Leaders push green growth as way to prosperous future

Distinguished by natural coastal scenery, offshore coral reefs and beach stones shaped like Chinese weiqi pieces, Qizi Bay, Hainan province, is ripe for development.

Farsighted officials in Changjiang county are planning to build a national ocean park around the bay to attract more tourists. They're also committed to protecting the ecology and marine environment, including controlling land-based pollution that follows major build-outs of hotels and other infrastructure.

The county, home to the Li ethnic people on the island province's west coast, boasts 63 kilometers of coastline, 15 islands and five fishing villages with a population of 14,273 along the coast. It's already dependent on its marine economy, but the government wants to get more from the ocean.