Changchun aims to become Northeast Asia pivot
Opening-up, economic revitalization and a focus on logistics, connectivity are at the center of development plan
As a national-level pilot zone, Changchun New Area in Jilin province, is leading the reforms and revitalization of China’s northeastern regions, with its location, innovation and openingup edges, local officials said at a forum held earlier this month in Beijing.
Established in February 2016, the Changchun New Area aims to become a regional hub in Northeast Asia and a demonstration zone suitable for both business and living.
Wang Junzheng, Party chief of the city, said Changchun is planning a development path that features higher efficiency and an optimized structure.
“We have been actively restructuring Changchun and the new area’s economy, and seeking new sources to boost development, leading to a new normal of economic growth,” he said.
Zhou Shuchun, editor-in-chief of China Daily, said: “Changchun New Area plays irreplaceable roles in China’s opening-up and development, especially in the Belt and Road Initiative and revitalization of Northeast China.”
“China Daily will tell its stories, dreams and opportunities on the world stage and boost its overseas exchanges and cooperation to help it go global at fast pace,” Zhou said at the forum.
With the theme of “Blueprint, Opening-up and Revitalization”, the Changchun New Area Opening-up and Development Forum invited industry experts from China and overseas to deliver speeches on the planning and development of the Changchun New Area, as well as other areas.
The Changchun New Area has a three-step strategy, according to its overall development plan that was approved in October 2016.
The first is to establish a nationallevel new area with an open and innovative industry system. The second is to become a pilot free trade zone to play a major role in the world economy. The third is to comprehensively build the area into China’s new window to the world, by exploring economic rules and policies that meet the zone’s needs.
The area plans to use its strengths in high-tech information technology to develop an internationally influential modern services sector. Trade logistics is among the modern services the area will center around, focusing on transportation and e-commerce.
Aviation, railways and road logistics will also be promoted in the area.
Based at the Longjia International Airport, which underwent an expansion project in 2015, the new area will build an air logistics hub for the Northeast Asia region. It will also build an international land port based on the advanced local cargo railway network. The area is expected to have connections to 31 ports in Northeast China by 2030.
It will develop 81 service platforms in its four central business districts, covering fields including information, finance, technical innovation and talent recruitment.
Focusing on the smart equipment manufacturing sectors, the new area aims to develop a number of industry clusters with annual revenue of more than 100 billion yuan ($12.3 billion) each.
Using first-class environmental and agricultural resources, the area will develop its cultural tourism, healthcare, elderly care, food and biomedicine industries to build a “green consumption center in Northeast Asia”, said Wang.
As one of the earliest national centers for the manufacturing industry and the movie business, Changchun witnessed its GDP increase 8 percent in the first half of this year compared with the same period last year.
In addition to updating traditional industries, the local authorities are also nurturing some emerging sectors such as big data, smart manufacturing, electronics, new materials and new energy.
“An open economy is vigorous and an open region is competitive,” Wang.
“We will seize opportunities in Changchun’s opening-up progress to build an open new area facing Northeast Asia.
“The purpose of all the efforts in the new area is to add vigor to technical innovation, investment and management, in order to speed up the socioeconomic development of Changchun,” Wang said.
a researcher at the German National Academy of Science and Engineering chief sustainability officer of Sweco Finland Ltd
dean of the College of Economic and Social Development of Nankai University