The mayor of Haikou says the capital city of Hainan Province will seek more overseas capital this year to develop advanced manufacturing, modern agriculture, services and environment protection.

Yet Mayor Xu Tangxian adds that the major players this year will likely be local businesses and development parks.

Xu says the city has set an economic growth target of 12 percent this year, compared to 12.6 percent in 2007, while lowering the cost of energy by 2.5 percent.

The city has traditionally been strong in pharmaceuticals, machinery and the chemical fiber industry. This year work on infrastructure at "medicine valley" and Lion Hills industrial park will be intensified, while the Macun Port bonded logistic zone and an information technology park are also developed.

The agriculture sector will move further up the value chain with expanded facilities, Xu said.

A Hainan international fruit and vegetable trade and processing center is scheduled to begin operation in the second half of the year.

A comprehensive farm product inspection and quality monitoring system will be established, with the government taking measures to guarantee that at least 97 percent of produce sampled passes quality checks.

"Haikou will build a deep-processing center of farm produce for the province," Xu said.

Haikou is famous for its lichi, banana, poultry and tilapia fish exports. Live chicken from Wenchang are directly exported to Hong Kong.

The city is also promoting an airport economic zone around Meilan International Airport, a logistic zone near the railway station, and a downtown business district apart from Macun Port.

To improve city services, the city government is expanding current Baishamen water treatment plant and building two more. "We're promoting the recycling of extra heat, wastewater and refuse from poultry farming."

For tourism the city has mapped out a master plan that highlights holiday and leisure tourism zones at Yangshan, Meilisha, Xinfu Island, Haikou Bay and Jinsha Bay.

The local tourism industry will be further modernized to meet international practices.

Haikou will also take part in regional cooperation, Xu said.

Tourism will be tied with northern Hainan and the Zhanjiang area in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region to build an economic belt along the Qiongzhou Strait between the island and the mainland.

Xu said that the city will also deepen cooperation with other areas in the Pearl River Delta, especially in agriculture, tourism, trade, science and technology.

The services sector grew 13.6 percent last year, faster than agriculture and industries.

The Century Bridge in Haikou, capital of Hainan Province, is a landmark showcasing its development. 

(China Daily April 10, 2008)