The kick-off meeting of the Three Gorges follow-up research project entitled “The Research Projects of Oriented Assistance to Characteristic Advantaged Industries in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area”, was held in Yichang. Liu Ka, director of Three Gorges Economic and Technological Cooperation Department of the State Council and other officials from relevant departments attended the opening ceremony including the Three Gorges relevant departments, Provincial Immigration Office, Chongqing Municipal Immigration, Chongqing Municipal Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing University Institute of Cultural and Natural Heritage and Municipal Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Vice mayor Liu Jianxin delivered a speech. He said that, in recent years, for the prosperity, stable condition and synchronous well-being of the migrants, Yichang Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government have made great efforts to develop the tea industry and tourism and made them the main parts rising incomes and bringing wealth to migrants of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area. At present, Yichang tea industry and the tourism industry have gained some achievements, but there is still a gap between Yichang and the developed cities and regions in China. He hoped that the leaders and experts can share their valuable opinions. We will firmly seize the opportunity of the new round of support for the Three Gorges Reservoir area. We will strengthen the planning of projects, actively foster competitive industries, and further promote the economic and social development in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, thus keeping the incomes rising for migrants.

As one of the Three Gorges follow-up research projects of 2015, this project receives overall coordination and guidance of special leading group of the Three Gorges Department of the State Council. Because of the limited time and the tough task, Liu Ka hoped that two provinces and cities would actively participate in the assistance and support, complete the project’s plan, implementation and acceptance check on time, and achieve operable research results which are of guiding significance to practical work. He also required that the funds be made good use of, the projects be concertedly advanced strict in accordance with their plans, aiming to reach expected goal of the proposals and at the same time lay a foundation for further cooperation in the future.

This project is jointly carried out by Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences Fruit Tree Tea Research Institute, Nanjing University Institute of Cultural and Natural Heritage and Yichang Municipal Agricultural Science Institute. Through adopting in-depth and multidisciplinary research methods in all direction in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, they will scientifically analyze the resource superiority and disadvantages of tea, tourism and other industries in this area and establish the cooperation and development platforms for its characteristic and advantaged industries so as to strengthen the competitiveness of its advantaged industries and serve the economic and social development in the Three Gorges Reservoir area. Yiling District and Zihui Town will be the key areas for tea industry research. (Reporter Yang Jing, Correspondent Hao Qingqing)