The establishment of Lanzhou New Area (LNA) is the culmination of multiple strategies both from Chinese Central Government and
Gansu Provincial Government. Since
China launched its
Western Development initiative in 2000, several 'Western' Provinces, such as
Shanxi,
Guangxi, etc. have seen a flurry of investments during the last decade due to the favorable policies those provinces received from China's Central Government. With huge amount of
capital investment issued from State's Financial Department, those provinces developed rapidly with a progressive GDP growth rate, a gradually mature industry structure and an efficient communication system. Though the provinces mentioned above developed quickly, none of those fast developing provinces are actually located in the geographical West of China, although the Chinese Central Government classified them into the 12 Western provinces.
Lanzhou is intended to achieve the ideal of 'common wealth' as outlined by the
Chinese Communist Party through the rapid development of Western provinces. The geographical location of Lanzhou New Area holds significant advantages to its future economic growth.
Lanzhou, 30 kilometres south from the New Area, is the biggest city among two megacities (
Ürümqi and
Xi'an) in this vast region, and is relatively close to two other capital cities, (
Xining of
Qinghai Province and
Yinchuan of
Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region). These three capital cities are close enough to form a regional economic conglomeration, and Lanzhou New Area is envisioned as the center of this amalgamation. The development of LNA will boost the development of its adjacent areas. Lanzhou's main urban area is constrained in size by its geographical topography, since it is a typical valley sandwiched by mountains, with the
Yellow River crossing by. The topography of Lanzhou hampers this city to become a continuous megacity like
Beijing or Xi'an. The
General Office of the State Council issued
the Several Advice about Supporting the Development of Economy and Society of Gansu Province in May 2010, especially stating that Lanzhou has to be the impetus of the development of Gansu Province, and even the whole northwestern region. Not long after, on August 3, 2010, the Lanzhou Municipal Government, by the 7th Session of the 11th convention of Lanzhou Municipal Council, announced the strategy of building a new city in Qinwangchuan plain, which now called Lanzhou New Area. Later, the Gansu Provincial Government issued
the Consulting Advice about Promoting Constructions in Lanzhou New Area in order to support the development of LNA. Lanzhou and Gansu province are part of China's strategic platform for opening up to the West, to improve
manufacturing industry and economy in the western regions. Within western China, Lanzhou's role as a center of development should be strengthened by Lanzhou New Area. == Administrative divisions ==