businesses, investments and projects with higher technologies and of better coupling effects to Shaanxi.

II. Constructing an International Capacity Cooperation Center

6. Strengthening cooperation with key countries and regions in economy and trade. Fully develop province-state cooperation between China and the U.S., deepen economic and trade cooperation with Central and Eastern European countries and regions, promote economic and trade cooperation with Japan, Korea and Australia, etc., expand opening and cooperation with Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, and intensify cooperation with African and Latin American regions in production capacity, economics and trade.

7. Accelerating construction of industrial parks for international cooperation. Practice the co-operational mode of “one park, two regions” and the focus is on the building of the Sino-Russia Silk Road Creativity Park and Sino-Kazak Apple Friendship Park. Accelerate building of domestic industrial parks for international cooperation, and the focus is on the building of the Sino-Korea Industrial Park (in Shaanxi), the Xianyang Textile Park in Sino-Kazak Industrial Park, the China-Israel Creativity Demonstration Park, the Silk Road International Industrial Park in Airport New City, American Science and Technology Industrial Park in Jinghe New City, Shaanxi-Hong Kong Finance & Lease Cooperative Park, Semi-Conductor International Cooperative Industrial Park, the Kernel Area of Euro-Asia Comprehensive Economic Park. Promote the building of overseas international industrial parks, including the Shaanxi Iron & Steel Industrial Park in Indonesia, Phenom Penn Special Economic Zone in Cambodia, and Agricultural High-tech Park in Angola, Africa.

8. Supporting advantageous enterprises to open up overseas markets. Lead the major market subjects to participate in international capacity cooperation, and accelerate the “going out” initiative in Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Group, Shaanxi Coal and Chemical Industry Group, Shaanxi Metallurgical & Mining Group, Land Port Group, Tang West Market Group and other backbone enterprises as well as advantageous private enterprises. Expand the overseas project contract market for Huashan International, China Railway First Group, China Railway Twentieth Group, Sinohydro Bureau Third Group etc.

III. Constructing the Science, Technology and Education Centers

9. Strengthening scientific and technological cooperation. Plan and build an industrial base for international cooperation in science and technologies, and deploy a batch of strategic projects to lead the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt. Build a platform for international scientists to cooperate in innovative researches and information sharing and develop extensive scientific & technological cooperation with countries and regions along “the Belt and Road”. Start the comprehensive building of the International Modern Agricultural Cooperation Center in Yangling, build a platform for international Agricultural Technologies and Trade, accelerate conversion of achievements of agricultural science and technology innovation, and strengthen cooperation and communication with Central Asian countries in modern agriculture, energy, chemistry, equipment manufacturing, etc. Support foreign entities to set up international R&D centers, laboratories, institutes of entrepreneurial techniques and other innovative research organizations, and especially support overseas universities and institutes of higher learning to establish major industrial projects in Shaanxi. Encourage entities in Shaanxi to set up overseas R&D centers, including Shaangu Power Co., Ltd.

10. Strengthening cooperation in training and education. Support building of the Poland Research Center, Arabian Cultural Research Center and other think tanks to improve communication and collaborative researches. Optimize the discipline and specialty setup in colleges and universities, accelerate the training of non-common foreign language talents and regional research talents, and carry forward the building of educational and training bases that are oriented to the countries along the silk road. Strive for more governmental scholarships dedicated to the “Silk Road”, and support colleges and universities in Shaanxi Province to apply for government scholarships for enrolling international students. Support building of farmers’ vocational school in Yangling. Strengthen building of platforms for international communication and cooperation in education, promote the publicity of colleges and universities in Shaanxi, and further improve building of highlands for international academic communication and cooperation in Shaanxi.

IV. Constructing an International Tourist Center

11. Deepening international cooperation in tourism. Offer 144-hour visa-free entry for international transit passengers from a number of countries at Xianyang International Airport, sign touristic cooperative frame agreements and collaborative memorandum with countries along the Silk Road, and hold international touristic exhibitions with them. With the city image of “the Starting Point of the Silk Road, and the Hometown of Qinshihuang’s Terra Cotta Soldiers”, expand more channels for overseas touristic advertisements to attract more foreign tourists to Shaanxi.

12. Carrying forward building of an intelligent touristic system. Improve the software and hardware construction in the provincial touristic center for operation, supervision and guidance, to achieve digitalization and networking in tourist supervisory control and emergency command. Strengthen communication of touristic information, take advantage of social media to publicize Shaanxi, and construct a promotion network for introducing Shaanxi tourism into the outside world.

13. Creating brands for tourism. Support competent cities and counties (districts) to build state-level touristic areas and all-for-one touristic demonstration areas. Support the building of a red touristic demonstration area for international cooperation in Yan’an, and create a name brand as well. Build an experiential touristic passageway with “the Starting City of Silk Road” characteristics, a cultural eco-tourism resort in Qinling Mountain, Yellow River touristic belt, a national cultural park for the mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor, in the aim of improving the international competitiveness of Shaanxi touristic brands.

V. Constructing a Regional Financial Center

14. Creating financial agglomeration areas. Optimize layout of financial resources and promote agglomerate development of offshore finance, energy finance, science & technology finance and cultural finance in Xi’an Financial Business District, Xixian New Area, Xi’an Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone and Qujiang New District. Introduce foreign financial service organizations and support their branches settlement in Shaanxi. Promote building of the local financial system, encourage competent private enterprises to set up private banks, develop non-bank financial institutions and accelerate building of district financial centers.

