5.7% Growth Reveals the Momentum of High-Quality Development in Changchun—

Written on the Eve of the 9th Plenary Session of the 14th CPC Changchun Municipal Committee

 

The recently released "mid-year report" of Changchun's economy is both encouraging and confidence-boosting. For instance, Changchun's GDP grew by 5.7% year-on-year in the first half of the year, 0.4 percentage points higher than the national average, placing it among the top sub-provincial cities in China. Its economic output accounted for 55% of the provincial total, contributing the same proportion to Jilin's overall growth. The report reflects the city's achievements in facing challenges and striving forward, as well as its unwavering pursuit of high-quality development, sending a clear signal of strong momentum in the transformation and upgrading of this traditional industrial base in Northeast China.

 

Stability forms the solid foundation of development; progress defines the direction and status of advancement. The 5.7% growth not only reveals Changchun's resilience in its transformation efforts but also highlights the surging momentum driven by innovation and the city's proactive role as the provincial capital in serving the broader development landscape of Jilin Province. Behind the impressive data lie the determined steps toward industrial upgrading, the continuous surge of innovation vitality, and the steady enhancement of the city's overall development capacity.

 

Solid Foundation: Industrial Backbone Transforms Toward "New" Directions

 

In Changchun, known as the "Automobile City", the auto industry—the pillar of the local economy—is writing a new chapter of transformation.

 

Riding the wave of "electrification, intelligence, and connectivity", FAW Group delivered an outstanding performance in the first half of the year. Its total vehicle sales exceeded 1.571 million units, up 6.1% year-on-year, while vehicle production reached 1.555 million units, up 3.8%. Notably, sales of vehicles from its proprietary brands surpassed 449,800 units, a year-on-year increase of 8.5%, while new energy vehicle sales hit 145,000 units, surging by 95.5%. The brand value of FAW Group, Hongqi, and Jiefang all ranked first in the industry.

 

In the final assembly workshop at the Hongqi Fanrong Factory, 19 industrial robots automatically install windshields, and chassis assembly is completed in just 52 seconds, setting an industry record for simultaneously producing eight different models on a single line.

 

FAW Toyota Changchun Fengyue's green factory integrates intelligent and digital transformation, continuously reducing energy consumption indicators and giving "Made in Changchun" a distinct identity as low-carbon, green, and smart.

 

With its sights set on developing a trillion-yuan-level auto industry cluster, Changchun is strategically advancing both "independent innovation breakthroughs" and "enhanced resilience of the industrial chain". On the one hand, FAW Group's sustained investments in new energy and intelligent connectivity core technologies are beginning to bear fruit; on the other hand, the local supporting system is becoming more robust and better able to withstand supply chain fluctuations. The government's targeted policies have provided strong support in application scenarios and infrastructure, and the synergy effect between the government and enterprises is becoming increasingly evident.

 

While the traditional auto industry is being revitalized, emerging sectors such as biomedicine, optoelectronic information, new energy, and new materials are growing in clusters across Changchun's black soil. In the first half of the year, the city's output value of strategic emerging industries above the designated size grew by 17.9%, becoming a new engine driving growth. This vividly illustrates that Changchun's industrial structure is improving not only in quality but also in environmental sustainability.

 

Momentum Accumulating: Project Construction Drives Changchun Forward

 

The 5.7% growth stems from "hard investments" in major projects that lay a solid foundation, showcasing Changchun's all-out efforts to boost the economy and drive project development. From the groundbreaking of special industrial parks to the rapid rise of smart factories, and from the competitive entry of commercial buildings and star-rated hotels to the accelerated emergence of urban complexes, major projects have been springing up like bamboo shoots after the rain, growing steadily upward and generating surging momentum for high-quality development.

 

At Jilin Joinature Polymer Co., Ltd., the second phase of its comprehensive factory for the deep processing of 5,000 tons of polyether ether ketone (PEEK) products annually has been completed, adding robust support to the new materials industry.

 

In the Yongchun Biomedical City, the construction of the Zhongke Biomedical Industry Innovation Park and the Changchun Yongchun Biomedical City Incubation and Innovation Center is in full swing, which will become fertile ground for innovation and creation.

 

The Beihu Park Project of the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, CAS, is establishing a fully integrated innovation hub for the entire new materials industry chain, accelerating the transition of scientific research results into industrial applications.

