Changjiang Li Autonomous County, located in western Hainan, has long served as a typical resource-based county where economic growth relied on iron ore mining, cement manufacturing, and similar heavy industries. Approaching the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the pressing question is how to identify new sources of growth as resource reserves dwindle, a challenge that demands immediate attention.
Chen Jinrong, Director of the Changjiang County Development and Reform Commission, announced at a Hainan Provincial Information Office press conference that the county will anchor its strategy in the realities of resource-exhausted city transformation, driving a deep structural shift from a "black and gray" economy toward a "blue and green" one. The "black and gray" designation refers to longstanding reliance on mining and cement production, while "blue and green" points toward clean energy, the marine economy, and other emerging sectors.
To facilitate this transformation, Chen explained that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Changjiang will implement a "4+3+3" modern industrial framework. Four leading industries—high-tech manufacturing, tourism, tropical high-efficiency agriculture, and modern services—will align with provincial development goals. Three traditional pillars, including iron ore mining, cement production, and the circular economy, will undergo technological upgrades for value enhancement. Three emerging sectors will target clean energy, new materials, and smart computing power.
Within the high-tech sector, Changjiang intends to cultivate bio-manufacturing, high-end consumer goods processing, maintenance, and remanufacturing, while leveraging the Changjiang Port to establish offshore wind power and ship maintenance facilities. The tourism strategy embraces the "China's Western Coast · Niche Paradise" positioning, developing eco-tourism, study tours, wellness tourism, and industrial tourism. For tropical agriculture, the county will strengthen agricultural product processing, expand marine fisheries, and promote the Changjiang brand in South China breeding programs. Modern services will focus on logistics, technology services, the silver economy, and smart elderly care solutions.
Chen emphasized that traditional industries will not simply be phased out but enhanced through value-upgrading initiatives. Iron ore mining will undergo intelligent and green retrofitting, with recovery rates projected to rise from 60% to over 85% through technology improvements. Cement manufacturers will upgrade energy equipment, implement low-carbon fuel alternatives, and adopt "industrial internet plus energy management" applications. Leveraging a national-level solid waste demonstration base, the county will also expand the comprehensive utilization of tailings and bulk industrial solid waste, alongside recycling programs for waste materials and hazardous substances to strengthen and extend the industrial chain.
According to Min Yingguan, Director of the Changjiang County Science, Technology, and Industrial Information Bureau, the 15th Five-Year Plan period will prioritize three areas: clean energy, smart computing, and new materials, with the goal of accelerating a new industrial system tailored to the county's local characteristics. Changjiang is positioned as Hainan's largest clean energy base and hosts the province's sole nuclear power facility, providing a solid foundation for expanding clean energy capacity.
Min noted that Units 3 and 4 of the Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant will be completed and connected, Units 5 and 6 will break ground, and offshore wind projects totaling 6.2 million kilowatts will advance steadily. By the end of the plan period, clean energy generation in Changjiang is expected to supply over 60% of provincial electricity consumption. Additionally, building on the "Linglong One," the world's first commercial onshore modular small reactor, the county will explore direct nuclear power supply to computing centers and green electricity connections via offshore wind, shifting from merely transmitting power outward toward greater on-site conversion and industrial empowerment.
For smart computing, Changjiang combines reliable clean energy supplies with Hainan Free Trade Port's institutional openness to international markets. Min said the county will focus on "clean energy plus computing infrastructure plus cross-border applications," fully utilizing policies on cross-border data flows, international communications, equipment imports, and tax incentives. This approach aims to develop computing and data services for global markets, attracting upstream and downstream industries such as computing equipment, system integration, network communications, and operations and maintenance, positioning Changjiang as a key green computing hub in Hainan and a service node for international markets.
In new materials, Min outlined a dual approach: accelerating digital, intelligent, and green transformations of mining and cement industries while promoting the recycling of tailings, waste rock, industrial solid waste, and end-of-life vehicles, while also focusing on advanced inorganic non-metallic materials, new energy materials, and resource-recycling materials. These efforts will push resource-based industries from primary processing toward deep processing and higher-value manufacturing.
Changjiang County Magistrate Li Ruijun declared that the county will confront the challenges of the transition period, tackling the development battle head-on and using innovation to overcome resource dependency. The ultimate goal is to build a high-standard "small county with distinctive excellence" within the Hainan Free Trade Port framework.