REGIONAL> Development
Yangtze River Economic Belt brings new economy era to Hubei
By Zhou Lihua and Jiang Qi (China Daily Hubei Bureau)
Updated: 2009-07-30 17:27

Hubei's economy is entering a new era with the help of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The Hubei Provincial Government approved the issuance of the decision for "Speeding Up a New Round of Opening Up of the Development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt of Hubei" at a news conference on July 27,

The Yangtze River Economic Belt of Hubei was officially introduced as another major strategy, following the Wuhan city circle "two-oriented society" comprehensive reform pilot area and the construction of the Western Hubei eco-cultural tourism circles.

"The introduction of this decision is timed right for facing the financial crisis," said Zhang Changer of the standing committee of the Hubei Provincial Party at the news conference. "It’s urgent that we open up the Yangtze River Economic Belt of Hubei. This will accelerate the development of open-type and endogenous development of organic integration," Zhang added.

The Yangtze River Economic Belt is located west of Badong, a county in Hubei’s Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, and east of Huangmei, a county in Huanggang City. The Belt lies along the coastlines of Wuhan, Yichang, Jingzhou, Huangshi, Huanggang, Ezhou, Xianning, Enshi City, and 25 state counties. Covering an area of more than 70,000 square km, it accounts for 40 percent of Hubei and has a pivotal position in the development pattern of Hubei. In 2008, Hubei’s GDP and local general budget revenue were 67.5% and 60.7% respectively.

The blueprint for Hubei’s overall economic and social development has taken a long time to come into being. Hubei proposed and implemented the "1 +8" Wuhan city circle construction in 2003 and was approved for the "two-oriented society" comprehensive reform pilot area in 2007. And in November 2008, Hubei began building the Western Hubei eco-cultural tourism circles.

The new round of development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt has been given more strategic significance for the social reform process in Hubei.

"Like the relation between a line and two pearls, the Yangtze River Economic Belt strings the two important circles together," Zhang said. "Additionally, the line and the circles have a high degree of overlapping administrative region in the location; this will play a main role in the coordinated development of Hubei."

Hubei has been concerned with the booming economic potential along the Yangtze River for awhile. In the 1980s, for example, Hubei raised the strategy of building the middle reaches of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. And now, in an effort to benefit from the major development opportunities, industrial base and transport facilities, Hubei is focusing on the regional economic development highlights again. But the implementation ideas of development should be improved. "[We should] focus on a limited, orderly, and paid development and be concerned with green-oriented development, prevention priorities, and reasonable utilization," Zhang said, emphasizing Hubei's ecological requirements.

In accordance with the "decision", Hubei should make full use of the advantage of the Yangtze River golden waterway to accelerate construction of transport facilities along the river as the foundation; promote new-type industrialization and urbanization as the core; and advance distinctive industries along the river as the main concern.

By 2020, the Yangtze River Economic Belt will be a modern industrial economic belt and the model belt of ecological civilization.