More Chinese cities looking to increase betterment programs

Starting next year, China will promote city betterment and ecological restoration programs on a nationwide scale to accelerate transformation of urban development to ensure quality upgrades and sustainability, said Chen Zhenggao, minister of Housing and Urban-rural Development.

"All cities should fully implement the plans set by the central government at the national conference on city development late last year in promoting the city betterment and ecological restoration programs," said the minister at a national site meeting on Saturday in Sanya, Hainan province.

"The approach is in line with the country's supply-side reform and a natural choice for development of cities in China after years' fast growth. It is also a practice of adopting foreign experience."

The minister called for Chinese mayors to learn from Sanya and spoke highly of its achievements at the site meeting attended by around 90 mayors to summarize the tropical city's experience in carrying out city betterment and ecological restoration programs to build a quality and livable city for people.

Since April 2015, Sanya, dubbed as China's oriental Hawaii which expects to receive more than 16 million visitors this year, has made remarkable progress in tackling its urban problems caused by rapid growth in recent years, such as ecological deterioration, water pollution and construction chaos.

Some shrinking beaches have been refilled with fine sands and grown with plant vegetation like mangrove, which are salt-resistant, wind-proof and good for stabilizing the sand. Pollution sources to major rivers have all been shut down, and most illegal buildings have been demolished to make space for parks and streets.

"The changes taken place in such a short time are really impressive and the Sanya people have done a very good job," said Ren Yujiang, vice mayor of Hulunbeir, Inner Mongolian autonomous region, during a field visit to the Dongan Wetland Park on Saturday.

"The fast adoption of new ideas and concepts by the Sanya leadership and their concentration, determination and sense of responsibility and mission in carrying out the city betterment, and ecological restoration programs have set a good example for other cities," said the minister.

He encouraged city mayors to adopt the PPP mode to raise more social funds to support their city betterment and ecological restoration programs and work out feasible projects to ensure success of their efforts.

Zhou Qingyu, vice-president of China Development Bank, said: "Sanya has developed a sustainable approach of growth which other cities can learn and copy. The CDB would like to provide continuous financial support to Sanya's city betterment projects."

"The bank is also ready to provide financial support to other cities in developing sponge projects, comprehensive underground pipelines, construction of characteristic rural towns and all kinds of ecological protection efforts," said Zhou.