"Are you saying that Nantang needs to plan an industrial development zone?" Shen Zile had already read Lu Weimin's article three times. To be honest, he was increasingly impressed with the young man in front of him. Not only could he accurately capture his inner thoughts, but more importantly, he always managed to propose solutions that perfectly aligned with his thoughts.
The article in his hand must have taken Lu Weimin at least a few nights to write. The handwritten manuscript still showed some traces of revisions, which was likely the final version after several drafts.
"Exactly, County Chief Shen. You mentioned some of your ideas to me a while ago, and I've been thinking about them ever since. I also called my classmates in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, as well as in Lingnan, to help me gather information on the new trends and approaches in county economic development. Additionally, I contacted my classmate in Beijing to see if there were any new ideas from the higher-ups regarding economic development. Only then did I write this article."
Lu Weimin was straightforward about the effort he put into the article. To be honest, after returning to this era, he found that his ideas were quite out of place, especially in Nantang. He often had to adjust his thoughts to avoid making shocking and outrageous statements.
Shen Zile had many ideas, but how to help Shen Zile's ideas become a reality in a practical way required careful consideration.
Attracting investment was a constant theme, at least from now until the first decade of the 21st century, it was the top priority for every level of the party and government. For Nantang, a large agricultural county located in the inland hilly area, relying solely on agriculture for economic development was not feasible. Developing industry was a must, but how to develop industry from scratch was a challenge.
"Our county's kiwi fruit industry is growing rapidly. Although the market for kiwi fruit products is relatively small in China, it is already quite mature in Western countries like Europe and America. I have also learned about the possibilities of developing a kiwi fruit processing industry through some channels. My classmate at the Lingnan Provincial Development and Reform Commission has also collected some relevant information for me. I believe that developing a kiwi fruit processing industry in Nantang has a promising market."
Lu Weimin knew this was also a test for himself. "Developing a kiwi fruit processing industry can further boost the development of our county's food industry and provide an opportunity for the restructuring of our largest enterprise, the county food factory."
"Hmm, I read your article and found it very forward-thinking. However, in recent years, our county's achievements in attracting investment have been poor, with no significant projects. To be honest, our county's infrastructure is among the worst in Linyang, and Linyang itself is a third-tier region in the province. I see you are very confident, but are you really that confident, or are you just trying to reassure me?" Shen Zile smiled and put the materials aside.
"Your classmates are in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, where the infrastructure is far superior to ours in Nantang. Moreover, the mindset and openness in those regions are much greater than here. To be honest, I have no confidence in our efficiency and work style. If you want others to invest here, investors are not fools. They need a return on their investment. Do you think they can get a return here, or is the return rate high enough?"
Lu Weimin did not expect Shen Zile to think so deeply, which deepened his impression of Shen Zile. Especially when Shen Zile mentioned the impact of the local government's efficiency and work style on attracting investment, and considered the issue from the perspective of investors, which was quite rare.
Many leaders at this time only envied and resented the rapid development and successful investment attraction in coastal areas, without realizing that investors are not philanthropists. The prerequisite for investment is to make money and recover costs as quickly as possible, then earn more profits.
"I have considered this issue from three aspects. Nantang is located in the inland hilly area, and attracting a significant enterprise is not easy. As you mentioned, our infrastructure is poor, which is the first issue. The second issue is the constraints of our mindset, efficiency, and work style. The third issue is our geographical location. Being inland, we need to consider transportation costs when our products are ready for the market. These are all不利 factors."
Lu Weimin knew that Shen Zile needed him to boost his confidence, and this was the first step in implementing his ideas. He had to successfully stimulate Shen Zile's ambition to achieve this goal.
"However, we also have advantages. First, kiwi fruit cultivation in Linyang has a solid foundation. Most of the hilly areas in southern Linyang have an altitude between 500 and 700 meters, with suitable sunlight, temperature, and soil quality for kiwi fruit cultivation. We are currently leading in kiwi fruit cultivation in China, especially after the influence of the Asian Games. Second, Nantang has an abundant rural labor force with low labor costs, which is what investors value most. Third, although we are inland, if our county party committee and government show the greatest sincerity in attracting investment and offer more favorable policies on land and taxes, I believe this is a significant advantage. Combining kiwi fruit resources, low labor costs, and favorable policies for attracting investment, I think we still have a chance."
"Hmm, Weimin, you mentioned two aspects, what about the third?"
"The third aspect," Lu Weimin seemed to be thinking, "County Chief Shen, I believe that since the county has decided to further deepen reforms and open up, we must improve in many areas. A successful and perfect example of attracting investment might break our current stagnant and rigid work system. Establishing an industrial development zone focused on developing the industrial economy could be a turning point, acting as a booster for the county's political and economic development."
Shen Zile fell into deep thought. Lu Weimin's ideas were unique. The concept of an economic and technological development zone was not new nationwide, but it was still a new term in Linyang. Apart from Changzhou, which had established a development zone, other cities like Kunhu and Qingxi were reportedly only considering it, and even the preparatory groups had not been formed.
If Nantang, a poor county in Linyang, were to establish an industrial development zone, it would likely become a hot news item. Whether this would be a good or bad thing was hard to say.
Seeing that Shen Zile was still deep in thought, Lu Weimin knew that this was a significant matter, and Shen Zile alone could not make the decision. He would need to discuss it with An Dejian and bring it to the Standing Committee for study. Additionally, he would need to seek the opinion of the Linyang Regional Committee. The current situation was unclear, and it was hard to predict how others would react to such a proposal.
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