Chengdu cements standing as key national central city

Local govt initiates industrial, urban renewal projects to boost western metropolis' role

Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, has outlined detailed plans to establish itself as an exemplar of a national central city within five years, by extending its global transport links, strengthening its internationally competitive industries and perfecting its urban layout.

Chengdu is one of six national central cities as recognized by the central government this year.

It aims to build itself into an economic, scientific, finance, cultural and foreign exchange center, as well as a transport hub in western China.

The city is one of the most affluent cities in western China. Last year, the city's GDP reached 1.21 trillion yuan ($183 billion), ranking No 3 among the country's 15 largest cities and increasing 7.7 percent year-on-year.

Most foreign embassies and consulates, and the world's top 500 enterprises have chosen to establish branches in Chengdu.

Compared with other regions in western China, Chengdu also has the most international transport routes. All of these aspects make the city a pioneer in terms of opening-up to the outside world, according to local officials.

The Belt and Road Initiative and the nation's policies to open-up the western areas to the outside world will bring the city new strategic opportunities, they added.

In order to realize its objectives, Chengdu has committed to strengthening its city functions of "Five centers and one hub": being the western economic center, the western financial center, the western science and technology center, the western cultural center, the western foreign exchange center and an integrated traffic communications hub.

In order to promote its industrial upgrading and to build itself into an ecological and smart city, Chengdu plans to further develop five pillar industries: the electronic information, automobile manufacturing, food and beverage, equipment manufacturing and bio-medicine sectors.

It aims to continue supporting its five advantageous industries: the aerospace, rail transportation, energy saving and environmental protection, new materials and new energy sectors.

As for the overall planning of the city, Chengdu intends to rejuvenate the single-center urban development pattern. Taking Longquan Mountain as its center, the city will further expand in all directions.

Zhang Ying, director of Chengdu's urban planning bureau, says the developed manufacturing and production service industries will move to the city's east, emphasizing the development of sectors such as automobile manufacturing, aerospace, intelligent manufacturing, energy saving and environmental protection.

The area will also develop the R&D design, inspection and testing, aviation logistics among others.

The south area of the city will be the new engine of innovation. Tianfu New Area will gather high-tech industries that have strong international competitiveness.

The south side of Chengdu will promote high-tech and the emerging economy.

Highlights include the development of a new generation of information technology, high-end equipment, biomedicine, other strategic emerging industries and artificial intelligence.

The west side will focus on building a low-carbon and recyclable industry system. Sectors including green food, next generation information technology, software services and industrial design will be the highlights.

The core of the development of the western areas is raising industrial thresholds and optimizing the use of resources, in a bid to protect natural and cultural landscapes in those areas and build modern garden-style town, officials said.

This involves taking advantage of the natural resources in the areas to promote the upgrading and development green industries.

The northern regions will focus on developing the export-oriented economy. The advanced equipment, railways, aviation and new material industries will be the key focuses.

The city's central areas will emphasize the development of Tianfu culture and historic inheritance.

These central areas will become a commercial and business center that gathers high-end services industries through industrial upgrading, reducing architectural scale and population density.

The central part of the city will develop advanced productive services and urban industries.

Emerging towns

According to the city's new development plan, Chengdu plans to build 66 new industrial towns.

It will speed up its construction of a modern city with a well-arranged industrial layout and living environment.

The city plans to establish an urban rail transportation network consisting of 46 city railways, with a total distance of about 2,450 kilometers. Bus stations will be established within 150 meters of each subway station to ensure convenient transfers.

So far, four subway lines have entered operation in Chengdu, with a total length of 129 km. By 2022, a total distance of 600 km will be in service.

Environmentally friendly transport will be encouraged by establishing 4,800 km of cycle lanes and 4,500 walking routes.

In the next five years, Chengdu plans to build two or three industrial parks that have global influence and international industrial competitiveness, create one or two national manufacturing and innovation centers, and construct 10 provincial industry demonstration bases.

renjie@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 08/23/2017 page10)