Hebei Sets Sights on Coastal Economy

Hebei Province is setting its sights on the economic development of its coastal area and the State Council has officially approved the development plan.

“The Hebei Coastal Area Development Plan， upgraded to a national strategy， is a great event in Hebei’s history. The province will make full use of this advantage and make itself an important growth center in Bohai Bay，”said Zhao Yong， deputy governor of Hebei， at a press conference organized by the State Council Information Office on Dec. 1.

The coastal area includes three cities， namely， Qinhuangdao， Tangshan and Cangzhou. The coastal area covers 7，000 sq km and the coastline is 487 km long. The three main ports in the area — Tangshan Port， Qinhuagdao Port and Huanghua Port in Cangzhou have an annual output of over 500 million tons. The area’s population accounts for 24 percent of the province and generates 37.8 percent of the province’s GDP.

“The coastal areas have been the most open and developed economic regions in China. The release of the Hebei Coastal Area Development Plan is necessary to perfect the strategic plan of the entire coastal region of China，” said Du Ying， deputy minister of the National Development and Reform Commission.

“The plan is to act as a supporting point for the regional integration of Beijing， Tianjin and Hebei. The development of the coastal area of Hebei is still far behind that of Beijing and Tianjin and has its great potential. It can serve as an expansion point for industries in the two nearby cities，” Du added.

Through adjustment of the coastal arrangement， the industrial structure in coastal areas of Hebei is expected to move toward modern industrial system. The plan is especially concerned with sectors like fostering a circular economy and low-carbon economy and sets a good example in promoting new types of industrialization.

The coastal area of Hebei has the proper advantages needed for development， Zhao pointed out. First， it has the locational advantage. The area borders the two neighboring municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin， which can attract advanced factors of production and undertake industrial transfer from the two cities. Secondly， it has resource superiority. The leading port in North China named Caofeidian Port has a natural advantage with its depth of 36 meters. There are also over 4，000 sq km of beaches and unclaimed land. Third， it owns unique advantages in industries. The relatively comprehensive industrial system which focuses on heavy chemical industry has taken shape in the three coastal cities. Emerging industries， like high speed railway， robotics and electric vehicles are also growing rapidly. Last but not least， the area is a platform for opening up to the outside as it is located in the center of Northeast Asia and links Northeast， Northwest and North China within the country.

“We are building the Sino-Japan Eco-Industrial Park in Tangshan with the Sino-Korea Industrial Park in our future plan， which signifies the potential of the opening-up in the area，” said Zhao. According to the plan， the area will mainly focus on chemical industry， equipment manufacturing industry， steel industry and modern logistics.

“The present chemical industry is by no means the traditional heavy chemical industry which leaves people with the impression of heavy smoke and pollution. Instead， it is a green and circular industry based on high technology，” Zhao told the reporters. He added that “We once rejected 10 billion Yuan ($1.57 billion) in investment because it could harm the environment in the Caofeidian Port beside Bohai Bay.”

As for urban construction， Hebei has required the new towns being built in the three coastal cities to follow the international standard of an ecological city. “In the future， new energy will account for over 75 percent of the new towns’ consumption，” said Zhao.

The recent oil spills in Bohai Bay have caused great concern across the country as human activities are increasingly affecting the environment near the sea off the coast of Hebei. Since the coastal areas also have a fragile ecosystem， the environment protection there still faces grim challenge.

A large amount of pollutants are still being discharged into the sea and the risks of potential oil spills still exist. Therefore， the ecologic environment in Hebei’s coastal area should be protected in the process of development， Du told the reporters.