Economic Daily (Original) May 09th, 2022 08:34 am
Located along the banks of the Dongjiang River, Dongguan is rich in Schoenoplectus validus, which can be made for comfortable mats, and also rich in Aquilaria Sinensis, which can be made for eaglewood to soothe the nerves. As a result, Dongguan becomes a famous historical city with pleasant scents.
Dongguan is more known for its name, “Factory of the World”, as a wonderful and vivid microcosm of reform and opening-up. For every 3 toys, every 5 smartphones, every 5 woolen sweaters, and every 10 pairs of sports shoes in the world, one of them is made in Dongguan; for every 10 masks, 6 of them are made in Dongguan. Especially in 2021, Dongguan’s GDP has surpassed 1 trillion yuan, making it the 15th city in China to accomplish the achievement; and Dongguan’s resident population has exceeded 10 million, with its per capita GDP reaching the level of a high-income economy.
In the face of the stressful and complex situation, such as the raging pandemic in the world, the changes in Sino-US Economic and Trade Friction, and continuous pressure on pillar industries and key enterprises, Dongguan delivers a great performance. Behind this, it is a struggle and hard work, perseverance and tenacity, diligence and wisdom that brought us a lot of thinking and useful enlightenment.
I. Insisting on developing manufacturing
In July 1978, Taiping Handbag Factory is the first factory to practice trade ventures involving processing and assembly with supplied materials and parts and compensation trade in China. Since its establishment, it has burst into vigorous life.
“We broke with egalitarianism, got paid by the piece and got more paid for more work. Everyone was dynamic, and sometimes worked for three days and nights”.
Tan Yuee, aged 68, was the production champion in the factory in 1981. She couldn’t hide her excitement when talking about the scene, “I earned 20 yuan a month in the past time. But in 1983, my salary jumped to 300 yuan per month.”
With the favorable timing of reform and opening up, the geographic advantage of being adjacent to Hong Kong and Macao, and the popular support of investment by overseas Chinese, by the end of 1978, Dongguan is the first in the country to set up foreign processing and assembly office. Under difficult conditions in terms of no funding, no foundation and no precedent, Dongguan used ancestral halls, dining halls and meeting halls as the factories to vigorously develop trade ventures involving processing and assembly with supplied materials and parts and compensation trade, being the first beneficiary of an export-oriented economy. Since then, products that are “Made in Dongguan” are developing at a fast speed, and are marketed around the world.
1. Believing that the real economy is promising
Industry accounts for over 50% of Dongguan’s GDP. While many cities are using numerous lands for real estate to make quick money, Dongguan unswervingly put industry as its top priority, allocating resources to the manufacturing industry. Maybe it is kind of “stupid”, but it’s smart and an important factor for sustainable development in Dongguan residents’ opinion.
President Xi Jinping pointed out that the development of the real economy is of great importance, and in no time should we transfer from a real economy to a virtual economy. “For Dongguan, no matter how developed we are, we can’t live without a real economy. We should emphasize the manufacturing industry and focus on the real economy.” Xiao Yafei, Party Secretary of Dongguan, said, “It’s hard to develop the Manufacturing industry and the market competition is fierce, however, it’s Dongguan’s feature and duty, and also promising. “
Huayang Lake, Dongguan
The facts will defend themselves. Dongguan was reputed as Four Kwong Tung Tigers (with Shunde, Nanhai, and Zhongshan), and now is developing even faster. Of China’s 41 industrial categories, Dongguan has 34 categories, more than 60,000 kinds of products, and its electronic information industry cluster reached nearly a trillion yuan scale. Now, it has over 1.5 million market participants, which means every seven people has a boss who owns his business, thus the private economy is a major part rather than foreign company. Moreover, Dongguan’s research and development investment account for 3.54% of total investment, and its scientific innovation competitiveness ranked top 20 in China and 3rd in the county-level city.
Some cities shift from the real economy to the virtual economy, but their prosperity is unsustainable. Dongguan emphasized manufacturing to ensure a right, sound, and steady path.
Smartphone manufacturing plants
1. persisting in developing manufacturing
We persist because we believe. From the 1997 Asian financial crisis to the 2008 international financial crisis, from Sino-US trade friction to the Covid-19 pandemic, Dongguan has undergone reform and developed itself with the spirit of firm determination.
Someone once said, “A traffic jam in Dongguan can lead to the global shortage of goods,” to describe the influence of Dongguan manufacturing. Also, someone compares Dongguan products to air, because you can find everything made in Dongguan everywhere. But on the other hand, Dongguan is highly dependent on the international market and lacks private label products and core technologies. In 1995, its ratio of dependence on foreign trade reached a summit of 433.8%. Hit by the international financial crisis in 2008, Dongguan’s economic growth rate dropped to below 10% and even experienced negative growth in the first quarter of 2009.
