Beijing, July 29 (Xinhuanet) -- In summer, thousands of cargo ships are busy loading and unloading in front of Chaotianmen Square Dock, where the Yangtze meets the Jialing, a scene of thriving business.     

    For 2008, an enviable record of 14.3% GDP growth in Chongqing was announced, and now, we proudly present the delightful "summer fruit": A 12.6% growth of GDP in Chongqing from January to June, and an estimated 14% increase of GDP for the year.

    "Though many difficulties still remain, generally speaking, Chongqing's economy has seen itself pull through a mild winter and a warm spring, and has come to the height of summer." Mr. Yang Qingyu, Director-General of the Development and Reform Commission, said in a confident and steadfast tone.　

    It is the character of the Chongqing people to seek light from darkness and to endeavor against all odds. The land of Chongqing cultivated the unyieldingness and doughtiness of 32 million sons and daughters of Chongqing.     

    "Chongqing is a city standing straight on its feet!" These heroic and ambitious words are from Bo Xilai, Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of CPC and Secretary of CPC Chongqing Committee.     

    Precautious yet decisive when necessary，Chongqing is better off while many others have been brought low.     

    Amidst the winter chills of 2008, a financial storm swept the whole globe. Chongqing, despite its more insulated location in China and lower level of dependence on export, was no safe haven and could not escape from being affected as a long-standing heavy-industrial city.

    Industrial giants such as Chongqing Iron and Steel Group and Chongqing Machinery and Electronics Group, both state-owned with more than 10 billion yuan of yearly sales revenue, have seen their operating revenue and profits plunge. Motorcycle export nose-dived to 93,000 per month by February this year, the lowest single-month sales since February of 2006. "The first quarter of this year has been most difficult for Chongqing's industrial and economic development over the past ten years."said Mr. Wu Bing, Director-General of Chongqing Economic and Information Technology Commission.

    However, shortly after the Spring Festival, the speed of fall in the added value of Chongqing's large-scale enterprises was curbed, and growth returned in the following months. In January, the figure decreased by 3.7% compared with the same period of last year (yoy), and increased by 6% year on year in February, followed by 8.8% growth in March, 11.2% in April, 12.3% in May, and 13.7% in June.     

    The quick rebound of Chongqing's economy has benefited from the great care and macro guidance of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.     

    On 31th of December 2008, an executive meeting of the State Council was held to discuss and deploy measures to spur coordinated urban and rural reform and development in Chongqing. Soon afterwards, the General Office of the State Council issued "Opinions of the State Council on Accelerating the Urban-Rural Reform and Development of Chongqing". The document has made 13 important plans for Chongqing, such as an important modern manufacturing base, the financial centre on the upper reaches of the Yangtze, a comprehensive transportation hub, inland export commodities processing base and a pilot opening region; a huge boost for Chongqing's morale.

    In the eyes of Huang Qifan, Standing Member of CPC Chongqing Committee and Executive vice-Mayor, macro economic policies such as the 4 trillion yuan stimulus package and ten major industrial adjustment and revitalization plans have worked exceptionally well, and each of the measures fuels China's economy. Chongqing has benefited from each of the measures. So far, more than 7 billion yuan of the national investment has been put in Chongqing, which is met by new investment worth 50 billion yuan from other sectors. 8 out of the outlined ten major revitalization industries can be found in Chongqing, another piece of good news.

    The rapid rebound of economy is also attributed to Chongqing's good precautions before-crisis and vigorous response in-crisis.     

    In March of 2008, Chongqing issued seven measures to stimulate economic growth after an experience-learning trip to the coastal areas of Guangdong, Shanghai and Zhejiang. In September, five policies against economic decline were introduced. In November, the "Three-year Warm Winter Campaign", an investment plan worth 1.5 trillion yuan, was unveiled. In December, in compliance with the deployment of the CPC Central Committee, twelve special measures to stimulate economic growth were integrated, and then released.

    The string of measures to maintain economic growth and promote development is like a heart-warming story of how the government and the businesses are defying the cold winter by holding tight to each other.     

    "The financial storm has really dealt a heavy blow to many enterprises in our industrial park and they are feeling lost." said Wu Daofan, Vice-Secretary of Dadukou District CPC Committee, Director-General of Jianqiao Industrial Park administrative committee, when he described the impact of the financial crisis as most severe to the park since its establishment six years ago.

    In the face of crisis, Dadukou District has decided to spend 1 billion yuan within three years on corporate restructuring and technology update in the park. The timely measures to resist the crisis have not only provided a cushion for the enterprises, but also spurred a new round of business startups. From January to April this year, fixed asset investment in Jianqiao Industrial Park amounted to 1.01 billion yuan, a 96.6% yoy increase.

