After three decades of reform and opening up boosting the productivity of Guangzhou, the city is blazing new trails for the coming years of building a modern, well-off society.

Zhu Xiaodan, Party secretary of the Guangzhou municipal committee, made the remarks at a recent municipal meeting on building a modern industrial system.

The new round of endeavor will "build an optimal modern industrial system and lift overall strength under the requirements of scientific development", Zhou said.

As an economic powerhouse in south China, Guangzhou realized gross domestic product (GDP) of 705 billion yuan last year, accounting for 23 percent of Guangdong Province, with Guangdong's GDP making up 12 percent of the national total.

The population size, the availability of resources and the environmental limitations have become actual pressure for the city, forcing it to transform its economic growth model, Zhu said.

The trump cards in optimizing the industrial system are "Guangzhou services," "Guangzhou manufacturing" and "Guangzhou innovation," he said.

Zhu stressed that the role of Guangzhou should be viewed not only from the share of its products in the market, but more importantly from its strength in offering various services and its overall influence as a city center.

Only with a modern industrial system led by an advanced service sector, can Guangzhou enhance its strength in allocating resources in a larger scope and raise its competitiveness on the world stage, he said.

The goal of the service industry is to contribute to 63 percent of GDP, with advanced services accounting for 78 percent of the service industry by 2012.

The service sector accounted for about 58 percent of the local GDP last year.

Zhu stressed the importance of planning in building the industrial system, including that for airport and sea port, advanced logistics, financial innovation, digitalization of Guangzhou, international convention and exhibition development, headquarters economy, hi-tech industry, advanced equipment manufacturing, modern heavy and chemical industries and a recycling economy.

Major projects should play a key role in building the industrial system, he said.

In the advanced services sector, the emphasis will be on Nansha bonded port area, airport bonded logistics area, international convention and exhibition facilities at Pazhou and Yuancun, and the economic zone at Bai'ertan.

In the hi-tech industry, the key movements include the further development of integrated circuit, flat panel displays, super computing center, a digital Asian Games, research and development of Guangzhou Automobile Industry Group Co, GSK CNC Equipment Co and Kingfa Science & Technology Co, and International Biological Island.

For developing advanced manufacturing industry, major project range includes passenger vehicles with proprietary brands of Guangzhou Automobile Industry Group Co, Guangqi Hino Motors Co, Guangzhou Toyota Motor Co, Guangzhou Honda Automobile Co, the expansion of Dongfeng-Nissan, the Sino-Kuwaiti petrochemical complex, CSSC Guangzhou Longxue Shipbuilding Co, the export base of Dongfang Electric Corp, and the relocation of Guangzhou Paper Group.

Zhu also pledged to further improve the government's administrative efficiency to help implement the plan for the new industrial system.

(China Daily October 15, 2008)