6 | Friday, August 9, 2019 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY

years onYEARS ON SHAANXI

Editor's note: As the People’s Republic of China prepares to celebrate its 70th anniversary on Oct 1, China Daily is featuring a series of stories on the role regions have played in the country’s development and where they are today. Innovative Trade hub aims to reclaim ancient glory measures The original start of the fabled Silk employed Road is working hard to exploit to combat opportunities from the Belt and Road poverty Initiative By LIU JIANNA By LIU JIANNA [email protected] Luo Xiangjun, who comes from an impoverished family in Xie­ Recently, the Yongping refinery yuhe, a village in Ankang city in the of Yanchang Petroleum Group in south of Shaanxi, was surprised by Yan’an, Shaanxi province, made how quickly and smoothly he headlines by producing aviation received unpaid wages of 13,000 fuel. As a result, Yanchang has yuan ($1,844) that had been become the first local enterprise to delayed for more than a year. be granted an official certificate to All he had to do was post a mes­ produce the high­grade fuel com­ sage asking for help on the Mobile mercially. Poverty Alleviation WeChat “The equipment that produces account set up by the Poverty 200,000 (metric) tons of aviation Alleviation Office in Ningshan fuel annually was actually remod­ prefecture, which administers eled from a spare production facili­ Xieyuhe. ty during a technical renovation Qin Changsheng, director of the project,” Wei Tao, deputy director of information monitoring center at the refinery’s Third Joint Work­ the office, told Ankang News that shop, told Shaanxi Daily. the authority had received and The innovative project is part of responded to 61 similar messages, Yanchang’s concerted and continu­ including providing feedback, ous efforts to substantially improve within five working days. its competitiveness at a time when A China­Europe freight train carrying imported automobiles arrives at Xinzhu Station in Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi province, in June last In May, the Shaanxi Poverty Alle­ traditional energy businesses are year. TANG ZHENJIANG / FOR CHINA DAILY viation and Development Office facing lackluster development asked local governments to pro­ momentum and shrinking room mote and make good use of popu­ for growth in the face of grinding lar social media platforms, competition from rivals in the new including WeChat, in poverty alle­ energy sector. viation work. It noted that the In the past nine years, Yanchang, move would save time and energy China’s fourth­largest oil company, for both poverty­stricken house­ has invested more than 47 billion holds and public servants, and yuan ($6.67 billion) in technologi­ keep poverty alleviation work up to cal innovations, which has cement­ date with the changing times. ed its status as Shaanxi’s largest State­owned enterprise and the big­ gest contributor to the province’s 1 finances through tax. million The company was ranked 263rd the number of people in in the newly published 2019 For­ Shaanxi who were raised out tune Global 500, having made the of poverty last year list for seven consecutive years. Yanchang’s deep attention to innovation and industrial upgrad­ A night view of the Yongping refinery at Yanchang Petroleum New energy buses made by BYD Auto leave the production line in As a province that is struggling ing mirrors Shaanxi’s growing Group in Yan’an, Shaanxi, in 2005. DING HAITAO / XINHUA Xi’an in January. YUAN JINGZHI / FOR CHINA DAILY with serious challenges — for emphasis on accelerating the trans­ example, deep, widespread poverty formation of the economic develop­ — Shaanxi has adopted a compre­ ment mode and replacing old hensive, yet targeted, approach GDP Area: 205,800 square kilometers Fixed asset investment growth drivers with new ones. Unit: yuan Unit: yuan which takes local conditions into Leveraging its excellent geo­ careful consideration. 2.38 trillion Boasting an excellent graphical advantages, advanced 2017 For example, in the mountain­ public transportation system and foundation for the ous southern and northern parts 856.1 billion scientific and educational of the province, such as Linyou, 2010 development of the strengths, Shaanxi, a conventional Longxian and Qianyang counties, industrial powerhouse in North­ 74.6 billion new economy and a geographical conditions are chal­ west China that was once heavily 2000 superior number of lenging and the transportation dependent on energy, is now devel­ 9.5 billion infrastructure is poor. Shaanxi 1988 high­tech talents, oping “the three economies”; 2.4 trillion To solve the problem, roads have namely, becoming an international 2018 Xi’an 2 billion Shaanxi possesses a been built as a priority to help hub and gateway economy with a 1978 struggling families move around high mobility of production factors relatively high level of and to stimulate the local econo­ including goods and talent. 12,900.38 Per capita GDP technological my, both of which are important 2018 Unit: yuan prerequisites for shaking off pov­ BRI brings new hope 63,477 innovation capacity.” erty. 8,287.63 Shaanxi, the starting point of the 2018 Zhang Xiaoguang, director of Local governments, including 2010 ancient Silk Road which connected 27,133 the Shaanxi Statistics Bureau the one in Jingyang county, Xian­ East and West thousands of years 2010 yang, have listed education as an 1.01 trillion ago, is well placed to play a crucial 2,616.78 important tool to eradicate pover­ 2010 4,968 role in the implementation of the 2,076.43 2000 percent — far higher than the overall ty, and provided a wealth of assist­ 1,165.42 1988 2000 Belt and Road Initiative, thanks to 1978 1,004 GDP growth rate of 5.4 percent, illus­ ance for left­behind children and its superior location and a complete 1988 trating the strong growth momen­ disadvantaged students, including and efficient logistics system that 180.40 billion 291 tum of Shaanxi’s new economy. one­on­one tuition, financial sup­ covers air, rail and road transporta­ 2000 1978 Strenuous efforts to save energy port and encouraging talks with tion. and reduce consumption saw members of the teaching staff. As Hu Heping, Party secretary of 31.45 billion Shaanxi’s GDP per unit of energy Meanwhile, Pingli county in 1988 Inbound tourism visits Shaanxi, noted at a high­level meet­ Energy consumption 13,700 1978 use fall by about 4.7 percent last year. Ankang has sought to eliminate ing last year: “With the advance of 8.11 billion Unit: 10,000 metric tons 365,800 1988 Meanwhile, air quality in the pro­ poverty by providing people with the construction of the Belt and 1978 of standard coal vince improved significantly, with jobs in community factories close 712,800 Road, Shaanxi once again stands at 2000 levels of PM2.5 — fine particulate to their homes. 