Newly released regulations on the development of the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City will provide a strong legal guarantee for the local market, promote the business environment and build the knowledge city into an area with global influence, said local officials at a news conference on Feb 23.

China has four national bilateral cooperation projects with Singapore. As the first provincial legislative basis for such a bilateral project, the regulations were adopted by the 39th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th Guangdong Provincial People's Congress on Jan 16 and will come into force on March 1.

Legislative guarantee

Founded in 2010, the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City was upgraded to a China-Singapore national bilateral cooperation project in November 2018.

In August 2020, the State Council approved the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City Overall Development Plan (2020-35), which proposes to build the area into a national knowledge center with global influence.

Chen Yongkang, deputy director of the Legal Affairs Committee of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress, said at the news conference that the regulations provide a legal guarantee for the construction and development of the knowledge city.

It is mainly based on the needs to support innovation, provide a solid guarantee for the market and international business environment and help Guangzhou boost vitality in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25).

The view of the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City. CHINA DAILY

The regulations have six chapters and 47 articles, which stipulate overall support for the construction and development of the knowledge city; technological innovation and intellectual property protection; knowledge-intensive industry development and talent support; opening-up and cooperation; and services and guarantees.

It reflects the position to build a new highland for knowledge creation, a free port for international talents and a demonstration area for open cooperation.

Greater management

Chen said that the primary task of the knowledge city legislation is to transform the policy basis into a legal basis through legal procedures, support the knowledge city to deepen the reform, carry out the first trial, and give greater management authority to the area for innovation and development.

The regulations grant a green channel for IP applications; the opening of a patent agency field; the expansion of the financial industry; a green application channel for new research and development institutions; the decentralization of professional title evaluation; and land supply and security.

Liao Ronghui, director of the legal affairs committee of the Guangzhou city people's congress, said that in the next step, the standing committee of the city congress will carry out publicity and interpretation of the regulations; strengthen the guarantee of implementation of regulations; and revise and improve relevant local regulations in Guangzhou in a timely manner.