Sustainable axis of growth
Development of the Yangtze River valley would open up inland areas and help realize the Silk Road economic belt
Premier Li Keqiang urged the development of an economic belt along the Yangtze River in April to provide new development opportunities for the country's central and western regions and provide a new and important driving force for the sustainable development of the Chinese economy.
The Yangtze River, China's largest inland river, originates in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and runs west to east for 6,300-plus kilometers through nine provinces, one autonomous region and one municipality. Hundreds of tributaries along the river radiating northward and southward create a valley area of more than 1.8 million square kilometers, nearly one-fifth of China's total land area. Situated along the Yangtze River are Chongqing, Wuhan, Nanjing and Shanghai, mega-cities that enjoy huge advantages in talent and market resources.
