Shanxi: Paving a Path to Modernity

In recent years, Shanxi Province has devoted extraordinary efforts to embracing transformation and forging a new path of development. The province has been resolute about embracing innovation and accelerating construction of a modern industrial system that reflects its distinctive advantages. It has steadfastly pursued efficiency, stimulating the endogenous driving forces and innovative vitality of business entities. The province is firmly committed to green development and accelerating construction of a beautiful Shanxi. People in Shanxi are leading a better-off life on the road to high-quality development.

On December 28, 2023, a ceremony was held to mark the upgrading of the Shanxi Data Traffic Eco Park into a development zone, marking the emergence of a new landmark for the digital economy and a powerful engine for high-quality development in the province. Since the establishment and operation of the park in 2020, the digital industry cluster has maintained rapid growth. Over the past few years, the scale of data factor circulation and transactions in the park has exceeded 3.9 billion yuan (US$502 million), with an input-output ratio of 1:7.8.
The data traffic eco park is an outstanding representative of Shanxi’s innovations on the digital economy. To pursue high-quality development, Shanxi is embracing innovation and accelerating construction of a modern industrial system that reflects its own distinctive advantages. Guided by technological innovation, Shanxi has gathered resources to create an innovation-driven platform, achieving new breakthroughs in several key core technologies. With new industrialization as the lead and advanced manufacturing as the focus, the province has planned development of 71 industrial zones, with new products spreading nationwide and gaining global recognition.
A group of emerging strategic industries are clustering into chains in Shanxi. Based on its industrial foundation and development trends, Shanxi has identified 10 key industrial chains including new energy vehicles, hydrogen energy, and wind power equipment. The world’s first methanol-electric hybrid vehicle rolled off a production line in Shanxi, and the country’s first experimental laboratory for mining navigation technology opened there. New drivers for development continue to emerge in Shanxi, accelerating the development of emerging strategic industries.

At the Guandi Mine of Xishan Coal Electricity Group, mining coal is automated, including usage of an intelligent washing and sorting system in the coal preparation plant. Real-time high-definition images and related data on key areas throughout the coal mine are clearly displayed on the large screen. The shift dispatcher can keep abreast of the conditions of each working face through the screen. With just one click on the intelligent mechanized mining face, coal is transported to the ground with the conveyor belts and then to different parts of the country. Shepherding an energy revolution has always been an important component of Shanxi’s high-quality development strategy. In 2023, Shanxi invested heavily to build a pilot area for comprehensive energy reform, opening 118 intelligent coal mines and 1,491 intelligent mining faces. All underground coal mining facilities in Shanxi have achieved comprehensive mechanization. About 54 percent of coal production capacity has been realized through intelligent mining, and the proportion of advanced coal production capacity has reached over 80 percent.
While upgrading traditional coal-based energy sources, Shanxi is actively developing low-carbon and green new energy and accelerating the energy revolution characterized by diversified supply. In Shanxi, towering wind turbines adorn the mountains, and rows of blue photovoltaic panels dot the hills, continuously delivering green energy to thousands of households.
Shanxi has also introduced the nation’s first local regulation on clean and efficient use of coal, focusing on exploring key energy technologies, promoting new green, low-carbon, and energy-saving technologies, and advancing establishment of new patterns of energy consumption. During the first three years of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the cumulative decrease in energy consumption intensity in the province was 10.9 percent, the steepest drop in the nation.

Datong City, located in northern Shanxi, is the coldest area of the province. In 2023, it welcomed around 3,000 gray cranes, injecting vitality and life into the Sanggan River National Wetland Park during the winter. Yuncheng City, situated at the southern edge of Shanxi, is the warmest city in the province. In 2023, nearly 100 swans migrated to Yanhu Lake in Yuncheng. Xinzhou City, in north-central Shanxi, has seen a consistent increase in migratory bird species in winter due to coordinated advances in the management of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts.
Birds are indicator species for measuring the biodiversity, integrity, and ecological quality of an area. In 2023, the ecological environment of Shanxi improved significantly, with all mandatory targets set by the central government achieved. Around 304,466 hectares of afforestation were completed, and the scale of artificial afforestation in the province has ranked first in China for three consecutive years. New distribution areas were found for around 30 plant species and 17 bird species in the province. And Shanxi hosts the largest population of Northern Chinese leopards nationwide.

For a long time, Shanxi has faced numerous accumulated problems in ecological and environmental protection and encountered tremendous difficulties and high costs in pollution prevention and control due to its status as an important national energy base. To fight pollution and inject “green momentum” into high-quality development, Shanxi has implemented greening projects for the Taihang and Lyuliang mountains, carried out treatment of seven rivers including the Fenhe and Sanggan rivers, strengthened protection of five lakes such as the Yanhu and Jinyang lakes. The province fights pollution hard through prevention and control projects to ensure clean water flows into the Yellow River. Guided by the concept of modernizing a harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature and building a beautiful Shanxi, the province has coordinated ecological governance comprehensively, accelerated ecological civilization construction, and laid a solid green foundation for high-quality development.