A press conference focusing on Wuhu was held on July 22 as part of Anhui Province's "Setting Sail for the 15th Five-Year Plan, Striving to Move Forward" series. Over the past five years, Wuhu's GDP has grown at an average annual rate of 6.8 percent, with per capita GDP reaching 142,300 yuan. The city's economic ranking among China's prefecture-level cities has risen from 57th to 55th, while its total imports and exports have increased 2.3 times compared with the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period, registering an average annual growth rate of 26.8 percent.

At the press conference, Wuhu officials outlined the city's development goals for the 15th Five-Year Plan period, with the primary objective of elevating Wuhu's role as a provincial sub-center. The blueprint features one major breakthrough and six new leaps, with the most notable target being the development of a trillion-yuan automobile industry.

Wuhu has built a solid foundation during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. It now ranks first among non-capital cities in central and western China in terms of revenue generated by industrial enterprises above the designated size and per capita general public budget revenue. Its R&D investment intensity has reached 4.37 percent, the highest in Anhui Province. The city has fostered five industrial clusters each valued at over 100 billion yuan. Chery Group has climbed to No. 233 on the Fortune Global 500 and has been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX). Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport has received temporary approval to handle international cargo flights, making Wuhu the only city in Anhui with both waterway and air gateways for international logistics. Meanwhile, urban infrastructure and public services have continued to improve. Rail transit and the Longwan Yangtze River Tunnel have opened to traffic, 613 old residential communities have been renovated, and the city is now home to 57 Wuhu Book Houses and 127 Pocket Parks, creating a more livable urban environment alongside its growing industrial strength.

The automobile industry will be the centerpiece of Wuhu's development strategy during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. The city will continue to strengthen its leading automobile industry by improving the entire industrial chain spanning vehicle manufacturing, auto parts and after-sales services. It also aims to build an integrated "people-vehicle-home" ecosystem and accelerate the development of a trillion-yuan automobile industry.

The city will also continue upgrading its transportation network through major infrastructure projects, including the Reconstruction and Expansion Project of Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport and the Wuhu Taishan Road Yangtze River Bridge. It aims to enhance its multimodal transport system integrating air, rail, water and road services, making transportation more efficient and better connected. In the cultural and tourism sector, Wuhu will promote deeper integration between tourism and other industries. Leveraging new cultural landmarks such as the Wuhu Shenshan Music Festival, the city plans to connect its mountains, waterways, cultural heritage, ancient towns, historic districts and traditional streets to build an all-for-one tourism pattern featuring urban leisure and rural micro-vacations.