| Resources, charms take Guangxi higher |
| Monday,October 29,2007 Posted: 09:39 BJT(0139 GMT) china daily |
By Wang Yi Hosting the China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) has put Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the international spotlight. Bordering Vietnam and skirted by Beibu Bay of the South China Sea, Guangxi enjoys a distinct advantage in developing trade with ASEAN. With a sunny climate and plentiful rainfall, the region is one of the nation's key bases for sugarcane, tobacco, peanuts and a variety of fruits. Guangxi is also home to rare species of wild animals and plants, such as the Francois' Leaf Monkey, the giant salamander, Camellia nitidissima tea and the silver fir. As one of China's 10 nonferrous metal production bases in China, Guangxi's reserves of 12 kinds of minerals top the country. The region is bestowed with rich water resources, which translates into huge energy sources waiting to be tapped. The variety of its 37 ethnic groups adds to the exotic appeal of the 237,600-sq km frontier region. As a popular tourist destination, Guangxi was listed eighth among Chinese provinces and regions in terms of reception of overseas arrivals in 2004 and 2005. Thanks to the Western Development Campaign initiated by the central government since 2000, the resource-rich Guangxi economy, which also has a convenient transportation system, has been put on a fast development track. Gross domestic product (GDP) of the region jumped to 406.33 billion yuan in 2005 from 208 billion yuan five years ago. During the 10th Five-Year Plan period (2001-05), the average annual growth of total fixed-assets investment in the region was registered at 21.9 percent, up 12.6 percentage points over the previous five years. Further, foreign trade grew to $5.18 billion in 2005 from $2.04 billion in 2000. Locals have benefited from the booming economy. Statistics show that per capita disposable income of urban residents went up to 8,917 yuan in 2005 from 5,834 yuan in 2000, while per capita net income of rural residents increased to 2,495 yuan from 1,865 yuan. Guangxi's development blueprint for the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10) projects average annual GDP growth to be around 10 percent. To achieve this end, the authorities vow to spare no efforts to optimize industrial structure, strengthen infrastructure construction, increase the pace of urbanization, balance regional development and build a harmonious society. Guangxi has hosted three sessions of CAEXPO, an annual international comprehensive event that covers five activities - trade of commodities, investment negotiations, service trade and other cooperation agreements, business and investment forums, and cultural exchange. Through CAEXPO, Guangxi provides a platform for the people of China and ASEAN to get to know each other better and also showcases its own unique charms to the world. |
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