This year is the year that Hubei’s Waist Strengthening Project, which was implemented three years ago, begins to take effect. In first half year, the city concentrates its effort on operating the Waist Strengthening Project. The economy has shown a good momentum for bucking a rising trend and accreting. After teasing out the transcript of first half year, what kinds of joy and sorrow can we find behind those data?

In first half year, the growth rate of major economic indicators keeps increasing, the quality and efficiency of economy has been promoted steadily, and the economic structure has been improved constantly. The growth rates of added value of industries above a designated scale, fixed investment and budget revenue for public finance all rank the 2nd in whole province. It’s a good situation rarely been seen for years. And the growth rate of above-scale industries’ added value remains being in top 3 provincial-wide for 19 months. Compared to last year, the growth rate of budget revenue for public finance moved up 8 places, the growth rate of retail sales of consumer goods moved up 6 places, and the growth rate of export moved up 3 places. From January to May, the total profit of above-scale industries achieved 3.81 billion yuan, increased by 36.1%, profit margin increased by 0.5% year-on-year. Financial support for economic development keeps improving. At the end of June, the balance of financial institution loans is 89.57 billion yuan, increased by 18.7%, higher than the growth rate of balance of deposits during the same period.

Meanwhile, the fixed investments keep increasing. The number of over-1000-million-yuan key projects in construction adds 102 from a year earlier, newly introduces 114 over-1000-million-yuan industrial projects and 10 over-one-billion-yuan projects. Since March, 2014, the city has gained 1943 new registered companies, increased by 81% year-on-year, about 22 companies every working day.

We can see Jingzhou got high grades in first half year from the data. It’s the prelude of the economic boom in Jingzhou after the foundation and bed laying of Waist Strengthening Project. But, there are also problems which need our high attention from the data. The major problem is the negative growth of industrial investment (in central area mainly) for the first time in past 10 years, leads to a year-on-year 4.4% decrease. Fixed investment of first half year only fulfilled 47.7% of the plan, and the retail sales of consumer goods just fulfilled 46%. Particularly the growth rate of total output value is 0.3% behind province average level. Compared with provincial capital (Wuhan) and those two sub-central cities (Yichang and Xiangyang), our economic growth rate falls behind. Even compared with Xiaogan, Jingmen and Huanggang, we are just billions ahead. These data show us: to overtake the pacemaker, get rid of the chase and finally reach the first phalanx, we must run faster.