Jilin pledges commitment to innovation, green goals

Officials from Jilin province emphasized on Monday their commitment to driving its comprehensive revitalization through technological innovation and green development, which aims to leverage the province's rich industrial heritage and propel it into a new era of growth and prosperity.

As a key manufacturing base, Jilin has a deep-rooted industrial history and has been hailed as the cradle of China's automotive, chemical and film industries, contributing significantly to the nation's industrial achievements, Hu Yuting, governor of Jilin, said at a news conference titled "Striving for New Breakthroughs to Revitalize Jilin in the New Era".

"In the new era, we will build upon our historical legacy and focus on promoting comprehensive revitalization," said Hu at the news briefing held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing.

Li Guoqiang, vice-governor of the province, said, "The foundation, strength and potential of Jilin's comprehensive revitalization lie within its industrial sector."

Economic indicators for the first quarter underscored Jilin's industrial vigor, with the province achieving a remarkable 10.4 percent growth in industrial added value, building upon last year's 6.8 percent growth.

Li said that Jilin's success could be attributed to its pursuit of a new path of industrialization, focusing on three key areas.

First, Jilin is actively promoting intelligent industrial transformation and digitalization, which are seen as essential for the future of industrialization.

Second, the province is advancing the "clustered development" of industries by nurturing 10 major industrial clusters, including a 1 trillion yuan automotive industry cluster, a 100 billion yuan carbon fiber industry cluster and a corn-based bioproduct industry cluster.

Third, Jilin is trying to reach the industrial forefront to secure the leadership of future-oriented sectors.

In March, the world's first hydrogen-powered urban commuter train, independently developed by CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co, underwent a trial run.

The train achieved a global milestone by successfully completing comprehensive systems, comprehensive scenarios and multilevel performance verification at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour, representing a breakthrough in the application of hydrogen energy in the field of rail transportation.

Hydrogen energy also represents a pivotal advantage in Jilin's new energy development. According to Hu, the governor, the province is actively establishing itself as "China's hydrogen capital" by building a hydrogen-based industry cluster.

"Over 20 leading companies in relevant industries have established operations in Jilin, with more than 10 'green hydrogen plus' projects, each with an investment exceeding 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion), already in progress," he said.

Looking ahead, Jilin aims to expand the industrial scale of hydrogen-fueled vehicles, hydrogen energy trains and a range of other products, thereby creating a comprehensive "green hydrogen plus" industrial chain, he said.