Zhou Zhihong, Mayor of the Jingzhou Municipal People's Government, met with a World Bank expert delegation on the afternoon of April 1.

Zhou welcomed the delegation, expressing her gratitude to the delegation for supporting Jingzhou in preserving and repairing the historical and cultural city and cultural relics in last 5 years. In recent years, Jingzhou has firmly implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instruction in pushing forward high-quality development, implemented the new development concept at a new development stage, served and integrated into the new development pattern, she said. The settlement and advancement of the World Bank's project have guided Jingzhou in changing its ideas with world vision and standards, and promoted the high-quality development of Jingzhou.

This year marks the opening year of the "fourteenth five-year period", as well as a critical year for embarking upon a new journey to achieve the second centenary goal, said Zhou. Jingzhou will continue to strengthen cooperation with the World Bank to achieve win-win. Jingzhou is the cradle of Chu culture and Three Kingdoms culture. The two sides should strengthen cooperation in culture & tourism development. Jingzhou will integrate and organize culture & tourism resources, build high-quality tourism brands and cultural products, and introduce Jingchu culture to the world via the World Bank, to make Jingzhou known to more and attract more to Jingzhou. Jingzhou should strengthen cooperation with the World Bank in urban infrastructural construction, advance projects such as smart city building and zero emission charging pile construction as required by green development, and further improve auxiliary functions to meet the people's life service demand. Jingzhou should strengthen cooperation with the World Bank in the protection of the Yangtze River, and seek cooperation in the management and protection of the banks of the Yangtze River, the ecological treatment of the Hong Lake and biodiversity protection, to protect the ecological environment of Jingzhou. Jingzhou will go all out to complete the World Bank's project as soon as possible according to international standards.

The expert mission was pleased at the fast progress of the World Bank's project in Jingzhou and was proud to have contributed to the preservation and repair of Jingzhou Ancient City and cultural relics in Jingzhou, said Xiao Yuan, a project manager of the delegation. The World Bank will spare no efforts and work with Jingzhou to implement the project under construction and the upcoming project, and introduce the successful experience of the ongoing project in Jingzhou to the world, to tell the story of Jingzhou and polish its brand. With green and low carbon as orientation, the World Bank hopes to deepen cooperation with Jingzhou in urban infrastructure construction, transportation and environmental protection according to Jingzhou's medium-term development plan, to introduce more projects to Jingzhou and make greater contributions to its development.

Present were Yan Guangming, co-project manager of the delegation; Huang Zhen, Vice Mayor of the Jingzhou Municipal People's Government and director of the World Bank Project Office; and Yang Yunchun, Secretary General of the Jingzhou Municipal People's Government.