As another year comes to a close, we are poised to advance with determination and purpose.
On December 26, 2024, Huaihua City held a ceremony to inaugurate and complete of major projects, announcing the top ten industrial projects and top ten infrastructure projects for 2025. This initiative has set the stage for prioritizing key project construction, signaling the start of the city’s efforts to boost the economy and promote development throughout the year.
Focusing on projects means focusing on development; planning projects means planning for the future. In the past year, the city has firmly established a clear directive: “Prioritize project development and focus on major projects.” It has aligned efforts with annual objectives, employing greater intensity, improved services, and enhanced vitality to drive project construction effectively. With a determined spirit, the city has transformed the “blueprints” of key projects into realities, providing solid support for economic development characterized by stability and quality improvement.
In 2024, Huaihua implemented 51 provincial-level and 355 municipal-level key projects, achieving annual investment completion rates of 110.5% and 100.3% respectively. The number of municipal key projects increased by 15.01% compared to 2023, and the growth rate of fixed asset investment ranked first in the province. All planned projects for the year were completed and put into operation, achieving a completion rate of 100% and demonstrating a remarkable acceleration in project construction.
Strategic planning and foundation building
Projects are the foundation of urban development and are essential for accelerating growth and enhancing competitiveness.
Effective planning is the prerequisite for successful projects. Over the past year, Huaihua has proactively seized opportunities, closely aligning with policy directions and investment priorities. By taking into consideration of the city’s current development conditions, characteristics and trends, we have strategically planned a series of significant projects.
In alignment with the integration of Hecheng District and Zhongfang County, the city has planned a number of exemplary projects aimed at improving transportation connectivity and fostering industrial synergy, ensuring that the residents of the Hecheng-Zhongfang region share in the benefits of urban development. Regarding the construction of Huaihua International Land Port, we have planned a series of international freight projects targeting ASEAN, as well as port-neighboring industries focusing on luggage manufacturing and deep processing of agricultural products such as cassava starch, spices and rubber, thereby promoting Huaihua’s high-level openness. Additionally, we have developed a series of emblematic projects related to the “5+N” modern industrial system, including new display, new materials, modern machinery, new energy and equipment manufacturing.
By excelling in strategic planning, we lay a solid foundation for accelerating project construction and gaining a competitive advantage.
The Municipal Transportation Bureau, in collaboration with Chenxi County, has established a dedicated task force in Changsha, successfully promoting the Yuanshui Yutan Hydropower Hub Project to be included in the 2025 provincial key construction projects. The Municipal Water Resources Bureau and the Municipal Development and Reform Commission have facilitated the inclusion of the Wushui Water Conservancy Project as one of the 42 emblematic projects in the national water resources plan. In 2024, the city’s key construction projects demonstrated an ongoing optimization in quality and structure with strong support from municipal departments, state-owned enterprises and industrial parks/districts /counties.
Notably, the city has achieved a historic high with 51 projects selected as provincial key projects, an increase of 9 from 2023. The annual investment for individual projects grew by 95.3% compared to the previous year, with three projects each from Hecheng District, Huaihua Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone, and Huaihua International Land Port Economic Development Zone. Additionally, ten projects were selected as the first batch of provincial key preliminary work projects, ranking first in the province.
The quality of projects continues to improve. In 2024, the city implemented 195 industrial projects, with the annual investment accounting for 63.8%, an increase of 2.5 percentage points from 2023. We undertook 71 industrial projects with total investments exceeding 1 billion yuan, representing 33.8% of the total. Social investment projects numbered 208, making up 71% of the total, reflecting an 8 percentage point increase from 2023.
Energize efforts: A surge in project construction
From a blueprint to towering buildings, progress is evident. On the last day of 2024, the main structure of the first phase of the Class A Traditional Chinese Medicine Extraction Workshop at the Jingzhou Poria Technology Industrial Park, operated by Xiuzheng Pharmaceutical Group (Hunan) Co., Ltd., was successfully topped out.
“Following the topping out of the extraction building, we will immediately move into the phases of interior decoration and equipment installation, with trial production expected to commence in June,” said Zeng Zhaoming, general manager of Xiuzheng Pharmaceutical Group (Hunan) Co., Ltd. The project aims to center around the poria industry, striving to create a new pattern of modern traditional Chinese medicine development that integrates standardized planting, processing, pharmaceutical distribution and manufacturing.
Projects yield benefits and drive development. Huaihua regards key project construction as a “strong engine” and “solid support” for promoting economic and social development. By focusing on key projects, we seek breakthroughs, enhance capabilities, and stimulate growth, ensuring that each key project is successfully implemented to contribute robustly to high-quality development.
During the project construction process, the city has established a system for municipal leaders to liaise with key projects. Provincial key projects, municipal-level projects, the “Double Ten” projects, and key cultural tourism projects are overseen by municipal leaders. County and district projects are led by members of the county or district Party committees or government departments, or by key leaders from the People’s Congress or the Political Consultative Conference. Municipal projects are led by members of municipal departments or state-owned enterprise leadership teams. Municipal industry departments are responsible for coordinating key projects within their sectors, providing strong organizational support to accelerate project construction.
On August 6, 2024, a site observation event focusing on “project implementation” was held. Over a day and a half, Municipal Party Secretary Xu Zhongjian and Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Mayor Li Chunqiu led a delegation to visit 13 counties and districts, Huaihua Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone, and Huaihua International Land Port Economic Development Zone. Through on-site observations and meetings, they mobilized the entire city to intensify efforts in attracting investment and fully promoted the strengthening and supplementation of key industrial chains, striving for greater development.
