Since the central government's approval of a project for constructing a tunnel connecting Shanghai's Pudong District with its isolated Chongming Island, the island county's top official, Gong Deqing, has been busy answering phones and receiving visitors.
Gong, secretary of Chongming's County Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), told Xinhua that most of the calls and visits came from potential investors, while others were from domestic and foreign press.
He said the lack of transportation had been an obstacle to Chongming's development. "Once the problem is resolved, Chongming will welcome a golden era," said Gong.
At the estuary of the Yangtze, the 1,200 square km Chongming, China's third largest island, accounts for one-fifth of Shanghai's territory, but is linked to the downtown area only by ferry service.
Due to inconvenient transportation, the island's per capita GDP last year was only one-fifth of Shanghai's average figure.
Gong said the tunnel project was part of a plan to "catch up" with the downtown area.
With a total investment of 12.2 billion yuan (1.47 billion US dollars), the tunnel will run 17 meters beneath the Yangtze, China's longest river. Construction of the tunnel will begin this year and be completed by 2007.
Given its present isolation, Chongming is strategically located at the intersection of China's coastal economic zone and the Yangtze delta, Gong said.
Chongming is expected to become a platform to stimulate economic development in the regions north of the Yangtze delta.
Most importantly, the island boasts well-preserved ecological resources. "The beautiful island can be developed into a back-yard garden for bustling Shanghai, for it is livable, quiet and comfortable there," said Gong
According to Gong, while an appropriate development plan was still being discussed, Chongming would be better-suited for ecological sectors rather than for industrial production.
Dongtan, the island's world wetland nature reserve, would be the focal point, he said. A wetland park, a modern agricultural base and a high-end residential community had been planned in and around the zone.
The current Dongping forest park would be expanded to 55 square km, and the freshwater Mingzhu Lake with the best water quality in
Shanghai would be opened as a resort, he said.
In central Chongming, agriculture would prevail and in the isolated north, and cows would be raised to improve the alkaline earth and then build a large golf course.
He said Chongming was now working on improving infrastructure to prepare for the development. A dyke in the south, built at a cost of 220 million yuan (26.5 million US dollars) would soon be completed to fend off typhoons.
A canal was currently being built around the island to desalinize sea water and to drain flood water, he added.
