Xu Dazhe, CPC Hunan Provincial Committee deputy secretary and Hunan governor, attended the 3rd Understanding China Conference on December 17, 2018. He delivered a speech entitled "regional development strategy and China’s new economic layout". "Hunan will firmly hold the 'Belt and Zone' strategic orientation; give priority to solve unbalanced development problem; implement the national key regional development strategies; and, innovate in regional economic collaboration, so as to contribute to promoting regional coordinated development," Governor Xu Said. 

 

The conference was initiated by the China Institute for Innovative & Development Strategy, Chinese People's Institute for Foreign Affairs, and the 21st Century Council. It had been held twice in Beijing in November 2013 and November 2015. This year's theme was "China's New Growth Drivers and New Opportunities for Global Cooperation." 

 

Governor Xu marked that, the regional coordinated development strategy is an important national strategy in the new era, and an important part of the new development philosophy and building a modernized economy system. Chinese President Xi Jinping inspected Hunan in November 2013. He called Hunan to leverage its geographical advantages in terms of "transitional belt from China’s east coastal regions to the central and western areas; and, joint zone between the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the coastal economic belt". This "Belt and Zone" strategic orientation provides a direction for Hunan in the regional economic layout in China. 

 

Governor Xu described Hunan’s efforts coincided with the "Belt and Zone" orientation, and implementation of the innovation-oriented opening up and development strategy. Hunan pushed forward building the comprehensive transportation junction connecting inside and outside the province. The traffic mileage of its high-speed railway and expressway is on the front rank in China. Almost all cities are connected with high-speed railways, while all counties are reachable by expressways. A new development layout featured with reasonable structure, optimized pattern, regional coordination, and urban and rural integration, has been established. 

 

Governor Xu said that, when marching into a new era and onto a new journey, Hunan will thoroughly implement President Xi's key speeches, to adhere to the "Belt and Zone" orientation; carry out the innovation-oriented opening up and development strategy; deepen market-oriented reform; enhance high-level opening-up; and, explore a new opening-up horizon in inland area, so as to promote regional coordinated development in China. Next, Hunan will strive to solve the problems of unbalanced and insufficient development. Priorities will be given to build the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan City Cluster a high-quality development engine; Dongting Lake area a beautiful and prosperous ecological and economic area; south Hunan a major area for the central and western China to undertake industrial transfer from the eastern coastal areas; and, western Hunan an attractive ecological resort. Hunan will enhance airport, port, lakeside, and riverside industrial development, to contribute to building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. 

 

Hunan will implement the state's important regional development strategy, and play an active role in the "Belt and Road" Initiative. It will support the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area construction, the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region, and the Yangtze River Economic Belt; and, facilitate improving the overall layout of China’s reform and opening-up. 

 

Hunan will innovate regional economic cooperation mode. It will collaborate with surrounding provinces to promote infrastructure interconnectivity; reduce barriers for cooperation and address market access impediments; ensure citizens' equitable access to public services; enhance regional cooperation effects; and, improve people's livelihood in old revolutionary bases, so as to facilitate China’s new mechanism of regional coordinated development. 

 

Hunan will promote innovation and industrial cooperation. It will share innovative resources with neighboring provinces; jointly overcome technical difficulties; accelerate industrial cooperation; explore advanced development mode; and, establish an industrial labor division and cooperation system, so as to promote the rise of central China.