Residents in Weihai City in East China's
Shandong
Province are expected to benefit from its enhanced
environmental programs to build itself into an ecological urban
center.
"We are trying to build a developed ecological economy, and Weihai
is becoming one of the best places for everyday living, as well as
for new entrepreneurs to set up businesses here," said Weihai Party
Secretary Cui Yuechen in an interview yesterday.
Cui said that, in the next five years, Weihai will develop more
high-tech industries while keeping itself as an ecologically
protected city.
A
group of ecological development zones and industrial parks are
expected to start construction as of next May, with a total
investment of 2 billion yuan (US$282 million).
In
the past 10 years, the city has received many honourable titles in
environmental protection and city construction.
In
1996, the city was distinguished as one of the "100 Best Cities to
Live In" by the United Nations.
Weihai is surrounded by sea on three sides, and its coastlines
stretch for more than 1,000 kilometres, accounting for one-third of
the total of Shandong Province.
To
date, the city has segmented off a total of nine sections for
different urban functions; these include residential, industrial,
cultural and entertainment, commercial and tourism and holiday
areas.
And 97.6 per cent of urban consumption is devoted to using clean
energy, such as coal gas and liquefied petroleum gas. All its solid
urban waste is recycled.
Waste water containing oil from docks and ports is all disposed,
and 72 per cent of its waste water is dealt with after being
discharged from processing plants.
The city has also pumped more than 2 billion yuan (US$282 million)
into pollution treatment.
(China Daily July 4, 2003)