Projects are the results of planning, success is the result of exertion, and failure is the result of haughtiness. The warning of “If we don’t actively adjust the industry structure today, maybe tomorrow we will be adjusted by the structure.” is hanging over Dongguan’s head. The breaking and establishment, the danger and opportunities are also methodologies and practical views for Dongguan. The quest for self-reflection and addressing difficulties is concentrated in historical photos in Dongguan Exhibition Hall but also lies in the development of millions of market players’ genes.
“There’s no backward industry but only backward enterprises.” Inside the China Architecture and Ceramic Museum, Yang Xiaoguang, the recipient of the National May 1st labor medal, carves on the ceramic. With the integration of traditional culture and scientific innovation, MARCOPOLO HOLDINGS CO., LTD finds the secret to improving the art of architecture ceramic and democratizing the art of ceramic. Moreover, the company also build a plant in Tennessee, the US to compete with other western brands.
“Perseverance Prevails and opportunities are given to those who are prepared.” In 2015, Tian Jing, who had worked in the toy industry for years, borrowed 30 thousand yuan to start up his own business for the third time and caught the opportunity to achieve success in the designer toys field, building a series of trending designer toys such as Chameleon and Semi-mechanical series. In 2021, Zeng’s Lezhibao (Dongguan) Cultural Creativity Co., Ltd achieve a total industrial output value of nearly 100 million yuan. From a small workshop to a creative base that integrates original trendy culture, R&D and design, and manufacturing of trendy products, it’s not only the process of upgrading the enterprise, and also a side image of the magnificent transformation of Dongguan manufacturing.
Dongguan Port
1. Focusing more on common ground
In 2021, despite the external shocks and pandemic impact, Dongguan industrial economy still achieved two breakthroughs. First, the above-scale industries realized the added value of over 500 billion, with a year-on-year growth of 10.2%, achieving double-digit growth again after 2013 and 2017. Second, its industrial investment broke 10 billion yuan for the first time, up by 25.3% year on year.
The real economy with the advanced manufacturing system as the main body has been the ballast stone and base of Dongguan to achieve stable growth, withstand the risks and seize the opportunities.
The mission is easy to define, but it’s more difficult to stay true to our original aspirations. “Our economy was built on the real economy, and we must still rely on the real economy in the future.” President Xi Jinping’s saying gives Dongguan confidence to uphold and develop a real economy. As the result, Dongguan should insist on developing the manufacturing industry.
But how? Dongguan gives his answer: focusing on “Science and technology innovation + advanced manufacturing” to consolidate the real economy.
Humen Fort, Dongguan
I. Stronger and better
The wise are good at following the trend, while the brave dare to ride the wave.
After the GDP exceeds one trillion yuan, how can the manufacturing industry continue to be dynamic, rejuvenated, and energetic? Dongguan strives to be both “wise and brave” and to make manufacturing better and stronger.
The night view of Dongguan
Photo by Yao Zelin
1. Seize the timing and opportunities
Speed defines the winner. Looking back at the industrial upgrading, Dongguan stands at the head of the tide. In 1984, Dongguan marched towards rural industrialization by means of “borrowing boat to sail”. In 1994, it optimized the industrial structure and shifted from labor-intensive to technology-intensive; in 2000, it built a modern manufacturing city and shifted from processing, and manufacturing to a “trinity” of R&D, manufacturing and service. In 2008, we “vacated the cage for new birds” to accelerate economic restructuring, reduce foreign dependence and improve the added value of products. In the new era, we take the new development concept as the guideline, leading the power reform, quality reform, and efficiency reform, accelerating the digitalization, greening, and service of the manufacturing industry. “Bearing in mind the overall objective, recognizing the trend, and following the trend, Dongguan has seized every round of industrial opportunities.” Wang Guoxiong, deputy director of Dongguan Development and Reform Bureau, said.
“Dongguan is full of business atmosphere of mutual reinforcement.” Among the many business owners who have taken root in Dongguan, Li Wengen, from Hunan province said. Talking about his own manufacturing struggle, Li Wengen said “not easy” three times, but his expression revealed pride. “I came to Dongguan in my early 20s to start a business. At first, I made accessories for large enterprises with a profit of a few cents each, but I was not afraid of lacking money. Through insistence, accumulation, and innovation, my business grew bigger and stronger, and I set up GUANGDONG FULLDE ELECTRONICS Co., LTD, which now has been Technologically Advanced “Little Giant” enterprise and national high-tech enterprise.”
2. Quality first
“Some products manufacturing supporting enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises are returned in overseas markets, thus all previous production efforts are all in vain, which makes people very sad." Lai Junfeng, a second-level researcher at Dongguan Municipal Market Supervision Administration, said.