To advance project construction with high quality, the city has formulated the Work Plan for Huaihua’s Key Industrial Project Site Observation Activities and the Trial Implementation Rules for Site Observation and Evaluation of Key Industrial Projects to further stimulate the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of departments to focus their work on major industries.
In 2024, the city organized two site observation activities for key industrial projects, observing a total of 29 projects, and held four major project commencement events, launching 185 projects.
The head of the Municipal Key Construction Project Affairs Center introduced that during project implementation, the city has closely monitored major projects, challenging projects, and slow-moving projects and enhanced coordination and support to facilitate their implementation. For projects set to commence, the city has coordinated with relevant departments to complete land approval procedures and assist in obtaining planning and construction permits. For ongoing projects, the city has strengthened management, utilized detailed planning, and optimized scheduling to ensure timely completion. For final-stage projects, the city has urged enterprises to improve supporting facilities and actively connect with domestic and international markets to ensure they achieve production and efficiency targets. In 2024, the city’s top ten infrastructure projects completed an annual investment of 114.7%, while the top ten industrial projects achieved an investment completion rate of 103.5%, with all 244 new projects commencing construction.
In 2024, the city has advanced project construction, resulting in increasingly improved urban functions. Liutang West Road and Yuanjiang Road have been completed and opened to traffic, the G209 Gaoyan Road to Yazuiyan Phase III project has been completed, and 20 roads, including Hongxing South Road, Tianxing Road, and Dangui Road, have undergone renovations. The city has also constructed and renovated 20 kilometers of water supply pipelines, achieving a unified water supply network in Hecheng District and Zhongfang County.
The city has implemented a series of significant infrastructure and key industrial projects for hosting the Global Forum for Hunan Entrepreneurs, the Provincial Tourism Development Conference, and the Municipal Tourism Development Conference, creating favorable conditions for hosting and organizing major events.
Since last year, projects such as the Hongjiang Cultural Tourism Zone, the Poria base of Jingzhou Butian Pharmaceutical, the Zhongfang Electric Equipment Distribution Industrial Base, the International Industrial Development in Xinhuang County, the Helix Energy Storage System Integration Intelligent Manufacturing Base in Hecheng District, and the Hunan Xianghuai Luggage Production Base in the Huaihua International Land Port Economic Development Zone, have been completed and put into operation. The Yuanchen Expressway has been completed and opened to traffic, the Zhangguan Expressway (Highway Group section) has achieved full connectivity, and projects such as the High-Speed Rail New City development, the Zhijiang Agricultural Products Wholesale Market, and the Chenxi Pumped Storage Power Station are progressing efficiently. Additionally, the Huaihua Grand Theater, Huaihua Press Building (Hilton Hotel), and Crowne Plaza Hotel are under accelerated construction.
Enhance services and overcome challenges to form synergy
The speed and quality of project implementation are influenced by the development environment. To prioritize projects and focus on major initiatives, it is essential to strengthen a user-oriented mindset and improve the service mechanisms.
In early May 2024, the city revised and improved the Management Measures for Key Construction Projects in Huaihua, reinforcing measures and clarifying responsibilities in areas such as project identification, organization and implementation, service support, and supervision and assessment. This effort has aimed to enhance the management of key construction projects and optimize the services provided.
To strengthen services for project construction, the city has implemented the “137” working method for key projects, establishing a project responsibility system. It has provided regular on-site services, which has led to the identification and resolution of 128 issues. It has also enhanced statistical services, developing clear guidelines for the inclusion of key construction projects in statistical records and ensuring that the investment and statistical data for key projects achieve consistency.
To effectively meet the demands for project resources, the city has utilized a classification and tiered coordination mechanism for major projects, regularly reviewing and addressing resource needs. Specialized teams have been established with designated personnel providing tracking services to ensure implementation. It has actively engaged with financial institutions, securing financial support for 156 provincial and municipal key projects, effectively alleviating funding bottlenecks in project construction.
The Municipal Key Construction Project Affairs Center serves as the coordinator and facilitator of project construction, issuing 10 task assignment letters to counties and districts, 9 letters to municipal departments, and 16 reminder letters to municipal leaders, effectively promoting the resolution of issues that hinder project construction.
It takes a collective effort to navigate challenges. Departments across the city have been taking responsibility, tackling difficulties, and collaboratively addressing the bottlenecks that impede project construction, which has fostered a strong synergy to advance key projects.
The Municipal Education Bureau has conducted monthly comprehensive inspections of “Xu Teli” projects to ensure that all 14 “Xu Teli” projects were completed by the end of September 2024. The Municipal Natural Resources and Planning Bureau has actively reported to and coordinated with higher authorities, effectively resolving land use issues for the Huaihua International Grain Logistics and Processing Industrial Park. The Municipal Development and Reform Commission has successfully advocated for 20 wind power projects, totaling 1,591,900 kilowatts, to be included in the province’s key wind power projects for 2024. As the municipal state-owned enterprise with the most projects, the Huaihua Urban Development Group has been overcoming challenges related to heavy construction tasks and significant funding gaps, accelerating the implementation of projects for the Provincial Tourism Development Conference and the development of the Xianrenqiao Business District and High-Speed Rail New City. Hecheng District, Zhongfang County, Zhijiang County, and the Huaihua International Land Port Economic Development Zone are addressing issues related to land acquisition and funding to ensure the timely completion of the G209 Phase III and Huaihua-Zhijiang Expressway projects.
Today, as one travels through the city, project sites are bustling with activity, with towering cranes and modern factories. Industrial parks are evolving at a remarkable pace, showcasing the vigorous momentum of comprehensive high-quality development.
(Translated by Yang Hong)