Central Strategy

By Li Xiaoyang

At the 12th Central China Investment and Trade Expo in Taiyuan， Shanxi Province， in May， the new products of Huayang New Material Technology Group showcased how companies in central China are switching to green and sustainable development.

Shanxi is one of Chinas major coal-producing areas and Huayang is the reincarnation of coal producer Yang Quan Coal Industry （Group） Co. Ltd.， which shifted its focus to the new material sector last year.

At the expo， Huayangs products included smogfiltering windows that can block 99.5 percent of fine particulate matters （PM2.5） and nanofiber masks that can be used repeatedly without becoming malodorous.

The expo is held for enterprises in central China， which comprises the six provinces of Shanxi， Henan， Anhui， Hubei， Hunan and Jiangxi. It is a region with growing market potential and accelerated industrial restructuring and opening up. While the eastern region leads the countrys economic growth， the central， western and northeastern regions are catching up with the government introducing supporting measures to tap into their full potential.

The national strategy for invigorating the central region was introduced in 2006 to boost grain production， advanced equipment manufacturing and hi-tech industries in the provinces. More detailed strategies followed during the 13th Five-Year Plan （2016-20） period， and in March this year， the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee reviewed a guideline on high-quality development and opening up of the region.

“The central region has seen steady economic development， improved infrastructure and more convenient transportation. More efforts will be made to unleash consumption potential， promote opening up， improve the business environment and enhance international cooperation，” Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen told a press conference before the expo.

Steady growth

The central region has registered steady growth in recent years. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that the GDP of its six provinces exceeded 22 trillion yuan （$3.4 trillion） last year， accounting for 21.9 percent of the national economic aggregate. In 2006， it was 18.6 percent. From 2016 to 2019， its average yearly GDP growth reached 10.5 percent， faster than any of the three other major regions.

According to Wang， the central region has a permanent resident population of around 370 million， which is more than a quarter of the national total. It implies that the region possesses abundant labor resources and a large consumer market. It also features a convenient and well-connected transportation network with railways， air routes and waterways.