As pioneers of China's economic integration and social progress, the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei economic belt have maintained strong momentum, but varied trends have emerged in the regions too, said a report on China's regional economy in 2004 t0 2005 released by the Academy of Social Science in Beijing, Shanghai and Guagndong.

According to the report, regional integration will be further deepened in the Yangtze River Delta. The comprehensive economic strength of the region will continue to improve; the impetus for economic growth has switched from domestic investments to both foreign investments and domestic investments. As a result the level of integration in the region is quite high and the pulling effect of the central city Shanghai appears strong.

With the rapid increase of the competitiveness of the Yangtze River Delta, the slow growth at the Pearl River Delta is to continue. The integral development of the "Great Pearl River Delta" will help upgrade of the industries in the region. The "Pan Pearl River Regional Cooperation" which has importance at the strategic level, will expand room for the development of the Pearl River Delta, but the effects of such cooperation will not be seen in a short period of time.

The integration at the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei economic belt has entered a practical stage. A good situation featuring supplement of advantages for each other, effective allocation of resources and common progress of economic and other social causes have come into being in the economic belt. Moreover huge potential for development exist in the region though the leap-forward development has not taken place in the region. As an important base of chemical, manufacturing and high-tech industries, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei economic belt's principal industries are capital and technology-intensive industries. Beijing will focus on the function as center of modern service industry; Tianjin is to take high-tech industry and modern manufacture industry as its dominant industries; and Hebei will carry on upgrade of its traditional advantageous industries. So the potentials of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei economic belt cannot be underestimated.

By People's Daily Online