NPC deputies praise government's role in spurring economic growth

Jiang Jianjun (center), mayor of Zhanjiang, and other deputies to the National People's Congress, who are from the city, attend China's annual top legislative gathering in Beijing. WANG HUI/FOR CHINA DAILY

During the ongoing National People's Congress, NPC deputies from Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, hailed the 2020 Government Work Report as "a great encouragement" to the city's high-quality development, Zhanjiang Daily reported.

Among them, Zhanjiang Mayor Jiang Jianjun said the report, delivered at the opening of this year's NPC annual meeting on Friday, takes into consideration the influence of the COVID-19 outbreak and the mounting pressure from an economic downturn.

It emphasizes pandemic prevention and control on the government's agenda and calls for socioeconomic development while curbing the virus spread, he added.

Government funding will boost new types of infrastructure construction and urbanization expansion as well as major projects, which are conducive to improving people's quality of life, promoting consumption, optimizing industrial structure and spurring economic growth, according to the report.

"For Zhanjiang, that means significant opportunities," Jiang said.

The city is advancing the construction of another four high-speed rail lines linking to Guangzhou in Guangdong province, Hepu in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Haikou in Hainan province and Zhangjiajie in Hunan province, in addition to the Shenzhen-Zhanjiang high-speed railway in operation.

Other major projects in Zhanjiang, including the Zhanjiang International Airport and a shipping channel capable of handling 400,000-tonnage vessels, will also benefit from the country's favorable policies aimed at unleashing demand from the domestic market, Jiang said.

A comprehensive national transport hub is taking shape in Zhanjiang, which provides key support for building the city into a "provincial sub-center" and developing a modern coastal economic belt, he noted.

"We will accelerate the construction of a modern comprehensive transport hub, put western Guangdong (where Zhanjiang is located) on a fast track to growth and help the region join the ranks of advanced economies in the country," he said.

With mega investment projects as an engine to drive growth of the local economy, Zhanjiang is creating world-class industrial clusters in its harbor areas, which will enable Zhanjiang to participate in high-level regional cooperation and competition, he added.

Its goal is to build a regional center of economics, finance and business, as well as hub of research, education, culture and healthcare. Thus the city can better serve key national strategies, including the Belt and Road Initiative, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the China (Hainan) Pilot Free Trade Zone, and make greater contributions to the country's drive to develop a marine economy and promote regional growth, the mayor said.

Jiang's opinion was echoed by Ning Ling, another NPC deputy and also vice-president of Guangdong Ocean University, who cited proactive fiscal policies, expansion of domestic demand and employment opportunities, and a shift in economic growth mode－as shown in the report－as timely incentives to Zhanjiang's development.

Lin Shuixi, board chairman of sugar maker Jinling Group who is also in the Zhanjiang NPC deputy delegation, said the report features a pragmatic approach by addressing specific issues. It reflects the central government's insistence on people-centered development.

Government financial support, designed to go down to the grassroots level, gives businesses more strength and faith in weathering the current difficulties caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Zhao Jianshe, an NPC deputy and also deputy general manager of Zhanjiang Communication Investment Group, said what impressed him most about the report was the high value that the central government placed on people's well-being.

The report sent an uplifting signal to Zhanjiang's infrastructure construction, the NPC deputy said.

He added that the report calls for increasing investment in major transportation and hydro projects, which will play an encouraging role in promoting projects in Zhanjiang that need improvements on the infrastructure facilities.