With the coming of free trade era, on April 1st, Yichang city witnessed the opening ceremony of China (Hubei) Pilot Free Trade Zone---Yichang Area (hereinafter referred to as FTZ Yichang Area) held by the municipal government in Yichang High-Tech Area Administrative Committee. Zhou Ji, the municipal Party committee secretary attended and Inaugurated this ceremony.

　　Ma Xuming, the Deputy Secretary of Municipal Committee and the mayor gave a speech on this occasion , expressing his warm congratulations to the founding of FTZ Yichang Area and sincere thanks to those who have worked so hard in the building process of this pilot area. He said that the founding of FTZ Yichang Area is the result of common concerns of the Central Party Committee, the State Council and the provincial government. It not only requires Yichang to explore innovation, but also offers Yichang the opportunity to promote a new reform and opening up, and brings Yichang the strong momentum for green development, transformation, and overall well-off society.

　　Ma Xuming pointed out that Yichang should grasp this opportunity offered by FTZ Yichang Area to highlight the system innovation, strive to create a legal, international and convenient business environment and actively explore a new development model for inland open economy according to the actual development and function of FTZ Yichang Area , making it another high-tech industrial cluster, modern cooperative service model area in the Three Gorges Area , and an important strategic point connecting the Yangtze River Economic Belt with “the Belt and Road Initiative”. Ma Xuming also suggested that we should implement various reform measures with a broader vision, stronger collaboration and responsibility, contributing more wisdom and strength for the reform methods of other areas in China.

　　In the opening ceremony, the participating leaders deliver licenses to 10 enterprises which joined the FTZ Yichang Area, including the China Bank, China Agricultural Bank, China Construction Bank Corp Yichang Branch of the FTZ, Yichang Yuehe Capital, Hubei Yuehe STVC Corporation, Yichang Humanwell Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Yichang MZ-Jewellery, Anneng (Yichang) Biomass Thermal Power Co., LTD, Yichang Bio-pharmaceutical Incubator Co. Ltd, Yichang Qiuzhuo Ecological Agriculture Co., Ltd.

　　It was reported that with the founding of 7 Pilots FTZ in Liaoning, Zhejiang, Henan, Hubei, Chongqing, Sichuan, Shaanxi, China has generally formed the "1+3+7" gradient development process of FTZ and the newly coordinative pattern of opening up to outside of among West, East, Land and Sea. As regard to the strategic positioning of China (Hubei) FTZ , it will strive to become orderly industrial transfer demonstration Area in central China, strategic emerging industries and high-tech industry cluster area, pilot field for comprehensive reform and opening up and the new heights of opening up to outside.

　　Hubei Free Trade Zone, with total area of 119.96 square kilometers, covers three areas: Wuhan Pilot Area of 70 square kilometers, Yichang Pilot Area of 27.97 square kilometers and Xiangyang Pilot Area of 21.99 square kilometers. Among them, the Yichang Pilot Area, with its main part located in Yichang high tech Industrial Development Area, Dongshan Park and bioindustrial Park, will focus on the development of advanced manufacturing, bio-medicine, electronic information, new materials and other high-tech industries, headquarters economy, e-commerce and other modern service industries.

　　The reporter was also informed that 5 industries with hundred billion assets have formed in Yichang in the aspects of food and beverage, advanced equipment manufacturing, modern logistics, and cultural tourism. In addition, other industries, such as new materials, bio-medicine, new energy, energy saving, environmental protection, new information technology, and construction are accelerating their steps towards the hundred billion industries. In a word, the operation of FTZ Yichang Area will surely play an important role in accelerating the formation of Yichang's ten industries with hundred billion assets. Other leaders who also attended this opening ceremony are Song Wenbao, Liu Xuefu, Yuan Weidong, Liu Jianxin, Zhou Zhengruo, and Tang Chaochu. (Reporter: Gaowei)