Phát triển kinh tế ở khu vực phía tây Trung Quốc đóng góp cho vành đai kinh tế con đường tơ lụa thịnh vượng

Nội dung text: Phát triển kinh tế ở khu vực phía tây Trung Quốc đóng góp cho vành đai kinh tế con đường tơ lụa thịnh vượng

1. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF CHINA’S WESTERN REGION CONTRIBUTES TO A PROSPEROUS SILK ROAD ECONOMIC BELT PHÁT TRIỂN KINH TẾ Ở KHU VỰC PHÍA TÂY TRUNG QUỐC ĐÓNG GÓP CHO VÀNH ĐAI KINH TẾ CON ĐƯỜNG TƠ LỤA THỊNH VƯỢNG Zhang Kaili Tsinghua University Abstract The Belt and Road initiative is a powerful engine to drive the world’s economy, and a major strategic tool to benefit over 80% of the world’s overall territories. Its building calls for all the nations along the Belt and Road to make concerted efforts, to give play to their respective advantages and to rely on each other. China’s experience could serve as a model to effectively address some regional poverty problems. And by employing the policy of targeted poverty alleviation, we could greatly reduce the amount of poverty-stricken areas and people; by emphasizing on opening up the central and western regions, or “connecting the inland areas to the outside world, integrating the western region into the global network”, we have made some primary achievements. The economic development of China’s western region is contributing to a prosperous Silk Road Economic Belt. Key words : The Belt and Road; China’s experience; Central and western regions of China; Regional economy; Targeted poverty alleviation Tóm tắt Sáng kiến “Một vành đai, một con đường” là động lực mạnh mẽ định hướng nền kinh tế thế giới và là công cụ chiến lược quan trọng để tạo ra lợi ích cho hơn 80% lãnh thổ trên thế giới. Việc xây dựng sáng kiến này đòi hỏi tất cả các quốc gia trong vành đai và con đường này phải phối hợp hành động để tận dụng lợi thế của mình và dựa vào nhau. Kinh nghiệm của Trung Quốc có thể coi là một mô hình để giải quyết hiệu quả một số vấn đề đói nghèo trong khu vực. Nhờ áp dụng chính sách xóa đói giảm nghèo tập trung, chúng tôi có thể giảm thiểu đáng kể số lượng khu vực và người dân còn đói nghèo; nhờ tập trung mở cửa khu vực miền trung và miền tây, hay “kết nối khu vực lục địa với thế giới bên ngoài, hội nhập khu vực miền tây vào mạng lưới toàn cầu”, chúng tôi đã đạt được một số thành tựu quan trọng. Sự phát triển kinh tế của khu vực miền tây Trung Quốc đang đóng góp tích cực cho Vành đai kinh tế con đường tơ lụa thịnh vượng. Từ khóa: Kinh nghiệm của Trung Quốc; Vùng Trung và Tây của Trung Quốc; Kinh tế khu vực; Xóa đói giảm nghèo I. “The Belt and Road” has become a powerful engine to drive the economic development of Europe and Asia “The Belt and Road” (abbreviated B&R) is a simplified name for the “Silk Road Economic Belt” and the “21-Century Maritime Silk Road”. In advancing the initiative, we will make good use of the existing bilateral and multilateral mechanisms between China and relevant countries, and rely on the existing well-functioning regional cooperative 656
2. platforms. By borrowing the name of the historical symbol of ancient Silk Road and upholding the flag of peace and development, we will strive to develop economic cooperative partnerships with countries along the Belt and Road, and endeavor to build a community of shared interests, destiny and responsibility featuring mutual political trust, economic integration and cultural inclusiveness The land-based Silk Road Economic Belt and 21-Century Maritime Silk Road are also known as the “Belt and Road”. They were important economic bonds to connect Asia and Europe in history, with trade dating back to as early as over 2000 years ago. The land-based Silk Road, firstly explored by Zhang Qian when he served as an imperial envoy to the world west of China during the time of Western Han Dynasty(202-8 BC) and embarked on the journey in Chang’an (nowadays Xi’an, China), passes through Gansu and Xinjiang, links Central Asia and West Asia, and connects countries along the Mediterranean. As a land corridor, the road was named after the main commodity transported through it, silk produced in China. In 1877, the German geologist Richthofen wrote in his work China that “From 114 BC to 127 AD, China used this west traffic route to communicate with Central Asia and India, mainly through silk trade”. The land-based Silk Road started at the capital of Western Han Dynasty, Chang’an (Xi’an City), went through Hexi Corridor to reach the western region. Its initial function was for transporting silk produced in China, so upon the German geologist Richthofen (Ferdinand Freiherr von Richthofen) named the route as the “Silk Road”, the name was widely accepted. The “Maritime Silk Road” was a maritime corridor for ancient China to exchange commodities and cultures with foreign countries. It is centered at the South China Sea, hence the name South China Sea Silk Road. The Maritime Silk Road took shape in Qin and Han periods, developed in Three Kingdoms and Sui Dynasty periods, flourished in Tang and Song periods, evolved in Ming and Qing