The next 5 years will witness Zhaoqing's effort in building a well-to-do-society, following the guidelines of the Communist Party's 16th People's Congress, which embody DengXiaoPing's thoughts and the principles of Three representatives, which represents a crucial stage in the development of a modern socialist society.

To this end, the Municipality will concentrate its effort on expanding its economic capacity, upgrading the quality of its economic development and to enhance its overall competitiveness. It will adopt 5 strategies, namely, to foster industrial development, deploy external assistance, concentrate on science and education, target at sustained development and co-ordinate its different regions for maximum interaction. It aims to build up its superior features in the realms of external relations, scientific and technological progress, special industries development, economic system reforms, environmental protection and to create a right climate for development. Its regional economic policy consists in fostering and integrating the three sub-regions - the Eastern and Southern Industrial Sub-region, the Mountain Area Sub-region and the Central City Sub-region.

Its development policy aims specifically at industrialization, urbanization, computerization and commercialization of agriculture. From the status of a garden-like tourist city, it is to march towards the goals of a big modern city.

From a garden-like tourist city to a big modern city

It aims to achieve, for the period between 2005 and 2010, a doubling the size of its GDP. This means an average growth rate of over 13%. The means by which this goal is to be achieved consist in industrialization, urbanization, computerization and commercialization of agriculture. It is expected that this way, the overall competitiveness of the Municipality will be conspicuously raised.

Three Economic Sub-regions will Act as Spearheads of Growth

It will concentrate on developing three sub-regions. The first Sub-region is to be based partly on the industrial base of Gaoyao, Sihui and the Zhaoqing High-Tech Industry Development Zone. It is to consist of Gaoyao Dawang Industrial Park and the Sihui Nanjiang, Fuxi, Xinjiang Industrial Parks which altogether will form the Eastern Industrial Belt. It also consists partly of the industrial parks of GaoYao Jindu and Jinli which form the Southern Industrial Belt. The second Sub-region is the Mountain Area Counties Sub-region, where private enterprises, industrial parks and commercialization of agriculture will be actively encouraged. The third Central Sub-region connecting Duanzhou to Dinghu will be the scientific, educational and cultural base of the Municipality, where scientific parks will integrate with universities, where industries will connect with R & D, where education and culture will combine with high-tech. We'll strive to build a skeletal base within 1 year, attain visible results in 3 years and achieve breakthroughs in 5 years, with a view to catching up with the overall developmental status of the Pan Pearl River Delta.

Upgrade the Economic Structure

We expect the economy will undergo a drastic transformation with the secondary and tertiary sectors taking the lead. Growth rates of the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors from now to 2010 are estimated to be 5%, 21% and 13% respectively. As a result, the relative shares of the latter two sectors will rise significantly. In the tertiary sector, modern logistics, modern service industries, real estates and tourism will provide major impetus to growth. We expect that by 2007, the differential between the industrial belts of Zhaoqing and the rest of the Pan Pearl River Delta will be much reduced. By 2007, the Mountain Area Sub-region will be transformed from a traditional rural economy into a commercialized agricultural region.

A New Level of Urbanization

We expect the Municipality to expand eastward while conjoining itself with the south. As its county centers will be growing at a great speed, it will attract a large inflow of people from the countryside. As a result, they will experience a rapid rate of urbanization, enabling Zhaoqing to march towards a modern city with a population of one million. Coupled with its natural endowments, it is likely that Zhaoqing will become the most attractive city in the Pan Pearl River Delta, full of life and vitality.

Raise the Cultural Standard

Zhaoqing is a city rich in historic and cultural heritage and resources. We are of the conviction that material progress must be accompanied by cultural progress. To this end, we'll spare no effort to upgrade the education of our people. At the same time, we'll take advantage of Zhaoqing's cultural assets to build a new cultural industry, with a view of transforming Zhaoqing into a major cultural center in China.

Improve the Living Quality

We believe that as a result of the above activities, the overall living standard of Zhaoqing will be steadily on the rise. Meantime, we are committed to creating more employment, providing better housing, and developing a more comprehensive social security system for the truly needy.

Major Development Projects in the Next 5 Years

1. Expand the scale of the city - the expansion will take place by way of moving towards the east and connecting the south. Modeling on the structure of a modern city, we will, through functional planning and systematic execution, create a bigger city with a much larger population.

2. Speed up the opening up of the Eastern and Southern Regions - the development is to radiate from the industrial base of DaWang, JinDu and NanJiang Industrial Parks. We expect to build Zhaoqing into a world-class modern manufacturing center.

3. Transform the economic landscape of the mountain area counties, again by using industrial parks as catalysts.

4. Build a scientific, educational cum cultural corridor- By integrating the academia with industries, and by fostering co-operation between universities and industrial parks, we are moving towards the goal of the knowledge economy.

