For a county to thrive, its industries must flourish.

Attracting investment requires hard work, and it is no easy task.

In pursuit of high-quality development, some regions are determined to attract major projects, hoping to leverage emerging industries to drive industrial upgrading across the county.

However, putting this into practice is fraught with difficulties: either the projects cannot be attracted in the first place, or even if they are attracted, they fail to take root; and even if they do take root, the results of their development fall short of expectations.

Upon reflection, it becomes clear that the problem stemmed from the planning phase from the very beginning.

So, must county towns necessarily attract emerging industries?

Not necessarily. The most important thing is to “be the best version of yourself.”

Emerging or Traditional? The Key Is Compatibility

Every county has its own unique characteristics and strengths. Just as a key can only open one door, industries must align with local resources to unlock the door to high-quality development.

To cultivate new economic growth poles, regions are not only undergoing industrial transformation but are also putting significant effort into attracting emerging industries. However, most are still in the exploratory phase of building something from scratch, oscillating between questions of “what to do,” “how to do it,” and “whether it can be done.”

I once read an account shared by a consulting advisor who had worked on a development project for a district in Chengdu. The final industrial positioning proposed was “thematic leisure and creative industries.”

Later, in other county-level cities in Sichuan, I encountered similar cultural and tourism projects where investors also planned to introduce creative industries, with the idea being to attract artists by providing housing and studios.

He asked the investors: “Why would artists come here to buy a home?” The investors replied that the area’s picturesque scenery would inspire artists, and the prices were very affordable.

The consultant laughed, the investor was puzzled, and I was puzzled too.

He explained that Chengdu is a city with a well-developed leisure industry, boasting an industrial foundation, a demand for talent, and massive consumer demand—all of which are far more critical conditions for developing the creative industry than the local ecological environment or cost.

"A tangerine grown south of the Huai River is a tangerine; grown north of it, it becomes a zizyphus." Climate, water quality, and soil differ between the north and south; even fruit trees cannot yield a bountiful harvest simply by being planted in the ground and watered.

If one merely replicates the path of successful cases without considering the compatibility of local factors, the ultimate outcome will inevitably be a case of “East Shi imitating West Shi”—a futile attempt to copy without understanding the context.

A certain county drafted a plan to establish a new energy vehicle industry locally, but found during implementation that it was fundamentally unfeasible. Research revealed that local residents primarily use electric scooters for daily travel, resulting in low market demand. Furthermore, the location lacked geographical advantages, and transportation costs were high.

The primary reason for the disconnect between planning and implementation is the lack of thorough preliminary scientific analysis, as well as the failure to assess and align the plan with local conditions.

During a survey, experts found that many county-level governments are unsure whether their current industries align with local strengths. Over 60% of counties have never conducted an assessment of industrial potential and competitive advantages, and nearly 30% of county-level principal and deputy leaders have never heard that industrial development requires evaluation and analysis.

In many cases, it is not that county-level governments are blindly following trends to attract projects; rather, regional limitations and information gaps prevent managers from making the most informed decisions, forcing them to proceed cautiously, feeling their way forward.

If local investment promotion staff lack the capacity to bridge these information gaps, they can leverage the expertise of third-party research institutions. Through on-site visits and investigations, these institutions can gather genuine corporate needs, conduct a thorough analysis of local resource endowments and strengths, and then develop tailored plans to identify the right areas of focus.

“To be the best version of yourself,” the first step is to truly understand yourself.

There is no need to rush or compete

Seeing neighboring counties thrive, the urge to catch up is truly urgent!

However, before you set out to make your mark, you must first understand a fundamental truth.

The development of any industry is a step-by-step accumulation. Skyscrapers do not rise from the ground overnight; only by continuously strengthening the foundation and building competitive advantages can there be room for growth.

In other words, industrial development must align with the local industrial logic. While pursuing high-tech industries, we must also help local traditional industries find new paths forward.

Take Longgang as an example. This county, situated at the forefront of China’s private economy, sought to upgrade its industries. However, its well-established printing and packaging cluster faced bottlenecks, plagued by low manufacturing standards, small scale, and fragmentation.

At the critical juncture of its transition from a town to a city, Longgang did not abandon its traditional industries to seek alternative paths. Instead, it vigorously supported the intelligent transformation of printing and packaging technologies, extended the industrial chain, and innovated business models—ultimately achieving a brand and value upgrade for Longgang’s traditional industries.

When running forward, you must ensure your shoes fit properly.

Since the local traditional industries are relatively mature in terms of clustering and supporting infrastructure, leveraging technology to drive innovation on this foundation can yield more tangible results with greater efficiency.

High-tech industries represent the trend of the times, but they demand significant talent and capital. When selecting a location, enterprises not only consider clients and suppliers but also place great emphasis on the degree of industry clustering.

For example, Tianmen, which has ranked among China’s top 100 counties, has closely aligned with Wuhan’s industrial planning in recent years. As Wuhan prioritizes the development of the healthcare and automotive manufacturing sectors, Tianmen has attracted 75 key biotech enterprises to integrate into Wuhan’s healthcare industry layout, and has also brought in over 10 molding companies to complement Wuhan’s automotive supply chain.

By aligning with central cities, we can identify and address gaps in the industrial chain.

Industrial introduction must align with the logic of local industrial development. Where there is no foundation, lay one; where there is a foundation, foster synergy.

"Be the best version of yourself"—there’s no need to rush; what matters most is staying grounded.

Be the best version of yourself

The question is: what does “the best version of ourselves” mean?

Or, to put it another way, what constitutes the best industry?

Does a good industry necessarily have to be high-tech and in a hot sector?

Not necessarily. Any industry that can sustain itself, gain market recognition, drive local economic development, and increase residents’ income is the best industry.

In the new economic normal characterized by scarce resources, “poaching” investors is difficult, and attracting high-quality projects from cities with stronger overall capabilities is even more challenging.

Even under these circumstances, local governments have not given up. While improving service efficiency and tightening their belts to offer preferential policies, they have also set higher requirements for projects: considering the return on investment and increasing the success rate of industrial investments.

To set precise goals and allocate resources rationally, feasibility and practicality are no longer merely desirable qualities in industrial planning—they have become essential requirements.

As a key vehicle for new-type urbanization, the development of county towns has gradually become the dominant trend.

It can be said that China’s future lies in its county towns.

And the future of county towns lies in their own hands.