The State Council approved three national demonstration zones at Harbin, Daqing and Qiqihar High-tech industrial development zones in Heilongjiang province, Northeast China, according to a circular issued to the provincial government on May 13.

It urges the demonstration zones to implement a new development philosophy and innovation-driven development strategies and fully leverage the location, resources, human resources and industrial technologies, and other advantages of Heilongjiang province.

Taking the lead in carrying and trying innovation policies, they will continuously improve independent innovation and build a modern industrial system in order to support the overall vitalization of Heilongjiang province and the entire Northeast China.

At the same time, the demonstration zones should help develop Harbin, Daqing and Qiqihar High-tech industrial development zones into pilot zones for reform and innovation, demonstration zones for old industrial bases and innovative urban transformation, ecological demonstration zones for innovation, and entrepreneurship and pilot zones for integrative opening to Russia and northeast Asia.

Policies concerning national independent innovation demonstration zones will be applied to the zones, the circular said, with further reform based on local conditions to streamline administration, delegate powers and optimize services.

While improving the climate for innovation, entrepreneurship and business environment, strengthening optimization and integration of innovative resources, and deepening scientific and technological mechanism reform, the demonstration zones are expected to accumulate experiences that can be replicated and extended later in facilitating traditional industries in innovative transformation, cultivating emerging industrial clusters of strategic importance, and building major scientific and technological innovation platforms.