Economics
One of China's Poorest Provinces Puts Nation on Track to Beat 6.5% Growth
- Southwestern province is pioneering big data centers
- One danger: many regional authorities take on the same model
GUIYANG, CHINA - JANUARY 27: The night scene of an array of edifices and the Jiaxiulou Tower, the city's landmark ancient building for sightseeing, on January 27, 2013 in Guiyang of Guizhou Province, China.
Photographer: Feng Li/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
About 2,000 kilometers from Beijing, one of China’s poorest provinces is pioneering a new development model -- one that has it leapfrogging right over the manufacturing base that’s been key to developing other parts of the country.
Guizhou posted the third-fastest growth among China’s 31 regional districts in the first half of the year, with a 10.5 percent pace. The southwestern province has focused on developing human and computing talent skilled at gathering and analyzing vast reams of information -- so-called big data.