Dec. 13 (NBD) -- The 2nd Plenary Session of 13th CPC Chengdu Municipal Committee put forward to build a unified mechanism for developing Chengdu-Chongqing city cluster and made it a community of shared interests.

With this regard, Feng Kui, Secretary General of Academic Committee, China Center for Urban Development, National Development and Reform Commission had an inclusive interview with NBD.

NBD：Why should we build a community of shared interest and how will it impact the development of a city cluster?

Feng Kui: A city cluster is served as a platform that coordinates the development of different economies in a region. So far, urban agglomerations in Yangtze River delta and Pearl River delta have made some progress. However, drawbacks such as fragmented urban space and vicious competition remain, which hinders the efficient resource allocation.

NBD: Then how should we build such a community?

Feng Kui: First, we must have a clear vision, which is based on city planning. Second, we build such community through key projects. Beijing-Tianjing-Hebei integration, for example, values the integration of transportation, environmental protection and balanced industry mix.

Different city carries different functions. We must redefine the nature and function of cities in a wider region.

NBD: What mechanism should we have?

Feng Kui: A unified mechanism is essential for our community. Under such a mechanism, cities have equal rights to participate in dialogues at different levels.

In addition, the factor market and basic public services should also be unified and made available to everyone.

NBD: How does Chengdu and Chongqing complement each other on the way of building themselves into world-class cities?

Feng Kui: First and foremost, we have to coordinate the development of different industries between the two cities by making better use of the market force. Secondly, governments of Chengdu and Chongqing should often hold talks over major issues such as infrastructure building, environment protection, and social insurance, etc. Policies should be made based on the shared needs and interests of the cluster.

NBD: What's the relationship between core cities and surrounding cities?

Feng Kui: The relationship between core cities and surrounding cities is dynamic. Core cities are high-end service providers which will drive the development of surrounding cities. They are indispensible, complementing each other.

NBD: In such a relationship, how to avoid the Matthew effect?

Feng Kui: Such a phenomenon is quite normal in the early development stage of a city cluster, because cities of higher administrative ranking are more capable of attracting resources.

It is often seen that core cities have difficulty digesting all those resources while the rest are lacking of resources. To solve that problem, we have to further free the market so that production factors will flow to different cities.

NBD: What will the newly opened Xi'an-Chengdu high-speed railway do to coordinated development of different city clusters?

Feng Kui: First, it will push forward the transportation industry. In the future, Chengdu, Xi'an and Chongqing will be able to attract more talents. In the meanwhile, the competition among those cities will become fiercer.

Secondly, cities along the railway will be more open and better connected to the international community. Guanzhong-Tianshui city cluster and Chengdu-Chongqing city cluster will see closer ties.

To conclude, the railway will fuel the development of the two city clusters in western China.

Email: tanyuhan@nbd.com.cn