VZCZCXRO9188
OO RUEHCN
DE RUEHCN #0021/01 0271156
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 271156Z JAN 10
FM AMCONSUL CHENGDU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3710
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0055
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 4433

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENGDU 000021 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/CM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EINV ECIN ELTN ENRG SENV PGOV CH
SUBJECT: SW CHINA: LIQUOR AND INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT FUEL YIBIN'S 
GROWTH; GREENING ENERGY; CITIZEN PETITIONS FIGHT CORRUPTION 
 
¶1. (U) This cable contains sensitive but unclassified 
information - not for distribution on the Internet. 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) Summary:  Yibin Mayor Wu Guanglei told Consul General 
January 7 that the city's economy grew by 15 percent in 2009; he 
expected 14 percent growth in 2010.  Wuliangye, China's largest 
liquor producer, is striving to become more energy efficient. 
Road, rail, and airport projects will increase Yibin's regional 
integration.  Wind and nuclear power will likely figure in the 
city's future energy mix.  Wu said that Yibin's petition system 
works: citizen complaints led to the removal and punishment of 
three government officials last year.  End Summary. 
 
 
 
Liquor, Chemicals, and Infrastructure 
 
Push Yibin's Economy Forward 
 
------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) Mayor Wu Guanglei said Yibin's economy grew by 15 
percent in 2009, and he expects it to achieve 14 percent growth 
in 2010.  One driving force behind the city's economic 
development is liquor producer Wuliangye.  (Note:  A late 2009 
press report claimed that 70 percent of Yibin residents' income 
was directly or indirectly tied to Wuliangye.  End Note.)  Two 
other economically important firms in Yibin are Tianyuan, 
China's largest producer of polyvinyl chloride, and Siliya, 
which produces artificial fibers. 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) Infrastructure investment is also a major contributor 
to Yibin's economic growth.  Yibin plans to push ahead with 
several large projects.  In addition to development of a 
23-berth port facility at the head of the Yangtze River 
(septel), Yibin is also building transportation links under the 
"6631" regional development project.  The 6631 Project calls for 
the construction of six expressways, six railroads, and three 
"ones" -- one "golden waterway," one airport, and one river 
port.  A rail line connecting Yibin to Guiyang and Chengdu, and 
expressways to Leshan and Luzhou, are already under 
construction.  The city plans to build a 900 million RMB (USD 
132 million) airport by 2014 that will accommodate Boeing 747s. 
 
 
 
Emission Reductions; Investment in Clean Energy; Forests 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) Wu said that Yibin had far to go in improving its 
energy efficiency.  Wu predicted, nevertheless, that Yibin would 
achieve the national energy reduction goals of the 11th 
Five-Year Program, which ends in 2010.  (Note: The 11th 
Five-Year Program calls for a 20 percent reduction in energy 
intensity this year, compared to 2005.  End Note.)  He said that 
Wuliangye, as one example, was converting waste into fuel. 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) Yibin hopes to build a nuclear power plant in the city, 
but the plan is still in its very early stages.  Wu said wind 
power would also help Yibin reduce emissions.  Yibin has the 
second largest urban forested park in China, with forest 
coverage averaging 35 percent. 
 
 
 
Address Citizen Concerns through Petitions; Fighting Corruption 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------------ 
 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) Mayor Wu said that social conflicts arise, and citizens 
naturally make requests to the government.  For example, the 
many demolitions of old housing brought by economic growth were 
causing more conflicts.  Wu said that citizen petitions to the 
government on official malfeasance were handled separately from 
other requests and complaints, and sometimes resulted in 
 
CHENGDU 00000021  002 OF 002 
 
 
investigations.  In 2009, three Yibin officials were removed 
from their posts and punished as a result of citizen's 
petitions, he stressed.  (Note: According to press reports, Vice 
Mayor Cheng Guangli was fired in March 2009 for playing too much 
mahjong and other unspecified offenses 
(tinyurl.com/yibin-mahjong), while in October 2009, the former 
head of Yibin's Baihu district branch of the State Tax Bureau 
was sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping a young girl 
(tinyurl.com/yibin-tax). 
 
 
 
¶8. (U) In mid 2009, two counties under Yibin City started an 
anti-corruption experiment that requires senior officials and 
their families to register their income and assets, and submit 
to financial scrutiny (tinyurl.com/yibin-reporting). 
Seventy-five officials came under this program in 2009; it will 
soon expand to cover 400 officials. 
BROWN