Wuxi, the cradle of township enterprises that gave a strong boost to China's rural economy in the 1980s, has started a drive to construct a chain of specialized industrial theme parks alongside the Yangtze River to help solidify its leading position in Jiangsu Province, East China.

In response to the strategy launched by the Jiangsu Provincial Government to boost economic growth in areas along the Yangtze River and build a sound platform to greet international manufacturing industries that are increasingly gravitating towards the Yangtze River Delta, Wuxi will attach great importance to the development of a local new economic pattern, said Party Secretary of the Wuxi City Party Committee Wang Rong.

``Wuxi, one of China's 15 major economic center cities, will establish a number of large-scale specialized theme parks for metallurgical, petrochemical, energy, packing and logistics industries to help build up our advantages in riverside industries,'' said Wang.

He added that the city, with a population of 5.8 million, will highlight sustainable development in the process of its riverline economic growth. Ecological parks with breathtaking environments have been planned along the Yangtze River section in Wuxi and riverside urbanization will speed up with new city districts developed to house more than 300,000 local residents.

With a limited riverline of only 35 kilometers, most of which has already been developed, Wuxi decided to introduce a co-operation pattern to conduct economic and technological exchanges and a co-operation with Taizhou, a neighboring city north of the Yangtze River. Jiangyin, a county-level city of Wuxi sitting on the riverside, has begun the co-operative construction of an 8.6-square kilometer economic development zone for Taizhou. The longterm plan for the zone will cover 60 square kilometers.

``Cooperation between the riverside areas and inland areas in Wuxi will also be encouraged to help inland economies grow faster and upgrade the city's economic development level as a whole,'' said Wang.

He revealed that the Wuxi city government will actively promote industries such as information, automotive, iron and steel, petrochemical and high-precision equipment. Output of these key manufacturing sectors are expected to top 250 billion (US$30.12 billion) yuan by 2005 and the target is set at 500 billion (US$60.24 billion) for 2010.

(By Ma Zhiping)

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