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Reform, innovation reconfigure growth pattern in China's western region(Xinhua) 08:33, August 14, 2024
* Reform has vitalized the western region of China, which accounts for about two-thirds of the country's land area, turning the once economically underdeveloped region into one full of growth potential.
* A slew of reform measures have been rolled out to further unleash its growth potential, with a focus on region-specific approaches to nurturing emerging industries and expediting industrial transformation and upgrade.
* Serving as a vital ecological defense, the western region is persistently forging ahead with practical exploration of promoting ecological civilization.
* This commitment is bolstering the drive toward a modernization that embodies harmony between humanity and nature, ensuring robust support for its transformative journey.
BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- In as little as 30 minutes, a new business can be opened in the Lanzhou New Area, northwest China's Gansu Province.
Speed is a testament to the power of reform. In recent years, the Lanzhou New Area has significantly simplified administrative procedures, enabling more than 2,800 government service items to be handled online.
With all these efforts in place, the annual growth rate of the number of business entities in the area has been maintained at over 20 percent, and in the first half of this year, the area saw the establishment of more than 10,000 new business entities.
Workers hoist a storage tank at an industrial park of Lanzhou LS Group in Lanzhou New Area, northwest China's Gansu Province, July 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Fan Peishen)
"A key characteristic of a high-level socialist market economy is that it is both vibrant and manageable," said Wang Shuzheng, who is with the Party work committee of the Lanzhou New Area.
Focusing on the core issue of managing the relationship between government and market, Wang emphasized the commitment to creating a more fair and dynamic market environment through deepening systematic and institutional reforms.
In 2012, the Lanzhou New Area was approved by the State Council as the fifth national-level special economic development zone, and it was also the first state-level new development area in the northwest of China.
From 2011 to 2023, the regional GDP of the Lanzhou New Area increased from less than 500 million yuan (about 70 million U.S. dollars) to 37.5 billion yuan.
CREATING NEW DYNAMICS
The Lanzhou New Area is an epitome of how reform vitalizes the western region of China, which accounts for about two-thirds of the country's land area, turning the once economically underdeveloped region into one full of growth potential.
Over the years, a slew of reform measures have been rolled out to further unleash the growth potential of the expansive and resource-rich western region, with a focus on region-specific approaches to nurturing emerging industries and expediting industrial transformation and upgrade.
In the Liangjiang New Area of Chongqing Municipality in the southwest of China, a vibrant ecosystem of research and development institutions is flourishing, supported by prestigious academic institutions including the Beijing Institute of Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology and Northwestern Polytechnical University.
An aerial drone photo taken on July 17, 2023 shows a view of Chongqing Liangjiang Coordinative Zone, where the Chongqing Institute of New Energy Storage Materials and Equipment is located, in the Liangjiang New Area of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (Photo by Wang Jiaxi/Xinhua)
Among these, the Chongqing Institute of New Energy Storage Materials and Equipment stands out for its dedication to advancing hydrogen energy research, aiming to achieve significant technological breakthroughs in new energy batteries.
"The potential for hydrogen energy is vast, yet we face the challenge of developing safe and cost-effective methods for hydrogen storage and transportation," remarked Wang Jingfeng, executive director of the institute.
Chongqing University, in partnership with the Liangjiang New Area, has established the research institute to amalgamate cutting-edge R&D with industry resources, thereby constructing a premier platform for scientific inquiry.
"Our current research into magnesium-based battery materials and hydrogen storage technologies is leading the industry, marking a significant stride toward the future of energy solutions," Wang added.
As China's southwestern industrial powerhouse, Chongqing had built 144 intelligent factories and 958 digital workshops by the end of 2023, according to Chongqing's municipal commission of economy and informatization.
In Gansu, the transition of Lanzhou LS Group, a long-established equipment manufacturer, has proven how reform propels innovation.
By steering toward high-end transformation, the group maintains its competitive edge in traditional sectors such as oil refining and chemical equipment, as well as oil and gas drilling equipment.