15. Expanding financial business. Accelerate offshore financing and two-way cross-border RMB cash pooling service, encourage banks with offshore licenses to promote offshore businesses, improve publicity of their business and expand their client group.

16. Deepening financial innovation. Create new modes of internationalized financing and strengthen cooperation with international financial institutions, such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB in short), the Silk Road Fund and China-Africa Development Fund. Deepen reform in investment and financing systems, explore the potential of private and social capital, promote multi-modal cooperation between governmental and social capitals and expand financial resources from multiple channels.

VI. Constructing a Cultural Communication Platform

17. Building historic & cultural bases. Improve construction of temples for Buddhism and Taoism, explore religious culture and especially the important roles that Chinese Buddhist Culture plays in serving the “Belt and Road” and in building an international metropolis with historic and cultural characteristics. With advantageous traditional cultural resources from Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang dynasties, set up a state-level cultural & ecological protection experimental area on the basis of the Memorial Ceremony for the Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor, Chinese folk performances and other typical intangible cultural heritages.

18. Extending communication in cultural and archaeology. Prepare well for the 4th International Silk Road Art Festival and create cultural name brands of “Qin Style”. Promote alliance of national museums in countries along the Silk Road and create an international Silk Road-themed city intelligent museum and a historic & cultural research center. Continue archaeological researches with the Central Asian countries by expanding research areas and strengthening cooperation.

19. Strengthening cooperation in the traditional Chinese medicine industry. Build bases for the traditional Chinese medicine industry in key areas, such as Baoji, Xianyang, Hanzhong, Shangluo, etc. to form an industrial chain. Support cooperation between Tongchuan and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, in the aim of pushing forward new breakthroughs in traditional Chinese medicine. Start extensive cooperation in medicine and medical care with countries along the silk road, with help from the China-Africa Development Fund and the Silk Road Fund.

20. Strengthening cooperation in film, television and copyrights. Dub a number of high-quality films and televisions that reflect modern Shaanxi to match with the cultural products for the “Belt and Road”. Strive for settlement of the “Silk Road Visual Bridge Project”, “Silk Road Scholarly Project”, “International Publishing Project for Classical Chinese”, etc. in Shaanxi. Push forward foreign trade in copyrights, accelerate building of cultural centers in Xi’an and set up exhibition centers for international cultural exchanges.

VII. Optimizing Environment for Development

21. Accelerating building of the (Pilot) Free Trade Zone in Shaanxi, China. Deepen reform in administrative systems, steadily carry out the transfer and takeover of 217 authorities from the provincial government, so that the government can play more the role of supervision and result control. Deepen reform in business registration and implement parallel examination and approval in the Free Trade Zone according to the principle of “one-window handling, license combination and joint management”. Facilitate investment and trade and simplify overseas investment procedures for international business.

22. Strengthening cooperation in environmental protection and ecology. Push forward cooperation with Korea in air pollution prevention and building of an environment-friendly industrial park in Xi’an Hi-Tech Industries Development Zone. Push forward cooperation with Umea City in Sweden in garbage classification, start the pilot scheme in Chan-Ba Ecological District and improve the grid garbage management system for modern cities. Accelerate the building of Qinling National Park, Qiaoshan National Park and Giant Panda National Park. Make great efforts to build pilot national wetland parks.

23. Holding important international cooperative activities. Continue to hold the Euro-Asia Economic Forum, the Silk Road Internation Exposition and the Investment and Trade Forum for Cooperation between East and West China (ITFCEW), Yangling Agriculture Hi-Tech Fair, Shaanxi-Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Economic Cooperative Week, the World-wide Qin Businessmen Congress, Western China Multi-National Sourcing Fair, etc. Prepare for the Shaanxi Week in the Chinese Pavilion at the 2017 Astana World Expo.

24. Strengthening communication and cooperation between embassies. Strive to invite more countries along the Silk Road to set up embassies and business offices in Shaanxi. Complete building of Cambodian and Malaysian embassies in Xi’an and settlement of Korea, Malaysia, Thailand Cambodia in the consular district.

25. Strengthening cooperation in intellectual property administration. Build a mechanism for international cooperation in intellectual property and strive for settlement of an “international intellectual property right cooperation center for the Silk Road Economic Belt”. Build an educational practice base oriented to training of internationalized talents in foreign language intellectual property right, with cooperation between the Silk Road Language Service Collaborative Innovation Center in Xi’an International Studies University, National Translation Practice & Education Base and the Intellectual Property Research Center of Xi’an Jiao Tong University.

26. Facilitating the “going out” of enterprises. Invite more European Union countries to set up visa agencies and establish an international procurement center in Shaanxi. Establish the Silk Road commercial directorate and serve, with its multilateral cooperative mechanism, for the enterprises’ “going out”. Further simplify the approval procedure for experts in enterprises as well as institutions to do businesses in the countries along the Silk Road, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

27. Pushing forward better guarantee services. Accelerate building of the language service and big data on-line service for the “Belt and Road” and improve the language environment to serve for the opening up. Push forward building of the website for the “Belt and Road” to better display the achievements.

28. Strengthening overseas safety guarantee. Perfect systems and mechanisms for overseas safety guarantee to improve the capacity for ensuring a safe environment for the development of the “Belt and Road”.