News

Delta region looks to integrated urban-rural development

By Cong Rong (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-03-05 07:37

Foreigners at Nanjing's Confucius Temple during the Lantern Festival. Nanjing has been attracting larger numbers of foreigners to work and live here. More than 100,000 foreigners now work in Jiangsu province.

Jiangsu province wants to find a method for integrating and balancing urban-rural development through greater reforms and opening-up, the Party chief has reported.

"We will push the integration of the Yangtze River Delta region, with the cities of Suzhou, Wuxi and Changzhou playing a leading role," Luo Zhijun, Jiangsu's Party secretary said.

Luo said that increasing the incomes of farmers has always been a major government task and that it regards agriculture and rural issues as having the utmost importance.

Luo said they will have various policies that benefit farmers and modernize agriculture and new construction in rural areas.

The province wants to add 20,000 more hectares to the amount of land using more efficient agricultural methods.

"We'll also see some breakthroughs in coastal development," Luo said. One example of that is a deep-water navigation channel, which accommodates 300,000-ton vessels, near Lianyungang, a major port.

The province will have policies that are favorable to investment, and which attract professionals, according to Luo. It will encourage foreign capital for the high-tech sector, emerging industries and modern service industries.

Foreign companies will also be encouraged to set up headquarters, or R&D, marketing and logistics branches in Jiangsu.

"We're hoping that foreign investors will pay more attention to the northern and central parts of the province as well as coastal areas.

"And we'll create an open, impartial and convenient investment environment."

In addition to bringing in foreign investment, the government hopes domestic businesses will go out and explore international markets.

In promoting this, Luo said, the government will improve its services for any companies that look abroad.

"We hope Chinese businesses will go overseas to acquire R&D branches, penetrate marketing networks, and acquire established brands, or get financing by being listed," Luo said.

(China Daily 03/05/2011 page10)