There have been some real achievements over last three years in the Beibu Bay?Economic Zone, which helps drive the development of southern China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, according to Peng Qinghua, the region's Party chief.

Peng made the remark during a recent visit to Beihai, where he commented, "Beihai impresses me a lot with its development path based on local conditions. It's a path that suits the scientific concept of development needs, one that suits the Party and government's expectation."

He said he can see great progress in the city's industries and ports construction and that this is good for future's development. He also said he hopes Beihai can contribute to the Beibu Bay?competitiveness of the coastal area.

Peng went on to visit to the City Planning Museum, the Chengde Group, Sinopec's Beihai operations, Tieshan Port and an electronic industrial zone. At the museum, he praised the planning of the whole city and pointed out that cities need to improve public services and entertainment, with different functions, and have their own feature.

Also he praised Chengde for its ranking in the industry and, at Sinopec, said he thinks they have advanced technology and take environmental protection seriously. As for Beihai's electronic information industry, he said it has had a good impact on the economic structure. He also complimented the city's industrial pattern, with the electronic industry and tourism downtown, and port in Tieshan and said he hopes Beihai can do even better in the future, along a high-level, low-carbon, ecological, and environmental path. Large projects should take the lead of a long industrial train, with more attention paid to support industries.

Peng reminded everyone that the old impression of Beihai was one of tourism, but that, as one of the first open cities, it got a new start and found a scientific development path through great effort, overcoming obstacles along the way. He compared the differences of area, population, basic equipment, industrial structure and economic development of the Guangxi Beibu Bay?Economic Zone with Guangdong province's Pearl River Delta, and said that the gap meant potential. The Beibu Bay?Zone plays a leading role in Guangxi as most convenient opening to the sea in western China, and a bridge to ASEAN countries. Its development is vital to the economic balance of the area and to opening up the entire country. Guangxi's greatest advantage is its location and that is opening up, so, reforms and opening up can continue.

He concluded by talking about future planning, reforms, and opening up, the industrial process, transport, and environmental protection in Beihai and encouraged local officials to do more and carry on the spirit of the Eight Provisions to reach the development goals.