Changchun, an old manufacturing base, enters new era

Changchun, known as an old industrial center of Northeast China, is now a major part of the Harbin-Changchun megalopolis, a national development strategy for the region.

It is planned as a base for the automobile industry, advanced equipment manufacturing and the bio-industry.

Automobiles used to be the pillar of the city but now it's forming a new industrial mix involving the three major traditional industries of automobiles, railway vehicles and agricultural product processing and the six strategic emerging industries of advanced manufacturing, photoelectric technology, biology and medicine, new materials, new energy vehicles and big data.

China is implementing its "Made in China 2025" strategy, bringing new opportunities to Changchun.

Wang Jun, Party Secretary of Changchun, says that the key to its prosperity is promoting its manufacturing industry.

Changchun is now upgrading that industry by implementing a series of major automobile projects and cultivating a group of modern manufacturing enterprises.

In 2016, the city invested 218.39 billion yuan ($32.8 billion) in the manufacturing industry, 8.6 percent over the previous year.

Changchun is listed as one of the pilot and model cities of "Made in China 2025".

To better serve the national strategy, the city has introduced a top-level development plan, known as "5+3+N".

With the plan's new policies, strategic emerging industries of the city are flourishing.

To improve its innovation ability, Changchun has built an integrated innovation base featuring a cloud platform, a science and technology innovation center, an integrated innovation complex, and an enterprise technology center, among other advanced undertakings.

The city has also built many science and technology financial centers, incubators, maker spaces and science and technology parks.

There are now 39 national key laboratories in eight major manufacturing industries, more than 200 engineering centers and research and development centers at provincial and national levels and 30 kinds of public technology service platforms.

The city has also implemented 1,326 technology projects and achieved a series of technological breakthroughs.

Bai Xugui, deputy mayor of Changchun, says that Changchun's future development is now driven by innovation, low-carbon, smart manufacturing and the service industry.

Changchun has embraced a new era in its development.