Caidian District, Wuhan: A District Witnessing Sino-French Cooperation and a New Ecological Demonstration Area

In recent years, Wuhan's various districts have been striving to increase their levels of opening up by developing brands with distinctive features. To more effectively share Wuhan's stories with the world, the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Wuhan Municipal Committee released a series of bilingual media reports themed "One District, One Brand" and centered on Caidian District, a "District of Sino-French Cooperation".

More than 200 cyclists from 32 countries and regions ride along  Houguan Lake Greenway in the Caidian section of the 2015 China Road Cycling Race in Wuhan. [Photo by Li Wei]

The Sino-French Wuhan Ecological Demonstration City located in Caidian aims to learn the technologies and experiences from both China and France in the fields of urban planning, construction and management. It utilizes renewable energy resources, ecological environmental strategies, low-carbon transport systems, and green building technologies to promote hi-tech R&D and innovation. It is also attempting to build a demonstrative city that can be replicated and promoted.

Rendering of the French Animation Theme Park of the Sino-French Wuhan Ecological Demonstration City [Photo via the Publicity Department of CPC Caidian District Committee]

In the Sino-French Wuhan Ecological Demonstration City, the main structure of an 8.1-kilometer-long underground comprehensive pipe galley adopting the French concept of "itty bitty blocks with dense road networks" has been completed. In cooperation with Electricite De France (EDF), the district carries out the development, utilization, and management of distributed energy and new energy. the demonstration city is now building its first energy station, of which the main structure has already been completed, that is capable of providing a centralized cooling and heating service for 1.08 million square meters of building space. Sino-French Peninsula Town (Village peninsulaire franço-chinois) planned and constructed jointly by the demonstration city and its French partners has introduced programs such as Gemdale's SE Sino-French International Center, the FrenchAnimation Theme Park, and an ecological tourist complex.

Photo taken during the 2019 Sino-French Music Festival [Photo via the Consulate General of France in Wuhan, China]

Focusing on the leading industries in areas such as the digital economy, high-end services, and life and health, the demonstration city has attracted French-invested projects such as AKWEL and Taliske as well as American-invested Sage Automotive Interiors. the demonstration city has also joined hands with French partners to host events of cultural exchanges such as the China-France Year of the Environment, the Sino-French Environment Month, the Sino-French Music Festival, and the Sino-French Fashion Culture Exchange Ceremony.

In addition, Tongji Community in the demonstration city has been encouraging foreign residents there to participate in community management and various voluntary and cultural activities.

On November 3, 2014, China and France agreed to hold the Sino-French Forum on Sustainable Urban Development annually, and locate the permanent venue in the Sino-French Wuhan Ecological Demonstration City.

From 2014 to 2019, six sessions of the forum have been held in the demonstration city and gathered many well-known experts and scholars from China and abroad such as representatives from Fortune Global 500 companies and other leading enterprises. A number of key projects such as an energy management project of EDF have been signed during the sessions.

The past sessions of the forum has strengthened the friendship between China and France and the resolve of both countries to construct and develop the Sino-French Wuhan Ecological Demonstration City. In the future, Caidian District will prepare with full attention in organizing the seventh session of the forum and actively invite industry leaders from China and abroad to participate, hoping to further promote the status and influence of the forum. The district will strive to build the forum into a key carrier and platform for the international cooperation between China and France. In the future, the Sino-French Wuhan Ecological Demonstration City will be built into a world-class demonstration city for sustainable development.