State-level Pilot Zone to be Built in Guangzhou

Nansha New District， a new State-level pilot zone， is to be built in South China’s Guangzhou， the capital of Guangdong Province， to strengthen cooperation with nearby Hong Kong and Macau. In September， the State Council approved the Plan for the Development of Nansha New District of Guangzhou. The plan marks another strategic plan made by the central government for Guangdong’s socioeconomic development， following other important plans for the province.

The development plan for the 2012-25 period aims to promote the transformation of the Pearl River Delta， facilitate long-term stability and prosperity of Hong Kong and Macao， shape a new pattern of economic openness and enhance China’s international competitiveness and influence.

According to Zhu Xiaodan， governor of Guangdong at a news briefing held on Oct. 10， the district is strategically positioned to be a demonstration zone of comprehensive cooperation between Guangdong， Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions. Based on Guangzhou and the mainland and connecting Hong Kong and Macau， it is to be built into a quality living circle of the area and a model of new urbanization. It is set to become a highland of productive service-based modern industries， a world-class comprehensive service hub， and a pilot zone for innovation in social management services.

The district has solid foundation for the plan. With a planned area of 803 square kilometers， it is located at the outlet of the Pearl River and in the geometric center of the Pan Pearl River Delta. As a crucial linkage of the city clusters on both sides of the Pearl River， it is 38 nautical miles from Hong Kong and 41 nautical miles from Macau.

With years of development， the district has built up strong overall industrial capacity， thus further consolidating the foundation for economic development and openness. It boasts a full-fledged transportation network consisting of water transportation， aviation， railways and highways.

The district is blessed with natural endowment and ecological resources. The green coverage has reached 41 percent， while per-capita green park space has amounted to 38 square meters. With a picturesque living environment， the district was granted the golden award of “the Most Livable Urban Districts of the World” by the United Nations in 2011.

Furthermore， located near Hong Kong and Macao with linguistic similarity， the district has established close business ties with them. Since cooperation in the 1980s， a group of national technological research platforms and high-end demonstration projects have been put in place. Moreover， the district is a pilot zone for the implementation of Closer Economic Partnership Agreement between Guangdong， Hong Kong and Macau (CEPA).

The plan covers two phases: 2012-15 and 2015-25. Under the plan， by 2015， the comprehensive service function of the new district will be strengthened， while its ecological environment will be further optimized， with the green coverage rate reaching 43%. Closer cooperation will be fostered with Hong Kong and Macau， while the living standard of the people will be continuously improved. A basic framework of the demonstration zone for cooperation between Guangdong， Hong Kong and Macau will be formed.

By 2025， the district will have breakthroughs in its socioeconomic development， with a more advanced infrastructural system. It will be built into an industrial highland of advanced producer services and a world-class scientific innovation center. People’s well-being and the living environment will be further enhanced， with its international competitiveness and influence boosted. Service will account for about 25% of its total GDP. The ratio of RD personnel， senior managers and highly skilled personnel will be raised.

The region will be granted certain rights to pilot and experiment with creative mechanisms to drive growth， and the government will formulate corresponding policies to support such moves， said Fan Hengshan， a senior official with the National Development and Reform Commission.