Coastal town's industries fuel five years of growth

Qinzhou has been making steady economic progress over the past five years, according to acting mayor Huang Haikun at the city's people's congress this year in September.

In 2011-2015, Qinzhou implemented a new development strategy centered around the seaport, investing in related industries and building new urban areas, strengthening education and improving the lives of local residents, according to the acting mayor.

This year, the city's gross domestic product and fixed asset investment are both expected to exceed 100 billion yuan ($14.5 billion). The financial income of the city government is expected to reach 17 billion yuan, and the gross domestic product per capita is expected to exceed $5,000.

Qinzhou Port has processed 100 million metric tons of cargo since it was established in 1992. Over the past five years, the port has processed 43.1 million tons of cargo, which enables it to cover all the main ports of Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The throughput of containers is expected to reach 1.3 million twenty-foot equivalent units this year.

The region saw a total of 111 newly emerged major industrial enterprises in the five-year period. Among them, 32 enterprises deal in high technology, a new driving force for the Beibu Gulf coastal economic region.

Qinzhou has also invested 25.5 billion yuan in 569 key urban construction programs, including the city's sports center and White Stone Lake Park.

It has been nominated to be named a national-level "civilized city", and been officially recognized as a national-level park city. Qinzhou is constructing a new framework for its eastern and southern areas.

For five successive years, government spending on measures to improve local quality of life has accounted for more than 80 percent of its whole financial budget, and increased by an average of 20.4 percent year-on-year.

In that time, the disposable income of urban residents and the net income of rural residents increased an average of 9.5 percent and 12.7 percent, respectively, year-on-year, and people's living standards are rising steadily.

The coming five years are of great importance to Qinzhou in the building of its new society. It is also a strategic opportunity for Qinzhou to catch up with other prospering cities in the developed provinces along the eastern coast, according to Xiao Yingzi, Party chief of Qinzhou.

By 2020, Qinzhou's gross domestic product is expected to exceed 200 billion yuan, and gross domestic product per capita is set to surpass 57,000 yuan.

The disposable income of urban residents and the net income of rural residents are expected to grow by an annual average of 10 percent and 14 percent, respectively, by 2020. The social security network will be improved, and 301 villages will be lifted out of poverty.

Qinzhou will also be built into a key port along the Belt and Road. A comprehensive transportation system, including sea routes, railways, highways and air routes, will be completed, making Qinzhou a gateway port to connect inland regions with ASEAN ports.

Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region has applied to the central government for the establishment of a Beibu Gulf Free Trade Experimental Zone, and Qinzhou will be a core area in the zone to open up and cooperate with ASEAN countries.

(China Daily 12/01/2016 page24)