Guangdong Province plans to build 162 key projects this year
involving a hefty investment of more than 105 billion yuan
(US$13.13 billion), with top priority given to the transportation
and energy industries.
Investment in transportation and energy projects will reach 39.4
billion yuan (US$4.93 billion) and 27.5 billion yuan (US$3.44
billion) respectively in 2006, accounting for more than 61 percent
of the total investment.
Guangdong, one of the country's economic powerhouses, will begin
construction of 11 new transportation projects before the end of
the year, according to sources from Guangdong Provincial
Development and Reform Commission.
The province will complete construction of expressways
stretching 170 kilometres in 2006, raising the total length of the
province's express network to more than 3,300 kilometres by the end
of the year.
The province's advanced roads network links major cities in
Guangdong to bordering Hong Kong and Macao special administrative
regions and other parts of the country, helping to expand economic
ties between Guangdong and other provinces, regions and
municipalities.
Guangdong also plans to build 22 energy projects within the
year. Construction will begin on the new power plants soon, and
will help Guangdong increase its electricity-generating capacity of
more than 7.2 million kilowatts, narrowing the province's large
electricity gap, sources from Guangdong Provincial Development and
Reform Commission said.
Guangdong Governor Huang Huahua said his province plans to
construct 233 key projects in the next five years with a total cost
of more than 1.5 trillion yuan (US$187.5 billion).
Of this sum, more than 1.1 trillion yuan (US$137.5 billion) will
be spent during the
11th Five-Year?Guidelines (2006-10), Huang told a
conference in Guangzhou late last week.
These projects will focus on transportation, energy supply,
water conservation and scientific innovation.
Huang urged relevant departments and cities in his province to
work on expanding co-operation and further upgrading their
infrastructure in the years ahead.
"Guangdong, which lacks raw materials and energies, relies
heavily on its advanced infrastructure and facilities for economic
development using foreign investment," Huang said.
An advanced expressway network will help Guangdong maintain its
economic growth at a fast and sustainable pace and will ensure
continued economic development in the years to come, Huang
added.
Guangdong has set a goal to catch up with Taiwan Province by the
end of 2010. Taiwan's gross domestic product (GDP) was 2.85
trillion yuan (US$356.8 billion) last year.
Guangdong's GDP is predicted to grow at an average of US$30
billion annually between 2006 and 2010.
Meanwhile, Guangzhou Metro Corporation has mapped out an
ambitious five-year development plan.
Lu Guanglin, general manager of the corporation, said the
Guangdong provincial capital would have a total of nine metro lines
in service by the end of 2010. The underground tracks will stretch
for 255 kilometres and will include 164 stations.
(China Daily April 4, 2006)