# Toward the "Trillion-Level" Mark: What Hurdles Remain? A Dialogue with Yichang Mayor Chen Honghui

Yichang City Night View, 2025, expects to receive 141 million domestic tourists. (Interviewee | Provided photos)

Yichang, located at the junction of the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River, is an important hub city in the “Golden Triangle” of Han-Xiang-Yi, and a key node connecting the Chengdu-Chongqing and Wuhan urban clusters.

The city leads the nation in green smart shipbuilding industry, with a gradually forming full industrial chain for new energy batteries, and also boasts the unique resources of “Two Dams and One Gorge.”

Public reports show that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Yichang’s regional GDP has crossed two billion-yuan thresholds, with five industries reaching the billion-yuan level. Based on this, Yichang has set the ambitious goal of accelerating toward a “trillion-yuan” city during the 15th Five-Year Plan.

How will Yichang leverage its local characteristics to achieve the goal of becoming a “trillion-yuan” city? Southern Weekly’s reporter interviews Mayor Chen Honghui.

Southern Weekly: Yichang’s green smart shipbuilding industry is a distinctive advantage. During the 15th Five-Year Plan, how will you optimize and strengthen this industry and cultivate new productive forces?

Chen Honghui: During the 15th Five-Year Plan, we will promote the upgrade of the shipbuilding industry from four aspects: First, advance the “Electrification of the Yangtze River,” coordinate the construction of the “Four Major Parks” in Yidu, Zhijiang, and others, guiding industry clusters; Second, implement digital transformation of ship enterprises, aiming to increase single-ship construction efficiency by 50%, and demonstrate the construction of electric and LNG-powered ships; Third, build a full industry chain centered on cruise ship operations, plan two green ship dismantling centers, with Zhijiang Minwa Shipyard becoming the province’s first ship dismantling enterprise, and by the first half of 2026, launch green demonstration ships and lines for phosphate mining, accelerating the creation of a “zero-carbon freight” corridor; Fourth, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, develop low-altitude manufacturing bases in southwestern Hubei through air-water coordination, and coordinate river-sea efforts to develop deep-sea exploration equipment, forming a complete industrial ecological chain.

Southern Weekly: Moving toward a “trillion-yuan” city is a core goal of the 15th Five-Year Plan. How will you tailor your strategies based on Yichang’s unique features?

Chen Honghui: First, build a modern industrial system reflecting Yichang’s advantages, deeply integrating “industry foundation + technological innovation + financial empowerment,” and accelerate the development of six main and diverse supporting industries: green chemicals, new energy materials, life health, automotive and equipment manufacturing, computing power and big data, and cultural tourism.

Second, create a city characterized by “half mountains and rivers, half city,” adhering to urban construction, urban nurturing, and urban prosperity, optimizing riverside cityscapes, and building a high-standard central green space. Simultaneously, promote regional特色 development based on local conditions and deepen efforts to strengthen agriculture. Accelerate the development of a regional consumer center city, creating new consumption scenarios aligned with Yichang’s cultural tourism and industrial特色.

Third, drive open development through特色产业,坚持“以产业带外贸、以外经带外贸、以外资带外贸” (using industries to promote foreign trade, foreign investment to boost exports). Implement the “Yipin Going Global” initiative, strengthen exports of特色 products like phosphate chemicals and new energy batteries,提升自贸区和综保区的能级, and build a cross-border e-commerce online comprehensive service platform. With a “big business environment” approach, continuously create a market-oriented, law-based, and international first-class business environment, helping Yichang’s特色产业 reach nationwide and connect with the world.

Finally, combine民生保障 with city特色, focusing on services for the elderly, children, and特殊群体, delivering high-quality民生 projects, and leveraging the Yangtze River ecology and文化旅游资源 to ensure city development has both产业实力 and民生温度.

Southern Weekly: As an important support in the Han-Xiang-Yi “Golden Triangle,” how will Yichang during the 15th Five-Year Plan leverage its regional特色 to improve transportation hub functions?

Chen Honghui: Yichang, positioned as the门户 of western Hubei and eastern Chongqing, promotes regional coordination from “solo efforts” to “collaborative ascent.” The core is integrating into three major产业走廊, strengthening特色产业支撑: First, develop a world-class phosphate chemical循环产业集群, integrating into the “Yijingjingsh Xiang” new energy and new materials corridor, led by projects like Wanhua Chemical and Chune New Energy, transforming the chemical industry toward精细化工 and新能新材料; Second, integrate into the “Han-Jing-Yi” life health corridor, relying on Angel Yeast’s national key实验室, building a national-level biomanufacturing pilot平台, and creating a regional innovation成果转化基地; Third, connect into the “Han-Huang-Jing-Ji-Yi” high-end装备 corridor, focusing on Yidu园区,推动湖北海科、盛懋船业等项目今年投产,打造长江中上游最大绿色智能船舶制造基地.

Transportation is the基础 of regional collaboration. Yichang is building a comprehensive交通枢纽 connecting the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan, Yichang’s total交通投资 will exceed 200 billion yuan, averaging over 1 billion yuan daily, with at least one高速公路 or长江大桥 starting construction each year, and at least one opening for operation.

Southern Weekly: Yichang is a national示范区 for生态文明建设, also known for文化特色 like Qu Yuan’s hometown and Wang Zhaojun’s hometown. How will you balance ecological保护 and文化旅游发展 to create特色城市名片 during the 15th Five-Year Plan?

Chen Honghui: During the 15th Five-Year Plan, we will prioritize保护 and修复 the Yangtze River’s生态环境, accelerating efforts to showcase the大保护 of the Yangtze. First,守牢生态底线, continue implementing the ten major提升行动 for high-level保护 of the Yangtze, ensuring water quality in the Yichang段 remains at Class II or above, and establishing水安全监管平台 and integrated防控体系 for karst caves and溶洞; Second,推进全面绿色转型,持续推进电化、氢化、气化长江,加快公务船、旅游船、磷矿运输船的新能源替代,培育循环经济如废旧动力电池和车船拆解,建设零碳园区和零碳工厂; Third,激活“两山”转化动能,发展“水经济”,激活“碳资源”,建立宜昌“两山”转化运营中心,扩大“鄂林碳惠”覆盖面,让绿水青山持续“变现”.

Southern Weekly reporter Du Hansan, Southern Weekly intern Chen Xiaoran

Editor: Du Maolin