    "4 trillion yuan stimulus package, ten major industrial adjustment and revitalization plans, tax cuts for smaller-engine cars, subsidies for rural sales of motorcycles ..." Mr. Yin Mingshan, President of Lifan Group was making his account of the substantive growth-promoting policies by national and local governments in his office on the eleventh floor of Lifan Headquarter Building in Chongqing. "The next is up to us! Lifan Group will work to ensure 8% growth in sales this year and strive to reach 12%."

    Opportunities in crisis: New Opportunities for Industrial Transformation and Upgrading.     

    Tangjiatuo, by the Yangtze, is expecting the sky to clear up after the rain. On the slipway of Dongfeng Shipyard of Chongqing, the biggest in southwest China, four 5500-ton asphalt tankers and one 5700-ton chemical tanker were being busily welded. They will hit the water in a little more than one month's time.     

    Avoiding direct competition with the main shipyards and reinforcing niche-market exploration of special-type ships have won Dongfeng Shipyard a solid foothold even against the international financial crisis. "Special-type ships refer to oil ships, chemical ships, and ocean engineering ships, which usually have relatively small tonnage but high added value. Compared with ordinary bulk cargo carriers and container carriers, special-type ships suffer less from market fluctuations." General manager of Dongfeng Shipyard Mr. He Xiyun said, "The financial crisis has given us an opportunity: our enterprises are just in time to adjust the product structure, and firmly head for the orientation of high added value and high technology ship products."

    The international financial crisis has also prompted Chana Automobile to quicken its pace on the adjustment of product structure. On 2nd of June, construction of a new Chana mini-car and engine base with 2.5 billion yuan investment was begun in Yuzui Industrial Park in Chongqing Eastern New city. The new base for Chana mini-car production will lay emphasis on energy-saving and new energy cars. And it will fully utilize solar energy and water recycling to conduct production. After the completion of the two-phase project, it will become the largest manufacturing base of mini cars and power trains with a production capacity of 600 thousand cars and 2 million engines. "Crisis means both challenges and opportunities. For Chana Auto, this is an opportunity to develop mini cars and small-engine cars." Said Xu Liuping, President of Chana Group.

    Just as the giants in equipment manufacturing, automobile and motorcycle industry are making active transformations and adjustments, their counterparts in electronic information industry are also starting to speed up their development in Chongqing.     

    Last December, the construction of the HP PC Production Base, which takes up 60,000 square km, was begun in Chongqing Xiyong Micro-electronics Industrial Park. It is estimated that 4 million laptops can be produced after the base becomes operational in 2010，which will bring a supporting industry cluster worth 50 billion yuan. So far, 5 HP programs including the Chongqing branch of the Global Software Service Centre, the Global Testing Centre, the Global Call Centre, the Resource Sharing Network Platform of the University Town and the PC Production Base, have been established in Chongqing ever since the first. "HP will continue investing in Chongqing and will spare no efforts to help Chongqing grow into a ‘Silicon Valley in West China'," said Todd, Senior Executive Vice President of HP.

    Driven by relevant industries of HP, the electronic information industry of Chongqing is expected to become a new pillar industry following automobile and motorcycle. Statistics show a fast growth of the electronic information industry this year, its sales revenue being expected to jump to 80 billion yuan from 60 billion last year.     

    The industrial transformation and upgrading do not take place only in the real economy.     

    On Jan 1 this year, Chongqing Opening-up Promotion Ordinance--the first local statute aiming at facilitating opening up to the rest of the world—was officially promulgated. It is for the very first time that opening-up has been confirmed in a legislative form in this western inland city, for which the purpose is to turn it into an "inland opening center".     

    On June 2, the construction of China's first inland bonded port area—Chongqing Lianglu Cuntan Bonded Port Area was started. It will become operational within this year. "This is like pulling the Yangtze River's access to the sea several thousand km back to the western hinterland--Chongqing ." Said Ma Zhongyuan, Chief of Chongqing Customs.

    In Chinese, the character "chong" is made of the word "qianli", meaning a thousand miles; the character "qing"is the combination of the two words "guang" and "da", which refer to vastness. Therefore "Chongqing" signifies generous tolerance and acceptance. Party Secretary Bo Xilai once said, "Opening up is the ultimate solution as well as the biggest engine for Chongqing. Chongqing people have to make scientific judgments and be brave to pioneer in opening up. "

    The people's livelihood must gain more priority when there are greater difficulties. The "Five Chongqing" program highlights a new spectrum of this issue.     

    The declining economy and increasing unemployment, the millions of returned migrant workers, more than 100,000 graduating university students, the newly-added urban and rural labor and the transfer and settlement of new immigrants have composed a complicated picture. It has become extraordinarily difficult to improve people's lives.     

    The investment to boost domestic demand should help improve people's livelihood as the first goal. Wang Hongju, mayor of Chongqing, has made an earnest promise in the report on government work at the beginning of this year, that improving people's lives will be highlighted this year in the efforts of expanding domestic demand; that 150 government-led key construction projects will be started within the year, each benefiting people directly.

