Sustainable development has always been a top issue for China. This year, on February 13, the State Council made it official that Taiyuan, Guilin and Shenzhen, covering regions in both the east and the west, have been approved to build the national innovation demonstration zones. The three cities are representative not only in geography, but also in terms of the stage of sustainable development and type of development issues.

“Taiyuan is a typical resource-based city. While making a significant contribution to the country's energy development, it also faces severe challenges in terms of transformation and development, the environment, and innovation,” said Geng Yanbo, mayor of Taiyuan City.

Most notably, water and air pollution have held back Taiyuan's sustainable development. To prevent pollution and protect natural resources from industrial structures, Taiyuan is making its biggest efforts in transforming both industrial and domestic energy consumption. Coal-fueled facilities are being eliminated from the urban area, and industrial emissions are being strictly restricted.

On the other hand, Guilin will focus on the sustainable use of scenic resources. This will be mainly done by addressing desertification in areas known for their karst rock formations, as well as other ecological remediation.

“As we all know, Guilin's landscape stands out around the world. Guilin is an international city known for tourism and natural landscapes. It is also one of the country's first historic and cultural cities. The landscape is our biggest asset. We must protect it well,” said Zhao Leqin, mayor of Guilin City.

Shenzhen, as a mega-city in southern China, will put more work into improving people's well-being. Programs will give residents access to better educational and medical services. Work will also go into providing more reliable social security and more comfortable housing conditions, using science and technology.

"We should attract more high-end talents to Shenzhen to innovate and start businesses, help govern society, and build cities to better support the sustainable development of this metropolis," said Chen Rugui, mayor of Shenzhen City.

As a representative for development of cities in China, Shenzhen will keep contributing to its role of a coastal center city with greater global influences.