The People's Government of Hunan Province and the China South-to-North Water Diversion Corporation Limited (CSNWD) signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement in Changsha on the morning of April 11, 2023. Both sides will carry out in-depth collaboration in such fields as water diversion and supply, ecological environmental protection and restoration, and new energy development.

Shen Xiaoming, secretary of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, witnessed the signing of the agreement. Mao Weiming, deputy secretary of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and governor of the People's Government of Hunan Province, and Jiang Xuguang, secretary of the CPC Leadership Group and chairman of the Board of CSNWD, delivered speeches.

On April 11, Hunan government and CSNWD signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement. Hunan Secretary Shen, Hunan Governor Mao, and CSNWD Chairman Jiang witnessed the signing ceremony. (Photo/Liu Shangwen, Hunan Daily)

Li Dianxun, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee and executive vice governor of the People's Government of Hunan Province, attended.

Governor Mao thanked CSNWD for its long-term strong support to Hunan Province and introduced provincial economic and social development. He said that 97.6% of Hunan's land area is located in the Yangtze River Basin and thus the water situation is a top priority for Hunan. In recent years, Hunan has always kept in mind President Xi's instruction of "protecting the Yangtze River"; actively seized major historical opportunities such as the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt; and, comprehensively promoted the management of water disasters, water resources, water ecology, and water environment. The province's 147 state-controlled water sections with good quality reached an excellent rate of 98.6%, ranking first in central China. The installed capacity of new and renewable energy accounted for 57.9% of the province's total installed power supply. Hunan's water conservancy has achieved high-quality development with remarkable results.

He noted that CSNWD is a stated-owned major force in national water network construction, with obvious technical, financial, and talent advantages. He expected both sides to take the signing of the agreement as an opportunity to further deepen all-round partnership in modern water network construction, ecological environment improvement, and green and low-carbon transformation and development. Both sides could work together to dredge the Dongting Lake and build major water conservancy hub projects, to do well in hydrological management and guarantee the safety of rivers and lakes. Hunan government would further optimize the business environment, to make it easier for CSNWD to invest, operate, and develop in Hunan.

Hunan Governor Mao and CSNWD Chairman Jiang exchanged ideas on cooperation. (Photo/Liu Shangwen, Hunan Daily)

Chairman Jiang thanked Hunan for creating favorable conditions for CSNWD's healthy development in Hunan. He remarked that in recent years, Hunan has continuously strengthened the governance of water ecology and environment, scientifically protected and utilized water resources, and achieved remarkable results in water control and water conservancy projects construction. CSNWD would give full play to its own advantages, accelerate layout and construction of water networks, water affairs, ecological environmental protection, new energy and other projects in Hunan, and help boost Hunan's water conservancy industry.

According to the agreement, both sides will enhance cooperation in water diversion and diversion project construction, water supply allocation, and other fields; promote the market-oriented reform of water affairs; focus on "one river, one lake, and four rivers" – the Yangtze River, Dongting Lake, Xiangjiang, Zijiang, Yuanshui, and Lishui rivers – to continuously improve the regional ecological environment; explore and promote implementation of clean energy projects such as pumped-storage and photovoltaic power in Hunan; and, keep improving optimal allocation and efficient utilization of water resources.