China targets Beibu Gulf as next driver of development
By Fu Jing (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-07-21 09:22
China has launched an initiative to transform the area around the South China
Sea into a regional development hub that will deepen ties with ASEAN
neighbours.
Called the "Pan-Beibu Gulf Rim Co-operation Plan," the
initiative includes port cluster construction, joint resource exploration, and
economic and trade integration, said Liu Qibao, newly-appointed secretary of the
CPC committee of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The Beibu Gulf
area includes five ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries:
Viet Nam, Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore, and China's Guangdong,
Hainan and Guangxi.
Jiang Zhenghua, vice-chairman of the Standing
Committee of National People's Congress, said the initiative is of importance to
the overall development of China's coastal areas.
"If the great
potential is realized, the gulf area can become China's fourth economic
powerhouse along its coastal regions," said Jiang at yesterday's forum on
regional economic co-operation.
Contributing more than 60 per cent of
the country's economy, the Pearl River Delta in South China, the Yangtze River
Delta in East China and North China's Bohai Sea Rim area have already become
China's three economic engines fuelling growth.
Appointed as secretary
last month, Liu said he expected the initiative would be discussed by China's
leadership at the 17th national Party congress, which is to be held in the
second half of 2007.
"We can start co-operation with infrastructure
construction," said Liu. "That will facilitate trade and other flows."
He
suggested that the region can build an expressway linking Nanning, capital of
the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Singapore. "The plan is feasible
because we only need to build about 300 kilometres of new road despite the whole
length exceeding 3,000 kilometres."
International communities and
domestic officials applauded the initiative, saying it shows China's commitment
to speeding up construction of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area.
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