By KONG Ailing Ms and XIE Zuozheng

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How urban statistics contribute to economic
development in Pearl River Delta and some
existing deficiencies

• By KONG Ailing (Ms) and XIE Zuozheng
• Survey Office in Shenzhen National Bureau of
  Statistics of China

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Main Contents

• I. Introduction to Pearl River Delta
• II. Urban Statistical Cooperation -- its main
  forms and contents
• III. Main contribution of urban statistics to
  Pearl River Delta economic development
• IV. Issues for discussion

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I. Introduction to Pearl River Delta

• Pearl River Delta is adjacent to Hong Kong and
  Macao. In the region, there are nine big and
  medium-sized cities
• 10 of whole country GDP in 2006
• The industrial structure of the region has
  obviously improved
• Urbanization has achieved a much higher level
  than the whole country
• Convenient and fast communication networks have
  basically been developed

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II. Urban Statistical Cooperation -- its main
forms and contents

• The nine cities in a mutual-driven and competing
  situation. Differentiation and irreplaceability
  becoming obvious. They needed cooperation and
  reached an agreement in 1996.
• Urban statistics in China statistical systems in
  municipal governments as core, with supplements
  from the statistical systems in functional
  departments, industry associations and
  non-government sector.
• Moreover, urban government statistical service
  comprises the survey offices of NBS outposted in
  relevant cities and the municipal government
  statistical bureaux.

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II. Urban Statistical Cooperation -- its main
forms and contents

• (a) Periodic exchange of agreed statistical data
  
• - include rural economy, industrial economy,
  finance, trade, tourism, consumer price etc.
• - over 100 statistical indicators and also other
  data on social development and environmental
  ecology monitoring
• (b) Annual periodic thematic seminar hosted by
  different
• cities on rotation
• 1. to summarise experience from urban statistical
  work reform and
• development
• 2. to explore deficiencies in the practical work
  of urban statistics
• 3. to study how to improve the exchange system of
  statistical data
• 4. to study how to serve economic development in
  respect of current hot issues

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III. Main contribution of urban statistics to
Pearl River Delta economic development

• Change from aiming at economic growth rate to
  economic effectiveness
• Through statistical data exchange and
  cooperation, relevant statistics have been
  enhanced with improved measure of the economic
  growth rate
• Example Shenzhen government decision-makers
  adopted the data monitoring and analysis advice
  from statistical department and prepared the
  policy of transition from Fast Shenzhen to
  Efficient Shenzhen

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III. Main contribution of urban statistics to
Pearl River Delta economic development

• (ii) Change from aiming at gross output to aiming
  at industrial structure optimization
• Carried out comparative industrial structure
  analysis and research
• The industrial structure of Pearl River Delta
  has become more and more
• reasonable and reached to the level of
  countries in the mid class of per capital
• income

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III. Main contribution of urban statistics to
Pearl River Delta economic development

• (iii) Change from focusing at city ranking to
  characteristic urban development
• Urban statistics provide guiding information for
  establishing the strategy and goals for
  characteristic urban development
• From 1996 to 2006, the 9 cities have blazed a
  unique path for development

• Guangzhou and Shenzhen the first category of
  cities that led economy development
• Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and
  Huizhou got hold of opportunities from the
  industry transformation of Guangzhou and Shenzhen
• Zhaoqing and Zhuhai the third category of
  cities with fairly fast economic growth

Gross production value of the 9 cities in Pearl
River Delta from 1996 to 2006
RMB 100 million yuan
Guangzhou Shenzhen Foshan Jiangmen Zhaoqing
Huizhou Dongguan Zhuhai Zhongshan
GDP in 1996
GDP in 2006
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III. Main contribution of urban statistics to
Pearl River Delta economic development

• (iv) Change from focusing on urbanization level
  to urban living standard
• Since 1996, the nine cities in Pearl River Delta
  had begun urban data exchange.
• While stressing urbanization development, all
  cities have since paid much attention to
  increasing urban living standard, including
• (i) citys infrastructure construction has been
  developing rapidly
• (ii) urban living standard has been raised urban
  living standard in Pearl River Delta in 2006 was
  rather close to the well-off goal
• (iii) social security level has been raised,
  which has received more attention from
  governments of various cities

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III. Main contribution of urban statistics to
Pearl River Delta economic development
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III. Main contribution of urban statistics to
Pearl River Delta economic development

• (v) Change from urban area expansion to
  intensified land use
• The condition of urban intensified land use in
  Pearl River Delta is evaluated from four levels
  of input, output, economic benefit and
  sustainability
• Objective data on land use efficiency are
  provided to government decision-making
  departments
• Disparity can the be identified for remedial
  follow up by comparing data of the nine cities

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IV. Issues for discussion

• The impact of unbalanced development among cities
  on the statistical information exchange system
• Information exchange between government
  statistical department and functional department
  needs to be strengthened further
• Form and method of statistical information should
  keep pace with time
• Research into statistical method and system reform

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THANK YOU!