Hangzhou looks to take lead in development of YRD region

Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province will strive to seize the historic opportunity endowed by the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region and take an active part in it, said Xu Liyi, deputy to the 13th National People's Congress and mayor of Hangzhou.

He suggested that to achieve the goal, Hangzhou, as one of the most economically dynamic cities in the YRD region, should work on innovation and entrepreneurship, historical and cultural heritages, human ecology, and international development.

Specifically, Hangzhou will promote further economic development, especially the digital economy and develop advantageous industries, including e-commerce, big data and cloud computing while digitalizing the manufacturing industry.

In 2018, the added value of the core industries in Hangzhou's digital economy recorded around 332 billion yuan ($49.47 billion), accounting for 24.6 percent of the city's GDP and contributing more than 50 percent of the city's economic growth.

Hangzhou will also accelerate the construction of national independent innovation demonstration zone and international cooperation base on science and technology, Xu said.

Meanwhile, the city will ramp up efforts in environmental governance, historical sites protection, transportation network and regional integrated development in the coming years.