Industrial Production News
- Special Supplement: Old industrial base takes on new green look
Date: 13-Nov-2007 Sources: (People's Daily)
Traditional industrial bases used to be pictured as factories filled with roaring motors in workshops or cities full of rolling smoke against dark skies.
But now, the stereotype has changed as local authorities have made it a priority to develop sustainable economy in the process of revitalizing the old bases.
Changchun, capital of Northeast China's Jilin Province, has been witness to the continuing efforts of the authorities in this direction.
Thanks to years of green efforts, the capital enjoys the reputation of a green city with 83.41 sq m green cover and a 41.5-percent forest coverage.
Moreover, the Jingyue Economic Development Zone, the hub of the city's eco-industries, is seen as Changchun's window to showcase its achievements in balancing economic growth and environmental protection.
The development zone's name is derived from that of Jingyuetan National Forest Park. With nearly 100 sq km of forestland, the park lying in the development zone is dubbed a natural oxygen bar.
The original purpose of establishing the development zone was to protect the valuable forests, according to the zone administration.
The Changchun city government vows to spare no efforts to build Jingyue Zone into the city's core area for the entertainment, eco-environment and hi-tech sectors.
The authorities have invested 230 million yuan in planting 3.06 sq km of forests, and 1 billion yuan in 32 infrastructure projects, in the first nine months of this year.
At present, the zone has 243 sq km of water areas, while forests cover nearly half of its total of 478.7 sq km. Water storage capacity of a reservoir in the zone has reached 26 million cu m, a record high in the last 19 years.
With an improvement in the ecological environment, the zone has become home to 84 species of wild animals, 12 species more than three years ago.
In addition to water resources preservation and green coverage expansion, the zone authorities also value the construction of eco-friendly housing projects.
Four premium residential blocks, covering a total of 30 sq km, are presently under construction.
According to the zone administration, the green coverage of the developed residential areas has reached 432 hectares and per capita public green areas of the zone now amounts to 38.36 sq m.
No wonder then that the average land rent of the zone soared by 450 percent and average housing prices increased 1.27 times in 2006, compared with the previous year.
To further revamp the zone's image, its administration has invested in greening roads, renovating old buildings, and constructing a light-rail park and a public square.
With built-up areas expansion and urban population growth, urban green coverage rate of the zone is planned to exceed 40 percent in 2015, according to the zonal development blueprint.
Existing tourism facilities and those currently under construction are expected to enhance the zone's appeal for travelers, with tourism revenue expected to reach 10 billion yuan in 2015, the zone's administrative committee said.
Comprehensive growth
The Changchun municipal government mapped out a strategy to build the zone into an eco-friendly economy in October 2006, hoping that the zone's construction will drive the development of the province's southern areas.
The city government's development strategy put the previously little-known zone under the spotlight for investors from home and abroad, helping it attract 8.27 billion yuan in fixed-assets investment last year - an annual increase of 34.9 percent.
Investment contracts secured in 2006 alone were equal to the total number signed in the previous three years.
A total of 107 investment projects began construction last year, including 54 with investment value exceeding 100 million yuan each.
The projects focus on the zone's five pillar sectors - tourism, technology and culture, modern service, advanced manufacturing, and premium real estate.
A 2-sq km business and financial center with an investment value of 15 billion yuan and highlighted by modern service industries, such as banking and insurance services, has been set up.
A number of Singaporean and European financial service providers have already established operations there.
Meanwhile, a 6-sq km higher learning institute cluster in the zone has drawn 15 universities and colleges, including Northeast Normal University, Jilin Agricultural University and Changchun Taxation College.
The comprehensive educational area is a human resources pool for sustainable development of the local economy.
Further, an under-construction 4-sq km hi-tech section is expected to provide a platform for technological innovation. Several projects, including at least two software parks, a research and development center and a Hong Kong electronic base, will be launched there in the near future.
The hi-tech section's total output is projected to exceed 6 billion yuan in 2010, said Guan Shusen, chief of the zone's administration committee.
Known as the cradle of China's auto industry, Changchun still enjoys advantages in developing the sector.
China's top auto industry player, First Automobile Works (FAW) is headquartered in the city.
Over more than five decades of development, the automobile giant has consolidated its leading national position with its edge in production output, distribution network and market share.
FAW's output exceeded 1 million units in 2006, while its sales in Changchun reached 600,000 units, contributing 68.7 percent to the city's industrial outcome.
Changchun is also an important rice base. Three counties of the city ranked first, second and eighth among a nationwide survey of agricultural counties in terms of rice output last year.
Changchun Vice Mayor Wang Xuezhan pointed out that eco-economy and auto industry are key to the city's development.
Today, the people of Changchun are not only proud of the city's well-established industries, booming commerce, enhanced opening-up and developed education, but also its garden-like environment and its fame as a summer resort and winter sports paradise that offers pleasant scenic views in spring and autumn, Wang said.
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