Jinzhou City maps out new development strategy
By Gao Jin'an (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2004-05-23 10:03

Jinzhou, a city in western Liaoning Province, has mapped out a strategy to rejuvenate the industrial city, focusing on the expansion of its seaport and upgrading and optimizing its industries, a city official revealed.

The city, located on the corridor linking the northeast with other parts of the country and at the Bohai Sea coastline, has its geographical advantages for expansion and development, Tong Zhiwu, Party secretary of the city, adding this will be of great help for the economic takeoff and revival.

According to the new strategy, the city will give top priority to the construction and expansion of Jinzhou port, an important sea gateway of northeast China. The port, said to be the only shareholding seaport in China, now has 10 deep-water berths and could handle 17 million tons of goods each year, with freighters coming from or going to more than 80 countries and regions.

Under the development strategy, the port will have 14 berths and its handling capacity will be increased to 70 million tons, including 1 million standard container units, Tong said. To achieve this goal, the port authorities will invest 640 million yuan this year in berth construction.

He said the port's handling capacity now increases at 25% year-on-year. The port gives the city an advantage in developing export-oriented industries and contributes substantially to the city's financial revenues. At present, main goods imported through the port are crude oil, petrochemical products and farm produces, and container berths will be constructed to further strengthen its position as an important gateway of Northeast China.

The construction and expansion of this port also helps the city develop and upgrade its industries. Industrial development and optimization are also the priority of the city's new strategy.

Tong said petrochemical, pharmaceutical and farm produce deep-processing industries will be the development priorities. At present, industries contribute 70% to the city GDP. He said the central government's decision to rejuvenate Northeast China, an old industrial base, would mean a great opportunity to the city's economic development.

In the industrial rejuvenation process, the city will make utmost efforts to help the laid-off workers get reemployed or start their own businesses, Tong told a group of reporters from renowned websites, including Chinadaily.com.cn, People.com.cn and Xinhuanet.com. The news coverage event is organized by the State Council Information Office. After Jinzhou, the reporters will go to Shenyang, provincial capital of Liaoning Province, and Anshan, an iron and steel city in the province.