2^nd International Deep Space Exploration Conference (Tiandu Forum)

Anhui Province was founded in 1667 (the 6th year during the reign of Kangxi Emperor in Qing Dynasty). It is named after the first characters of the two prefectures at that time, Anqing and Huizhou. It has 72.107 million registered residents and 61.21 million permanent residents distributed across its 16 cities and 104 counties.

It is characterized by robust innovation. Anhui makes active contribution to national strategic sci-tech strength and promotes the expansion and upgrading of major innovative platforms such as the Hefei Comprehensive National Scientific Center. 13 large-scale scientific facilities have been built or are under construction, and the regional innovation capacity ranks 7th in the country. Anhui has kept abreast of and become national front-runners in fields such as quantum communication, dynamic storage chips, ceramic-aluminum new materials, and deep space exploration. Its intensity of R&D investment ranks 7th in the country. A sound mechanism to promote the timely commercialization of advanced basic scientific R&D has been established, and efforts are being made to build the USTC Silicon Valley and Anhui Technology Resources Market. More than 1,300 people have been selected for the national key scientific and technological talent program, with the total number of talents exceeding 12.7 million.

It is characterized by distinct manufacturing industries. The added value of manufacturing industry and digital economy has exceeded 1 trillion yuan, and the number of industrial enterprises above designated size has exceeded 20,000. There are over 19,000 national high-tech enterprises, ranking 8th in the country, and over 27,000 small and medium-sized high-tech enterprises, ranking 7th in the country. It is also home to 597 national “little giant” enterprises that use sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products, ranking 8th in the country. Four national strategic emerging industry clusters have been established in fields of integrated circuits, new display devices, artificial intelligence, and advanced structural materials. Three national manufacturing innovation centers for new glass materials, intelligent voice, and general mechanical components have been approved. Conch Group and Tongling Nonferrous Metals Group have been listed in Fortune Global 500 for five consecutive years. In 2023, its automobile production reached 2.491 million, up by 48.1%, ranking 2nd in the country. Among them, the production of new energy vehicles reached 868,000, up by 60.5%, ranking 4th in the country. The photovoltaic manufacturing industry achieved a revenue of over 290 billion yuan, ranking 3rd in the country. The World Manufacturing Convention has been successfully held for 6 consecutive years.

It is characterized by rich ecological resources. Anhui ranks among the top in China in terms of the production of grain, cotton, and oils. It is home to four of the top ten famous teas in China. It has constructed four major ecological corridors, including the Yangtze River, Huaihe River, Xin’an River, and Jianghuai Canal. The ten wetlands surrounding Chaohu Lake have been completed. A ten-year fishing ban has been fully implemented in the Yangtze River, and the Chinese River Dolphin has reappeared in the Anhui section of the Yangtze River. It took the lead in exploring and implementing the Forest Chief Reform and promoting it nationwide. The pilot reform of the ecological compensation mechanism in the Xin’an River Basin has provided a “Xin’an River Model” for cross-basin ecological compensation nationwide.

It is characterized by a vast inland area. Anhui spans north and south, connecting east to west, and has easy access to rivers and seas. It is covered by multiple national strategies such as the Integrated Development of the Yangtze River Delta, the Development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the Rise of the Central Region, and the “Belt and Road” Initiative. There are six civil airports, among which the Xinqiao International Airport is a 4E-class hub trunk airport. Every city in the province is connected to high-speed railways, and every county has access to expressways. The entire Jianghuai Canal is now navigable, and the inland waterway freight volume ranks 1st in the country. With the Jianghuai Canal linking the Yangtze River and the Huai’he River, a new interconnected pattern of waterway transport is taking shape.

It has a profound historical and cultural background. The Lingjiatan historical site has been identified as the iconic site of primordial Chinese civilization, known as the “Ancient State Era”. A number of famous figures, such as Guan Zhong, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Hua Tuo, Cao Cao, Bao Zheng, Bi Sheng, Zhu Yuanzhang, Li Hongzhang, Liu Mingchuan, Chen Duxiu, Hu Shi, Tao Xingzhi, Deng Jiaxian, Yang Zhenning, are from Anhui province. Huizhouology, the study of Hui culture, is on par with Tibetology and Tunhuangology. Anhui is also the place where Tofu and the “Four Treasures of the Study” (writing brushes, ink sticks, paper, and inkstones) originated.

Since the 18th National Congress of CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has visited Anhui twice, leading to a historic breakthrough in terms of Anhui’s GDP (leaping from the middle-ranking to national top) and GDP per capita (leaping from the lower-ranking to the middle). In 2023, the province’s GDP reached 4.71 trillion yuan, up by 5.8%, and general public budget revenue reached 393.9 billion yuan, up by 9.7%; total retail sales of consumer goods increased by 6.9%; fixed asset investment increased by 4%, with the manufacturing investment growing by 20%; import and export volume increased by 7.8%, reaching 10th nationwide. Currently, Anhui is at a crucial rising stage characterized by steady accumulation, strong growth momentum and bright future prospects. People across the province are following the guidance of General Secretary Xi Jiping and seizing the opportunities presented by the Integrated Development of the Yangtze River Delta and other national strategies, and are going all out to build Anhui into a region famous for scientific and technological innovation, a gathering place for emerging industries, a new highland for reform and opening up, and an area pioneering in transformation into green economic and social development. Efforts are also being made to build Anhui into a province strong in self-made science and technology, intelligent and green manufacturing, beautiful ecological environment, high-quality and efficient agriculture, talented workforce, satisfactory education, and prosperous culture. We are striving to write a chapter of China’s modernization with Anhui characteristics.