Interview with Professor ZOU Wei: Hubei's "New Golden Decade"

In November 2024, during his inspection of Hubei, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that Hubei should "strive to take the lead in the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, accelerate the establishment of an important strategic fulcrum for the rise of the central region, and strive to write a chapter of Chinese-style modernization in Hubei." This sets a higher positioning, higher standards, and higher requirements for Hubei's development. Focusing on the construction of this fulcrum, Hubei's "New Spring First Meeting"—the Provincial Conference on Accelerating the Establishment of an Important Strategic Fulcrum for the Rise of the Central Region—sounded the clarion call to "accelerate the establishment of an important strategic fulcrum for the rise of the central region."

Interview with Professor Zou Wei from the School of Economics and Management

On February 25, 2025, Professor Zou Wei from the School of Economics and Management was interviewed by the Hubei Daily Finance regarding the issues related to the rise of the central region and the construction of Hubei's strategic fulcrum. In the interview, Professor Zou Wei, based on the current economic development status of Hubei, explained the core driving forces of Hubei in the high-quality development of the central region and provided a professional interpretation of the provincial strategic deployment.

Key Points of the Interview:

1. Historical Opportunities for the Rise of the Central Region and the Construction of Hubei's Fulcrum:

• Professor Zou Wei pointed out that the concept of a "fulcrum" has been around for a long time, but in the early days, it was more of a self-appeal from the central region. After the 18th National Congress of the CPC, especially in recent years, the high-quality development of the central region has been elevated to a national strategy and has entered an acceleration phase.

• General Secretary Xi Jinping has held two symposiums on the rise of the central region, emphasizing the positioning of the six central provinces as the "three bases and one hub" and their unique status in the overall national economic development.

• Hubei's GDP ranking has risen from 9th to 7th in the country, entering the ranks of major economic provinces. Hubei is one of the seven provinces in the country with a GDP exceeding 6 trillion yuan.

2. Hubei's Strengths in Supporting the Fulcrum:

• Hubei has a population that accounts for 16% of the central region and a GDP that accounts for 21% of the total GDP of the six central provinces. Its economic contribution exceeds its population size.

• Hubei's per capita GDP ranks fourth among the top seven economic provinces in the country and is the only province in the central region with a per capita GDP exceeding the national average.

3. Implementation of the "Seven Strategies" and Enhancement of the "Seven Capabilities":

• Professor Zou Wei interpreted the "Seven Strategies" and the "Seven Capabilities" proposed at the "New Spring First Meeting." She pointed out that the "Seven Strategies" are the overall direction, while the "Seven Capabilities" are developed from different levels such as innovation, industry, openness, ecology, and culture, with regional synergy summarizing the previous items. They are essentially a "general-specific-general" relationship, serving the goal of fulcrum construction.

4. Path to Breakthrough in Technological Innovation Capability:

• Professor Zou Wei emphasized the need to further create a favorable business environment, innovation environment, and industrial ecosystem to attract and retain top scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, startups, and investors. This will allow various innovation elements to converge and form an endogenous mechanism for continuous innovation.

5. Reference for Hubei's Industrial Ecosystem:

• Professor Zou Wei mentioned the success of Hangzhou's "Six Little Dragons" (including DeepSeek) and suggested that Hubei should learn from Hangzhou's experience in integrating technological innovation with industrial innovation. She emphasized the importance of a supportive industrial ecosystem, including research teams with shared interests, a good financing system, and a comprehensive startup incubation mechanism.

Conclusion:

Professor Zou Wei's insights provide valuable guidance for Hubei's development. By implementing the "Seven Strategies" and enhancing the "Seven Capabilities," Hubei can leverage its strengths to become a pivotal force in the high-quality development of the central region. The path to breakthrough in technological innovation and the construction of a favorable industrial ecosystem are crucial steps in this process.

---

- Correspondent: Lin Menghan

- Reviewer: Yang Zhiwei

Original interview link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/0lsw_Qm2_Y0m-DwEE6ZliQ