New projects give Zhuhai shot in the arm

The Pearl River Delta city of Zhuhai will soon receive a boost from a dozen massive projects, as the city government inked agreements for hefty investments on Nov 11, the opening day of the 10th Airshow China.

Of the 12 projects, a Beijing-based company will pour 6 billion yuan ($979.58 million) into a project producing energy and emergency rescue equipment, while two Guangdong-based companies will jointly pool 2 billion yuan worth of capital for an R&D base for marine engineering equipment.

The other projects are either hi-tech or those involving aircraft manufacturing, maintenance and aviation services.

Prior to this, in August, the city secured 36 projects manufacturing advanced equipment, entailing capital input of 43.45 billion yuan.

Liu Xiaolong, the deputy mayor of Zhuhai, said that the gigantic projects underlie the city's potential for rapid, but sustainable economic development.

"They will give Zhuhai a new shot in the arm," the official said.

One of the handful of industries the city government has underscored is advanced equipment manufacturing, while other sectors including high-tech industry, the marine economy and eco-agriculture, as well as modern services have also been prioritized. According to a blueprint the city mapped out last year for developing a modern industrial system for 2013 to 2020, the State-level Gaolan Port Economic Zone will be dedicated to advanced equipment manufacturing, the high-tech development zone to high-tech industry and the Hengqin New District to a modern service industry.

They are expected to become major engines gearing up the city's economic development momentum.

Zhuhai's modern industrial structure is expected to take shape by 2020, when the city is expected to be a regional industrial service hub, world-class manufacturing base for marine engineering equipment, and globally leading industrial base for advanced general aviation and household appliances, as well as a preferred international destination for business or holiday. Zhuhai's plan has been praised by both experts and business people."The plan is based on a thorough understanding of the city's geographical location, industrial status quo, sustainability and the industrial development trend of the world," said Deng Jiangnian, assistant researcher with the industrial research institute of Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences.

"Zhuhai is in its prime for development. Its ambition should be well supported with good policies," Deng added.

Asked why his company decided on Zhuhai for its Asia-Pacific headquarters last year, Ferruccio Rossi, CEO of Ferretti Group, an Italian luxury yacht supplier, said that Zhuhai's precise positioning, premium planning and promising marine economy potential had made his management fully confident of rosy prospects for the company in this southern China city.

"Zhuhai will be the 'Miami' of the next millennium," remarked Rossi. "Our strategy for the Asia-Pacific region tallies with the blueprint of the city."

Zhuhai's GDP reached 131.07 billion yuan ($ 21.4 bilion) in the first three quarters of this year, an increase of 10 percent from a year ago; and it raked in committed foreign capital of $1.71 billion over the same period, a surge of 28.3 percent, official statistics indicate.

zhanlisheng@chinadaily.com.cn