Zhanjiang courting industry, but retains passion for nature(2)

The mayor admitted it was an "uphill battle" to lift the city's annual wealth to the threshold of 500 billion yuan. The combined mega projects need at least 100 billion yuan in investment and have prompted the relocation of 25,000 villagers.

"The parties involved in the projects have attached utmost importance to pollution control, using state-of-the-art technology to alleviate pressure on the environment," he said.

"At the end of the day, we have to deliver on our commitments of building up a more beautiful and affluent Zhanjiang, where people lead a happier life in a natural environment that is intact," he said.

Priorities

The imminent task is to offer affordable housing to affected families and speed up construction so people see tangible results as soon as possible - all while protecting the environment, he said.

The mayor said such large industrial hubs in the city will create better jobs for urban residents as well as migrant farmers.

The city government will pump at least 25 million yuan this year into 50 pilot villages so that they will have "equal public services" in transportation, logistics, education, culture and healthcare, which are now largely available only in the urban areas.

The mayor uses the Internet to address complaints and build up consensus.

One month after he took office in January 2012, he publicly raised 20 questions, including why the economic size of the city has been irrationally small for years and why there are only two listed companies in Zhanjiang. The queries were posted online to solicit answers.

He then held chat sessions on several news portals, trying to unravel the snags impeding Zhanjiang's growth.

"Some headwinds for economic and social development remain in Zhanjiang," he said, citing the backward road conditions.

"We have to accelerate construction of high-speed railways and express highways to link the city with the rest of Guangdong and beyond," he said, adding that it now takes about a good five hours to drive to Guangzhou.

He also said some government officials were not enterprising enough, while others dare not face criticism from people.

"As government employees, we should be ready to receive both flowers and thorns from the public."

Ambition and passion

The mayor said there was a dearth of knowledge about China's second-tier cities among foreigners.

They flock to metropolises like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, but there are equally brilliant investment prospects in smaller cities like Zhanjiang.

"We have unrivaled ports, a host of pillar industries and abundant land and sea resources," the mayor said. "Besides, the city government has ambition for growth and passion to provide better service to investors."

The annual throughput of goods at Zhanjiang Port is expected to surpass 300 million tons in 2016, up from the current 171 million, according to Zhanjiang Port Group President Zhang Yi.

The city is now home to at least 30 large enterprises that are either State-owned or from top global 500 companies, according to the city's foreign trade bureau.

To better showcase Zhanjiang and court potential investors, the mayor embarked on a trip to Australia, New Zealand and South Korea on July 20.

The city has already forged amiable relations with many port cities in the three countries. It has, for instance, twinned with the Australian city Cairns and South Korea's Pohang.

The mayor will visit POSCO, a multinational steel-making company headquartered in Pohang, to understand how a city thrives on its ports and how a clean environment is preserved despite a cluster of heavy industries, the mayor's office said in a statement.

Yang Fang, who has lived in Zhanjiang for a quarter century after moving from Dalian, another port city, said every time she left Zhanjiang for a few days, she missed the city very much.

"Everywhere in Zhanjiang you can snap a picture and it is picturesque," Yang said. "In summer, you don't need air conditioners - this is a place where you can open your windows and dream with soothing winds from the sea."