The Government Role in Pan-Pearl River Delta Development
By staff reporter YI FAN & LU RUCAI
 Governors and ministers attending the PPRD Regional Cooperation and Development Forum in front of St Paul's Ruins, Macao. |
THE Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) Regional Cooperation development strategy has received the central government and relevant State Council departments' immediate attention. As regional cooperation operates under market system, the governmental role is service-oriented, while enterprises have more decision making power.
State Development and Reform Commission: The Government Will Give Key Support to the PPRD Regional Cooperation
The State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC) is mainly responsible for drafting and implementing strategic plans for national economic and social development, conducting macro-economic forecasts and projections, and raising macro control policies and propositions.
"When up drawing the 11th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, SDRC will attach key importance to regional planning, making clear the focuses and objectives of the strategy and structural adjustment. The state will give key support to regional cooperation in the PPRD," said Liu Jiang, vice minister of SDRC at PPRD Regional Cooperation and Development Forum.
Liu pointed out that promoting PPRD regional cooperation is imperative to accelerating industrial restructuring and upgrading of the Pearl River Delta. A major contributor to China's economic growth, the Pearl River Delta will retain its pacesetting position at this new stage and continue to act as a leading economic region with high absorption and radiating abilities. The state will give key support to PPRD as regards port infrastructure construction and management, port security, inter-regional infrastructure construction, communication network optimization, and coordinated utilization of power, energy, minerals and raw materials.
Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office and Ministry of Commerce: Strengthen Economic Cooperation between the Hinterland, Hong Kong and Macao, and Share Achievements
As its name suggests, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council handles affairs relating to the two special administrative regions.
The Ministry of Commerce Department of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs is responsible for drafting strategies for economic and trade development with Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, and issuing macro directives regarding economy and trade with Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.
The ultimate goal of PPRD regional cooperation is to strengthen economic ties between the hinterland, Hong Kong, and Macao, and realize common prosperity. Chen Zuo'er, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office states that impetus to strengthen economic cooperation between the hinterland and create business opportunities is engendered by deepened reform and opening up in the hinterland.
Chen points out that economic cooperation between the hinterland, Hong Kong and Macao is a natural progression towards the hinterland's further opening up, and that it will enhance Hong Kong and Macao's special role within national development strategy. Hong Kong and Macao are two metropolises, both with a modern tertiary industry. They are far closer to international market operation and much more familiar with international practice than other Chinese regions. Making full use of their advantages will rapidly promote the hinterland's economic development. Hong Kong is at a critical stage of economic resurgence, and Macao is at a vital stage of sustained growth and optimized structure. Promoting PPRD regional cooperation creates favorable economic development conditions for related inland provinces/autonomous region, Hong Kong and Macao, and provides more business opportunities.
Vice Minister of Commerce An Min has also given his nod of approval to the economic benefits the 9+2 mode will bring. According to An, the inland regions will establish closer economic and trade ties with Hong Kong and Macao, thus eliminating step by step barriers resulting from institutional differences within economic and trade exchanges, impelling a free flow of essential economic factors, and giving impetus to economic integration of the hinterland, Hong Kong and Macao. The PPRD regional cooperation gives the region preemption to implement CEPA.
Ministry of Communications and Ministry of Railways: Advance PPRD's Highway and Water Transport Network
The main responsibility of the Ministry of Communications is to draft development strategies, and organize and implement construction of key national highway and water transport projects.
The main function of the Ministry of Railways is to draft railway industry development strategies, policies, laws and regulations, and in charge of railway transport organization and management.
Minister of Communications Zhang Chunxian states that the ministry will give active support to streamlining the PPRD's highway and water transport network, and accelerating integration of communications. According to Zhang, the ministry's current highway plan provides 22 roads for the PPRD, including vertically and horizontally interweaving, radiating and ring roads of a total projected length of 30,000 kilometers. As regards inland river and coastal ports, Zhang expressed that efforts will be made to increase PPRD's inland river transport handling capacity by 30 percent. Rich port resources in the region will provide perfect means for the PPRD to transport resources and products to domestic and international markets.
As regards railway construction in the region, the State Council approved the Mid- and Long-term Railway Network Plan, which makes the PPRD a focal point of China's railway network development, at the beginning of 2004. By 2020, the PPRD's railway operation mileage will increase from 19,000 kilometers in late 2003 to 29,000 kilometers.
On behalf of the Ministry of Railways, Wang said, "we will give active support to PPRD regional cooperation, give more planning and technological guidance to this region, propel regional railway construction, establish a perfect railway network, and pave the way for the regional cooperation."
National Tourism Administration: Spare No Effort to Expedite Tourism Cooperation and Development in the PPRD
The main function of National Tourism Administration is to study and draft development policies for the tourism industry, study institutional tourism reforms and compile tourism statistics.
Sun Gang, vice chairman of China National Tourism Administration, states that China National Tourism Administration will go all out to advance tourism cooperation and development in the PPRD. He hopes that the PPRD top administrative officer meeting system, government secretary-general coordination system, and government department coordination system will put promotion of 9+2 regional tourism cooperation high on their agendas. Sun proposes that the PPRD take action to develop communication and cooperation with the Yangtze River Delta and Bohai tourism regions, other provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, as well as other countries and other regions. He calls for the establishment of a 9+2 tourism combo, which may play a leading role in promoting PPRD regional cooperation.