Recalling the painful experience, we must make Dongguan products stand firm and be respected on the national market. To this end, Dongguan has set up a “Quality City Leading Group” with the municipal party secretary and the mayor as the dual chairmen and is fully committed to implementing quality reform in the manufacturing industry.
At the end of 2020, Dongguan selected Houjie town, known as the “capital of furniture”, as a pilot project to integrate quality inspection resources at all levels and build online and offline service platforms for enterprises and quality technical service institutions. Zhou Bin, head of quality infrastructure construction of Dongguan Quality Supervision Testing Center, introduced that the pilot platform has 1126 manufacturing enterprises, 29 quality technical service institutions, and 135 quality experts, providing a total of more than 5,000 consulting, training, quality diagnosis, measurement and testing services for enterprises.
Excitingly, according to Chen Yan, committee agents in Houjie town, their furniture quality pass rate has jumped from 77.78% in 2020 to 94.94% in 2021, which is a role model for introducing the quality infrastructure to the whole city.
Who conquers the world has strength, who conquers the self has harmony. Dongguan ranks first in Guangdong Province in terms of the number of national high-tech enterprises, the number of international patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), and the number of valid invention patents; it has cultivated many well-known local brands, such as Vivo and OPPO, Marco Polo tiles and Yongyi food.
3. Offering help to traditional and new industry
Industrial transformation and upgrading are going backward, the traditional advantageous industries can’t be lost. We should make good use of scientific and technological innovation to activate it, making advanced manufacturing become the base of Dongguan, said Xiao Yafei, party secretary of the Dongguan.
Dongguan Hucais Printing Co., Ltd. has tasted the sweetness in this regard, since it is recognized as a national high-tech enterprise and listed on the New Third Board. “We have transformed the traditional printing industry with industrial internet, not only have we achieved ‘printing for at least 1 copy’ ‘printing on-demand, but also achieved 10 million order growth, which is really a win-win situation.” Yu Kai, vice president of the company, said, “from our practice, ‘digital printing + Internet’ is feasible. We should adhere to it to achieve the digitalization of manufacturing, marketing, management.”
“Dongguan will coordinate financial funds of no less than 10 billion yuan within three years to promote the digitization of industries and digital industrialization, promote the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries and accelerate the cultivation of new pillars of industries.” Liu Guangbin, party member of the Dongguan Municipal Committee and vice mayor, said that it is planned that by the end of 2025, the scale of the city’s core digital economy industry will exceed 1.3 trillion yuan and the added value of the core digital economy industry will account for 23% of our GDP.
In recent years, with the rise of the trending designer toys, Dongguan enterprises see transformation opportunities. In One City, the 12-meter-high city landmark called Laura attracted people’s attention. Many people told reporters that they love this doll because she represents the Dongguan young people’s spirit of never giving up. Today, One City has gathered several trendy toy flagship stores, where you can find rabbit dolls with smooth skin, and monkeys fishing for the moon. These animated images come to life...... Sculpture, pillows, pendants, garage kit, and whatever you want to have.
“Toy manufacturing must shift to independent innovation.” Liu Qinghui, an official from Dongguan Winbo Gifts Co., Ltd. said, they did OEM business before, but it was not a long-term solution? Although the transformation over the past two years is very difficult, it is worth it. The company has the honor to participate in the design and development of the Beijing Winter Olympics mascot “Bing Dwen Dwen” as a part of the prototype project. In addition, the company also developed a variety of original IP and a number of types of IP derivatives, achieving a total industrial output value of 209 million yuan in 2021, an increase of 55.2% year-on-year.
Traditional industries with advantages are activated, but where to find new dynamic energy? In Songshan Lake, the reporter felt a dream of science and innovation rushing up to the clouds.
III. Build the dream team of science and innovation
When birdsong wakes up the Science City, the beautiful lakeside is swept by the figure of researchers riding; morning light sprinkled on the streets, and tens of thousands of Huawei employees are on the way to work, with a cup of coffee to start a day full of vitality; during sunset, scientists strolling in the light of the lake; after night, the Songshan Lake materials laboratory is still lighting up ......
“The science shares a scenic hue with the vast sky, the industry glow parallels with the science city.” Today, Songshan Lake has been a promising strategic platform for Dongguan to deeply participate in the construction of the Greater Bay Area, to drive the innovation at the city level.”
1. From the lychee forest to science park
Planning can save us from a difficult and desperate situation. In 2001, few people know that Dongguan has a pine wood reservoir surrounded by lychee forest. At that time, Dongguan was already the international manufacturing base with the third-largest export volume in the country, but the city leaders prepared for danger in times of peace and decided to set up the Songshan Lake Science and Technology Industrial Park with the reservoir as the center, expecting to build a new Dongguan through ecology and technology!
