With RMB9.5 billion of investment, comes Pearl River Enterprises of Panyu, Guangzhou. Equipped with cutting-edge high-end numerical control equipments, the new comer will help build a stronger machinery production sector in Central China, East China, Northwest China from 2015.

Infiniti, a big auto maker, also appears in the name list of new comers. With a total investment over RMB10 billion, Infiniti Auto Parts Industry Park has come into operation since the end of last month.

In 2012 alone, the paid-in investment has added up to RMB80.6 billion, a 91.9% year-on-year increase.

As revealed by You Subin, Chief Statistician in Xiangyang City Statistic Bureau: though the auto sector was somewhat sluggish as impacted by the macro environment negative to its development, six pillar sectors have sustained a growth rate over 28% in last year. Among the six pillar sectors, new energy powered auto sector has seen a double increase in output, and new energy and material sector has grown into a sector of RMB10 billion scale.

Among 80 counterpart cities in Central China, Xiangyang's position in the ranking of GDP has risen from 10 in last year to 5 this year.

Xiangyang still secures powerful momentum for economic growth this year. After its establishment, Xiangyang Airport has maintained an even number of passengers, saying fluctuating around 190,000, during the past two decades. Yet, the number has doubled this year. In the first season of this year, the airport saw the biggest number of airplanes taking off and landing among all feeder airports across the nation.

What is the source of force which will enable the city to restore its central city status? The answer is it lies in the mechanism advocating talent cultivation and attraction, innovation and start-ups.

Xiangyang, with neither 211 university nor national key laboratory, seems inherently deficient in scientific and technical innovation.

Then, what is the source of force which will enable the city to restore its central city status?

Ren Xingliang, Director of Policy Research Office of Xiangyang Municipal Party Committee, gives out the answer: The mechanism advocating talent cultivation and attraction, innovation and start-ups. Xiangyang was known in history for valuing and using talents. And now, its Longzhong Plan – Innovation and Talent Project has done a great job in attracting badly-needed talents to Xiangyang year after year.

As to Xiangyang's external scientific cooperation, Head of Xiangyang City Science and Technology Bureau Qiao Hailin introduces that at present, Xiangyang has established stable talent and scientific cooperation relations with a batch of renowned universities like Tsinghua University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, and Huazhong University of Science and Technology; has co-established Xiangyang Advanced Engineering Research Institute together with Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Hubei University of Arts and Science; has founded Xiangyang Branch of Auto Research Institute with Tsinghua University; and has set up 11 scientific innovation platforms as represented by Xiangyang-Tongji University Kingsun Photoelectricity Research Institute, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (Xinagyang) New Energy Research Center.

The establishment of such scientific innovation platform tremendously reinforces the scientific innovation power of Xiangyang. There are 48 national and provincial innovative pilot enterprises, 16 provincial engineering technical centers, 3 provincial key labs. The number of new high-tech enterprises jumps to 125 now. Last year, the output of new high-tech sector reached RMB136.622 billion, a 19.53% year-to-year rise.