In the first two months of this year, two comprehensive bonded zones in the coastal city of Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province saw over 20 billion yuan in total foreign trade value -- up 6 percent year on year, while bonded zones in Anhui Province, also in east China, recorded trade value of 23.11 billion yuan, a 16.1 percent increase.

　　Beyond trade growth, bonded zones are accelerating industrial transformation, leveraging policies to establish R&D centers and foster high-tech industries. In May 2024, the GAC introduced 23 measures to advance high-quality development in comprehensive bonded zones.

　　Notably, the BDIA bonded zone welcomed a firm specializing in flight simulator R&D and training, which trained 1,000 airline personnel in 2024. Meanwhile, Beijing's Zhongguancun comprehensive bonded zone, the country's first bonded zone featuring R&D and innovation, hosts a series of tech companies, dedicating 90 percent of its space to experimental R&D.

　　“Joining the zone means saving costs on tax-free R&D equipment and bonded materials, allowing us to focus on innovation,“ said Wang Shicheng, chairman and general manager of Beijing Soaring Electric Technology Co., Ltd., a clean energy and energy saving tech firm based in the Zhongguancun bonded zone.■

　　A staff member works at Beijing CRS Medical Device Co., Ltd. inside the comprehensive bonded zone of Beijing Daxing International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, April 9, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao)