Huang Wenhua, director of the CETDZ’s administrative committee (Changchun Economic and Technical Development Zone) attributes the fast economic growth of the zone to a turnaround plan initiated in 2005.
He said, ‘The situation was clear, right under our noses. We needed more space.’
A blueprint drawn up to enlarge the areas to the east and north.
A plan to change from only manufacturing to innovation gradually took shape.
The original 10 special parks within the zone were trimmed and merged into three — automobiles and their parts, corn processing and related chemicals, and modern services.
RMB3.8 billion was spent in 2006 and 2007 to upgrade infrastructure, including building more roads and railways.
Huang said the area has now set a ‘green threshold’ for investment.
Huang Wenhua said. ‘No matter how big the economic benefits are for an investment project, if it fails to pass the environmental evaluation by local environmental bureaus, we cannot accept it.’
It all seems to work. The value of gross industrial output value in the zone rose from RMB34.7 billion in 2005 to RMB62 billion in 2007.
Changchun’s ranking has now jumped to 15th overall, and to the top of the list of nine such zones in central and northeast China.
Source: China Daily