 

The Aerospace Information Industrial Park is forging a new commercial space ecosystem with its "reach for the sky" ambition, helping turn the space dream into reality.

 

In the first half of the year, 1,327 major projects with an investment of over RMB 50 million each commenced or resumed construction across the city. These projects serve as powerful engines and cornerstones of economic development, building new competitive advantages for Changchun's future and providing stronger confidence and energy for high-quality growth.

 

A closer look at these projects reveals that they are not blind expansions or scattershot efforts but strategic deployments aligned with development needs—addressing both the immediate demands of "filling gaps and reinforcing strengths" in industrial chains and the forward-looking positioning in future industrial arenas. They are not only stabilizers for current economic growth, but also long-term power sources for cultivating sustained competitive advantages.

 

Innovation Code: Deep Technology-Industry Integration

 

The key to Changchun's 5.7% growth lies in the deep integration of technological innovation and industrial development.

 

At the workshop of CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., Ltd., multiple trainsets are lined up and ready to go. The Fuxing intelligent EMU for the Beijing-Zhangjiakou High-Speed Railway has achieved automatic driving at 350 km/h for the first time; China's first hydrogen-powered urban train has completed a full-capacity test run at 160 km/h; and a prototype for a high-speed maglev train has completed its first levitation test. In recent years, CRRC Changchun has frequently made headlines with independently developed products such as the CRH and CR series, filling multiple domestic gaps and reaching world-class standards. Today, its products are exported to more than 20 countries and regions worldwide.

 

Behind these impressive achievements lies a powerful innovation capacity. The company has established a robust technological innovation platform around the National Industrial Design Center, the Railway Industry Engineering Research Center for High-Speed Train Constitutive Safety Technology, the Railway Industry Engineering Research Center for Higher-Speed EMU System Integration, and the National Engineering Research Center for Rail Transit Vehicle System Integration. It has mastered over 60 core technologies across major disciplines, with substantial progress made in areas such as crash energy absorption, vibration and noise reduction, superconducting technology, and lightweight design.

 

Innovation is also reaching into space. The "Jilin-1" satellites developed by Chang Guang Satellite have been downsized from the original 400 kg to just 20 kg. Currently, 117 satellites are in orbit, forming the world's largest commercial sub-meter-resolution remote sensing satellite constellation. With a strong advantage in remote sensing information services, they have supported over 150 types of precision services across 14 sectors, including agriculture and forestry, water conservancy, environmental protection, transportation, finance, natural resources, and urban development.

 

Low-altitude economy, a new blue ocean, is also stimulating Changchun's innovation vitality. As one of the first pilot cities for low-altitude airspace management reform in China, Changchun is seizing the opportunity to grow this emerging sector. It released the Action Plan for Promoting High-Quality Development of the Low-Altitude Economy in Changchun (2024-2026), exploring diverse application scenarios under the "low altitude+" model. In February this year, the city launched China's first low-altitude large model, "Zidong Changkong", to act as an intelligent decision-making tool for governments and enterprises.

 

Jingyue High-Tech Zone has deployed i-KINGTEC Lotus Lantern Drone Stations at Jingyuetan National Scenic Area, the Changchun Agri-Expo Park, and other places. The drones conduct two rounds of daily patrols, playing a key role in urban waste management and road maintenance.

 

Innovation vitality is rapidly being transformed into real productive forces. In the first half of this year, the number of locally transformed scientific and technological achievements in Changchun increased by 13.9% year-on-year, while the value of technology contract transactions rose by 15.6%. Innovation vitality is not only reflected in the high efficiency of achievement transformation, but also in the formidable lineup of business entities. The number of specialized, refined, differential, and innovative enterprises rose by 25.7% compared to the end of last year. Meanwhile, the first batch of 46 high-growth Eagle, Gazelle, and Unicorn enterprises was officially recognized.

 

These figures highlight the early results of Changchun's continuous efforts to build a robust innovation ecosystem. By reinforcing the central role of enterprises in innovation, building efficient platforms for achievement transformation, and optimizing policy support across the entire chain, the city is harnessing its abundant research resources to generate industrial prosperity.

 

The intelligent upgrading of the industrial backbone has laid a solid foundation for transformation; major projects have consolidated momentum for sustained growth; and the deep integration of technology and industry has unleashed powerful forces that will lead the future. Together, they are propelling Changchun to forge ahead boldly on its path of high-quality development.