Sichuan is located in the southwest of China and has a population of 80 million inhabitants. Significant disparities exist between rural and urban populations. The capital is Chengdu, a key economic centre of Western China. It is one of the major agricultural production and industrial centres of China. In addition to heavy industries such as coal, energy, iron and steel, the province has also established a light industrial sector comprising building materials, wood processing, food and silk processing. Chengdu and Mianyang are the production centres for textiles and electronics products. Deyang, Panzhihua, and Yibin are the production centres for machinery, metallurgical industries, and wine, respectively. The auto industry is an important and key sector of the machinery industry in Sichuan.
Chengdu has an ambitious low carbon work programme, including sharp carbon intensity reduction and the increase of non-fossil energy share. The capital of Southwest China’s Sichuan province also aims to build itself into a sustainable smart city. This is an effective way to make use of green IT to create the green GDP. The countryside remains the poorer part of Chengdu City, and its environmental pollution becomes continuously serious. Chengdu City is in dire need of a harmonious society of urban-rural integrated development, one that keeps delivering the food and fine scenery that the city needs, but at the same time is able to improve the jobs and income opportunities, reduce the urban-rural divide, and reverse the current trend of environmental degradation that is jeopardizing both people and nature. European cities offer good examples of urban-rural partnerships.
Also known as Dolnośląskie, Lower Silesia is located is southwestern part of Poland, close to Germany and the Czech Republic. The capital of the region is Wrocław, which is the fourth largest city in Poland with almost 650.000 residents. The Dolnośląskie is the fourth top region with the highest gross value-added (GVA), estimated at 8.2% of national GVA[1]. In 2011, there were 6.667 foreign firms in the Dolnośląskie which represents roughly about 9.4% of all foreign companies located in Poland. Two sectors have a particular high potential for cooperation with China: automotive and electro-mechanical. There is also a large grouping of IT companies operating in the region.
The twinning activities in Lower Silesia will concentrate in the Wałbrzych Special Economic Zone „INVEST – PARK”, one of the most quickly developing industrial zones in Poland. The WSEZ consists of 41 subzones located mainly in Lower Silesia Province, as well as Wielkopolskie, Opolskie and Lubuskie provinces. Some of the subzones are fully developed, in the rest there are still available investment areas. The WSEZ offers preferential conditions for business until 2026. Entrepreneurs operating in the zone are entitled to receive public aid in form of income tax exemption. Since 1997, 150 companies have invested 5.4 billion US$ creating 36.100 direct jobs.
The Region of Lower Silesia was involved in the CETREGIO programme during an information session on multi-level governance in July 2012 as well as during a mission on regional innovation in China (November 2013).
[1] This information has been partly extracted of the Regional Innovation Monitor, European Commission
DOCUMENTATION
Relevant documentation of the meetings held in May 2014 is available here.