Central China economic zone approved

The Chinese government has approved a plan build a new economic zone in central China. The blueprint aims to build new cities with a new economic structure, and to double disposable incomes in the region by 2020. The new economic zone will cover nearly 290,000 square kilometres, and will be the biggest such area by population in China.

The central plain economic zone is a state-level strategic platform covering five provinces in the central part of China. It aims to promote the balanced development of different regions, while securing food supply.

The main goals are to increase urbanisation, industrialisation, and agricultural modernization, with environmental protection remaining paramount. However, there are many challenges ahead, especially in the agricultural area.

The question of how best to progress urbanisation without sacrificing growth in the agricultural and food industries is a key issue.

Zhang Weining, director of NDRC, Henan Province, said, "We've always been talking about the dualistic structural of urban and rural areas. We can't follow the traditional way of building cities, rather, we are building a modern urban structure with big, medium-sized cities surrounded by cluster of small cities and newly formed rural communities.

We still have 50 percent of the population living in the countryside. And these people need to have equal social services as those living in cities. The complete system from hardware to service support is our concept of modern urbanisation. "

The goal has been set, for per capita GDP within the zone to reach 38 thousand yuan by 2015, and 60 thousand yuan by 2020.

The plan also notes, while urban residents' disposable income would double by 2020, rural residents' disposable income would reach 16 thousand yuan by the same time, jumping from just around 7000 yuan last year.

China's top economic planner has reportedly earmarked up to 13.7 billion yuan to fund the development of the economic zone, and approved 47 projects the first half of this year.