    Employment is at the core of people's livelihood. Chongqing municipal government has decided to inject 1 billion yuan to guarantee employment, of which 600 million will be used for keeping and creating jobs, 200 million to help university and vocational school graduates find jobs, and the rest 200 million for returned migrant workers. SOEs of large and medium size in Chongqing have announced that they will employ no less than 13,000 university graduates this year, doubling the number of last year, so as to ensure the year-end employment rate of university graduates will not be under 85%.

    It is only by ensuring people's lives can we facilitate development, and vice versa. This dialectical relation has been internalized in Chongqing people's way of thinking. With only over 60 billion yuan budgetary fiscal revenue, Chongqing has paid several "big bills" in one breath this year: ever since July 1, 3.2 billion yuan has been given to 320,000 teachers in forms of allowance and subsidies to ensure that the average salary level of teachers in compulsory education is not lower than that of local civil servants; 1.5 billion yuan has been used as subsidies for 250,000 staff members in public service units including rural health posts; several billion yuan has been used for the medical insurance of more than 400,000 workers who were made redundant but not included in the medical insurance scheme.

    Chongqing has set higher goals on this issue. That is, within 4 years from 2008, one trillion yuan is planned to be invested in the building of Chongqing into a green Chongqing, transport Chongqing, safe Chongqing, a healthy Chongqing and a livable Chongqing.     

    Bo Xilai said that all aspects of the significant "Five Chongqing" program are targeting in improving people's lives and guiding people into a moderately prosperous society, which prove to be a successful response to the campaign of the profound study and practice of the scientific outlook on development.

   A "green Chongqing" implies improved environment where people enjoy more fresh air; a "transport Chongqing" means better traffic conditions, such as no traffic jams in main districts of Chongqing and asphalt roads in every village; a "safe Chongqing" refers to reinforced sense of security of the people; a "healthy Chongqing" is where the young grow strong, the old live long and all citizens keep healthy; a "livable Chongqing"signifies strenuous efforts to improve people's living conditions and environment. Once the five goals are achieved, Chongqing people's quality of life will be greatly enhanced, and the face of Chongqing, both in urban and rural areas, will be greatly improved.

    For a "green Chongqing", another 15 million mu (10,000 square km) of forests will be increased in the future, so that the forest coverage will reach 45%, and the per capita green area can reach 12 square meters.     

    Health Chongqing: The physical education lesson will be extended from two to four per week in middle schools and universities. Public exercise facilities will be more available in one thousand communities within four years' time. The average sports ground for each individual will reach 0.8 square meters. And the sample qualification rate of the national physical conditions will reach 87%.     

    "Safe Chongqing": Death rate in work safety accidents will be reduced to 2.5%, the index of security among the public remains at 90% and above.     

    "Transport Chongqing": Realization of "half an hour to reach anywhere in Chongqing urban centre", "four hours to urban Chongqing from the districts and counties", "eight hours from the neighboring provinces to Chongqing" will turn Chongqing into a comprehensive transportation hub in Southwest China.     

    "Livable Chongqing": We are to remove and rebuild dilapidated houses covering 12 million square meters within three years' time and to relocate 460 thousand people, enlarging the per capital living floor space by 50%. We are to construct 204 thousand low-rent apartments in three years' time with a floor space of 10.2 million square meters, and to realize comprehensive coverage on low-income families whose per capital living space is less than six square meters. 180 million yuan will be invested annually to encourage the construction of new houses in the rural areas collectively and to transform dilapidated houses. 120 thousand new houses in the rural areas will be built in Chongqing by 2012.

    Life in Chongqing has been poetic because people here sleep listening to the breeze on the river. In the near future, life will be happier and more harmonious thanks to the "Five Chongqing" program.     

    Walking in the streets and lanes of Chongqing, what greets your eyes is often the evergreen "city tree"——Huangjue Tree (ficus virens). Huangjue Trees have strong trunks and thick leaves. It survives in harsh conditions such as droughts and barren soil because it has aerial roots and adapts quickly to the environment—— a feature shared by the people of this land.     

    Chongqing people have never been lacking in courage and staunchness when challenged by difficulties. As long as there is still a dream in our heart and a road under our feet, we will try every way possible to make our dream come true!

 The GDP of the municipality scored a 12.6% increase from January to June, and a record 14% growth is expected for the whole year.

 The Opening-Up policy has been confirmed in legislative form for the first time in Chongqing.

 The electronic information industry has been developing fast, and its sales revenue is expected to grow from 60 billion yuan seen last year to 80 billion yuan this year.

 We plan to invest 1 trillion yuan to achieve the target of a green Chongqing, a transport Chongqing, a safe Chongqing, a healthy and livable Chongqing within 4 years.

    (Source: People's Daily)