STORY: China's landlocked central regions eye further integration for new growth
SHOOTING TIME: File
DATELINE: Oct. 10, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:12
LOCATION: NANCHANG/ZHENGZHOU, China
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of China's central regions

STORYLINE:

China's central regions, which include Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Anhui and Shanxi, have been actively exploring growth strategies to overcome the challenges that come with its inland location.

Located near major economic hubs like the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the central China region is home to over 700 universities and 82,500 high-tech firms, providing a wealth of resources for technological innovation.

Green industries such as new energy vehicles and lithium batteries are driving central regions' high-quality growth.
   
In the first half of the year, the production growth rate of new energy vehicles in Henan, Anhui, Hubei and Jiangxi all exceeded 50 percent while Hunan's new energy vehicle exports were up 147.6 percent. Shanxi, a major coal producer, has been shifting towards green mining and new energy since 2019. Its photovoltaic and wind power sectors each generated 20 billion yuan (about 2.83 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue in 2023, with the year-on-year growth rates of both sectors exceeding 40 percent.

Meanwhile, the China-Europe freight trains, dubbed "steel camels," are weaving connections across Eurasia, transforming central China from a traditional inland hub into a pivotal player on the global trade.

China-Europe freight trains from Zhengzhou, the provincial capital of Henan, have surged, exceeding 1,000 in the first seven months, up 20 percent compared with the same period last year.

In 2023, China's central regions produced 202.97 million tonnes of grain, accounting for 29.2 percent of the national total. The regions' manufacturing value-added reached 6.8 trillion yuan, roughly one-fifth of the national total, with a gross regional product nearing 27 trillion yuan, representing over one-fifth of the country's economy.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Nanchang/Zhengzhou, China.
(XHTV)