近三年来，主要在中国的中西部新增加了17个国家级经济技术开发区，这是中国开发区协会会长赵云栋最近在中国经济技术开发区招商引资工作第七届年会上透露的。
　　赵云栋说，开发区的发展要靠招商引资来实现，这也就体现出了招商引资工作年会的重要性。
　　为期两天的中国经济技术开发区招商引资工作第七届年会于2002年8月11日在素有“森林之城”的贵州省贵阳市开幕。会上赵会长展示了江泽民总书记为开发区作的"努力把经济技术开发区办得更好"的题词。贵阳经济技术开发区管委会主任兰义彤致开幕辞，贵阳市市长孙国强、副市长高融昆到会祝贺，并发表讲话。
　　本届会议的主题是，在新形势下如何开创经济技术开发区招商引资工作的新局面。随着我国加入WTO，中国经济技术开发区的任务不再是单纯招商引资，它们将发挥区域竞争优势，带动中国企业同国际接轨，促进产业和技术扩散，帮助国内企业迅速成长为具有跨国经营能力的企业。
　　国家外经贸部外资司开发区处处长高尚德在讲话中肯定了经济技术开发区上半年的工作。他说，上半年我国49个国家级经济技术开发区产值上升了28%，中西部增长速度明显高于其他地区，11家开发区全区通过了ISO质量体系认证。这充分证明了开发区在各地经济发展和国家对外开放中重要的推动作用。


　　与会代表一致认为，开发区政策性优势的弱化已成定局，招商引资工作到了探索新的发展方向的时候。当前形势下，要充分整合现有资源，做好产业规划，明确导向支柱产业、形成优势产业，提高企业的核心竞争力。在改善投资环境方面，充分发挥政府和社会两方面的积极性，健全和完善开发区综合服务功能，完善市场服务、生活服务等设施。另外，要创新招商引资渠道，明确招商引资区域，明确目标企业，利用好中介服务组织，促进开发区的二次创业，为推动区域经济协调发展期到更加积极的作用。
　　最后，大会推选湛江经济技术开发区为第八届全国经济技术开发区年会东道主。湛江经济技术开发区位于中国大陆的最南端，是国务院首批批准成立的开发区之一。功能齐全、设施完备、环境优美的湛江开发区作为改革开放的先导区，正在亚太经济圈中占据越来越重要的位置。湛江经济技术开发区管委会主任林萌介绍了本区的发展，并向参加第七届年会的代表发出诚挚的邀请，明年再会于湛江，再次总结一年来的成果与经验，把"开发区大有希望"的事业建设得更好。
　　
　　New Development Zones Set Up in Central, Western China
　　ByLiYanqin
　　A new batch of 17 state-level economic and technological development zones (SETDZ) have been set up in the central and western parts of China within 3 years. These SETDZs, like those in other parts of the country, will depend mainly on foreign capital input for development, according to Zhao Yundong, president of the China Association for Economic and Technological Development Zones.


　　Zhao was speaking at the two-day seventh annual meeting of the association on work to attract foreign investments, which opened on August 11, 2002, in Guiyang City, capital of Guizhou Province.
　　With China‘s WTO accession, said the official, economic and technological development zones are no longer limited to attracting foreign investments and earning foreign exchange for the country. They are also expected to show enterprises across China the way of getting involved in the world economy and help them become capable of undertaking transnational operations. To achieve the purpose, he added, development zones should bring into full play the competitive edge of the regions where they are based.
　　For progress in the wake of China‘s WTO entry, development zones have almost completed the process of shifting from reliance on policy privileges to an all-round improvement in their investment conditions. It is believed that their successes rest with whether they abide by international rules and take the lead in developing modern service platforms.
　　In the first half of 2002, the 49 SETDZs in the country realized a 28 percent growth in combined output value. Those in central and western China, which number 11, achieved an economic growth faster than the average. All of them passed ISO quality authentication.