Jiang Yajun, Party Secretary of Humen Town, was one of the first group of dreamers who joined the construction of Songshan Lake. “Back then, I came from the Architectural Design Institute to the deserted Songshan Lake and was accompanied by trees every day. I was reluctant to work overtime, but thinking of the vision of this hot land under my feet, I was excited and willing to work overtime to dedicate myself.” Recalling the passionate years of the wickerwork, Jiang Yaju is excited.
Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory
Over the past 20 years, one after another “dreamers” and “dream makers” have come to Songshan Lake and planted colorful dreams.
“It won’t be surprising to run into world-class scientists at Songshan Lake.” Academician Chen Hesheng’s word came true. In 2017, the first spallation neutron source in China and also the fourth in the world led by him entered into trial operation. This “super microscope” attracts scientists from different countries like a magnet. Over the past three years, 495 scientists have been introduced to the project, and more than 50 academicians are active in Songshan Lake all year round.
“Who has mastered materials will master the future.” Academician Wang Enge, former president of Peking University, and Chairman of Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory often said. Scientists and entrepreneurs have come to chase the “future”, the laboratory has become a “big market” of cutting-edge scientific and technological achievements, which led to the top ten major technological advances in China in 2020. “This was a graphene project brought by Peking University. But the company emphasized the single crystal copper foil for growing graphene rather than graphene. In this case, the company conquered the copper foil technology that could be useful in many industrial fields.” Huang Xuejie, deputy director of the lab, said.
“More star technology companies will come out here, and DJI and Wang Tao are just the beginning of history.” Professor Li Zexiang, the founder of the Songshan Lake Xbot Park, said. “The ‘academism’ entrepreneurs are coming one after another, such as the ‘online popular’ sweeping and mopping robot developed by NARWAL has liberated the hands of many white-collar workers; the robot developed by Quotient Kinematics Machine allows small and medium-sized enterprises to easily upgrade their “intellectual manufacturing” at low cost. Moreover, the base has incubated more than 60 hard-tech companies, with surprisingly 15% of them being a unicorn or quasi-unicorn companies.
The dream maker’s forward-looking judgment and the dreamer’s passionate perseverance have enabled flowers dreaming to bloom on the shore of Songshan Lake, transforming from lychee forest to an industry park, realizing the “triple jump” from a national high-tech zone to a national innovation demonstration zone in the Pearl River Delta and then to a comprehensive national science center in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area.
2. Science lights up the “Factory of the world”
Spallation neutron source has been lying in the lychee forest for many years, but many local people are not sure what the behemoth is really for. Not long ago, the news said that the international advanced cancer treatment device will be landed in the local hospital. People finally understand that Spallation Neutron Source can precisely kill the cancer cells, bringing technological innovation to tumor treatment.
Today, more than 600 original projects of the Spallation neutron source have been completed, and the research platform it provides has benefited many enterprises such as Huawei, BYD, and HEC. With it as the center, the large scientific devices such as the attosecond laser and the SAPS have accelerated their gathering, which will continuously supply the surrounding industries and light up the “source of innovation” in Dongguan’s huge manufacturing system.
“People can fully charge the electric car within the time of a cup of coffee.” In the materials laboratory, the Chinese Academy of Sciences team developed a new generation of battery materials, which can increase the range of today’s electric cars by 40% and reduce the cost by 30%. Many companies are attracted. And this is only one of the 25 team projects in the laboratory innovation model factory.
“Decentralize the funds of management authority.” Like Academician Zhao Zhongxian, Director of Laboratory Academic Committee, said, the operation and management mechanism in line with international innovation laws gives researchers full autonomy from the establishment of projects to the disposal of results, bridging cutting-edge achievements to enterprises, and attracting top teams from Tsinghua University, Peking University and Chinese Academy of Sciences to gather here.
Take the road of making big parks and big innovation to make a strong development engine, which is the desire of many cities. How can Dongguan, which does not have a strong foundation in scientific research, go through this road? In the view of Liu Wei, deputy secretary of the Dongguan Municipal Committee and secretary of the Songshan Lake Party Working Committee, being good at borrowing wisdom and strength from the “strongest brain” and actively opening up the “internal circulation” of the innovation ecosystem are important factors for the success of Songshan Lake.
3. Invest the future
Over the years, Dongguan has never been stingy about investment in innovation. Spallation neutron source does not produce direct economic benefits, but Dongguan has invested 1.3 billion in various supporting commutes. In terms of the new R & D institutions started over decades ago, some have shown results, and some are not satisfactory ...... How to balance the input and output?
