News provided by China Report: 

Located in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, the Chengdu-Chongqing 
economic circle is the most densely populated area with the highest 
concentration of industries and the most cities in west China. Statistics 
showed that the Chengdu-Chongqing area registered a total GDP of close to 7 
trillion yuan in 2019, making it another regional economic powerhouse following 
the Yangtze River Delta region, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and 
the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

In 2020, the Financial and Economic Commission of the Communist Party of China 
Central Committee looked into building the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle 
and proposed to build it into a nationally influential hub for technological 
innovation. On February 25, 2021, the Ministry of Science and Technology 
released guidelines for fostering new development pattern in China's western 
region through technological innovation. The document prioritized the effort of 
building the Chengdu-Chongqing area into a hub for technological innovation. 

Closer link

On December 24, 2020, after the infrastructure facilities and technologies for 
maintenance, disaster prevention, testing and e-ticketing were upgraded, 
Chengdu-Chongqing high-speed railway was launched, reducing the travel time 
between the two cities to one hour. Furthermore, the bullet train frequency has 
been increased to every 20 minutes to facilitate travel between the two cities.

The improved transit between Chengdu and Chongqing is largely attributed to the 
application of Sichuan's proprietary railway technologies. Sichuan has 
established an integrated industrial chain covering research and development, 
surveying, designing and consulting, project construction, operation and 
maintenance, and equipment manufacturing. The annual output value of the 
industrial chain exceeds 150 billion yuan.

High-quality development

Chengdu-based smart domestic projectors maker XGimi was listed on the Sci-Tech 
Innovation Board, or STAR Market, on March 3, 2021. It was the sixth 
Chengdu-based tech company listed on China's Nasdaq-style tech board. 

The successful listing of Chengdu-based hardcore tech firms on the STAR Market 
is indispensable from Chengdu's visionary planning for tech industries. The 
electronic information industrial zone in Chengdu, where XGimi is located, is 
also home to leading tech firms including photoelectric products maker Luwei, 
LG Chem, display solution provider Tianma, LCD substrate maker Chengdu COE, and 
TCL. They together have formed a complete industrial chain to support emerging 
technologies like big data, the Internet of Things and blockchain. Thanks to 
them, the electronic information industry became the first sector whose outputs 
surpassed 1 trillion yuan in Chengdu. Statistics show that more than 90 percent 
of Chengdu's new investment projects since 2020 have landed in the various 
industrial zones across the city. 

Chengdu would not have made such remarkable achievements without the robust 
support to technological innovation by Sichuan provincial government. During 
the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), Sichuan devoted great energy to 
building many demonstration zones for commercializing scientific and 
technological research results including those on new drugs and artificial 
intelligence. The province has built more than 1,800 platforms for 
technological innovation. 

Statistics from Chongqing Municipality further evidenced the significance of 
technological innovation to high-quality economic growth. During the 13th 
Five-Year Plan period, high-tech industries and strategic emerging industries 
contributed 37.9 percent and 55.7 percent, respectively, to the city's 
industrial growth. Technological advancement contributed 58.6 percent. The 
number of high-tech businesses increased 3.5-fold. Eighty-eight renowned 
innovation institutes set up offices in Chongqing, alongside 64 state-level 
bases for technological innovation. The number of researchers increased 64.4 
percent. The amount of patents owned per 10,000 people rose by seven. 
Researchers in the city won 29 national science and technology awards. The 
transaction volume of technology contracts amounted to 100 billion yuan. 

Now, the Chengdu-Chongqing area produces one third of products and services for 
the global electronic information industry, emerging as an indispensable link 
in the global industrial and supply chains in the electronic information area.

During the 2021 "two sessions," the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle and the 
building of a science town in west China by the two cities once again drew 
nationwide attention. In the future, the two cities will strengthen 
cooperation, enhance the capacities for independent technological innovation, 
work together to make breakthroughs in key areas, and contribute to the 
creation of an important growth pole that drives the country's high-quality 
development.

SOURCE  China Report

Image Attachments Links:

   Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=386362

   Caption: Chengdu-Chongqing high-speed railway bullet train. Sichuan has 
formed a whole industrial chain of the rail transportation industry