The three national strategies, namely, Yangtze Economic Belt, One Belt One Road, and Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Cooperative Development Strategy, have become the strong force to propel the economic growth of China. As an important hub of the Yangtze River, on which respect should Yichang exert its effort? The question has become the focus of Yichang people. Recently, the journalist interviewed the person in charge of Municipal Development and Reform Commission.

Yichang’s connection to national strategy reflects its initiative, openness and highlights from the plotting to big projects, industry deployment and regional coalescence.

First thing is to connect the ideas and promote active assimilation. Yichang established a special team, released the Guidelines on Seizing Great Strategic Opportunity of the Openness and Development of Yangtze Economic Belt to Accelerate the Construction of Mega-city, and raised the seven objects including constructing national important regional comprehension transportation hub and logistic hub on Yangtze Economic Belt. It also distributed the Guidelines on National and Provincial Strategies including Connecting “One Belt One Road”, Yangtze Economic Belt, Yangtze Middle Reach City Cluster and “One Dimension with Multiple Levels”, and raised eight articles with 35 provisions for detailed focal tasks. The tasks were divided and imposed on relevant departments, thus the directors and leading departments were responsible for the tasks. In order to bring important issues related to Yichang’s future development included into national and provincial strategies, Yichang sorted out and reported over 30 issues. In early July, the leaders of Party provincial committee and provincial government specially reported 13 important issues to the State Council, of which four issues were reported by Yichang.

Yichang connects the strategy by key construction projects, and accelerates the construction of infrastructure. Yichang is actively plotting “Three Gorges Comprehensive Transportation System” according to the principal of a smooth “Golden Watercourse” Yangtze River. Now the state has attached great importance to the plot. National Development and Reform Commission has sent research group to come to Yichang three times for special studies. Hubei Provincial Communications Investment Group has planned to invest 150 billion yuan within 10 years to forge “port, industry and city” integrated project along the Yangtze River in Yichang. Yichang focuses on across Yangtze River development and accelerates the construction of modern mega-city. Yichang is actively planning “five bridges and one tunnel” cross Yangtze River passage projects. Xiangxi Yangtze Bridge is under construction, deck cable laying is undergoing on Zhixi Yangtze Bridge, Baiyang Yangtze Bridge is permitted by National Development and Reform Commission, and cross Yangtze River tunnel of subway line 3 is under busy preparation. Yichang is actively planning the inter-regional railway construction according to the close contact with the regions along the Yangtze River. Yichang-Xiangyang high speed railway is on the research and demonstrationphase. High speech passenger railway along Yangtze River is contained in Yangtze Economic Belt planning. Yichang is actively implementing Three Gorges modern logistics center project to forge regional logistics center in upper and middle reaches of Yangtze River. Ten core logistics parks are planned to connect the transits on both sides of the Three Gorges Dam. Three Gorges Cross-dam Logistics Park is included in provincial strategy.

Yichang connects to the national model and takes the lead in industry deployment. In recent years, Yichang won nine national pilot “golden metals” in succession including National Regional Strategic Emerging Industry Cluster Development Pilot City, National e-commerce Model City, National Citizen Information Benefiting Pilot City, National Ecological Civilization Demonstration Zones, National New Energy Model City. In this year, the title National Citizen Information Benefiting Pilot City turned to model construction. Only 10 of 80 pilot cities nationwide turned to model construction. The title National Regional Strategic Emerging Industry Cluster Development Pilot City passed mid-term assessment, only nine of the 11 pilot cities were able to continue the entitlement of the support from the state. Four national pilot projects have been declared including Social Credit System Construction, and all the projects were recommended to the state by provincial Development and Reform Commission.

Yichang strengthens the regional strategic cooperation by connecting the regions nearby. Yichang cooperated with Jingzhou to launch the preparation of Juzhang River flood controlproject, and received state special fund after joint efforts. Yichang and Enshi jointly compiled the Plans for Qingjiang River Basin Green Ecology Economic Belt Development which was permitted by provincial government. Yichang cooperated with Changde, Hunan Province and launched the preparation of “Yichang-Changde Section”, one of the parts of Xi’an-Changsha High Speed Railway, and it was submitted to National Development and Reform Commission by Hubei and Hunan Province jointly. Yichang signed agreement with Three Gorges Group for deeper cooperation to seize the opportunity of Yangtze Economic Belt construction and realize mutual benefits. The planned “Three Gorges Ecology Economic Cooperation Zone” (Three Gorges City Cluster) is written in provincial government working report in 2015. “China Three Gorges City Cooperation and Development Forum” and “Three Gorges City Cluster and Yangtze Economic Belt International Seminar” were held in Yichang in January and September respectively. After discussion in depth, the scholars and specialists from National Development and Reform Commission, ChineseAcademy of Social Sciences, government departments and cities along Yangtze River reached the consensus of “Constructing Three Gorges City Cluster and benefitting from the Yangtze Economic Belt together”. (Journalist Zhang Liang)