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August 4, 2015

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HomeCity specialsHangzhou

Former wetlands get extreme makeover

AN eastern suburb of Hangzhou has its sights set on becoming an economic Cinderella story like the Pudong New Area of Shanghai.

Originally wetlands and beach, the Dajiangdong Industrial Cluster District is taking shape, with new roads, office buildings and manufacturing sites.

“Our goal is to make a new success of industries in Hangzhou, said Yang Jun, director of the management committee of Dajiangdong.

By 2017, production value in the district is expected to exceed 400 billion yuan (US$64.37 billion). That compares with Hangzhou’s current annual industrial value of 1 trillion yuan.

While Pudong grew on the back of finance industry development to become an economic force, Dajiangdong is focused on motor vehicles and car parts, aerospace and aviation, robot equipment manufacturing, smart rail transit, new energy and advanced industrial materials, and health care products.

Seven industrial parks are being established in the district. So far, companies locating there include 13 Fortune China 500 enterprises, including carmaker Dongfeng Yulon, Xizi Aviation and Ansteel Group. Seventeen foreign-invested companies, such as Chang’an Ford and UPS, are also part of the new development.

“In the future, Dajiangdong will become the area with the fastest-growing economy and the biggest industry chain in Hangzhou,” Yang said.

Chang’an Ford began operations in Dajiangdong earlier this year, with sales commencing three months ago.

Fourteen other auto parts companies are also involved in the district. Their production this year is expected to top 15 billion yuan.

Lear Changan, an arm of US-based Lear Corp, the world’s No. 3 car-seat producer, said it will manufacture 100,000 sets of car seats in Dajiangdong this year. The number will rise to 500,000 sets in five years.

“We are focused so much on the automobile industry because it is the only industry that can grow into a 100 billion-yuan industry chain in a short time,” said Xu Chang, deputy director of the management committee of Dajiangdong.

Car manufacturing and other key industries echo the central government’s “Made in China 2025” an initiative, which aims to upgrade Chinese industry, especially in the realm of “intelligent” manufacturing, and dispel the stereotype of China as a copycat producer.

The initiative is focused on emphasizing quality over quantity, achieving environmentally friendly development, optimizing industry structures and nurturing professional talent.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences has initiated four projects in Dajiangdong, all involving high-tech production such as robots, automobile sensors and tire pressure monitors.

One project, called Leishen Laser, is using less than 150 workers to create production value of 1.5 billion yuan within the next five years.

Local authorities are planning the infrastructure to nurture Dajiangdong’s development. This year alone, 27.9 billion yuan is being invested in projects, including schools.


 

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