Provincial authorities will channel more resources into
Jiangsu's less developed areas to better coordinate social and
economic development over the next five years, acting governor Luo
Zhijun said on Friday.
Luo made the remark in his work report to the first session of
the 11th provincial people's congress.
The province is divided in two by the Yangtze, forming north
Jiangsu and south Jiangsu.
Official figures have shown north Jiangsu accounts for just a
fifth of the province's total GDP, despite its greater area and
population.
"Since 2003, the provincial government has given full support to
north Jiangsu and made great progress in our goal of coordinated
development between the two parts," Luo said.
A total of 156.5 billion yuan ($21.7 billion) has been invested
in north Jiangsu, he said.
Apart from financial support, cities in south Jiangsu, including
Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou and Nanjing, have also provided personnel
and technological assistance to northern cities.
Over the past five years, a dozen industrial parks have been
constructed in the north with help from management and technical
experts from the south.
Altogether, 9,729 projects with a total value of 364.4 billion
yuan have been transferred from the southern region, Luo said.
As a result, economic growth in north Jiangsu has surpassed that
of south Jiangsu during the period.
"Our efforts have paid off, but the differences between the two
areas are still huge," Luo said.
The provincial government will implement more policies and
provide more financial support for the north in the next five
years, he said.
In addition, plans have been made to enhance industries and
optimize the allocation of resources to aid north Jiangsu's
development, Luo said.
As well as receiving support from the provincial government and
southern cities, local governments in the north have vowed to do
their part.
Zhao Peng, Yancheng Party secretary and a deputy to the
congress, said: "We have our advantages and will make use of them
to develop the local economy."
Yancheng is the largest city in the province and known for being
rich in resources, such as its natural environment, deep harbor and
tourist attractions.
"Our blueprint for the next five years includes combining
industry and tourism to build our city into an ecologically
friendly one," Zhao said.
Yongzhong, mayor of Lianyungang, a city at the northern tip of
the province, said: "We will achieve coordinated development by
restructuring our industrial sectors."
The city will focus on the development of its port and service
industry through technological innovation and upgrading and
attracting more overseas investment, he said.
(China Daily January 29, 2008)