Digital Provinces Guide Part Two: Countdown to the Chinese Century

Qinghai has around 25% of global lithium reserves while 36 GW of renewable energy includes the domestic-leading 2.2 GW Huanghe solar facility. Shaanxi capital Xi’an has a 30 GWh annual electric battery facility assisting in the development of 300,000 electric vehicles yearly. Xi’an had over 1.3 million digital yuan wallets registered and over 70,000 payment locations by June 2021. Xi’an and Prague have been connected by rail via Istanbul over 11,500 km reducing travel time to around two weeks. Shandong will have 180,000 5G base stations and 500,000 electric vehicles by 2023, 600 km/h high-speed rail by 2025, and 90 GW renewable capacity by 2030. The global-leading 360 MW NOOR Solar Complex in Morocco provides for over one million homes. Shanghai has already constructed 125,000 5G base stations and will construct 200,000 additional electric charging piles by 2024. Shanghai’s robotics industry includes ABB’s 10,000-unit yearly capacity robotics factory and the Zhangjiang AI Robot Valley constituting 11% of global output. Shanghai is constructing Dubai’s 950-MW Noor Energy I Concentrated Solar Power plant. Shanxi has the 50 MW biggest Asian single ‘hyperscale’ data centre. 150,000 methanol hydrogen FCVs are being developed with over 200 gas stations in China’s ‘hydrogen valley’ with already over 60 GW overall renewable capacity. Datong is globally pioneering 1,000 km/h high-speed rail. The 257 MW Phu Yen Solar Power Plant in Vietnam is nationally historic. Sichuan will have 250,000 5G base stations and 600,000 electric vehicles by 2025, leads nationally for hydropower capacity at almost 80 GW in 2019, unveiled the globe’s longest 3D printed bridge, and is developing the pioneering Chengdu Future City. Tianjin develops 400,000 electric vehicles annually and the 100% renewable Tianjin Eco-City with 95% green transport by 2035 will harness 5G, drones, and 24/7 autonomous supermarkets as a BRI sustainable smart city pioneer. Tianjin is establishing a 5G smart sustainable global maritime hub with pioneering full-autonomy featuring 88 autonomous cranes and trucks. Tibet by 2026 will serve as a South Asian offshore cloud-computing big data centre. Tibet will have more than 100 GW hydropower capacity by 2025 including the 60 GW Medog super-dam. Tibet possesses the largest global solar reserves outside of the Sahara while also containing 28% of domestic lithium reserves. Tibet already has 5G 160 km/h high-speed rail and will connect to Kathmandu via railway and a 28 km Himalayan tunnel. Xinjiang will have almost 6.5 million electric vehicles by 2038 at over 85% penetration. Xinjiang constitutes 45% of global polysilicon production and has 36 GW of installed renewable capacity, at more than the UK or Japan, that will over-double to 82 GW by 2025 supplying Central Asia already. Over 5,000 drones contributed to Xinjiang’s cotton output constituting almost 20% globally. The 13,000 km Pakistan East African Cable Express will operate from Xinjiang and connect fibre-optical telecommunications as far as South Africa. Yunnan will have 200,000 5G base stations and 85% renewable overall power capacity by 2025 with already second national-leading hydropower capacity at over 60 GW. The Jinsha River will establish the biggest global renewable energy corridor including the 16 GW Baihetan Hydropower Station. Over five million lithium tonnes will facilitate almost 410,000 electric vehicles by 2022. Yunnan will be a South-East Asian high-speed rail, big data, and renewable BRI hub. Zhejiang will have 120,000 5G base stations by 2022 facilitating a historic smart solar-powered superhighway. Hangzhou globally led blockchain patents by November 2021. DPVR and Pico Interactive Inc were the second and third biggest VR headset exporters globally in early 2021. Hangzhou’s ‘City Brain’ was exported to Kuala Lumpur as part of the Digital Silk Road; the new global ‘information superhighway’.