Plants with strong roots grow well, and efforts with right focus will ensure success. President Xi Jinping pointed out that things must be done following the above principle. We must calculate the big account, the long-term account, the overall account, and the comprehensive account.
After speaking with the relevant departments in Dongguan, the reporter found that local leaders have a “big account” in mind: We can’t simply calculate the input and output. A big tree comes from a seed. A handful of seeds may only produce a bud but breed infinite vitality and hope. Maybe the next Huawei, DJI lies in there.
To innovate, we must dare to take risks. The words of President Xi Jinping inspired Dongguan party members and cadres to innovate. Xiao Yafei said, “In the future, we have to spend two or three hundred billion yuan building the SAPS, Asecond Laser, CityU (Dongguan), Greater Bay University. In fact, I feel nervous calculating the account every day. But it’s worthy, and we must do it no matter what.”
In the future, Dongguan will expand another blue ocean, dreaming of Binhaiwan Bay Area. The emerging industry leaders are competing on the future land of 84 square kilometers. The construction of the Vivo intelligent terminal headquarters is accelerating, OPPO global computing center will soon be put into operation. They will work together to draw ambitions on this blue and green scroll.
Working hard to lift the dream. The dream makers and dreamers are busy working and waiting for the flowers to bloom.
IV.Attract the talents
In 2021, Dongguan has a local population of 1.2 million, a registered population of 2.79 million, a resident population of 10.54 million, and a managed population of up to 14 million at its peak. Dongguan’s special demographic structure, however, increases the difficulty of introducing, cultivating, and using talents with strong mobility and a high replacement rate.
How to make these ten million people and Dongguan achieve mutual success and symbiosis? In a word, Dongguan should strive to become a comfortable and convenient city for living, a safe and sensitive city for resilience, a smart city for efficient operation, a lovely city for greening, a dynamic city for innovation, and a charming city for humanity.
How to achieve the above goals? Warm-hearted and thoughtful policies, beautiful environment, and services can allow people to live comfortably, work hard, start businesses with peace of mind, invest with confidence, and work together.
1. Retain the talents
To attract and retain talent, Dongguan has been selecting talents in a flexible manner. “It’s a common thing that the original companies disagreed with you transferring between cities and units. Amazingly, Dongguan was willing to re-establish my file and identification when my transfer was blocked and my file was stuck.” Recalling the past, Huang Jianping, chairman of Marco Polo Holdings Co, said.
Welcome talents to Dongguan. This slogan is not only a vivid portrayal of Dongguan’s expectation and love of talent but also a strategic horn for Dongguan to be a “talent-rich city”.
Songshan Lake Science City has been included in the first start of the comprehensive national science center in the Greater Bay Area, the Greater Bay University is preparing in Dongguan, and CityU (Dongguan) has settled. The inflow of doctoral talents has reached more than 4,990, and the total number of talents in the city has reached 2,584,000, with 183,000 high-level talents. And the provincial innovation research team has ranked first in all Guangdong prefecture-level cities for ten consecutive years.
In addition to scientific and technological talent, Dongguan is also focusing on building a “capital of skilled personnel”, hoping to train a number of skilled craftsmen. Since 2019, Dongguan has been selecting the “Guangyi Artisans” in the industrial talent team once a year, and the city will give 200,000 yuan in grants and 100,000 yuan in incentives to the projects declared by them, and the winners will be included in the Dongguan City High-Skilled Talent Bank and given priority to high-level talents. The reporter saw on the big screen of GKG Precision Machine Co., Ltd. that the “Guangyi Artisans” are regarded as role models by the company’s employees. To what extent can the equipment produced by the craftsmen be precise? One-fifth of a hair.
2. Offering help and Disturbance-free
Feel free to come and disturbance-free. Good understating of enterprises and sound service. This is the general impression of Dongguan enterprises on the government.
“Quality enterprises are not born like this, we shall nurture, care for, and solve difficulties for them at critical moments.” Zhang Yucheng, deputy secretary-general of the Dongguan Municipal Government, said. Since this year, the pandemic has spread at multiple points, and the production and operation of many enterprises have been greatly affected. Dongguan has issued a series of policies such as “The opinions on the implementation of double overall planning”, “6 measures for enterprise relief” and “27 measures for further relief”, covering tax and fee reduction, rent and burden reduction, stable chain and supply, and contribution to people’s livelihood and other aspects. It is estimated that the total amount of various types of funds, such as relief and return, is about 54 billion yuan.
Now in the eyes of some entrepreneurs, Dongguan’s development potential has surpassed some hot cities. “To develop industrial Internet, I think there are two best places, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta. After careful and repeated comparison, I finally chose Dongguan whose entrepreneurial atmosphere and business environment are most suitable for me.” At the age of 40, Dr. Yu Yang has already been a tenured professor at a famous overseas university, but he gave up his lucrative treatment abroad and returned to Dongguan, where he is leading his Seer Big Data to participate in a major research project. Meanwhile, he’s committed to working to overcome the technical problem of railway tracks, detecting their possible safety hazards without moving or damaging them.
