The Yangtze Economic Belt

At its meeting on March 25, 2016, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee approved the Guidelines for Development Along the Yangtze Economic Belt, which covers 11 cities and provinces – Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Chongqing, Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou. The Guidelines set the following goals to be achieved by 2020:

– marked improvement in environment, with effective protection and proper use of water resources;

– more efficient utilization of the Yangtze River waterway, with major constraints removed and transportation capacity enhanced;  – significant progress in innovation-driven growth as a large number of world-class businesses and industrial clusters take shape, with enhanced capability to compete in international markets;

– greater openness to the outside world on all fronts, with overall planning for regional and marine economic activities, emphasis on both domestic and international markets, and close integration with efforts in the Belt and Road Initiative;  – greater coordination and sustainability, with development activities in different areas well-planned and properly implemented;

– significant progress in reform in key areas, with a well-coordinated and efficient management system and an open and unified market for the Yangtze River basin; and  – considerable qualitative improvement in economic development, with an initial capacity established that will allow the region to provide important support to national economic and social development.

In addition, the Guidelines also set the goals for 2030:  – overall improvement in the quality of water environment and the aquatic ecosystem;

– markedly enhanced ecological functions;

–completion of the development of the Yangtze River with navigable rivers and waterways;

–an innovation-intensive industrial system;

–integrated development in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River;

–a better environment and dynamic economic activities;

–higher living standards; and

–a stronger position for the region to play a role of pilot and provide important support to national economic and social development.

At a seminar on boosting the development of the Yangtze Economic Belt on April 26, 2018, Xi Jinping said that the key lies in striking a balance between all-round progress and breakthroughs at key points, between ecological conservation and economic growth, between overall planning and unremitting efforts, between removing old growth drivers and fostering new ones, and between regional development and coordinated development. The regions involved should apply the new concept for development, follow the underlying guideline of making progress while maintaining stability, promote well-coordinated environmental conservation and avoid excessive development, and strengthen reform and innovation, strategic coordination, planning and guidance, so as to spur high-quality economic growth with the development of the Yangtze Economic Belt.

長江經濟帶

2016年3月25日，中共中央政治局召開會議，審議通過了《長江經濟帶發展規劃綱要》。發展長江經濟帶的導向是“共抓大保護、不搞大開發”。長江經濟帶涉及11個省市，即上海、江蘇、浙江、安徽、江西、湖北、湖南、重慶、四川、云南和貴州。推動長江經濟帶發展的目標是：到2020年，生態環境明顯改善，水資源得到有效保護和合理利用；長江黃金水道瓶頸制約有效疏暢、功能顯著提升；創新驅動取得重大進展，培育形成一批世界級的企業和產業集群，參與國際競爭的能力顯著增強；基本形成陸海統籌、雙向開放，與“一帶一路”建設深度融合的全方位對外開放新格局；發展的統籌度和整體性、協調性、可持續性進一步增強；重點領域和關鍵環節改革取得重要進展，協調統一、運行高效的長江流域管理體制全面建立，統一開放的現代市場體系基本建立；經濟發展質量和效益大幅提升，基本形成引領全國經濟社會發展的戰略支撐帶。到2030年，水環境和水生態質量全面改善，生態系統功能顯著增強，水脈暢通、功能完備的長江全流域黃金水道全面建成，創新型現代產業體系全面建立，上中下游一體化發展格局全面形成，生態環境更加美好、經濟發展更具活力、人民生活更加殷實，在全國經濟社會發展中發揮更加重要的示范引領和戰略支撐作用。2018年4月26日，習近平在深入推動長江經濟帶發展座談會上強調，新形勢下推動長江經濟帶發展，關鍵是要正確把握整體推進和重點突破、生態環境保護和經濟發展、總體謀劃和久久為功、破除舊動能和培育新動能、自我發展和協同發展的關系，堅持新發展理念，堅持穩中求進工作總基調，堅持共抓大保護、不搞大開發，加強改革創新、戰略統籌、規劃引導，以長江經濟帶發展推動經濟高質量發展。