On September 14, the Information Office of the Henan Provincial People's Government held a special press conference for the series themed "Starting Strong for the 15th Five-Year Plan, Writing a New Chapter" for the Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone. Guo Peng, Deputy Secretary of the Party Working Committee and Director of the Administrative Committee of the Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone, delivered a keynote address centered on "Anchoring the Construction of an AI-Powered City, Writing a High-Quality Development Chapter for the Port Zone," outlining the zone's 15th Five-Year Plan framework, economic and social development targets, and key tasks.
Established by State Council approval on March 7, 2013, Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone became China's first national-level airport-based economy pilot zone. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the zone followed the internal logic of "building a major hub, developing major logistics, cultivating major industries, and shaping a major metropolis," coordinating the integrated development of "port, industry, city, and parks." The region's GDP surpassed 150 billion yuan, maintaining double-digit average annual growth over the past decade.
The 15th Five-Year Plan period marks a critical phase for Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone to continue its "second venture" and achieve high-quality development from a higher starting point. Guo Peng introduced that the zone is focusing on the provincial party committee's "1+2+4+N" target task system and has devised a "135" work roadmap tailored to its own development realities. The "1" represents one overarching goal: building a "core growth pole for the province's high-quality development and a pilot demonstration zone for efficient governance." The "3" signifies three major strategies: strengthening the hub to support industrial expansion, promoting industry-city integration through intensive development, and fostering integrated development through urban-rural coordination. The "5" denotes five key tasks: hub construction, industrial development, urban quality improvement, rural revitalization, and grassroots governance.
Guo Peng stated that Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone will strive to maintain double-digit average annual growth in key economic indicators and play a leading demonstration role in the province's "four hubs, three support points" framework and the reform and development of provincial parks. The hub serves as the foundation of the airport zone, while industry is essential to its strength.
During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the zone will advance major projects including the third phase of the airport, the postal international aviation hub, and the eastern railway special line of the international land port, continuously enhancing the collection and distribution capabilities of both air and land ports. Meanwhile, the zone will strengthen the "four-port linkage" development, planning projects such as the airport east expressway and air-rail intermodal lines, accelerating the development of air logistics, high-speed rail logistics, and international road transport, and upgrading rail-sea intermodal transport. This will convert hub traffic into economic growth. By 2030, the cargo and mail throughput of Zhengzhou Airport is expected to firmly rank among the global top 30, with international land port trains operating 10,000 trips annually, handling ten million tons of cargo.
On the industrial front, the zone will deepen and expand the Zhengzhou-Luxembourg dual-hub model, promote the expansion of China-Europe (Asia) freight trains, proactively align with high-standard international economic and trade rules, and accelerate pilot initiatives such as the cross-border trade facilitation special action. It will continue to strengthen three advantageous industries: information technology, new energy vehicles, and commerce and logistics; accelerate growth in three high-growth industries: computing power and computing equipment, biomedicine, and robotics; and optimize the distinctive aviation services industry.
In terms of implementation, efforts will focus on generating incremental gains from existing quality assets, supporting leading enterprises such as Foxconn, BYD, and Supermicro to expand investment and production, and helping waist-level companies like Zhengzhou Hejing and Dongwei Electronics to scale up. Simultaneously, the zone will seize new "increments" through industrial innovation, strengthening high-level innovation platforms such as the Provincial Academy of Medical Sciences and the Provincial Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine Sciences, fully advancing the Central Plains Medical Science City, vigorously building science and technology industrial communities, and nurturing more innovative small, medium, and micro market entities, thereby transforming scientific and technological innovation advantages into industrial ecosystem strengths.
During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the zone will adhere to intensive, connotative development principles and take the lead in demonstrating industry-city integration. Following the principle of "scientific planning, phased construction, build one area, achieve results in one area," the zone will establish a development pattern of "one hub, two zones, and four parks," with the airport area as the core, coordinating the advancement of municipal supporting facilities and industrial introduction in the northern port area, and the improvement of service functions and living facilities in the southern port area. The zone will concentrate efforts on building four major parks: the Science and Technology Industrial Park, the Commerce and Logistics Industrial Park, the Biomedical Industrial Park, and the Advanced Manufacturing Industrial Park, guiding industries, resources, and factors to cluster in these parks.
Among them, the North Port Science and Technology Industrial Park, leveraging leading companies such as Foxconn and Supermicro, aims to build a globally important intelligent terminal and AI server manufacturing base. It will also plan and construct technology industrial communities to enhance the vitality of the park and support the airport zone's goal of building an "AI-powered city."
Additionally, over the next five years, the zone will promote comprehensive rural revitalization through urban-rural integration, actively exploring new paths and experiences in integrated urban-rural development. It will coordinate the implementation of five key rural construction initiatives, increasing investment in rural road networks, water supply and drainage, gas supply, and high-standard farmland construction, continuously improving the rural living environment and raising the income of village collectives and villagers. The zone will optimize the layout of rural education, medical care, and elderly care, further enhancing the equalization level of public services, and accelerating the construction of livable, workable, and beautiful villages. It will also coordinate the two-way flow of urban and rural factors, implement the "Five Clearances and Four Constructions" initiative, improve grassroots governance efficiency, and support rural revitalization.
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