At the fourth session of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC), deputies to the NPC from Chongqing actively offered advice and suggestions promoting the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle.

Since the sixth meeting of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission proposed in early 2020 regarding the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, the cooperation between the two cities has continuously brought benefits and opportunities. For example, it strengthened the core competitive advantages and development of the manufacturing industry in the Chengdu-Chongqing areas.

China’s manufacturing powerhouses

“Chongqing and Sichuan are China’s important manufacturing powerhouses," said NPC deputy Chen Jinshan, the secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group and director of the Chongqing Economic and Information Technology Commission. "Promoting the high-quality integrated development of the manufacturing industry in Chongqing and Sichuan serves as a key step to stimulate the high-quality development of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle."

In 2020, the added value of industrial enterprises above a designated size and profit growth rates in Chongqing and Sichuan were higher than the national average. Sichuan and Chongqing have signed cooperation agreements on building a world-class equipment manufacturing industry cluster, a high-level R&D and manufacturing base for the automotive industry, an electronic information industry cluster, a characteristic consumer goods industry cluster and an advanced material industry.

Meanwhile, Sichuan and Chongqing jointly enhanced the integrated development of industrial internet, the stability of energy operations, cooperation between automotive and electronic information industries, services for small and medium-sized enterprises, park cooperation and mutual aid in electrical power. They have started the construction of the first 20 industrial cooperation demonstration parks and primarily achieved the manufacturing industry cluster effect.

Chen said that next, the Chongqing Economic and Information Technology Commission will improve the communication and coordination with Sichuan, and focus on promoting the joint construction of several public service platforms regarding key fields such as industrial internet, internet of vehicles, product R&D and industrial design. The platforms not only can create new impetus to the development of the manufacturing industry, including automotive, electronic information, equipment manufacturing, consumer goods, bio-pharmaceutical and new material industries, but can support the interaction and cooperation between enterprises in Chongqing and Sichuan to realize mutual benefit.

Transform and Upgrade

“Sichuan and Chongqing have formed an automotive industry cluster, and the key to future success is to seize the opportunity and jointly push for the development in the transformation and upgrading period,” said NPC deputy Zhu Huarong, the secretary of the Party Committee and chairman of Chang’an Automobile, with great confidence in the future development of the automotive industry in Sichuan and Chongqing.

Statistics show that Sichuan and Chongqing have 45 auto manufacturers and about 1,600 manufacturers of automotive parts and components. The annual output value of the automotive industry in the region is over RMB 600 billion, and the annual output is nearly three million, about 12% of the national output, which makes the region one of the six major automotive industry bases in China.

Zhu believes that Sichuan and Chongqing should integrate resources of advanced enterprises in automotive, transportation, telecommunications and e-commerce industries, colleges, universities and research institutions, establish an automotive intelligent manufacturing innovation center.

The two cities should also carry out collaborative research on key common automobile technology, the application of major scientific and technological achievements and the promotion of advanced standard systems and promote the transformation, upgrading and high-quality development of the automotive industry in the area.

How will Chang’an Automobile participate in the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle? Zhu said that, Chang’an Automobile will encourage the concentrated development of new energy, and intelligent connected vehicle industries in the Economic Circle. They will also cooperate with quality suppliers in the area, through promoting electrification, applying internet and intelligent technology, sharing resources, and building up the improvement of suppliers in technology, quality and logistics.

Integrated Development

NPC deputy Mo Gongming, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee and Secretary of the CPC Wanzhou District Committee, said that the Planning Outline for the Construction of Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle specified Wanzhou’s position as the strategic regional center.

Wanzhou will accelerate the construction of the Wanzhou-Dazhou-Kaizhou Integrated Development Demonstration Zone in Sichuan and Chongqing, improve the working mechanism, deepen exchanges and cooperation, play a functional role and contribute to the joint construction of the third growth point in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle.

Meanwhile, Wanzhou will also focus on the integration with surrounding areas, upgrade the interconnectivity of transportation, boost integrated industry development, and joint construction and sharing of public services, with its goal of building a new pattern of regional coordinated development.

In terms of the concentration on high quality, Wanzhou will focus on ecology, circulation, urbanization and industry development and strive to create an environmentally friendly development demonstration zone. It will cultivate a national integrated transportation and logistics hub, improve its function as the regional center and set up the economic center of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region.