“Dongguan will continue to innovate policies, such as letting employers decide for themselves how to assess the title of talent.” Zhou Xueping, deputy secretary of the Party Committee of the Human Resources and Social Security Bureau of Dongguan, said that the next step will be to delegate the right to evaluate special talents and review titles to the Spallation neutron source, Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, and new research and development institutions while supporting enterprises and institutions to set up doctoral and post-doctoral workstations to enhance the independent cultivation capacity.
3. Wealthy and beautiful
At the end of February when Dongguan is getting closer to spring, the reporter found the beautiful scenery of green banks, swimming fish, flying egrets, rivers, and lanes, making residents feel comfortable. But these places were home to sewage flowing and silted up rivers and streams due to pollution.
To clean the Maozhou River, the municipal party committee secretary worked on-site as a commander in chief; to clean Huayang Lake, the relevant departments overcame the difficulties, shutting down a total of 158 polluting enterprises, relocating 28,000 graves, demoliting 223 livestock farms with a total of 165,000 square meters. “Dongguan ranks third in the improvement of sections under the national monitoring program for surface water and ranks first in Guangdong province”. Tan Ganbiao, the chief engineer of Dongguan Water Affairs Bureau, introduced that Dongguan City has invested more than 70 billion yuan in the past five years, with 13,000 kilometers of new sewage networks, 641 inland rivers rectified, and 22 black and smelly waters in the built-up area rectified.
With a more beautiful ecology, better industry, and stronger strength, the public’s sense of gain is more adequate. Tan Xumian, secretary of the party committee of Machong town, said with relief that in recent years, a large number of high-quality projects have settled in Ma Chung town, such as JD’s largest integrated intelligent logistics center in Asia, the PRD Auto Exhibition Center; Huayang Lake scenic area has also become an important leisure resort in the Pearl River Delta, receiving more than 6 million visitors each year.
People-centered is the final destination of development. “To develop the city, the economy is the first stage, management second, and then the culture.” Wu Yiting, a member of the Standing Committee of the Dongguan Municipal Committee and Minister of the Publicity Department, said that to retain people in the city, it is also necessary to enhance people’s satisfaction, sense of belonging, and identity in Dongguan through cultural embellishment.
Dongguan, famous for its manufacturing industry, is actually a cultural mine. As a prefecture-level city, Dongguan has 53 museums, which either tell the story of self-improvement behind the incident of destroying opium at Humen, tell the long-lasting culture of South China and Dongguan, or show the traditional strengths of Dongguan sports such as weightlifting, basketball, etc... “Focusing on the museum as a carrier, we carry out various forms of education so that more populations from other provinces and countries can understand, identify with and take root in Dongguan.” Wu Yiting said that the city’s registered museums have planned a total of 137 activities for 792 times in 2021, with over 4.5 million visits.
At Chang’an Library, there are calligraphy art room, tea study hall, and psychological healing room on the 5th floor, and science and technology workers in various fields will regularly come here to introduce science. “Now people are competing to get reservations” Cai Shaoxia, Director of Chang'an Publicity, Education, Culture, Sports and Tourism Office, laughs. Residents can read books and relax in their leisure time, making public cultural services better through innovative supply methods.
Based on the new starting point of over one trillion yuan GDP and over 10 million population, Dongguan will further promote the construction of a quality culture, to achieve the beauty of manufacturing, technology, humanities, and beauty together.
V. Embrace the Greater Bat Area, embeace the opportunities
The flow of resources has always been the priority. Adjacent to Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou three first-tier cities, there is the benefit of near water, but as the shadow is siphoned. "Doing well is left and right, both ends eat water, do not do well is not growing grass under the big tree." Xiao Yafei said.
In Maozhou River Industrial Civilization Exhibition Hall, at the border of Dongguan and Shenzhen, an old photo from 1978 attracted reporters: the youth of Chang'an town are vigorously practicing swimming in the reservoir. Why practice swimming? Swim to Hong Kong to find opportunities. At that time, a doggerel was popular in Chang’an: the youth ran away, the fields were deserted, the old people were panicking, and the cadres were having a hard time.
Dongguan cadres remembered the difficulties at that time and always spurred and warned themselves. As the only prefecture-level city next to three first-tier cities in China, how can Dongguan develop under their powerful influence?
