China learns from the world in urbanization

China hopes to integrate its urbanization with its ongoing industrialization and to promote its development in modern agriculture, says Chen Weigen, the deputy governor of Jilin Province.

Chen conveyed his remark at the 3rd Global Economic Leaders Summit (GELS), which opened today in Changchun, Jilin Province.

The summit, focusing on China's ongoing urbanization, will discuss global urbanization experiences and to inform the development of China's cities and townships.

Zheng Xiongwei, acting Chairman of Asia-Pacific CEO Association, highlighted the significance of urbanization in the speeches of Chinese president Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.

"President Xi referred to urbanization as a historic mission, which plays a key role in expanding the domestic demand for economic growth," said Zheng.

Many experts believe that urbanization's ultimate goal is to transform rural residents into urban dwellers, both physically and psychologically.

Myung Oh, former deputy premier minister of the Republic of Korea said that people should first figure out who are the targets of development. In his opinion, urbanization works for the city dwellers.

City dwellers are not only confined to the current urban residents, it will also include those rural families which compose the mainstream in the course of urbanization.

According to Yan Xuan, the president from the Chinese branch of Nielsen, a global information and measurement company, rural residents are becoming a growing force behind the domestic consumption. He said that the disposable incomes and the Consumer Confidence Index have been growing in rural China in 2012. He called for the enterprises to seize opportunities to research new trends and demands from the rural dwellers.

GELS, an international cooperation summit, was initiated by Asia-Pacific CEO Association (APCEO) and is co-hosted by relevant governments. Hosted for the third consecutive times following 2011 and 2012 in Jilin Province, it will focus on opportunities in China's sustainable urbanization for global cooperation and it will also learn from the previous urbanization experience in the world.