1.29 billion 2,121,700 2010 the forefront of China’s opening­up 1952 matter that can enter the blood­ These innovative methods — to the world, which has created 4,371,400 2018 stream via the lungs — falling by 10.5 which follow the principles of favorable conditions for making full Source：Shaanxi Provincial Audit O ce MUKESH MOHANAN / CHINA DAILY percent, and there were 4.3 more “being practical and realistic, use of Shaanxi’s advantage of being a days with good air quality. adjusting measures to local con­ hub and gateway in West China, network has been constructed, and Silk Road started near his home­ be new energy vehicles by late next With the strict implementation of ditions, providing classified gui­ improving the weak points of its Xi’an Xianyang International Air­ town in Shaanxi. He added that year. environmental pollution prevention dance and implementing insufficient opening­up, and thus port is one of its essential links. looking back into history, he could Last year, more than 130,000 new and management measures, as well targeted poverty alleviation” that promoting the province’s high­quali­ Hua Maobin, a coordinator with almost hear the camel bells echoing energy automobiles were produced as the Grain for Green Project — an were set out by President Xi Jin­ ty development.” Xi’an Huahan Aviation Passenger­ in the mountains and see the wisps and sold in Shaanxi, which led the environmental restoration program ping during an inspection tour of In the first quarter of this year, 284 Cargo Service Co, told Shaanxi Dai­ of smoke rising from the desert. country in the promotion of such aimed at recovering forests from Hunan province in 2013 — have China­Europe freight trains set out ly: “Shaanxi’s aviation cargo Now the BRI promises to help vehicles. farmland and solving a number of paid off. from Xi’an, Shaanxi’s capital, signal­ industry has welcomed its golden Shaanxi revive its ancient glory, “Boasting an excellent foundation issues, such as soil erosion — the Last year, more than 1 million ing year­on­year growth of nearly 60 era, with more routes opened in when it was the world’s economic for the development of the new previously barren Loess Plateau people in Shaanxi threw off pover­ percent, according to the Xi’an Cus­ recent years. As the leading enter­ center for dynasty after dynasty and economy and a superior number of now is covered in greenery, with the ty, more than twice the number in toms. Trade with countries partici­ prise in the industry, Huahan has witnessed the best the times could high­tech talents, Shaanxi possesses vegetation coverage rate in Yan’an 2017, while the provincial poverty pating in the BRI accounted for been able to record a growth rate of offer. a relatively high level of technologi­ rising to 80 percent from 46 percent incidence rate fell to about 3.2 per­ about 60 percent of commerce dur­ 20 percent per year.” cal innovation capacity,” Zhang in 2000. cent, a sharp reduction from 27.3 ing the first three months. At the same time, Shaanxi is work­ Going green Xiaoguang, director of the Shaanxi A returnee to China from the percent in 2010. “The China­Europe freight train is ing to build a high­speed rail net­ To add to the growth impetus and Statistics Bureau, told Shaanxi Daily United States, surnamed Fu, was Shaanxi is striving to achieve the much more than a road for opening work that extends in eight combat the air pollution that has last year. perplexed by the beautiful scenery goal set in this year’s Government up ... more important, it has brought directions, allowing passengers to beset local people for decades, Moreover, the combined value of in Yan’an, the crucible of the Com­ Work Report, which proposed lift­ about the rapid development of arrive in major cities, such as Kun­ Shaanxi has set out to develop the strategic emerging industries rose munist revolution. ing 565,000 people and 29 prefec­ trade and accelerated industry ming in Yunnan province and Fu­ new economy. by 265 billion yuan last year, a rise of He told Xinhua News Agency: tures out of poverty. agglomeration,” Sun Yimin, director zhou in Fujian province, in just 10 To date, nearly 60 percent of buses 10.4 percent year­on­year, account­ “This is my first time in Yan’an. I Though the province still faces of the administrative committee of hours. in Xi’an are powered by electricity, ing for 10.8 percent of Shaanxi’s always imagined it as a place with severe challenges in poverty allevi­ the Xi’an International Trade and Six years ago, President Xi Jinping while the three­year action plan “to GDP. loess and sand blowing in the wind. ation as a result of the deep­rooted Logistics Park, told Shaanxi Daily proposed the concept of the Silk win the battle for a blue sky” which Meanwhile, in the first half of this It’s just imagination, of course. With and complex nature of the prob­ late last year. Road Economic Belt during a was issued by the provincial govern­ year, the added value of high­tech trees everywhere and the moist air, lem, as Xi has said, as long as the In addition to the China­Europe speech at Nazarbayev University in ment, proposed that all buses in cit­ industries, including artificial intel­ it almost feels like the southern part path is correct, one will eventually cargo trains, an aviation logistics Kazakhstan. He noted that the old ies on the Guanzhong Plain should ligence and big data, has risen by 13.1 of China.” reach one’s destination.