Author(s)

Ge Wang ¹, Chun Ding ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ Institute of Economics, Harbin University of Commerce, Harbin, 150028, Heilongjiang, China

Corresponding Author

Ge Wang

ABSTRACT

As northernmost pilot free trade zone of China and the first established in a border region, the China (Heilongjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone has been entrusted with the critical mission of "building new heights in opening-up to the north" and the strategic positioning of serving as a central hub for cooperation with Russia and the broader Northeast Asia region. Against the backdrop of China’s efforts to create a new landscape of opening-up, higher requirements have been set for the high-quality development of the Heilongjiang Pilot Free Trade Zone. Using principal component analysis, this study evaluates the high-quality development level of the zone based on the five new development concepts and 20 secondary indicators. It analyzes the contribution of each indicator to high-quality development, identifies high-frequency influencing factors, and proposes corresponding policy recommendations for future advancement. Research finds that: First, the development level of the Heilongjiang Pilot Free Trade Zone has achieved progress, with multiple factors promoting high-quality performance and a steady improvement in the economic foundation. Second, the growth dynamics have gradually shifted from a singular model to a multi-wheel drive mode, which characterized by "scale foundation+innovation efficiency+green sharing". Third, there are still some shortcomings: the contribution of technical personnel to the region's high-quality development needs to be improved, and there is a risk of losing highly skilled talent.

KEYWORDS

Pilot Free Trade Zone, High-Quality Development, Principal Component Analysis

CITE THIS PAPER

Ge Wang, Chun Ding. Measurement of the High-Quality Development Level of the Heilongjiang Free Trade Zone. Information Systems and Economics (2026). Vol. 7, No.1, 31-41. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/infse.2026.070104.

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