Copyright 2025 - Ningbo Life / Ningbo Expat

Ningbo's overseas investment maintains rapid growth

The first quarter of 2012 saw the approval of 59 overseas enterprises and institutions, in which the approved Chinese investment would reach US$383.3177 million, up by 81.3% over the same period last year and accounting for 12.47% of the cumulative investment. The actual amount of investment reached US$158.8673 million, an increase of 111%, accounting for 10.36% of the cumulative amount.

The approved enterprises and institutions, including 26 trade enterprises, 18 economic and trade offices, eight production-oriented enterprises, an engineering and real estate enterprise, a warehousing and logistics enterprise, four research and development institutions, are located in 20 countries and regions. Among them, 17 enterprises or institutions, including ten trade enterprises, two economic and trade offices, two production-oriented enterprises, a warehousing and logistics enterprise and two research and development institutions, were approved in March, with an approved Chinese investment of US$101.3175 million and actual investment of US$50.211 million. They are distributed in eight countries and regions.

By the end of March, there had been 1,487 approved overseas enterprises and institutions in 97 countries and regions, with an approved Chinese investment of US$3.0735664 billion and actual investment of US$1.533131 billion

Zhejiang and Ningbo entrepreneurs returned to start business

Statistics from Ningbo Economic Cooperation Office show that in the first quarter of this year, Ningbo introduced 54 business projects by returned Zhejiang entrepreneurs from outside the province and from abroad, with a total agreed capital of 15.473 billion yuan and actual capital of 2.605 billion yuan. Together with the 2.912 billion yuan from 48 carry-over projects, the total capital available has reached 5.517 billion yuan.

At the beginning of the year, Ningbo made a specialized plan for the introduction of returned Zhejiang and Ningbo entrepreneurs: introducing a group of quality business projects by relying on such activities as the first session of "World Ningbo Group Conference" and "Shanghai – Ningbo Week". All the towns and districts carried out various kinds of introducing activities in response to this plan.

Xiangshan County is the "pioneer" of introducing returned entrepreneurs. In March, a promotion meeting for investment and cooperation by outside entrepreneurs of Xiangshan origin was held in Shanghai, resulting in the signing of 18 projects with a total investment of eight billion yuan, which drew the curtain of introducing business by returned Zhejiang and Ningbo entrepreneurs.

The newly introduced enterprises are facing new opportunities of development with their industrial focus returning to Ningbo. Tenglong Group, with its headquarters in Beilun District, established production-oriented enterprises in South Korea, Shandong Province and Jiangsu Province a few years ago, under influence of such factors as land and labor. Now, Chen Peijun, President of the enterprise, decided to transfer the developing focus to Beilun, where a project of over 1.5 billion yuan will be accomplished in October this year. It is estimated that the annual output value of the enterprise will reach 10 billion yuan.

According to an official from Ningbo Economic Cooperation Office, in 2012, the focus of the business introduction will be on headquarters economy, entity economy, marine economy, modern industry and cultural and creative industry. The target areas will involve the Yangtze River economic circle with Shanghai being the leading city, the Bohai economic circle with Beijing and Tianjin being core cities and the Pearl River Delta economic circle with Guangzhou and Shenzhen being the centers.

Less developed villages to be renovated

Recently Ningbo has launched a renovation project on a number of less developed villages, said local authorities. Some renovation works have started in several villages.

In recent years, with the advance of the new rural construction program, Ningbo rural areas has taken new look. However, some old villages in less developed areas remain unchanged. The infrastructure and public services lag behind. Some low-income rural families achieve little income growth. The collective economic organization doesn’t function well. Yang Shengjuan, director of municipal agricultural office, said: "the improvement of underdeveloped areas are crucial to narrow the gaps between urban and rural areas, between the rich and the poor and among different regions."

In order to speed up the development of the underdeveloped area, the municipal government has listed the renovation project as one of their major tasks this year. According to their plan, 70 villages will face renovation and 60 of them will have completed their renovation project by the end of 2012.

To ease the financial burden of local farmers, the municipal government decided to grant a special fund to the project. Governments at county level are required to give supportive funds at the same time. The total financial aid this year is estimated as 180 million yuan($28,616,852).

Ningbo's total land area reaches ​​2,400,216 acres

By the end of 2011, Ningbo had a total land area of 14,570,000 mu(2,400,216 acres), an increase of 3 million mu over 2006, according to the latest statistics released by Municipal Land and Resources Bureau. The figure represents a per capita arable land of 0.57 mu, less than the provincial average of 0.73 mu or the national average of 1.39 mu.

The statistics show 10,170,000 mu of the total land is for agricultural use, which accounts for 69.8%. The figure consists 3,296,000 mu arable land, 55,760,000mu forest land, and 6,970,000 mu garden land. Besides, 2,630,000 mu is for construction use, which accounts for18.1%. The rest 1,770,000 mu remains unused, accounting for 12.1%.

According to the statistics, the land use to boost GDP growth this year saw a substantial decrease over 2006. Ningbo takes lead on the thrift and intensive utilization of land in Zhejiang Province.

An official from Municipal Land and Resources Bureau said, "The rational use of industrial land is key to the intensive utilization of land. We need to develop new mechanisms to promote the thrift and intensive utilization of land. Besides, we will step up the supervision and approval procedures of land use, and we vows to crack down on land hoarding and speculation."

(note: 1 acre is approximately equal to 6.07 Mu)

More coal-fired boilers to be shut down

Since this January, ten coal-fired boilers in the National Hi-tech Zone in Ningbo have been shut down. More coal-fired boilers will be closed this year, sources from the environmental protection department said.

Ningbo plans to shut down all the coal-fired boilers in urban area in the next three years. The sale and use of high polluting fuels will be banned in the urban areas and downtown in county-level cities. Ningbo has closed 235 coal-fired boilers and industrial furnaces since the plan was issued last year.

In 2012, the municipal government pledges to take more effective measures. According to the plan, a total of 150 coal-fired boilers will be shut down or replaced. In response, local environment departments have taken immediate actions. Zhenhai District makes a specific instruction on each boiler to be closed. Beilun District introduces a series of rules over the high pollution fuel boilers and plans to give subsidies the companies that take initiatives in the program.

f t g m