Chongqing- A press conference held on October 15 detailed the latest developments and ambitious new goals for a rising metropolitan area comprised of Wanzhou, Kaizhou, and Yunyang (Wankaiyun), which have been set a combined GDP target of 280 billion yuan (US$45.5 billion) accounting for over 50% of Northeast Chongqing Municipality by the year 2025.
By the year 2035, it is planned for the Wankaiyun Metropolitan Area to be fully integrated into one contiguous and urbanized agglomeration, with travel times between each of the districts reduced to within half an hour.
Deputy Director and Spokesman of the Municipal Development and Reform Commission Zhu Jiang explained that the Wankaiyun area is located in the northeast of the Chengdu Chongqing economic circle and has always been an economic center and distribution hub at this critical juncture between Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, and Shaanxi.
According to the plan, Wanzhou will sit at the urban core of the Three Gorges between the two poles of Kaizhou and Yunyang, with a total urban area of over 220 square kilometers home to more than 2.2 million people and an urbanization rate of 65% for permanent residents.
Wanzhou will sit at the urban core between Kaizhou and Yunyang as the rising metropolitan area targets a GDP value of 45.5 billion US dollars. (Photo/ the Wankaiyun Inter-City Development Office - Ran Mengjun)
The construction of green and modern service industry clusters will be accelerated in the three areas. The industrial chain will be more deeply integrated with innovative advances, and strategic emerging industries will produce an added value accounting for over 20% of the scale industry.
Comprehensive transportation hubs and logistics centers in the three areas are set for accelerated construction, with connections to the main Chongqing Urban Area reduced to within two hours. This will provide an effective link between the International Land-Sea Trade Corridor and China Europe Railway Express, further expanding the service radius and area of influence in transportation and logistics.
Ecologically harmonious development
The Three Gorges Tourism Distribution Center will see accelerated construction, while a network of convenient transport connections between the cities and tourist attractions will be completed in order for tourism to achieve revenue targets of 60 billion yuan.
Implementation plans for urbanized development in Wankaiyun released in July outline seven key areas focused on ecology, layout, industry, services, and mechanisms, which will drive total import and export volumes towards the 12 billion yuan mark in the open economy.
Wanzhou Wuqiao International Airport is to see further expansion as tourism infrastructure continues to improve. (Photo/ the Wankaiyun Inter-City Development Office)
An ecological barrier will be jointly formed in the Yangtze upper reaches between the three areas, with mechanisms to implement pollution controls and perform investigations. The aim is to ensure that overall water quality in the main basins satisfies or exceeds Class III standards, that the proportion of days with excellent air quality surpasses 93%, and that forest coverage rates top 58%.
Wanyunkai will focus on integrated and high-quality development in the manufacturing industry and jointly cultivate six green manufacturing industry clusters on the scale of 10 billion yuan, focusing on automobiles, materials, consumer goods, medicine, electronics, and equipment.
Meanwhile, additional emphasis will also be placed on integration within the modern service industry and high-efficiency agriculture with the special characteristics of mountainous topography.
For example, high-quality industrial clusters on the million yuan scale will be expanded in grain and oil, citrus fruit, economically productive forests, Chinese medicinal herbs, and pigs reared according to green practices.
This riverside parkland in Yunyang will form part of an ecological barrier in the Yangtze upper reaches as high-quality development proceeds in harmony with environmental protection. (Photo/ the Wankaiyun Inter-City Development Office)
Metropolitan infrastructure takes shape
Infrastructure in the Wanyunkai area will be promoted by constructing a railway network with nine high-speed tracks and nine standard lines, while a dual-ring road with ten spokes will provide a convenient network of public highways.
Construction of the Chongqing-Wanzhou, Chengdu-Dazhou-Wanzhou, and other high-speed railways will be accelerated, and efforts will be made to begin construction work on the Chongqing West High-Speed Railway and riverside freight railway at the earliest opportunity.
Likewise, construction of the Wanzhou South Ring and Kaizhou-Liangping expressways will be accelerated, while the planned expressways between Wanzhou-Kaizhou Nanya and Wanzhou-Wushan will begin work as soon as possible.
The layout of information infrastructures such as the 5g network, big data centers, and smart facilities will be promoted, along with systems for water conservation and energy security and the construction of facilities in the supply of water, electricity, oil, and gas.
Wanyunkai will also promote the sharing of services, such as an optimized layout in higher education with linked enrollment mechanisms, while the same improvements shall be performed for medical and health resources through an interconnected smart medical system.
It is also planned that an intercity public transport network will be opened to facilitate smoother connections within the newest metropolitan area of Chongqing Municipality.