Guiyang, capital city of southwestern China's Guizhou
Province, will step up efforts to develop a circular economy as
it seeks technical and financial support from governments,
organizations and universities from home and abroad, according to
the municipal government.
The provincial government said that Guiyang has reached accords
with business partners to build more than 20 projects based on the
concept of a circular economy and involving contractual investment
of about 20 billion yuan (some US$2.4 billion).
The city has also received support from the National Development
and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry
of Science and Technology and the State Administration of
Environment Protection, and is in close contact with them for
further help.
NDRC, China's top economic planning body, named Guiyang a pilot
city of the nation's circular economy program. The city has also
applied to NDRC to issue treasury bonds worth of 27.9 billion yuan
(some US$3.36 billion) to develop circular economy.
Guiyang carries out joint programs with prestigious Qinghua
(Tsinghua) University and the Chinese Research Academy of
Environmental Study in environment protection and urban development
with the concept of circular economy. It also gets help from an
advisory group consisting of renowned experts from home and
abroad.
Foreign banks, governments and international organizations have
offered Guiyang financial support to help it maintain sustainable
development.
German-based KfW Bankengruppe provided the city 2.6 billion yuan
(about US$313.3 million) to fund 15 projects covering the chemical
industry and infrastructure development. The United Nations
Environment Program offered US$100,000 to help develop the circular
economy, while the European Union provided 500,000 euros and
Germany contributed 200,000 euros in policy research and joint
projects.
(Xinhua News Agency January 26, 2005)