What grit and determination can do for the realization of a coveted mega project was evident once again when I visited Zhuji City, China’s ambitious fresh-water Pearl Development undertaking. When I was invited to join the media group for a conducted tour of this city, I had no idea as to what was coming, because so far Zhuji has been proceeding with the well-planned Pearl project without much fanfare. But the development scenario that unfolded itself before us was surprising as well as impressive.$$ Besides the receptions, welcome rituals and a formal dinner, our visits to Zhuji’s various Pearl industry locations intersperced with helpful official briefing over the next couple of days at the huge Pearl Complex threw up the following facts and figures:

The pearl industry in Zhuji City has 6 features as detailed to us by Ruan, Jian Ming, Deputy Mayor of Zhuji Municipal Government.$$ {{1. A Solid Pearl Base}} : Freshwater pearl cultivation extends over 379,000 mu (each mu equals 666 square metres) of area in the city, engaging more than 3,000 culturists on five major freshwater lakes across China. The annual yield of middle and high upgrade freshwater pearls here accounts for 73% & 80% of the global and national totals respectively.$$ {{2. Host of Leading Pearl Enterprises}}: The city has now 315 pearl processing factories and 162 dealers, including 20 pearl enterprises with over RMB 50 million sales volume and 8 enterprises with over RMB 100 million sales volume.$$ {{3. Well-developed Pearl Processing}}: There are now over 10,000 pearl processing devices which process 30 million pearls and jewels, 8 million pieces of artware and 65 tons of pearl powder every year.$$ {{4. A Stable Pearl Sales Network}}: The pearl sales and marketing workers in the city total 8,000, 30% of whom are engaged in exports sales.$$ {{5. Renowned Pearl Brands and Culture}}: Zhuji is home to three Chinese-pearl brands (Ruan’s, Grace Pearl and Shanxiahu Pearl). %%{{All in One Project:}}$$ {{6. Operation of China Pearl & Jewellery City (CP&J City)}}: This Project integrates pearl transaction, exhibition, appraisal, promotion, information exchange, product R&D, design, achievement incubation and deep processing. The project requires a total investment of RMB 3 billion and phase 1 covers an area of about 600 mu.$$ We will plan extensive efforts to upgrade the pearl industry and build up comprehensive market competence by building CP&J City and “developing Zhuji into a leading world jewellery production, processing and marketing centre.”$$ We will reinforce our position as the world-leading freshwater pearl centre, complete CP&J City (6th generation pearl complex), step up fostering and upgrading the pearl industry and build Shanxiahu Featured Industrial Park.$$ In a bid to further develop the pearl industry he continued, “We will encourage and support industry’s leading enterprises so that in the year 2010, at least 40 enterprises surpass RMB 50 million in annual sales volume, 18 surpass RMB 100 million, 6 surpass RMB 500 million and 1 surpasses RMB1 billion. We will keep extending the pearl industrial chain and increase the added value of the pearl industry in an effort to score an annual output value of RMB 25 billion.”

{{Efforts for Building Brands :}}$$ “We will step up building famous brands and enhance Zhuji Pearl Brand as a whole, to create 6 national brands, 8 provincial brands and 1-2 global brands by the year 2010. We believe that, with the support of the municipal government, Zhuji is sure to develop into a world-leading jewellery production, processing and marketing centre. The pearl industry in Zhuji is sure to have a prosperous tomorrow as the world’s largest pearl and jewellery centre”, he added.%%{{5 Pronged Pearl Development : }}$$He added in general that Zhuji’s economy has five characteristics : {{1. Flourishing Private Economy : There are more than 100,000 private, individual industrial and commercial business households and enterprises in the city including 754 with RMB 5 million annual sales each, 106 with RMB 100 million, 2 with RMB 5 billion and 4 listed companies.$$ 2. Numerous Industrial Clusters : There are 13 industrial clusters in the city of which Zhengda Cluster is a state-level manufacturing base, turning out RMB 6.18 billion freshwater pearls and relevant products annually.$$ 3. Leading Brand Economy : Zhuji boasts of 4 national famous trademarks, 19 nationally famous brands, 57 provincially famous trademarks and 55 provincially famous brands.$$ 4. Robust Foreign Trade and Economy : Zhuji scored US$ 1.165 billion private exports in January to August this year.$$ 5. Booming Professional Markets : Shanxiahu Pearl Market, Datang Hosiery Market and Diankou Nanfang Hardware City have been instrumental in promoting Zhuji’s economy.}}