Guizhou moving up economic rankings

Province's GDP currently stands in 22nd place, up from 26th in 2010

When one thinks of Guizhou, the image of a remote province with lush green mountains and ethnic group customs may come to mind. But new images are also coming, thanks to the government's effective measures to develop big data, boost innovation, drive industrial transformation and upgrades as well as deepen reform and opening-up over the past decade.

The southwestern province's GDP reached 1.96 trillion yuan ($309 billion) last year, placing it 22nd out of 31 provincial-level regions on the mainland, up from 26th in 2010.

Fueled by the country's new decision to support Guizhou's high-quality development, the province is now set to blaze a new path for the country's western development program in the new era.

A new guideline, released in January by the State Council, the country's Cabinet, requires building Guizhou into a reform demonstration area for the nation's western development program, an example of how to consolidate poverty alleviation achievements, an inland economy with new levels of openness, an innovation area for digital economic development and a pioneer in ecological progress.

By 2025, Guizhou seeks to further open its economy, consolidate poverty alleviation achievements, bolster rural revitalization, form a modern industrial system and become a national leader in terms of the growth of the digital economy.

By 2035, Guizhou aims to boost international economic cooperation and competitiveness and improve its basic public services, infrastructure and people's well-being.

The new document is part of the country's ongoing efforts to foster high-quality and innovation-driven development, promote more balanced growth, and further deepen reform and opening-up in the nation, said officials and experts.

They said Guizhou is expected to become a key driving force to boost western development, setting an example for other western areas to foster high-quality development and injecting new impetus into the nation's economy.

Shen Yiqin, Party secretary of Guizhou, said the new document marks the country's key move to boost western development in the new era, promote coordinated regional development, foster high-quality development and promote common prosperity.

Looking ahead, Shen said the key focus would be deepening reforms, expanding opening-up, spurring innovation-driven development and promoting industrial transformation.

Du Ying, former deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at a recent Guizhou development forum that the province has a relatively solid foundation and favorable conditions to blaze a new path for the country's western development program in the new era, suggesting the central government give Guizhou more autonomy in key areas to carry out reforms.

Miao Wei, former minister of industry and information technology, highlighted the importance of developing the digital economy, saying Guizhou needs to actively explore data flowing in the market and the application and development of such data.

Based on its unique climate and geographical advantages, Guizhou is striving to become a big data hub. In February 2016, the province was approved by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Cyberspace Administration of China and the NDRC to establish China's first national big data comprehensive pilot zone.

China has recently approved a project involving the construction of eight national computing network hubs, with Guizhou being among them.

Huang Dongbing, director of the research center for modernization in western regions at Guizhou University of Finance and Economics, said Guizhou is at a key stage of rapid development.

Under the western development project, Guizhou has been ramping up efforts to accelerate the development of key industrial chains in fields including big data, artificial intelligence, equipment manufacturing, new materials and new energy vehicles, providing strong support for its high-quality development over the long run, Huang said.

Last year, total high-tech industrial output value in Guizhou surged 16.8 percent year-on-year to hit 533.4 billion yuan.

According to Huang, Guizhou has been actively integrating itself into key strategies such as construction of a new land-sea corridor in the western region, the Belt and Road Initiative, construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the co-development of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle. And Guizhou needs to speed up the construction of its free trade zone and expand high-level opening-up.

Huang also warned of challenges ahead, saying the western region will become a key base for developing strategic emerging industries in the nation, and Guizhou needs to seize the opportunities and boost innovation-driven development over the long run.

Li Xudong, head of the comprehensive transportation division at the Guizhou Provincial Development and Reform Commission, said the new document also creates new development opportunities in the province's transportation sector.

"In the next step, we will strive to build Guizhou into a key hub which connects economies involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, links the Yangtze River Economic Belt with the Pearl River-Xijiang River Economic Belt and connects the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area," Li said.