Short March: Shantou Back in the Black

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUANGZHOU 010542 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EB, R, EAP/CM, EAP/PD, DRL STATE PASS USTR USDOC FOR 4420/ITA/MAC/MCQUEEN, CELICO, DAS LEVINE USPACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON KIPR EINV PHUM KPAO PINR CH SUBJECT: Short March: Shantou Back in the Black REF: A) Guangzhou 10337, B) Guangzhou 10336 (U) This document is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. Not for release outside U.S. Government Channels. Not for internet publication. ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Shantou officials say that the city's economy is back on track in a big way after negative growth in 2001 and slow growth in 2002. Long known as a center of smuggling and piracy, city officials state that Shantou plans to realize its role as the key city of Eastern Guangdong with a modern port and transportation system to further accelerate economic growth. The city's Development Reform Commission (DRC) has detailed plans for three economic belts to supplement Shantou's already well- developed porcelain, toys, knitwear, and underwear industries while improving public safety, instituting the "New Socialist Village," and improving the environment. End Summary. "Welcome to Beautiful Shantou" -------------- ¶2. (SBU) In the first stop of Consulate Guangzhou's "short march" to Eastern Guangdong in the early part of March (reftels),Shantou Mayor Huang Zhiguang and Vice Mayor Ouyang Zhihong proclaimed the recent turnaround success of the prefectural city. They noted that this port city of 4.58 million people was one of the original special economic zones introduced by Deng Xiaoping's 1981 reforms and constitutes the ocean gateway for Eastern Guangdong, Southwestern Fujian and Southeast Jiangxi as well as being a commercial, financial, transportation and information hub for the region. They acknowledged the negative economic growth in 2001 and the slow growth in 2002, alluding to but not quite acknowledging that the city is notorious as a center for the production of counterfeit goods and went through a massive upheaval in 2001, because of the central government's crackdown on corruption and mismanagement by their predecessors. In a province where most cities easily record over 10% economic growth every year, the mayor and vice mayor were happy to point out that in 2004 Shantou was back on pace with economic growth of 11.1% with figures for 2005 economic growth probably at 11.3%. "Setting the Bar High" -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Separately, Shantou Development and Reform Commission (DRC) Deputy Director Liao Xiaoping said his office spent over two years planning the city's 11th five- year plan, basing its plans on guidelines set by the national and provincial governments. The central government wants Shantou to become an important coastal city in Southeastern China and plans for it to become a regional level city, and, in that vein, city leaders want Shantou to become a modern port city, which is wealthy, stable, and environmentally friendly. Its 2005 GDP was RMB 65.08 billion (US$ 8.135 billion),and its goal is RMB 78 billion (US$ 9.75 billion) by 2010 and with a per capita GDP at that time of RMB 15,800 (US$ 1975). ¶4. (SBU) Different sectors of the Shantou economy have different goals. Some have concrete goals, which they are required to meet, while others have only predictions of what they might accomplish. One concrete goal is for the city to sustain an average annual economic growth of over 10% for the next five years. GDP per capita is also planned to double in the next five years. Another binding target is that energy consumption per GDP unit must decrease by 5% in the same time period. ¶5. (SBU) The public sector also has binding goals. The officials say that Shantou citizens are already well off, but that they can still be better off. The DRC wants to develop a safer environment for its citizens with one binding target for the public sector being a decrease in traffic fatalities in the city. City officials want more rural citizens to have access to the same level of health, safety, livelihood, and educational benefits that can be found in urban areas, per the central government's concept of the "New Socialist Village." Environmental issues will GUANGZHOU 00010542 002 OF 002 also be stressed. "How Is This Going to Work?" -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Shantou intends to further develop three economic belts in and around the city. Each belt will specialize in different industries and sectors. The first belt will run along the eastern coast and will be used for residential development. The city plans to reclaim 19 square kilometers from the ocean and to build residential housing units there. The second belt will center on the two ports and a tax bonded zone. This belt will be 30 kilometers long and will be reserved for petrochemical plants. The final belt will also be 30 kilometers long and will be inland. The belt will be used for the development of high- tech agriculture and other related industries. ¶7. (SBU) The DRC is placing much emphasis on heavy machinery manufacturing in addition to Shantou's ports. City officials plan to promote manufacturing of machines to be used for medical equipment, food processing, and machines for light industry manufacturing. On the high- tech side, the government will be focusing on electronic equipment and pharmaceuticals. ¶8. (SBU) In typical centrally planned economy fashion, the DRC has a list of over 190 projects available for investment. These projects include infrastructure, industrial, and social development. Traditionally, the biggest investors in the Shantou region have come from overseas Chinese with family ties to the area. The city officials admit that as these family ties become more distant, it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract investment, but did not offer an alternative. Comment -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Despite its past history and identification as an IPR pirate, Shantou does seem to be poised for a resurgence, but many questions remain unanswered. Despite having "binding" goals and predictions, the city's plan also takes the same smorgasbord, shotgun approach favored by many of its counterparts, seemingly seeking to develop every sort of industry instead of specializing in those that would complement the city's competitive advantages. Shantou also faces stiff competition from neighboring cities in Guangdong and Fujian provinces. Xiamen in Fujian province already has well-developed port, electronics, and petrochemical industries, which far outshine those in Shantou. Rather than seeking to develop a regional strength by cooperating with nearby Jieyang and Chaozhou, each city in the Chao-Shan area seems to be following a separate path to development. Still, Shantou has clear strengths in porcelain, toys, knitwear, and underwear and is also working to upgrade its high tech sector. It may be that in Guangdong's superheated economy, most cities can still come out smelling like a rose, and Shantou is likely to be one of them. ¶10. (SBU) The next messages in the "short march" series deal with two sides of Shantou -- one literally of transparency and light as we visited a pair of enterprises making specialty glass and ultrasound equipment using optical fiber, respectively, and literally of darkness as we talk with Shantou's rather weak IPR bureaucracy and a university student audience that seemingly would want an IPR free ride in order for China to get to global innovation levels. Dong