Sichuan, California co-build smart town to develop clean energy, high tech

Southwest China's Sichuan Province and California jointly launched a smart town project on Tuesday to accommodate enterprises on new energy, the new generation of IT, as well as high-end equipment manufacturing.

Luo Jiaming, Mayor of Meishan Municipal People's Government, and Jeffrey Chang, President of California Center China, attend the signing ceremony for the Memorandum of Friendship and Cooperation between Meishan Municipal People's Government and California Center China during the 4th China-U.S. Governors' Forum in Chengdu city, southwest China's Sichuan province, May 22, 2018. During the ceremony, the two sides announced to jointly build the Meishan California Smart Town. [File Photo: IC]

The Meishan-California Smart Town, in Tianfu New Area District of Meishan, will have an area of nearly 220 hectares, with a total investment of about 26 billion yuan (about 3.78 billion U.S. dollars).

The town will focus on the research and development of industries including new energy, information technology and high-end equipment manufacturing.

It is expected to take about six years to complete the construction of the project. By then, more than 200 enterprises will be introduced and settled in the town, among which no less than 50 will be U.S.-funded enterprises.