This year marks the end of the“13th Five-Year Plan”period. At the backdrop of COVID-19 prevention, Yunnan province faces new challenges and opportunities for economic development. During the on-going Two Sessions in Beijing, the CPPCC members and NPC deputies from Yunnan discussed possible measures for local economy.

Stimulating growth potentials

The Yunnan members and deputies recognize the fact that COVID-19 has impact on Yunnan’s economy, but this will not alter the long-term economic growth, so they have confidence to finish this year’s goals.

NPC deputy Yang Hongbo, who is also head of Yunnan Development and Reform Commission, thinks Yunnan economy will continue growing in the future. 

"Yunnan has grown at a rate well above the national average in recent years. Yunnan economy features eight key industries, infrostrucutre networks and the three world-class industries, which involve clean energy, green food and health-life tourism.”

Yang added that constructing new infrastructures and increasing urbanization are the main objectives for Yunnan. New infrastructures include the 5G network and charging posts for new energy vehicles, while the urbanization rate in Yunnan is still 10 percent lower than the national average. Yang Hongbo considered this gap to be an opportunity for investment and growth.

Yang Xiaoping, an NPC deputy and Party chief of the People’s Bank of China Kunming branch, reflected on Yunnan’s financial development. He suggested financial aid to businesses and and tourist services, while pointing out the problems that meddle and small-sized enterprises under the influences of COVID-19.

Opportunities in crises

The government work report says that digital economy featuring the internet of things will be push forward. “Digital economy is the key for development in southern areas of China, and Yuxi has formulated policies related to digitalization for its future development,” said NPC deputy Zhang Dehua, who is also the mayor of central Yunnan Yuxi city.

Tourism is Lijiang’s pillar industry. However, the COVID-19 has seriously affected the Lijiang city in northwest Yunnan. Facing such crisis, Lijiang has come up with policies to recover the tourism sector, turning to smart services on the Go-Yunann app, building more hill-side inns and integrating into the grand tourist ring route in west Yunnan. 

Via field work, CPPCC member Huang Liyun discovered that certain areas of the ethnic minorities in Yunnan lack distinct agro-products. And she suggested that more infrastructures, cold-chain logistics network and e-commerce platforms should be built in those areas. Huang comes from the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture in southwest Yunnan. 

Opening up to Asean and south Asia

The government work report says China will increase opening up and step up structural reform. Yang Xiaohong, a CPPCC member, believes that cross border e-commerce in collaboration with south and southeast Asian countries will bridge countries in the region, boosting ties by inceaing connectivity. 

Yang noted that barriers on cross border e-commerce still exist between China and the neighboring countries. To increase freight volume and efficiency in management, Yunnan should actively join hands with others in forming a seamless transport system for international logistics and set up insurance services.

Lama Xinggao, a NPC deputy from Kunming, believes that the consumers market in south Asia holds huge potential, and it is possible to built Kunming city into an international transport hub in the region.

Source: Yunnan Daily and Yunnan Net; trans-editing by Li Yushuangyue and Wang Shixue