Changchun auto zone an impetus for city's high-quality growth
Changchun in Northeast China's Jilin province has announced plans to establish a comprehensive demonstration area to promote its motor industry, which is expected to reach an industrial output value of 800 billion yuan ($114.24 billion) by 2025.
The move came after more than six months of preparations by the Changchun Automobile Economic and Technological Development Zone's efforts to build the Changchun International Auto City, said Deputy Mayor Wang Haiying during an event on July 28.
The auto city is planned to cover an area of 471 square kilometers. It will be a base incorporating research and development, production and aftermarket services for automobiles and parts, according to the plan.
"The city government regards the auto city as a dynamic impetus and growth point to promote local high-quality economic development," Wang said.
Cooperating with local vehicle brand FAW Group, the authority has put great effort in planning the construction.
Jilin province and Changchun city have provided support to its motor industry with funds, policies and by investing in projects, the deputy mayor said.
With this support, a number of major projects such as the FAW Hongqi new energy vehicle base; the FAW R&D institute new energy intelligent network innovation base; and the FAW Volkswagen new technology development center have settled in the city.
This has helped create strong support for the construction of an international automobile city, Wang said.
Over the first six months of 2020, the output value of industrial enterprises above designated size in the Changchun Automobile Economic and Technological Development Zone was 252.11 billion yuan, an increase of 10.2 percent year-on-year.
The investment in fixed assets was 8.27 billion yuan and the actual use of domestic capital reached 8.71 billion yuan, up 244.1 percent compared with the same period of 2019, official data showed.
The auto city is to include a range of local functional zones such as the Changchun Automobile Economic and Technological Development Zone.
In addition, Gongzhuling city, which was designated to be an administrative county-level city of Changchun will be incorporated into the motor city to aid further development, the plan said.
During the event, the Changchun city government signed agreements with FAW Group to promote cooperation and government support for the new energy vehicle project. The auto city is to focus on developing the brands of FAW Group and building the whole automobile industry supply chain, centering on the core components such as batteries, motors, engines and gearboxes, Wang said.
It will also develop automobile service industries such as R&D and design; automobile trade; automobile finance and automobile travel, he added.
Xu Liuping, chairman of FAW Group, said that the newly opened Hongqi innovation building in the auto city is the world's first intelligent full-scene digital exhibition hall. It displays the brand's concept and new technology, Xu said.
He added that it is also one of the group's efforts to build a landmark for intelligent innovation in Jilin and Northeast China.
The Hongqi brand of FAW Group is to cooperate with local authorities to conduct more innovation and promote the transformation and upgrading of China's auto industry, the executive said.
Focusing on overall development, the auto city will be designed with a vision of sustainability. It will also give priority to ecological and green development.
The deputy mayor added that it will focus on integrating the city with industrial development and extend its services to people's welfare such as education, medical health and senior care.
The auto city will also carry out the philosophy of combining historical culture and modern life in its development.
In the future, the city government will cooperate with FAW Group to implement reform and rejuvenation to China's national automobile industry, strengthening and expanding the national brand, Wang said.
They will also build the motor city into a world-famous automobile industry landmark to attract top talent and thus to make contributions to Changchun's construction of a modern metropolis and promote Jilin's all-round revitalization, he added.
Han Junhong contributed to this story
