On December 24, promotion meeting for the development of Beautiful Towns and Characteristic Towns in the new era was held in Zhejiang Province. Governor Zheng Shanjie awarded the first provincial models of Beautiful Towns and the fourth provincial Characteristic Towns. He stressed that the aim of building beautiful towns and characteristic towns is to comprehensively practice the new development concept, cultivate new economic growth points, expand new space for high-quality development. The development of Beautiful Towns and Characteristic Town is highly potential and promising. We should follow the general outline of General Secretary Xi Jinping's instruction on township, and thoroughly implement the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the Nineteenth Central Committee of Communist Party of China of Communist Party of China, the central economic work conference, and the Eighth Plenary Session of the Fourteenth Provincial Party committee. More work should be done to better refine our work objectives, introduce support policies, strengthen comprehensive integration,  projects promotion and positive feedback management, so that we can truly focus on development of Beautiful Towns and Characteristic Towns and fulfill them, and try our best to feature our “important window” with beautiful towns and characteristic towns.

Zheng Shanjie pointed out that the unique spatial form and economic form of “small town” should further show its importance and value in the high-quality development of the new development stage, strive to become an important carrier for comprehensively practicing the new development concept, an vital support for accelerating the coordination between urban and rural areas and promoting common prosperity, an essential link for building a new development pattern, and a valuable measure for promoting the modernization of governance system and governance capacity.

Zheng Shanjie stressed that it is necessary to further clarify the objectives and tasks of the construction of Beautiful Towns, deeply fulfill the project of “Thousands of Beautiful Towns”, and create a strategic timing for the overall planning of urban and rural areas. Attention should be directed to planning guidance, overall planning, classified guidance and overall design of the county, and create beautiful models with different features under the county urbanization pattern of “one city surrounded by 3 to 5 towns”. It is necessary to make overall plans for the allocation of industrial resources according to the overall industrial layout and the original blocky characteristic industrial foundation of small towns, and do a good job in strengthening the industrial chain, opening up the innovation chain, and integrating the supply chain, so as to enhance the quality and efficiency and overall competitiveness of the industrial development of small towns. The environments should be optimized and attention should be paid to the combine transformation and construction. Beautiful landscapes are to be created by insisting on “micro transformation” and the development idea of “integrating town’s tradition with landscape”, build urban-rural infrastructure and public service system, and create a good cultural environment for small towns. It is essential to improve the efficiency of governance, strive to eradicate the “town’s diseases” such as dirty, disordered and poor, effectively guarantee public security, and further enhance the people's sense of security and achievement.

Zheng Shanjie stressed that we should persist in promoting the high-quality development of characteristic towns, and strive to create a high-end platform for comprehensively practicing the new development concept. Firstly, industry should be promoted. We should aim at high-end industries and their advanced areas by actively use measures such as Internet, big data, creative design and so on to transform and upgrade traditional industries in an all-round way. Secondly, innovation should be highlighted. We should build an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in line with the characteristics of small towns, and promote the two-way linkage of innovation chain from “institute to platform and then to enterprise”. Thirdly, reform should be focused on. The characteristic towns should give priority to the reform pilot projects which are first tried by the state and provinces, and they should take the lead in the reform projects which meet the requirements of national laws and regulations. Thirdly, radiation influences should not be ignored. We should give full play to the advantages of high-end elements gathering in characteristic towns, and provide strong support for the implementation of major provincial strategies.

Vice Governor Chen Yijun presided over the meeting and required all localities and relevant departments to cooperate with each other and ensure the fulfillment. More efforts should be promoted for the development of beautiful towns and characteristic towns, and set more Zhejiang Modesl and deliver more Zhejiang experiences for the nation. Efforts should be made to integrate and implement the system. We should adhere to the concept of system, plan comprehensively, give full play to the speciality, cooperate and coordinate with each other. We should center on strategy and their implementation, adjust measures to local conditions, lead by characteristics, implement policies for towns, classify the measures and take differentiated ones to integrate industries with towns, so as to achieve towns with their own features. Details should take into consideration and development should be implemented step by step according to the list, led by good examples and typical guidance, scientifically and effectively promote the upgrading of beautiful towns and characteristic towns.

Chen Xin, General Secretary of Zhejiang Provincial Government, and heads of relevant provincial departments attended the meeting. Zhejiang Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Zhejiang Provincial Department of Construction, Wenzhou City, Tongxiang City, Dongyang City and Zhuangshi Street of Zhenhai District made speeches at the meeting.

Xiang Yongdan, Director of Zhejiang Provincial Beautiful Town Office and Director of Zhejiang Provincial Department of Construction, pointed out in his speech: Firstly, we should concentrate on the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan and guided by it and strive to build a number of beautiful towns with high quality, high capacity, strong driving force, innovation and coordination; Secondly, we should focus on “modernization”, and work hard to be a good server for urban-rural areas, accelerate the interconnection of urban-rural infrastructure, and the inclusive sharing of basic public services from the city to the countryside; Thirdly, we should put concentration on “happiness”, build town and village life circle aiming at the happiness of the people, accelerate the construction of 5-minute neighborhood life circle, 15-minute community life circle and 30-minute district life circle; More attention should be paid to build a new pattern of development, highlight policy empowerment, digital empowerment and innovation empowerment, and explore the formulation of Construction Standard for Beautiful Towns in New Era. We will build beautiful towns into modern regional centers serving the people.

Before the meeting, the participants visited Puyuan town of Tongxiang City to study the development of beautiful towns. The main heads and responsible persons of the municipal and county (city, district) governments, and the main staffs of the construction units of beautiful towns and characteristic towns attended the video conference.