periods, is the most ancient sea route known to people. On 22 June 2014, the eastern section of the land Silk Road, “Silk Road: Chang’an- Tianshan Corridor Road Network”, which was jointly submitted for deliberation by China, Kazakhstan and Kyrghyzstan, was successfully inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage List. On 7 September 2014, when Chinese president Xi Jinping visited Kazakhstan, he raised for the first time the initiative to jointly build the “Silk Road Economic Belt” in an innovative cooperation mode. On 28 March 2015, China issued the Vision and Actions on Jointly Building Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. After the opening-up of the Belt and Road economic zones, the number of contracted projects broke through 3000. In 2015, Chineseenterprises directly invested in 49 countries relevant to the Belt and Road, with a volume up 18.2% year on year. In 2015, China undertook outsourcing service of relevant countries to the Belt and Road with a total contract amount 17.83 billion US dollars, of which 12.15 billion US dollars had been paid in, and realized 42.6% and 23.45% year-on-year increases respectively. By the end of June 2016, railway freight trains opened between China and Europe had accumulated 1881 trips including 502 returning trips, and the total volume of imports and exports had reached 17 billion US dollars. The 657
3. booming Silk Road Economic Belt has already become a powerful engine to drive the economic development of Asia. II. The western region of China continues to play the role of starting point in the Belt and Road building 1. Shaanxi province plays the role of regional center with its capital Xi’an as the core As the starting point of ancient Silk Road in history and a key junction of implementing the Belt and Road strategy in new era, Shaanxi again stands at the starting point of the Silk Road Economic Belt. With respect to logistics: Shaanxi opened “Chang’an” freight trains to Central Asia and Europe and realized regular operation with four or five trains departing per day. The destinations of cargo are distributed in 44 cities of 5 Central Asian countries. In 2014, a cumulative value of exports reached 72 million US dollars, and the amount of overseas tourists visiting Shaanxi exceeded 330 million, up 16.5% year on year, and the total tourism revenue of the year was 252.14 billion yuan, up 18.1% year on year. To build Xi’an as the port of “coming from west and going to east” and the junction of “connecting east and exporting to west”, and an international trade and logistics center, Shaanxi is cooperating with China Railway to that end. With respect to developing air resources: Shaanxi is building a Silk Road air corridor. Currently, the total air lines domestic or outbound in Xi’an (Xianyang) International Airport have reached 243, and the airport has realized “72-hour Transit without Visa”, which creates maximal convenience for tourists at home and abroad to arrive at Shaanxi. With respect to cultural exchanges: as a key link between east and west, Shaanxi is also accelerating its cultural exchange building. It has established sister relationships with 7 Central Asian states or cities at provincial or municipal level. Shaanxi has also successfully held the China Xi’an Silk Road International Tourism Expo, the first Xi’an Silk Road Film Festival, the Silk Road Line and other major events, to conduct exchanges and cooperation in fields of economy, culture, etc. 2. Gansu Province and Qinghai Province play the role of bridge Gansu lies at the geographical center of China, borders Shaanxi to the east, Sichuan to the south, Qinghai to the west, Inner Mongolia to the north, Ningxia to the northeast, Xinjiang to the north west, and partly adjacent to Mongolia (Zhibian). Gansu enjoys the regional advantages characterized with “connecting to seven regions” and “bordering Xinjiang and influencing Tibet”, is the only western province that can connect the east with west and expand into the south and north, and is also a natural corridor and the only passage for the eastern and central inland areas of China to contact China’s northwestern area, even western countries. Its capital Lanzhou is the geometric center connecting the east and west, south and north, owning 4 trunk railway lines, 7 national highways, 4 provincial roads, 5 expressways or high-degree roads that go through the territory. It is a traffic hub of both 658
