Common Prosperity Through Coordinated Development

Coordinating Domestic-Overseas Development

In the initial stage of reform and opening-up, China’s inland and border areas lagged behind its coastal areas to the east. The special opening-up policy accorded the coastal areas, along with the influence of their different geographical locations and other factors all contributed to this disparity. Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng stated:“China will stick to the combination of an open economy and regional development, accelerate the opening-up of inland and border areas, promote the opening-up of coastal areas, and create a fresh-new layout.

China’s inland and border areas are relatively underdeveloped due to their few open ports, poor infrastructure and high logistics costs. At present, through the Belt and Road Initiative, the government plans to build an international logistics channel linking Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, and Europe and support the new international freight and passenger routes in inland and border areas. It also plans to develop joint air, land, sea and rail transportation, unify transportation and logistics systems and standards, and facilitate international economic cooperation.

To accelerate the opening-up of inland and border areas, we must improve infrastructure and lay a solid industrial foundation. As Gao Hucheng observed, the inland and border areas should build up the industrial transfer capacity, develop processing, manufacturing, trade and logistic industries, and develop an export-oriented industrial cluster.

Seventeen boundary Cooperation Economic Zones have been established in China’s border areas. The Horgos International Center of Border Cooperation between China and Kazakhstan has been set up, and more cross-border economic cooperation zones are under negotiation with Laos, Vietnam, and Mongolia. We should issue more favorable policies, implement innovative develoment models, and develop distinctive industrial bases and gateways.