Guizhou province is betting on scientific and technological innovation to achieve a leapfrog development of green economy through cooperating with Zhongguancun in Beijing, dubbed China's Silicon Valley, the province's governor said on Sunday.

"The strategic cooperation with Zhongguancun will serve as a new engine to boost another round of economic growth in our region, and bringing in high-tech industry is the best way to power our economy without damaging the local environment," Chen Miner said at the launch ceremony for an industrial park for Zhongguancun companies in Guiyang.

Contracts for more than 100 projects worth a combined 46.5 billion yuan ($7.59 billion) were signed during the event.

More than 50 companies based in Zhongguancun, the hub of the information technology industry in northwestern Beijing, are planning to establish businesses in Guiyang later this year, with investments in the IT, biotechnology and electronics manufacturing sectors.

Chen said the province will improve its infrastructure, including transportation networks, drinking water and education, to lay a solid foundation for Zhongguancun companies and translate regional and natural resource advantages into economic benefits.

The partnership is the latest of the country's policies to boost its slowing growth through cutting-edge technologies, and to promote the social development of lesser-developed parts of China.

Last year, China outlined a set of policies specifically targeted to promote Guizhou's development, so it can catch up with more economically advanced areas.

Jingdong Mall Group, one of China's leading e-commerce operators, has invested 1 billion yuan to build a 33.3-hectare industrial park that includes a logistics center, delivery, operation and production departments. Zhao Guoqing, co-chairman of Jingdong Mall Group, said the company will use the city's location advantage to further promote its businesses in the neighboring countries in Southeast Asia.

"As an eco-friendly city, Guiyang is very suitable for the development of e-commerce companies, because their core concepts to achieve a more green and sustainable growth are the same," he said.

The GDP of Guizhou reached 325 billion yuan in the first half of the year, up 12.5 percent year-on-year, the government said. The increase was the highest in China.

Lu Jinyong, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics, said despite rich natural resources, Guizhou still lags far behind many regions in the country.

"The cooperation with Zhongguancun will not simply bring big high-tech companies to Guiyang but also all kinds of resources and advanced business experience," he said. "This will give a boost to the local economy and upgrade the industrial structure."

Contact the writer at lvchang@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 09/09/2013 page5)