Development zone in Sichuan set to 'boost western growth'

For example, Chengdu is the third-largest vehicle market in China and largest in western China, and its demand is still growing.

Statistics from an automobile industry association in Chengdu show that in the first half of this year, more than 140,000 passenger cars were sold in the city, up 19 percent from a year earlier. That was far higher than the 11.5 percent increase nationwide during the same period.

The Tianfu Software Park has attracted more than 400 companies, including 33 Fortune 500 companies, such as IBM Corp, Philips NV, Siemens AG and Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.

The Longquanyi district has become an important production base for FAW-Volkswagen, FAW Toyota, Volvo and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co Ltd. Vehicle production in the district is expected to exceed 800,000 units this year.

The Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in the Tianfu new area, the largest in China's central and western region, offers flights to 77 international destinations including London, San Francisco, Melbourne and Abu Dhabi.

Chengdu is also planning a new airport in the new area that is expected to handle 80 million passengers a year. The city aims to be the fourth-largest aviation hub in China, after Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

"The high-tech industries, such as IT, auto manufacturing and equipment manufacturing, would inevitably generate hazardous wastes, while the geography of the Sichuan Basin is not conducive to dissipating pollutants and degradation," said Liu Zheng, director of the Sichuan Environmental Engineering Assessment Center.

He suggested that the development of the Tianfu new area focus on how to achieve sustainable development and protect the environment.

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