Dazhou is a major industrial hub in Sichuan Province. In recent years, leveraging its abundant resources such as natural gas and sulfur, the city has attracted and launched several major industrial projects, including the Zhengdakai Advanced Intelligent Manufacturing and Lithium White New Materials initiatives, laying a solid foundation for its industrial economy. As the city enters the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the focus is on how to further utilize these rich resources. Recently, Yang Yong, Vice Mayor of Dazhou and Secretary of the Xuanhan County Party Committee, shared insights in an exclusive interview.
When asked about the role of industry in shouldering the responsibility of being a major economic driver for the city, a point frequently emphasized since the start of the year, Yang Yong described industry's position and function using three key terms.
First, industry acts as the 'main force' driving development. In 2025, the city's total industrial output value reached 141.2 billion yuan, maintaining its leading position in Northeast Sichuan. The value-added of industrial enterprises above a designated size grew by 7.3%, outpacing the regional GDP growth rate by 1 percentage point. Furthermore, industry contributed 37.3% of the city's tax revenue and provided 30% of its employment opportunities.
Second, industry serves as a 'converter' of resource advantages. Dazhou possesses proven natural gas reserves of 720 billion cubic meters, with estimated potential reserves reaching 3.8 trillion cubic meters. It also boasts high-quality resources like the country's first marine lithium- and potassium-rich ore. Industry is the key vehicle for transforming these 'dormant resources' into 'drivers of development'.
Third, industry forms the 'sturdy backbone' of the industrial system. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the strategic positioning for industry is centered on three core functions: being the primary engine of economic growth, the main carrier for transformation and upgrading, and the key battlefield for innovation-driven development. The goal is to fully establish industry as the robust backbone of a modern industrial system.
Regarding the current landscape, challenges, and opportunities facing Dazhou's industrial development, Yang Yong stated that the city's industry is at a critical juncture of overcoming difficulties and transitioning its model, facing a complex situation intertwined with multiple challenges and opportunities.
The challenges are primarily threefold. First, structural contradictions are prominent, with a high proportion of traditional resource-based industries, relatively short industrial chains, and insufficient deep processing. Second, innovation shortcomings are evident, characterized by a lack of national-level innovation platforms and a scarcity of high-tech enterprises and high-end talent. Third, constraints on production factors are tightening. As a major natural gas production area and a base for ensuring power supply, the prices of natural gas and electricity do not reflect the advantages of being a resource-rich location. Constraints on land, capital, and environmental capacity are also becoming more pronounced.
Simultaneously, the city is presented with four major opportunities. First, there is the overlapping effect of national and provincial strategies, such as the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle construction, the integrated development of the Wan-Da-Kai region in Sichuan and Chongqing, and the push to foster a provincial sub-economic center in Northeast Sichuan, bringing Dazhou multiple supports in policy, funding, and projects. Second, resource development offers empowerment, with projects like the exploration and development of the Wanyuan oil and gas block and the launch of a national pilot zone for developing deep marine potassium salt resources, further highlighting the resource advantage. Third, the acceleration of industrial relocation presents an opportunity. Dazhou, with its resources, location, and labor advantages, is becoming a key city for承接 (undertaking) the transfer of industries like chemicals, new materials, and equipment manufacturing from eastern coastal areas. Fourth, there is the opportunity presented by the development of new quality productive forces. As a node city in the national integrated computing power network Chengdu-Chongqing national hub and part of Sichuan's national pilot zone for digital economy innovation, Dazhou is positioning itself at the forefront of intelligent transformation and digitalization, opening new pathways for industrial development.
In response to these opportunities and challenges, Yang Yong outlined the next key directions for Dazhou's industry. The city will adhere to the strategy of 'revitalizing the city through industry and strengthening it through manufacturing,' adopting a determined and effective work style, and focusing on four main thrusts to vigorously promote the accelerated revitalization of the industrial economy.
The first thrust is the cultivation of industrial clusters. Centering on 15 provincial-level key industrial chains and municipal priority chains like energy and chemicals, Dazhou will deeply implement actions to build strong industrial ecosystems. It will strengthen the 'dual-chain' promotion mechanism where municipal leaders serve as 'chain leaders' and key enterprises act as 'chain masters,' and innovate investment models like industrial chain investment and 'circle of friends' investment. The goal is to build three 100-billion-yuan clusters and several 10-billion-yuan clusters by 2030, forming a modern industrial system characterized by '100-billion-yuan leaders and multi-polar support.'
The second thrust is focusing on project construction and commissioning. Aiming to drive growth through new increments, Dazhou will deeply implement an industrial project攻坚 (assault) action. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, it plans to carry out 174 major industrial projects with a total investment exceeding 310 billion yuan. In 2026, the focus will be on advancing major projects like the SPIC Northeast Sichuan High-Efficiency Clean Coal Power and Mainstone New Materials, aiming for a comprehensive boost in industrial investment. The target is to start construction on over 200 new industrial projects and complete over 100 throughout the year.
The third thrust is enhancing the capacity and level of industrial parks. Focusing on five aspects—upgrading level, improving quality, establishing strong parks, achieving full occupancy, and reform and innovation—Dazhou will implement a three-year action plan for high-quality development of industrial parks. It will continue to promote the upgrade of three provincial-level chemical industrial parks and strive to successfully establish a national high-tech industrial development zone. In 2026, the key targets are to cultivate one park with an output value of 60 billion yuan, one of 50 billion yuan, and two of 20 billion yuan, aiming for the total operating revenue of all city parks to exceed 200 billion yuan.
The fourth thrust is driving development through innovation. Actively embracing the digital wave, Dazhou will deeply implement the 'intelligent transformation and digitalization' action for manufacturing. It will increase R&D investment, strengthen cooperation with universities and research institutes, jointly build high-level laboratories and research centers, and achieve breakthroughs in a number of key core technologies, thereby activating a 'new engine' for transformational development. In 2026, the focus will be on promoting intelligent transformation in 50 industrial enterprises above the designated size and building over 10 smart factories and digital workshops.