1. Taking advantages
Dongguan has emerged due to its market choice and has risen due to its ability to grasp opportunities. In the era of the “Pearl River Delta”, Dongguan becomes the “Factory of the World” with its keen insight into the golden economic corridor formed by Guangzhou, Dongguan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. With the “Pearl River Delta” becoming the “Greater Bay Area”, the nine cities in the Pearl River Delta plus the two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau have together created an international first-class Bay Area. The city competition pattern has undergone profound changes, and Dongguan people who are good at seizing opportunities are also brewing new urban dreams.
The wind of science and innovation introduced from Hong Kong and Shenzhen has given rise to new industries in Dongguan. In 2014, Dongguan launched the program of replacing human workers with machines, and supported the founding of a robotics base in Songshan Lake by Li Zexiang, a professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and co-founder of DJI. In the Bay Area era, Li Zexiang will export the mature incubation model with the label of “Songshan Lake” to Hong Kong and Shenzhen, and pry the resources of universities, supply chains, and venture capitalists in the whole Bay Area to replicate robotics startups in bulk on the base platform.
The “twin-city story” between Dongguan and Shenzhen has taken on a new connotation. For many years, Dongguan has been following Shenzhen in terms of industrial chain and business environment and has become the first choice for industrial spillover from Shenzhen. With a high degree of synergy between “Shenzhen R&D + Dongguan manufacturing” and the interconnectivity between the two cities: Huawei, OPPO and Vivo have headquarters in both two cities, the number of commuting between the two cities is spectacular. Over 90,000 cars with Shenzhen license plates can be seen only in Chang’an town on weekdays.
2. Seizing the opportunities
City competition, just like the card game. Guangzhou has the best universities, and Shenzhen has the best science and innovation, let alone the ability to attract major projects., How can Dongguan develop its own advantage?
First, stand on a higher platform. Why are tens of thousands of Huawei employees willing to move to Dongguan? Why can Dongguan and Shenzhen jointly build a comprehensive national science center pilot zone? Because of Songshan Lake Park. Dongguan is making great efforts to promote the strategic platforms of Songshan Lake Science City, Binhaiwan Bay Area, and River Functional Area.
Second, hold on to a trump card. How does Dongguan survive and compete in the Greater Bay Area? Manufacturing is Dongguan’s trump card, and technological manufacturing will become Dongguan’s ace card, said Zhao Min, deputy director of the Policy Research Office of Dongguan Municipal Committee.
Third, fully integrated into the Bay Area. Without an airport, but Dongguan wants to become an aviation hub? This is not a fool’s dream. Dongguan and Hong Kong have together broken through the heavy institutional barriers to create a cross-border air-sea intermodal transport project: the Hong Kong-Dongguan International Airport Center. “It is equivalent to a terminal, so that the function of Hong Kong’s international shipping center move forward, building a fast access to the sea for Dongguan and the surrounding electronics and other high value-added products, greatly improving the international competitiveness of high-end manufacturing competitiveness.” Ye Jingchao, the project leader, said.
Dongguan is more convinced that only by integrating into the Greater Bay Area can we have a promising future.
3. Making best use of the advantages and bypass the disadvantages
“What the policy takes away from you is not terrible, but what the market takes away from you is awful." Zhang Yucheng said. Only by developing a high-end core supply chain to achieve the fullest integration, to gradually fill the gap between policy, transportation, and environmental aspects, can we highlight the value of Dongguan in the Bay Area.
A magnificent picture of the big integration has been laid out: Inside the mountains between the Songshan Lake Science City and Shenzhen Guangming Science City, a channel with a straight line distance of 7 kilometers is being opened. Dongguan and Shenzhen and other places are cultivating a new generation of electronic information, intelligent equipment, and other industrial clusters, striving to leap towards the world-class. The rail transportation to Guangzhou and Shenzhen is increasing and accelerating, and the talent flow is gradually speeding up.
“We will be more proactive in promoting infrastructure and rules mechanisms, deeply integrating into the Shenzhen metropolitan area, seamlessly connecting to the Guangzhou metropolitan area, creating new regional competitive advantages all-round. “Lu Chengqi, the mayor of Dongguan, said with confidence.
VI. Strive to the future
Heaven rewards those who work hard, and flowers in spring come to fruition in autumn. In recent years, how do Dongguan’s economic and social development maintain a strong and good momentum? The most fundamental thing is to conscientiously implement the new development concept, unswervingly taking the road of high-quality development, filling the city with the spirit of hard-working.
--The spirit of competing for the lead. “Dragon boat is popular in Guangdong, especially in Dongguan.” Since ancient times, Dongguan has had a tradition of striving for advancement, and its sports such as dragon boat, weightlifting, swimming, and basketball are well known in the country. It is with such a brave and vigorous spirit, Dongguan dares to change, eliminate difficulties and seize the opportunity for development again and again.
