China's 19 city clusters development blueprint by 2020. Image: blog.frontierstrategygroup
A plan for the development of Chengdu-Chongqing City Cluster has been passed at the executive meeting of the State Council on March 30. This is the first plan concerning cross-provincial city cluster in China's western region, according to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
China’s overall layout on urbanization development should include not only city clusters in Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, but also city clusters in the central and western regions. With an added population of up to 100 million, Chengdu and Chongqing should strive to find a new path of new-type urbanization and agricultural modernization to achieve mutual progress, said the Premier.
A new train from Chengdu to Chongqing takes one hour and a half, half the time of the current express train. Image: vtibet.com
"The Chengdu-Chongqing City Cluster is a vital platform for the development of China’s western region, and a strategic anchor in the Yangtze River Delta Economic Zone as well as an important demonstration area for the country to advance new-type urbanization".
In early March, advancing new-type urbanization and agricultural modernization and promoting a coordinated development between China’s urban and rural areas have been emphasized in this year’s government work report. It's scheduled to be one of the major targets and measures during the 13th Five-Year Plan.
