2011-03-02 09:27

Wang Sanyun is governor of Anhui province.

HEFEI - Anhui Governor Wang Sanyun says the province will continue to focus on economic development to improve the livelihoods of its 68 million residents, whose income he expects to double by 2015.

The goal has been listed as the top priority in the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) period, he said.

The governor noted that during the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010), disposable income for urban dwellers jumped 83 percent to 15,500 yuan ($2,360), while net income for rural residents jumped 87 percent to 4,950 yuan.

"The past five years have been the best time for Anhui residents to reap the most benefit from our economic development," Wang said.

The province achieved major breakthroughs in economic development in 2010, he said. The establishment of the Demonstration Zone for Industrial Relocation into Cities along the Yangtze River by the State Council in early 2010, which covers 10 cities in the province for industrial transfer from advanced eastern coastal cities, has provided Anhui with a good economic outlook.

Wang said that thanks to the establishment of the zone, the province had attracted outside investment of 450 billion yuan by November 2010, with more than 12,000 projects each injecting 10 million yuan.

"We once faced difficulties in attracting outside investment to Anhui mainly because of the province's underdevelopment and lack of favorable policies."

He affirmed that the province is likely to see a gross domestic product (GDP) of around 1.2 trillion yuan for 2010, more than double that from 2005, which would lay a solid foundation for it to become a pioneer in the rise of China's central regions.

By November 2010, the province had invested 34.2 billion yuan in 33 projects to improve people's livelihoods. However, a comparatively large population and an underdeveloped economy still remain the dominant features of the province, according to Wang.

"We will make good efforts both in accelerating economic growth and building an environmentally friendly society," Wang said.

The province has been making efforts in energy conservation and in reduction of emissions and cut its energy consumption per unit of GDP by 4.3 percent.

Wang said the province is trying to optimize its industrial structure for the coming five years.