5. Make heavy investments in infrastructural building - Specific projects include three major highways connecting SanShui and HuaiJi, SiHui and Zhaoqing, Zhaoqing and JiangMen, and the Zhaoqing Section of the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region Highway. We'll spend 2 years to complete the JingFengLian Dam consolidation engineering project and to build a more easy-to-access deep-water port.

6. Accelerate the reform and restructuring of major state-owned enterprises.

7. Enrich the thousand-mile tourist belt by adding new tourist spots, such as the Gazelle Gorge natural landscape and the BaoGong cultural site, among others.

8. Build Zhaoqing into a major educational and cultural center by fostering more knowledge-intensive training and by mining its cultural assets and heritage.

9. Build a Digital Zhaoqing - by vigorously promoting the application of the electronic and digital technology and the building of a city-wide digital network.

10. Enforce environmental protection - by way of constructing more sewage treatment plants (both the city's second-phase project and various county plants), of ensuring the quality of its river water and of protecting the natural ecology of Zhaoqing.

We expect that through the above-mentioned strategies and projects, both the overall competitive power and the living standard of its people will be much enhanced.

Three Regional Strategies for Zhaoqing's Economic Development

1. Transform the Central Sub-region into an Urban Economy

To consolidate the role and function of the city center, the Central Sub-region will be expanded and its basic functions will be strengthened. These include three major sectors, namely the scientific, educational cum cultural sector, the tourist and holiday resort sector and the logistics sector. This way, the overall competitive power of Zhaoqing will be enhanced and will be radiated to its neighboring regions.

2. Turn the Eastern and Southern Sub-region into a Manufacturing Center

The basic concept is to use industrial parks as seeds and vehicles. Using the industrial parks of DaWang, NanJiang in the East and these of JinDu, JinLi in the South, and by exploiting their catalytic effects, we are integrating in effect Zhaoqing into the Pearl River Delta manufacturing circle.

3. Modernize the Mountain Area Sub-region and Speed up its Development

Based on their relative strengths and respective resources endowment, which is chiefly of an agricultural or tourist character, we will foster the process of commercialization in these regions. The means to be employed will include, infrastructural building (road-building and water works), injection of foreign investment, modernization of agricultural production, attracting enterprises that intend to move away from the center of the Pearl River Delta Region. These efforts will in due course result in the strengthening of the tax revenue of the local counties and will raise the living standard of the people.

Promote Investments to Strengthen the Three Sectors

1. Foster Foreign Investment

It is imperative for Zhaoqing to foster the rate of foreign investment. To this end, we'll explore different ways and means of attracting foreign capital, study the characteristics of foreign markets and to help enterprises import foreign technologies.

2. Enhance the Development of Private Enterprises

We are committed to expanding the domain of activities of private enterprises. No effort will be spared to foster their development, particular those enterprises related to scientific research and development, external trade and the commercialization of agriculture as well as those that are employment-intensive.

3. Leverage on Theme-based Development Parks or Zones

The idea is to employ different theme-based development parks or zones as catalysts, including industrial parks, hi-tech zones, logistics zones, agricultural zones etc. . In the course of their expansion, these 'seed' centers will not only interact with the traditional sectors, but will also interact among themselves. This way, a larger network is gradually built and fostered, resulting in a magnet or bootstrapping effect and attracting larger investments and more powerful foreign investors.

Build Three Major Development Platforms

1. Build a New Institutional Platform

On the one hand we'll vigorously foster the development of the market institution. On the other hand we'll spare no effort to reform state-owned or collective enterprises. We'll explore different methods of their effective renovation and restructuring, with a view to enhancing their overall competitiveness. We expect a form of 'mixed' economy to eventually emerge. The government as a public institution will itself undergo internal changes towards higher efficiency and effectiveness, especially in the realms of technology upgrading, manpower development, computerization, capital raising and taxation (especially in the rural areas ) and developing rules for the effective regulation of the market.

2. Build a Scientific and Educational Platform

Based on the principle of integrating scientific development with industrial enterprises, we will adopt a series of measures to attract high-grade manpower, to promote the application of advanced technology and to train the necessary scientific personnel and technicians, with a view to building a 'Digital Zhaoqing'. Parallel to these efforts, we will be making heavy investments at different levels of education. Formal education apart, we'll put heavy emphasis on vocational training and continuing education.

3. Build a New Urban Platform

A major mode of development is the building of a new urban platform. Through expanding into the East and connecting the South, we intend to create a unique modern Zhaoqing with a population of one million, a city that commands great natural beauty, one that provides ample room for entrepreneurship and one that is most congenial to living. The steps to be followed are respectively planning, developing the urban center, urbanizing the rural areas, and building an integral intra-Municipal and trans-Municipal transport system. As a result of these developments, Zhaoqing will successfully become the key link between the Coastal South China and the grand South West China.