The plaque awarding ceremony for China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone linkage innovation zones in the cities of Lishui, Huzhou, Shaoxing, and Quzhou is held on June 7 in Ningbo. [Photo/lishui.gov.cn]

A forum on cooperation between open platforms in the Yangtze River Delta region was held in the city of Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province on June 7 ahead of the Second China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair in Ningbo from June 8 to 11.

During the forum, the China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone Lishui Linkage Innovation Zone – located in the city of Lishui, Zhejiang – along with three other linkage innovation zones in the cities of Huzhou, Shaoxing, and Quzhou were officially approved.

The linkage innovation zone project is an important strategic deployment made by the Zhejiang government in an effort to copy and promote the innovative experience of the Zhejiang FTZ and drive the development of the province's open economy.

The Lishui Linkage Innovation Zone of the Zhejiang FTZ has a total land area of 119.12 square kilometers and covers major industrial areas in Liandu district, Jinyun county, Qingtian county, Qingyuan county, and the county-level city of Longquan.

Moving forward, a number of high-tech enterprises and projects will be set up operations in the innovation zone, including the Huawei Digital Economy Innovation Center, an intelligent building industrial park project of Shanghai CITI-RAISE Construction Group, and the Lishui Big Data Cloud Center.

The innovation zone is expected to expand Lishui's export-oriented economic development and help the city's nine administrative regions achieve rapid and high-quality development.