4. western and central regions of China, radiating to Xinjiang, Qinghai, Tibet, Ningxia, etc. Gansu is an aggregation and melting center for as many as 44 nationalities, plays an irreplaceable strategic role in promoting the prosperity and unity of ethnic groups and borderland stability. Gansu features splendid cultural heritages, qualifies for a solid foundation to well display the cultural memory of Silk Road. It is also an important origin of Chinese civilization. According to legend, the earliest Chinese cultural ancestor Fu Xi was born around Tianshui area in Gansu. People of Zhou Dynasty founded China’s ancient agriculture in eastern Gansu, and on such a base developed China’s primordial farming and husbandry civilization. Then people of Qin state rose in the upper reaches of Wei River and Xihanshui River, marched eastward into the Central Plains and founded the first ever unified multiethnic centralized nation in Chinese history. 2100 years ago, the unprecedented expedition of Zhang Qian into the west regions made Gansu the first Chinese region opening up to the outside. Here, eastern and western civilizations converged and melted, influencing both the occidental and oriental countries. The galloping bronze horse unearthed in Wuwei, Gansu was set as the Chinese tourism symbol. Besides, more than 50 grotto groups such as Mogao Grottos, Maiji Mountain, Yulin Grottos, Mati Temple, Tianti Mountain and Bingling Temple together make Gansu a unique grotto gallery and art gallery with grand scale in the world. Gansu has a variety of resources and industrial advantages, could serve as a solid foundation for strengthening economic cooperation with countries, states or cities along the Silk Road. Rich natural resources, prominent regional advantages and industrial strengths have laid a good foundation for Gansu’s economic transformation and great-leap-forward development. Gansu is on the way to undertake the role of a gold section of the Silk Road Economic Belt. Qinghai Province is located in the northeast of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, also is the east gate of the plateau. The Northern and Southern Dynasties in the 5th century AD saw the thriving ancient Silk Road, based on which the “Tang-Tibet Ancient Road” emerged in Tang Dynasty and laid the cultural foundation of Qinghai. In Tang Dynasty, groups of Arabian and Persian came here to do business; in Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, large groups of Muslims migrated here generation after generation; the Hui Nationality and Salar nationality who believe Islam have maintained close trade exchanges with Central Asia. All of these prove that Qinghai has unique regional and cultural advantages in the Silk Road building. Nowadays, under the calling of the Belt and Road initiative, with the help of more advanced transportation vehicles and more various exchange commodities, Qinghai, though located in the west inland of China, in the near future will develop in big strides and realize its economic booming in great leaps. 3. Ningxia plays the role of bond Ningxia is located in the east of China’s western region, and is bounded by west Shaanxi to the east, Inner Mongolia to the north, Gansu to the south. Its strong connection 659
5. with Central Asia and Western Asia facilitates the expanding of trade cooperation between the east and west. China-Arab Expo could also involve ningxia’s economy deeply in the building of Silk Road Economic Belt, promote the pragmatic cooperation between China, Arabic countries and other Muslim regions along the Belt, thus give full play to its strategic pivot. Ningxia owns strengths in a variety of featured agricultural and livestock products, boasting the name of “a bountiful area though lying beyond the Great Wall but resembling the south Yangtze River”. By the end of June 2015, of the 422 products authenticated as pollution-free agricultural products, there are 316 kinds in planting industry and 83 in animal husbandry, representing 74.8% and 19.7% of the total industry respectively. Ningxia is abundant in resources. Its Ningdong Base represented by coal chemical industry is rising and consolidating its role as a national key coal production base, a thermal power base (West-East Electricity Transmission Project), a coal chemical industrial base and a circular-economy demonstration area. In respect of policy, the State Council has approved Ningxia to build an inland opening-up economic pilot zone, to set up Yinchuan Comprehensive Bonded Area and endowed Ningxia with privileges to try out innovative policies. In terms of air Silk Road building, Ningxia will continue its efforts in completing the infrastructure of Yinchuan Hedong International Airport by accelerating the third-phase project building and striving to open up traffic rights to more Arabic countries and other regions around the world in the fourth and fifth phase. In terms of on-line Silk Road building, Ningxia will step up the building of bases and cloud-service industry in its west, and seek cross-border e-commerce cooperation; in terms of land-based Silk Road building, Ningxia will speed up the capacity-expanding and renovation of Baotou-Lanzhou Railway, adding a second line to Taiyuan-Zhongwei(Yinchuan) Railway and Baoji-Zhongwei Railway, applying for the building of Yinchuan-Zhengzhou and new lines of Beijing- Baotou express railway, so as to integrate Ningxia into the national high-speed railway traffic network and fulfill the dream of Hui and Han people of owning high-speed railway. Moreover, with better integration with the Belt and Road economy, Ningxia’s featured products could also smoothly go out of the national gate and to the global market. 4. Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region plays the role of window Xinjiang is situated in the northwest border of China. Being an important component of ancient Silk Road, it is also a core area in modern Silk Road Economic Belt featuring prominent advantages in geographic, regional and cultural aspects. It is an important strategic hub of the Silk Road Economic Belt and a crucial gate opening to the western countries. Withrelatively complete comprehensive three-dimensional transport network comprising of railways, highways, aviation and pipes, it connects the eastern inland area with western Eurasia. With its unique regional position, rich natural resources and great industrial development potential, it has every reason to become a most important international logistics center, transport hub and new economic highland of the Silk Road Economic Belt. Xinjiang is not only a land grand passage for international energy resources, but also a future national strategic base for energy resources. 660
6. As a key point of Western Development, in the new round of oriented assistance by 19 provinces or cities, Xinjiang enjoys a variety of national preferential policies and extra care in nearly every aspect of economic social development such as finance, tax, banking, land use and industry. It has accumulated great potential to tap and enormous momentum to release. Economies of Xinjiang and China’s adjacent countries along the Belt such as Russia and countries in Central Asia, South Asia, West Asia and Europe are mutually complementary. Therefore, cooperation with those countries could be further expanded. III. Shaanxi plays the role of central junction of the eastern regions of the Belt and Road Shaanxi Province is trying its best to integrate into the Belt and Road strategy, already standing in the vanguard of the opening-up. Compared with last year’s statistics, in 2016, Shaanxi’s GDP rose to 1.9 trillion yuan, up 7.6%; incomes of urban and rural residents reached 28,400 yuan and 9,400 yuan respectively, up 7.5% and 8.2%; introduced foreign capital increased 8.4%, while exports increased 13.8% which ranks No.2 nationwide in growth rate; non-energy industry grew 13.1%; fixed-asset investment rose 12.3%; high-tech industry increased 27%; strategic emerging industry grew 10.7%; tourism cultural industry grew 26.9%. And Shaanxi expects in 2017 to witness 8% growth in GDP, 10% growth in fixed-asset investment, 7.5% in industry, 6% in local finance, 9% and 10% in incomes of urban and rural residents respectively, and control CPI growth within 3%. As a historical cultural ancient city, Xi’an boasts rich tourism resources and deep cultural deposits. In the 30 years since the reform and opening up, the local market has always been growing stably and kept a robust capability to accommodate newcomers. However, under the New Normal state, a drastic change is under way while industrial structure climbs the ladder from lower value-added products to higher ones, from OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) 35 years ago to self-independent innovator in the future 35 years. In the former 35 years, we don’t possess those intellectual properties, brands and channels, but in the undergoing transformation, we aim to build up our own intellectual properties, brands and marketing channels in the sense of self-esteem, confidence and independence. 1. Many a economic highlight In 1980s, Shaanxi’s strategic economic development plan put the priority in Guanzhong area (central plains of Shaanxi), at the same time actively supported the Southern Shaanxi and Northern Shaanxi (including the arid highland at north Wei River) for the following reasons: From the point of view of regional distribution, Guanzhong takes up a larger proportion of Shaanxi’s economy, whereas Southern Shaanxi and Northern Shaanxi take a smaller one, and economic strengths of the two divisions are greatly imbalanced. Covering 27% of the province’s area and inhabited by 58.5% of the province’s population, Guanzhong area took up 81% and 88% of the province’s gross output value in industry and 661
7. agriculture respectively in 1985, whereas Southern Shaanxi and Northern Shaanxi only took up 19% and 12% in both sectors respectively. Southern Shaanxi and Northern Shaanxi are rich in minerals and other resources, such as nonferrous metals, coal, petroleum and construction materials, harboring great development potential. 