"From Green Recovery to New Direction": The Regeneration of a Resource-Depleted City

Xinhua News Agency, Nanchang, March 15 — “Greening” and “Innovating”: The Rebirth of a Resource-Exhausted City

Xinhua News Agency Reporter Zhang Dongyang

Inside the intelligent factory of Jiangxi Xintong Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd., robotic arms move precisely, over 20 smart devices operate in an orderly manner, seamlessly processing steel plates and welding components. Workers monitor in real-time at operation stations, with remote control systems and device connectivity platforms ensuring transparency and control over the entire production process. Batch after batch of intelligent rock drills are being shipped worldwide, creating a busy scene of modern manufacturing.

“We have focused on underground industries for over 30 years and are a global leader in mining equipment,” said Liu Jian, Executive Deputy General Manager of Xintong Machinery. “By 2025, our output value will reach 3 billion yuan, and in early 2026, orders are expected to increase by 40% year-on-year. Our self-developed rock drills rank second globally in shipments, breaking international technological monopolies. We supply more than 50 domestic industry companies and support leading enterprises like China Railway Equipment.”

Xintong Machinery’s impressive achievements are rooted in Pingxiang’s rich industrial heritage. Once one of China’s modern industrial birthplaces, Pingxiang rose with the Yongan coal mine, forming a traditional industry pattern centered on coal, ceramics, cement, fireworks, and metallurgy. Heavy industry once became the core support of the city’s economy. In 2008, Pingxiang was included among the first resource-exhausted cities nationwide. As coal resources gradually depleted and environmental policies tightened, many small coal mines shut down, and traditional industries struggled, forcing this resource-based industrial city to face the challenge of transformation.

“Resource scarcity and tight factor guarantees—being a fourth-tier city, we can’t attract or retain high-end talent. Plus, high transportation and logistics costs, no waterway advantages, and incomplete industrial chains hinder development,” said Yan Haibei, Deputy Director of Pingxiang’s Development and Reform Commission. “Some enterprises have come in but left again. We need to constantly adjust our investment attraction strategies. Land resource constraints also prevent repeated industrial layout adjustments. Every step of transformation must be steady and careful.”

To break the deadlock, greening must come first. “At that time, the entire area was polluted—mountains were scarred with holes, coal gangue everywhere, rivers black with water, fields covered with coal ash. There was no talk of greenery,” recalled Liu Mingli, a former coal boss, reminiscing about the ecological state in earlier years.

To reverse ecological deterioration, Pingxiang launched a systematic green restoration project for abandoned mines across the city, restoring landforms through soil covering and slope reinforcement; implemented comprehensive hydrological management, dredging rivers and reservoirs, constructing ecological embankments, and shutting down polluting enterprises along rivers; vigorously eliminated outdated capacities, legally shutting down high-pollution, high-energy-consuming coking and cement plants, and greened traditional industries; simultaneously, environmental protection indicators were incorporated into industrial introduction thresholds, requiring all transformation industries to strictly adhere to environmental standards.

Under policy guidance, Liu Mingli transitioned to ecological agriculture, leasing 500 acres of land to create an ecological park, investing over 40 million yuan in environmental renovation and industry development. Today, the park is teeming with fish and shrimp, lush forests, providing employment for 57 local villagers. The mushroom industry accounts for 85% of Pingxiang’s market share, with annual sales exceeding 43 million yuan and over 300,000 tourists annually.

Now, Pingxiang’s former mine ruins have transformed into ecological parks, polluted rivers have become clear, urban green spaces are widespread, and rural landscapes are beautiful. An eco-friendly and livable city is unfolding. In March 2025, Pingxiang was selected as one of the second batch of national pilot cities for carbon peaking.

“Building a solid ecological foundation is just the beginning. Technological empowerment is key to overcoming resource constraints. We need to concentrate limited land, funds, and talent, directing them precisely toward high-tech industries, making technological innovation the core driver of industrial upgrading,” said Yan Haibei.

In Pingxiang Economic Development Zone, Jiangxi Baiyue Food Co., Ltd. collaborates with Jiangnan University to develop microbial protein technology, breaking through oat fermentation bottlenecks, producing low-GI oat fermented bread; Pingxiang Shunpeng New Materials Co., Ltd. partners with the Chinese Academy of Sciences to develop large ceramic grinding discs, reaching international leading levels, enabling a leap from industrial to advanced ceramics; Pingxiang Debo Technology Co., Ltd. teams up with Beijing Institute of Technology to replace imports in turbocharger core components, successfully supplying brands like BMW.

“Our R&D funding has increased from 5 million to 30 million yuan, with a 10% annual growth. Through policies like innovation vouchers, pilot bases, and deputy chief innovation officers, we have promoted deep cooperation between over 90 enterprises and universities or research institutes,” said Huang Jia, Director of Industrial Technology at Pingxiang Science and Technology Bureau.

Currently, new industries in Pingxiang account for over 50% of the total, with four hundred-billion-yuan industries in new energy materials, intelligent manufacturing, energy conservation and environmental protection, and food and pharmaceuticals cultivated. This city, once thriving on coal and traditional industry, is now revitalizing through ecological restoration and technological empowerment, embracing a new chapter of development. (End)