The Poster News APP:
China has put forward a series of significant regional development strategies, and regional economic structure is increasingly optimized. What new measures will be adopted to balance regional development this year?
Cong Liang:
Thank you for your question. General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that in view of the new conditions efforts should be made to improve regional economic planning featuring complementary advantages and high-quality development according to objective economic rules. This year, the pandemic heavily impacted social-economic growth, and have a severe effect on regional development. This situation requires us to expedite the implementation of regional development strategies and boost balanced growth so as to accelerate the cultivation of growth drivers that will ease the effect of the pandemic. Efforts should be made in the following four respects:
My first point is this: High-quality growth drivers should be fostered around the country. In 2019, the GDP of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta region and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area reached 8.5 trillion yuan ($1.19 trillion), 23.7 trillion yuan and 11.4 trillion yuan respectively. This accounts for 44% of the national total, and these three major drivers of the economy have come to constitute an "engine" of economic development. We must bring into full play the leading role of the above regions in order to achieve a high-quality regional development of the entire country.
One aspect of this is that we should push forward the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. We should make policies that aim at and create pressure for an orderly relocation of all non-essential functions from Beijing, the national capital, to neighboring locations. Major construction projects in the Xiong'an New Area should be expedited to build a structure. The high-quality development policies will be tailored for the Beijing's sub-center.
Another aspect is that we should press ahead with the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. We should continue to uphold the policy of "one country, two systems," act in accordance with laws and regulations, promote scientific innovation and upgrade industries. We should advance the combination and coherence of rules, particularly those between Hong Kong and Macao, and the Chinese mainland, which will improve the happiness, sense of gain and security of the residents living in the Greater Bay Area.
A third aspect is that we should speed up the coordinated development of the Yangtze River Delta region. Initial progress should be made in demonstration zone of the Yangtze River Delta region, the Shanghai pilot Free Trade Zone and other major zones by implementing the coordinated development planning outline.
My second point is this: We should strengthen the ecological protection and quality development of major rivers, particularly the Yangtze River and the Yellow River. On the one hand, we should accelerate the development of the Yangtze Economic Belt, increase funds provided by the central government for its ecological environment restoration and protection, jointly improve the mechanism of well-coordinated environmental conservation and accelerate the cultivation of a number of advanced manufacturing clusters. On the other hand, we should speed up ecological protection and the high-quality development of the Yellow River basin. We will press ahead with the formulation and submission of the development outline on Yellow River basin ecological protection and high-quality development for approval, and we will also accelerate the formation of a system anchored by the guidelines as well as other supplementary planning and policies. This will allow for a number of major projects in ecological and environmental protection to be carried out.
My third point is this: We should strive to narrow the gap between regional development by focusing on four key areas. First, we should promote the development of the western region to form a new pattern. A bi-city Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle will be actively promoted to build and China's inland areas such as Shaanxi province will be opened wider. A number of regions in western areas have been at the forefront of China's reform and opening up endeavor thanks to the rollout of the Belt and Road Initiative, including the operation of China-Europe cargo trains. We need to further narrow the gap there, particularly in the three regions and three prefectures affected by extreme poverty. Second, we should reinvigorate the northeastern region in a comprehensive way. The key lies in continuously improving the business environment and establishing an open and coordinated platform in the face of Northeast Asian countries. Third, we should advance high quality growth in the central part of China. We should organize to implement the package police of Hubei for its economic and social development in accordance with the documents issued by the State Council. Special policies have been rolled out for the province's development for it has been badly affected by the epidemic. Meanwhile, we should make development policies that touch on central areas. Fourth, we should continue to support the eastern areas that are taking the leading role in development, put policies in place regarding the rise of the marine economy and expediting the construction of strategic marine measures.
My fourth point is this: we should bring into full play the leading role of the functional platform. We should establish and improve policies of national-level new zones and induce key areas to perform as industrial relocation platform and build infrastructure projects with investment funds from the central government budget and special development funds. We will move forward with the development of state-level new areas, demonstration zones for industrial relocation. Thank you.
