The total economic aggregate of central China's Hunan Province, a national hub for important and advanced manufacturing industries, surpassed a milestone 5 trillion yuan (about 692.04 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023 from 2 trillion yuan (around 276.82 billion U.S. dollars) in 2012 , said the province's governor Mao Weiming on Friday in Beijing.
Briefing the media on the province's 2023 economic performance at a press conference, Mao highlighted that the market scale of high-tech industry in Hunan has surpassed 1 trillion yuan (around 138.41 billion U.S. dollars), while the number of high-tech enterprises has surpassed one trillion mark with an average annual increase of over 2,000.
The governor said that the province has expanded its new development advantages with the setting up of three trillion-yuan industries, 16 hundred-billion-yuan industries and four national-level advanced manufacturing clusters. Notably, Hunan is the only province in China equipped with new generation autonomous safety computing systems and the first pilot province for utilizing low-altitude airspace. So far, a total of 72 enterprises in the province have stood out as national leading manufacturers.
"Hunan is gathering pace in opening up and embracing the world. At this moment, our economic and trade 'friends circle' has included 235 countries and regions, at the same time, 211 projects or enterprises affiliated to Fortune Global 500 companies have been launched in Hunan, with our total import and export volume surpassing the 110 billion U.S. dollar milestone," said Mao.
Hunan's economic aggregate tops 5 trln yuan milestone in 2023
A Chinese mainland spokesperson said Lai Ching-te has sent "a dangerous signal" of seeking "Taiwan independence" and making provocations to undermine cross-Strait peace and stability in his speech upon assuming the role of Taiwan region's new leader on Monday.
Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, described Lai's speech as one that stubbornly followed the "Taiwan independence" stance, wantonly advocated separatism, incited cross-Strait confrontation and sought independence by relying on foreign support and by force.
Chen said the mainstream public aspiration on the island is for peace and development, instead of war and recession, while Lai has ignored the public opinion, exposing his nature of being "a worker for Taiwan independence."
The current complex and grave situation across the Strait is rooted in the fact that the Democratic Progressive Party has stubbornly stuck to the separatist stance of "Taiwan independence," rejected the 1992 Consensus that embodies the one-China principle, and kept colluding with external forces to make provocations of seeking "Taiwan independence," Chen said.
Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, said Chen, stressing that "Taiwan independence" and peace across the Strait are incompatible as fire and water.
"We have firm determination to resolve the Taiwan question and realize national reunification; we have strong capabilities to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity; and we will take resolute actions to fight separatist activities seeking 'Taiwan independence' and external interference," he said.
"We will never tolerate any 'Taiwan independence' separatist acts in any form," said Chen.
China must and will be reunified, Chen stressed. No matter how the situation on the island changes and who assumes the regional leader, it will not change the fact that both sides of the Strait belong to one China, or impede the historical trend of national reunification, he said.
"We will fully implement the Party's overall policy for resolving the Taiwan question in the new era, unswervingly uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, work together with Taiwan compatriots to promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and cross-Strait integrated development, and resolutely advance the reunification of the motherland," said Chen.
Mainland says Lai sends "dangerous signal" in speech as Taiwan's new leader
