NW China explores urbanization innovation

A newly developed area in Northwest China's Shaanxi province has vowed to develop modern ecological cities to help pave the way for its own urbanization efforts.

While prioritizing the development of pollution free industries like new and high-end technology, along with an advanced modern service industry and ecological and cultural tourism, the Xixian New Area plans to fully integrate urban agriculture into modern cities.

"Rivers, farmland, preserved cultural sites and ecological green land and other land deemed unfit for construction will account for 70 percent of the New Area," according to the Xixian development plan.

The project connects Xi'an and Xianyang, both cultural cities with a long history, and is highlighted in the nation's 12th Five-Year Plan to develop the largely unexplored western area.

In line with Premier Li Keqiang's call for the harmonious development of big, middle and small cities, the Shaanxi provincial government has attached great importance to the development of city clusters which has so far reaped positive results.

"There wasn't much cooperation between Xi'an and Xianyang in the past because the two cities were in fear of being annexed by each other, but now the new area has created a lot of synergy between them," said Liu Xiaobin, a senior journalist with local media, who concluded, "this is good."