Province sets its sights firmly on the future

Development of the park serves as a vivid example of how Yichang, a city on the Yangtze River that used to rely heavily on the chemical industry, is upgrading this industry and reducing its impact on the environment.

President Xi Jinping has emphasized on different occasions the importance of protecting the Yangtze River.

At a symposium in Chongqing in 2016 on improving development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Xi stressed that this is an overwhelmingly important task to restore the river's ecology and the environment.

Two years later, during an inspection visit to Hubei in 2018, Xi said in Yichang that the economic belt should be developed in a scientific and orderly manner, and this development must not undermine the environment.

Inspired by Xi's words, the authorities in Yichang launched strenuous efforts to improve the environment of the Yangtze.

More than 130 chemical companies located within 1 kilometer of the river have been closed or relocated, while stringent measures have been taken to ensure wastewater is properly treated.

Chen Xiaoqing, assistant general manager of Xingfa Group, a local chemical company, said the factory has closed its wastewater outlets into the Yangtze. The wastewater is now sent to a government-built sewage treatment plant.

Before being accepted by the plant, the wastewater must be treated according to government requirements, which Chen said are "very high".

Chen said that to meet these requirements, the company spent a large amount on upgrading its equipment.

This was a "rather painful" process at first, but now the company's "greatest core competency" is the ability to reduce its environmental impact, Chen added.

The story of Yichang, located in western Hubei, illustrates the efforts made by the authorities to improve the province's growth pattern and pursue high-quality development.

Hubei Daily reported that earlier this year, Hubei issued a guideline to further advance its chemical industry.

The provincial government said in the guideline that chemical companies in the province should manufacture high-quality raw materials, and work to overcome technical challenges to provide high-end products and those that are in short supply.

It is strictly forbidden to set up chemical industrial parks in places such as nature reserves, source water conservation areas, and areas within 1 km of the Yangtze River, the government said.

The government also issued a three-year action plan to improve safety at chemical industrial parks in the province.