Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai

A projection that GDP will grow by between 7.5 percent and 8 percent this year was determined during the second meeting of the 9th Xiangzhou District Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held on Feb 16.

Economic growth

Also agreed to were that the total value-added output of industrial enterprises above designated size should be up by 7.2 percent; total retail sales of consumer goods rise by 12 percent; and fixed asset investment increase by 15 percent in 2017.

Xiangzhou will implement innovation and opening-up strategies, take the lead in developing new growth drivers, deepen reform, invigorate new development, accelerate industrial, transport and urban construction, and vitalize new development. It will also consolidate the real economy, promote industrial transformation and upgrade, and renovate old towns, villages, and plants. 

Part of Xiangzhou District [Photo by Cai Zhenfeng / Zhuhai Daily]

Industrial development

The Xiangzhou government will invest 70 million yuan ($10.2 million) this year to encourage technical research and development, and support backbone enterprises such as Gree Electric Appliances and Apex Microelectronics as they continue to lead technical innovation. It plans to set up a 120 million-yuan ($17.5 million) support fund this year to help 49 companies grow into hi-tech enterprises and 130 enterprises such as Zhuhai 4D Age Technology be named Guangdong provincial hi-tech enterprise cultivation bases. Moreover, it will guarantee that the total number of hi-tech enterprise will reach 350.

In the meantime, the district government will endeavor to incubate 100 startups and speed up the construction of innovation carriers. It will facilitate an investment of 24 million yuan ($3.5 million) from city- and district-level governments to guarantee that the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence Zhuhai Academy opens by the end of September.

Xiangzhou will also support serial project development of the Istuary Zhuhai Innovation Institute and promote settlement of Istuary’s Southern China Headquarters Base in Xiangzhou District in the first half of this year. Further backed will be construction of an intelligent manufacturing demonstration center in cooperation with Zhuhai Xiangzhou Zhengfang Holding Co.

Meanwhile, Xiangzhou will support rapid growth of new-type R&D institutes such as Zhuhai Tsinghua Innovation Incubator and Jinan University Internet of Things & Logistics Engineering Institute. It will also promote a whole-chain incubator system integrating investment, incubation, and services for incubators such as Zhuhai Kimka Creative Valley. Moreover, it will optimize the environment for developing talent and propel construction of the 250 million yuan ($36.4 million) Nanping Talent Apartment Building to commence in June.

To develop high-end manufacturing, Xiangzhou will continue to develop competitive industries such as smart home and advanced equipment manufacture, and give full play to the leading role of corporate champions such as Gree Electric Appliances and Seine Technology toward an industrial chain in a bid to increase industrial agglomeration and core competitiveness.

Policy support will be enhanced, expansion of industrial enterprises will be urged, “replacing humans with machines” initiative will be encouraged, and IT construction and management innovation will be guided to accelerate shift from “Made in Xiangzhou” to “Created in Xiangzhou”.  

People’s livelihood

This year, the district will carry out Smart City construction by adding 50 Wi-Fi hotspots in public areas including community parks and greenway stations. Eventually, all public places citywide will be covered by wireless networks. It will invest 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) to build the first-batch 23 Smart Communities and create a Smart Community platform system.  

In addition, Xiangzhou will launch construction of a district cultural center, sports center, and archives. The Gongbei, Nanping, and two more civic art centers will come into operation, whereas the Qianshan, Wanzai and Xiangwan civic art centers will come under construction this year.