--The “three cows” spirit of pioneering and practical work. Dongguan’s struggle is a vivid portrayal of “serving the people, innovating and developing, and striving” as proposed by President Xi Jinping. Aiming at the road ahead, Dongguan does not hesitate. On Jianyuzhou, old factories, chimneys, water towers, and glass curtain walls, live e-commerce, and creative design are wonderfully integrated, and the past and the future are connected here. As a pioneer during Dongguan’s rural industrialization period, the industrial heritage here has been magnificently transformed into a “new cultural landmark of Dongguan”.
--The spirit of steady and stability. 44 years ago, by the sewing machine, a handbag opened the door to an international manufacturing city. 21 years ago, by the shore of Songshan Lake, “an offensive move” set the stage for world-class science and technology innovation highland. All the way, wind and rain, but regardless of good times or bad times, Dongguan always put an emphasis on the manufacturing industry, promoting industrial development power and urban competitiveness to achieve a quantitative to qualitative change.
--The spirit of inclusiveness. From the 1980s and 1990s when millions of workers migrated to Dongguan, to the use of the term “New Dongguanese” in 2007, and from the first introduction of points-based household registration in Guangdong in 2010 to the creation of an upgraded version of “Skills and Talents Capital”, Dongguan has made countless people’s dreams come true and their lives become more colorful. And the city has become more energetic and vibrant as a result.
After the GDP exceeds one trillion yuan and marching into a new journey, Dongguan must continue to carry forward the spirit of hard-working, pioneering, and innovation. But how to use the opportunity, seize the opportunity, improve the mechanism, and make good use of the opportunity, there are a series of “must answer” questions.
In the face of profound and complex changes at home and abroad, how to take the initiative, gain advantages, and win the future?
With the changes in the external environment and the factor endowment of China’s development, the momentum of the international cycle of both markets and resources is significantly weakened, and the global supply chain and industrial chain are facing reshaping. Under the new development pattern, how to give more driving force to economic growth? How to better activate the potential of domestic demand?
That is to make science and technology innovation become the main driving force of growth, to strengthen advanced manufacturing. At the same time, Dongguan will also give full play to the role of domestic demand, create new advantages for foreign investment and foreign trade, to create a modern hub city connecting the domestic and international dual cycle.
With the increasingly prominent constraints of land and other resource factors, how to effectively expand new space and break the development restriction?
After more than 40 years of rapid development, Dongguan’s land development intensity has approached 50%, second only to Shenzhen. The shortage of space resources, especially the lack of contiguous space has become the biggest factor limiting development. The development of new dynamic energy needs space, and so does the improvement of people’s livelihood and urban quality improvement.
“We strengthen the convergence of industrial planning and territorial spatial planning and realize the combination of qualitative, quantitative, and positioning of land use. This may be a difference between Dongguan and other cities.” Lv Peng, director of Dongguan Natural Resources Bureau, said Dongguan is vigorously promoting the implementation of three major actions of contiguous land coordination, industrial space renewal, and low-utility land disposal to promote urban development from an outwardly expanding style to an inwardly enhancing one.
Becoming a megacity, how to develop grassroots governance?
Dongguan has a special demographic structure, with a serious inversion of the number of foreign and local populations, and a highly mobile population. The pressure on public service protection and social governance is great. It is necessary to further improve the institutional mechanism of strengthening the coordination at the municipal level, the vitality of towns and villages, and the synergy of both levels, promoting the transformation of urban management from “scale supply” to “quality supply”, to expand the new situation of social development with common construction, governance, and sharing.
In the face of “talent hunting”, how to change the population advantage into talent advantage?
Dongguan has 2,584,000 talents of all kinds, but there is a shortage of high-quality technical and skilled personnel, skilled craftsmen, and artisans. There are also shortages in access to public education, elderly care services, medical services, employment, and parking space, all of which have an impact on retaining talents.
Opportunities lie in the challenges, and they favor those who are prepared. These issues test the eyesight and brain power, determination, and endurance of the city managers, and are related to the survival, competitiveness, development, and sustainability of Dongguan. The new journey, naturally, will not be a straight path. We will encounter a variety of ditches and storms. Now that we have gone through thousands of mountains and rivers, there’s no need to fear trekking. We can overcome any hardship and danger full of energy and hard-working, with boldness and pride.
The Pearl River rushes, embracing the bay to the sea, running into a promising future.
It’s said that:
The east wind is swelling the delightful fragrance of Dongguan.
And we are moving forward with great passion!
Source: Economic Daily
(Research team members: Ji Zhengju, Pang Caixia, Xiong Li, Zheng Yang, Guo Ziyuan, Zhaotian Gege;
Author: Xiong Li, Zheng Yang, Guo Ziyuan;
Editor: Ji Zhengju, Pang Caixia)
