Chongqing -China's centrally administered State-owned enterprises (SOEs) are a crucial support of the national economy. Currently, Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality is home to over 400 such enterprises, which have significantly contributed to the city's industrial transformation, infrastructure development, and overall growth.

Following the conclusion of the annual meetings of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a symposium was held in Beijing to discuss the collaboration between Chongqing and China's centrally administered SOEs in building the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle and driving the development of a new modern Chongqing.

A symposium was convened in Beijing on cooperation between Chongqing and China's centrally administered SOEs in building Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle and developing a new modern Chongqing. (Photo/Su Si)

Transformation and upgrading of digital industries

At the symposium, Yuan Jiajun, Secretary of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee, emphasized the importance of developing the digital economy industry in western China and further strengthening digital development in Chongqing.

CISDI Engineering Co., Ltd. is a large state-owned engineering company focused on technology innovation. Its subsidiary, CISDI Chongqing Information Technology Co., Ltd., saw an opportunity for industrial transformation and upgrading as well as the development of big data and intelligent industries in Chongqing and entered Western (Chongqing) Science City.

Since then, the company's digital business has grown rapidly, achieving deep integration of 5G, big data, artificial intelligence, and other technologies with traditional industries in various fields, such as intelligent manufacturing, smart government and enterprises, and smart cities.

‍‍Engineers, CISDI Chongqing Information Technology Co., Ltd., are optimizing and improving the "Light Chain" digital whole-process engineering consulting platform. (Photo/Zhang Jinhui)

"In addition to informatization, we have also expanded other businesses," said Xiao Xuewen, secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of CISDI Group. 

Taking high-end consulting as an example, CISDI Chongqing Information Technology, with rich experiences in industrial services, has successively designed plans for the development of the carbon-based materials industry and the construction of smart business districts for Chongqing Development and Reform Commission, Chongqing Science and Technology Bureau and other departments.

Facilitate the development of China's regional economy 

According to Yuan, the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle will be a driving force for high-quality development in China. It will serve as the fourth important growth pole, facilitating the development of the country's regional economy and inland reform and opening up. The goal is to promote common prosperity by achieving balanced improvement across the entire country through high-quality development in the western region and the improvement of living standards and industrial level.

However, with the construction of the economic circle and the rapid growth of electricity demand in Sichuan and Chongqing, the pressure on power supply in the central urban area of Chongqing has been increasing. "Sichuan is rich in hydropower resources and is one of the main hydropower bases in China," said Zhou Qian, director of Planning Division I at the Development Department of State Grid Chongqing Electric Power Company. "At present, however, the power supply channel from Sichuan to Chongqing is fully loaded, so it is necessary to build a new channel to ensure power transmission."

To make more efficient use of power resources in southwest China, Sichuan and Chongqing will work together to build four new ultra-high-voltage (UHV) substations in Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, south Tianfu New Area, and east Chengdu of Sichuan, as well as Tongliang District of Chongqing. 

The new substations will enable Sichuan to transmit power to all parts of the province and Chongqing through UHV alternating current (AC) power grids.

The construction site of the Sichuan-Chongqing UHV AC Project (Chongqing Section). (Photo/State Grid Chongqing Electric Power Company)