Xuchang Special: Economic powerhouse sees double-digit GDP increase

Xuchang city's GDP increased by 10.6 percent in 2013 to reach 190.3 billion yuan ($30.9 billion), according to official statistics.

Because of its steady economic growth and rich resources, the city in the central Henan province is the backbone of Central Plains Economic Zone, an economic development zone covering regions in Henan and its surrounding areas.

A total of 80 kilometers away from the province's capital Zhengzhou, Xuchang covers an area of 4,996 square kilometers, accommodating a population of 4.8 million.

The city has an advanced transportation network connecting Beijing-Guangzhou Railway, Beijing-Shenzhen High-speed Railway and some national highways.

It has abundant coal and water reserves, and a strong agriculture sector.

Last year, the per capita disposable income of urban residents reached 21,456 yuan, an annual increase of 9 percent. The per capita income for residents in rural areas hit 10,899 yuan, up 11 percent, according to the bureau of statistics.

The government started 30 downtown construction projects with a total investment of 2.51 billion yuan. The city has six newly listed companies, and six companies were listed in Tianjin Equity Exchange in 2013.

The government revenue last year totaled 10.85 billion yuan, with an increase of 20.1 percent compared with that of 2012. The investment in fixed assets reached 137.11 billion yuan, up 23.4 percent, according to the statistics.

With economic growth, comes rising living standards for local residents.

According to official statistics, some 92,000 jobs were generated last year for urban residents and the number of the newly employed or transferred rural labor reached 96,000.

The government started affordable housing projects for 12,534 families.

Its investment on livelihood projects hit 14.58 billion yuan in 2013, statistics say.

The city government has stepped up efforts to boost its economy with opportunities and challenges ahead.

According to a statement from the government, in 2014, the city's GDP is expected to reach 211.2 billion yuan with an 11 percent increase. It plans to have an 11 percent rise in fiscal revenue and a 2 percent increase in the urbanization rate.

The government will restructure the city's industries with a focus on the service sector to provide an all-round service for enterprises.

It will mainly develop logistics, information service, finance, travel and cultural industries in 2014, according to the statement.

It will also seize the opportunities of the Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone project and the economic zone around the Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport under construction.

It will give boost to its agriculture and water conservancy projects, including drinking water for human and livestock, ecotourism and sewage treatment.

To improve the efficiency in agriculture, it is working on building an industrial cluster for its agriculture sector.

Enhancing people's living environment is the government's another big concern, according to the statement.

fuchao@chinadaily.com.cn