REVIVING OLD INDUSTRIAL CENTER
-- Xu Jianhua, Secretary of Shaoguan Municipal CPC Committee

Shaoguan is an old industrial centre located in northern Guangdong. In 2001-2005, Shanguan's economy grew at an annual rate of 10 percent, thanks to the industries transferred to the cities from Pearl River Delta.

In the future, the city will expand its metallurgy industry and support the Shaoguan Steel Factory to lower its energy consumption and strengthen its innovation power, thus becoming one of the largest high-quality steel production bases in the province and in the country.

Shanguan will continue to im-prove its vocational training and provide skilled workers for enterprises in the city and the entire province.

GETTING STONED 
-- Ou Zhenzhi, Mayor of Yunfu

The stone business is the base of Yunfu's economy, with an output of 5 billion RMB that generate annual taxes of 100 million RMB. In the past two years, the industry has been expanding by 20 percent per year and saw nearly 300 new or expanded enterprises. However, most of these enterprises are small in size, and the industry needs several strong leaders. The municipal govern-ment is going to offer management courses to these enterprises' owners so as to help them expand their business.

Besides stones, Yunfu is also big cooking appliance manufacturer, selling over 4 billion RMB annually of ovens and other cooking items to America and EU countries.

Another pillar industry is electronics. Emerson produces battery rechargers for notebooks and cell phones and employs over 10,000 workers. After the company set up in Yunfu, 60 related accessory factories emerged and the industry saw a boom.

STRATEGIES FOR CITY  S FUTURE
-- Liu Rizhi, Secretary of Meizhou Municipal CPC Committee

Meizhou needs to develop its industry and promote its unique Hakka culture as well as protect its environment. These three strategies are the result of the local government's research and has won the support of local residents.
Meizhou plans to further open itself to the outside world economically and improve its transportation infrastructure while maintaining a strict policy of environmental protection.

MORE THAN PRIVATE ENTERPRISE
-- Chen Xiaochuan, Secretary of Yangjiang Municipal CPC Committee

Yangjiang's GDP last year reached 34.67 billion RMB, with private enterprises contributing about 70 percent to the local economy. This was due to the city's booming private economy, but also because the city had few large national and provincial projects and SOEs. Yangjiang nuclear plant has been built, and is expected to start turning a profit by 2013 and will be a key component of the city's economy in the future.

Yangjiang considers "industry, tourism, trade, agriculture and education" as the five main strategies for future development. City planners also focus on environmental protection and strike a balance between conservation and economic development.

HEYUAN CATCHING UP
--  Liang Weifa, Secretary of Heyuan Municipal CPC Committee

Heyuan, once the most under-developed city in Guangdong, started catching up with the rest of Guangdong several years ago. So far, it has launched a cell phone production base and built several development zones for local enterprises as well as domestic and overseas investors.

Heyuan's development plan for 2007 includes maintaining a growth rate that is no lower than the average of the past five years and to protect the bio-environment while keeping re-sidents' satisfactory rate.

The city's targets for this year also include:
   Signing 10 billion RMB worth of contracts
   Starting projects which have a gross value of 10 billion RMB
   The cell phone industry is to yield an industrial output of 10 billon RMB
   Maintaining a 50 percent growth rate for industrial value added projects and increasing imports and exports by 50 percent

INNOVATION IN MANUFACTURING IS CORE COMPETITIVENESS
--Wang Nanjian, Mayor of Jiangmen
  
Manufacturing is currently still the biggest contributor to Jiangmen's economy. Jiangmen has several counties with representative products, including hardware, microphones, jeans and motorcycle parts. Innovation and brand development are two key strategies for the sector's future development.

Besides manufacturing, the city will also put effort to develop the tertiary industry.

The city developed an auto accessory production base, which is now seeking more business cooperation with Japanese-funded auto companies in Guangdong.

Editor: Wing