Zhanjiang becoming key regional hub

City hitting its development targets despite virus complications

Zhanjiang in South China's Guangdong province has strengthened its position as an important regional center by sticking to its development plan despite the challenges of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The city, located in a less-developed western area of affluent Guangdong, has been increasingly leaned on by the provincial government to lead the economic development of its neighboring region.

"We have mapped out a comprehensive plan for high-quality development for the city in terms of transportation, industry, openness to the outside world and innovation," said Jiang Jianjun, mayor of Zhanjiang.

"We are moving smoothly toward our goal to be a sub-center of the province and build a modern coastal economic belt," he noted.

In the first quarter of this year, when COVID-19 swept the country, 97 planned key projects, which included new investments as well as renewals, were all carried out in Zhanjiang, according to the government figures.

They accounted for nearly 14 percent of the city's projected investment this year.

An aerial view of Zhanjiang, a coastal city in Guangdong province. LANG SHUCHEN/FOR CHINA DAILY

BASF (Guangdong) Verbund Site project, the German chemical giant's largest overseas investment that began construction in Zhanjiang last November, will start its piling work at the end of May.

Sinopec, China's leading energy and petrochemical company, put the country's largest petrochemical wharf into operation in Zhanjiang earlier this month.

Meanwhile, the Zhongke Refinery and Petrochemical Project, the biggest project of its kind under construction by Sinopec, will be put into operation in June. It will form part of Zhanjiang's integrated refinery and petrochemical complex.

While the construction of key projects has resumed after a suspension due to the pandemic, the transportation plan has been accelerated as well.

According to the mayor, the city will accelerate the construction of 46 key transportation projects planned at the beginning of this year, which will cost nearly 15.8 billion yuan ($2.22 billion).

The projects include high-speed rails, an international airport and port channel expansion. They will greatly upgrade Zhanjiang's transportation network to make it better connected with other cities in Guangdong and neighboring regions, thus helping Zhanjiang realize its goal of becoming a regional hub.

In a recent decision made by the provincial government, Zhanjiang has been named as one of five metropolises, together with the neighboring cities of Maoming and Yangjiang, to enhance the quality of their urban development.

A mega petrochemical project funded by Sinopec is scheduled to be put into operation in Zhanjiang in the near future. CHINA DAILY

Zheng Renhao, Party secretary of Zhanjiang, said the cities can collaborate to strengthen their industrial cooperation and transport links.

"We can set up a joint meeting system to strengthen the interaction and cooperation, enhance the discussions on major issues that will affect all sides to reach common ground and promote mutual development," Zheng said during a visit to Maoming on May 13.

He said the two cities can deepen cooperation in the sectors of agriculture, marine fishery, port and logistics and carry out water treatment projects together to improve the ecologic environment.

Mayor Jiang said Zhanjiang will improve the construction of public facilities this year to aid the goal of becoming a regional center for economy, finance, commerce and trade, science, education and culture.