A drone photo shows wintering whooper swans at a nature reserve in Rongcheng, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 18, 2025. (Photo by Li Xinjun/Xinhua)
BEIJING, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- A report titled "New Era County Economics," released by Xinhua Institute at the Belt and Road Forum for International Think Tank Cooperation held on November 21 in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, highlights how ecological strength is becoming a core driver of county-level economic development in China.
The report notes that as the key foundational units of the national economy, county economies are closely linked to the country's progress in ecological civilization and the building of a Beautiful China.
According to the report, ecological counties follow the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," seeking a balance between ecological protection and economic growth.
Rongcheng in east China's Shandong Province exemplifies this trend. With strong marine ecological protection and a thriving marine economy, the county-level city has achieved an annual GDP of over 100 billion yuan for several years and was named "China's Happiest County-Level City for 2024."
Zheng'an County in southwest China's Guizhou Province has leveraged its clean environment to develop a flourishing white tea industry. The Xinhua Zheng'an White Tea Industry Development Index shows a compound annual growth rate of 39.37 percent since 2017, while the brand value of "Zheng'an White Tea" surged from 106 million yuan in 2012 to 2.113 billion yuan in 2024.
The report emphasizes that county economies can also serve as experimental fields and incubators for green technological innovation, achieving an organic integration of production, ecology, and living, and providing valuable experiences and models for nationwide green development.
Jieshou, a county-level city located in east China's Anhui Province, has created an "urban mine" model by building a nationwide recycling network. It now recycles over 4 million tons of waste materials annually, producing 990,000 tons of recycled lead and more than 100 million recycled power batteries.
Meanwhile, rural areas that are becoming more attractive are emerging as fertile ground for young people to return, start businesses, and apply their skills. For instance, Anji County in Zhejiang has set "attracting 100,000 young college students" as its foremost strategic goal, continuously refining employment and entrepreneurship policies to support young talent and offer them broader opportunities for growth.
The report concludes that the expanding vitality of county economies strengthens China's resilience and confidence in pursuing Chinese-style modernization, making counties important pillars of national development. (Edited by Yang Yifan with Xinhua Silk Road, yangyifan@xinhua.org)
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