District's role in growing city increasingly vital

Rapid expansion in Changchun, capital of Northeast China's Jilin province, is creating unprecedented opportunities in the city's Erdao district.

Located in the eastern part of Changchun, the district has found a unique role as a transportation hub for a crop of development zones that are springing up throughout the city.

The city has mapped out eight economic areas and expanded to the east, making Erdao district the core of the northeastern area of the city.

A convenient transportation network and geographic advantages have put Erdao district in the spotlight.

While it used to be on the margins, the district is becoming integrated into the center of the growing city, said Wang Tingkai, Party chief of Erdao district.

In the next five years, the district will significantly boost its infrastructure and economic strength through a plan to develop "one industry and three zones", Wang said.

The "one industry" is the modern service industry, Wang said.

"Modern service is a very broad concept. Based on the advantages of Erdao district, we will focus on the development of modern logistics and trading centers," he said.

Cultural industries, modern finance and real estate are key parts of the overall plan to develop the service sector, he said.

Wang said the district has started to develop a full-service logistics industry, whereas in the past, the focus was on simple storage and transportation.

With its proximity to the other economic development zones, the district has the potential to become a logistics service and distribution center.

In five years, Wang hopes Erdao will become a logistics center for the province and even Northeast Asia as a whole.

Meanwhile, a series of specialty markets were founded in the district to make it a well-known trading center.

"We hope to build Erdao district into a home for a large batch of high-quality specialized markets and make it a regional procurement center," he said.

In the field of cultural development, Wang said Erdao district has taken advantage of the well-preserved Jilin Diesel Motor Plant compound to set up a historical and cultural street for industrial tourism.

Meanwhile, Erdao district will support its publishing industry to grow and expand, he said.

Modern finance service institutions, such as venture capital companies, have also been introduced to the district.

The growth of the real estate industry is keeping pace with the fast economic expansion of Erdao district as well.

The "three zones" refer to a central business zone, a modern central logistics zone and a business and recreation zone, Wang said.

The goal of the 40 sq km central business zone is to encourage a large batch of top brands from around the country to set up stores in the zone.

The 25 sq km central logistics zone will serve as the regional headquarters for domestic logistics giants.

And a 35 sq km recreation business zone has been set aside to house office buildings, research and development institutions and entertainment facilities, Wang said.

liumingtai@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/06/2012 page10)