Summary:
New governor of the Guizhou province, Zhao Kezhi, promises to improve the economy of the landlocked province. Zhao was transferred to Guizhou from the wealthy coastal Jiangsu province last year as part the development of the 12th Five-Year Plan. Despite the provinces 12 percent GDP growth over the last five years, the province remains one of the least developed in China, it ranks last in per capita GDP, and lags behind the rest of the country in terms of industrialization. Zhao says he plans to significantly expand the provinces infrastructure by adding 3,200 miles of railroad and 3,000 miles of highways, bringing the two transportation networks up to 5,000 and 4,500 miles, respectively. The governor also plans to take advantage of the provinces ample resources to speed up development. Zhao self stated goal, "The words 'poor' and 'slow-paced' should not be associated with Guizhou when we mention the province. We want to fix our image."
Significance:
Zhao's mandate to improve the poor province illustrates the inequality present in China between the industrialized coast and the agricultural interior, a rising point of contention in a nation still supposedly tied to the ideas wealth equality and redistribution. His success or failure in improving the lagging province could set a precedence among the Western provinces and their approach to economic development. It will also provide an example of the results a more proactive bureaucracy can have on the nation's economic development. Lastly, his efforts could alter the relationship between the coast and interior and how they interact with each other. All-in-all, the results of Zhao's transfere to Guizhou could be an interesting development in the rising economic powerhouse.
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