2. Many a regional priority The strategic plan of “emphasizing on Guanzhong development and accelerating the Southern Shaanxi and Northern Shaanxi Development” is being effectively implemented. Looking far into the future, our efforts to promote the coordinated economic development are allocated in three fields: Guanzhong has the priority to develop, and when the comprehensive strength of Guanzhong is enhanced, Northern and Southern Shaanxi shall be developed in quicker pace and the gap between Guanzhong and Northern and Southern Shaanxi shall be narrowed down; the development and layout of main industries in the three areas shall be optimized; economies of counties and perimeter areas shall be developed. At the beginning of the 21st century, Guanzhong took the lead to develop, while Northern Shaanxi developed in big strides and Southern Shaanxi developed in depth. As the 21st century goes along, the economic development layout of Shaanxi undergoes a drastic change that Northern Shaanxi continues to boom, Guanzhong grows steadily, but Southern Shaanxi lags behind. Based on the different advantages of three areas, Shaanxi embraces coordination as the internal requirement and makes great efforts in building a sustainable development structure. A general development strategy was formulated to promote coordinated innovation in Guanzhong, to push forward economic transformation in Northern Shaanxi, and foster green circular economy in Southern Shaanxi. So we could build Guanzhong as an important national hotbed to transform intellectual innovations and technical achievements into practical products, build Northern Shaanxi as a world-class high-end energy and chemical base and a pioneering area to integrate urban and rural development of national old revolutionary bases, and build Southern Shaanxi as a national demonstration area for comprehensive ecological cultural reform to simultaneously push forward environmental protection, industrial development and new-type urbanization. Conclusion 1. The Belt and Road is a new engine to drive the Asian and European economies The economic and trade cooperation between the countries and regions along the Belt and Road could be expanded, and the mutually complementary and interactive patterns of those areas could be strengthened; the cultural exchanges could be enhanced and people-to-people bond could be fortified. We will carry out cooperation in fields such as personnel exchanges, academic exchanges, media cooperation, health care and volunteer services. We will further enhance the friendship and mutual understanding among the peoples along the Belt and Road, and lay solid cultural foundation and civil society foundation to deepen the bilateral and multilateral partnerships. We firmly believe the western economy will soar higher and farther in the wonderful future. 2. The Belt and Road set new patterns for China’s opening up in the new era 662
8. In pushing forward the opening up of western regions and border areas, we will provide more opportunities for the great-leap-forward development of the western region. According to the strategy of the Belt and Road, if the western region could make good use of the international and domestic markets and resources as a whole, it will build an outbound economic corridor going through the east, middle and west regions and connecting the south and north. And by transforming the economic development approaches and adjusting the economic structure, we could pinpoint our own strategic position and adapt to the New Normal state and greatly promote the interconnection and interlinking of relevant infrastructure facilities. 3. The Belt and Road will benefit 80% of world population The building of the Belt and Road will directly benefit 80% of the world’s overall territories and above 80% of the world’s population. It will deepen cultural exchanges, upgrade the industrial cooperation level, consolidate the infrastructure construction, create more job opportunities, increase people’s incomes, improve living standards and create more wealth. It is an effective measure and a major strategic tool to benefit all parties. 4. Chinese paradigms have demonstrative values Through over 30 years of development since China took the basic policy of reform and opening up, the eastern regions have made great achievements and taken the lead to realize moderate prosperity with an average per capita GDP rising to over ten thousand US dollars. The central and western regions are still catching up. In recent years, the western region is developing particularly rapidly. The implementation of the Belt and Road strategy will connect the inland areas to the outside world, and integrate the western region into the global network. The western region will undertake the international passage for China to exchange with Europe and Asia, demonstrate Chinese paradigms and provide Chinese experience to the world, thus bring about a great rejuvenation of China. REFERENCES [1] China Shaanxi Provincial Statistical Report released by Shaanxi Provincial Bureau of Statistics in 2016 [2] World Atlas published by Sinomap Press in 2015 [3]Vision and Actions on Jointly Building Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road issued by the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, with State Council authorization in March 2015, Xinhua News Agency [4] People’s Daily of China: Influence and Inspiration of Maritime Silk Road, 19 October 2014 [5] Maritime Silk Road Promoting World Multicultural Exchanges, from People.cn, 20 April 2014 663