Published on: 2026-08-29
Source: People’s Republic of China — Translation
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Wuhan, August 29 /Xinhua/ — The third specialized substation with a voltage of 220 kilovolts, serving the integrated industrial base in Wuhan’s “Optics Valley” in China, has recently been successfully put into operation. This substation will provide reliable coverage for the annual electricity demand of the corresponding enterprises, amounting to nearly 4 billion kilowatt-hours.
Tun Xuan, General Director of the power supply company in the new technology development zone “Donghu” in Wuhan city /Hubei Province, Central China/, reported that in the first half of 2026, industrial electricity consumption in “Optical Valley” increased by more than 10 percent compared to the same period last year, and the connected capacity of high-voltage consumers increased by more than 33 percent year-on-year, indicating a positive business sentiment and growing readiness of enterprises to expand production.
Located in Wuhan, the Chinese “Optical Valley” is the world’s largest base for the production of optical fiber and optical cables, as well as a base for research, development, and manufacturing of optical modules.
Recently, a correspondent from Xinhua News Agency, having visited the factory of Wuhan Huagong Genuine Optics Technology, a subsidiary of Huagong Tech Company Limited located in China’s “Optical Valley,” saw how batches of ultrahigh-speed optical modules of their own design—800G and 1.6T—were coming off the automated production line from the conveyor. Outside the workshop, trucks were waiting to be loaded for shipment to the market. Wu Kai, Deputy General Manager of the digital communication product line at Wuhan Huagong Genuine Optics Technology, reported that the company’s overseas orders are booked through 2027, and some clients are already discussing product deliveries for 2028.
This reflects the rapid development of high-tech manufacturing in Wuhan. According to statistical data, in the first half of this year, the share of high-tech manufacturing in the total industrial output of large industrial enterprises in Wuhan reached 38.4%, surpassing for the first time the combined share of traditional industries such as automobile manufacturing, metallurgy, petrochemicals, and the tobacco industry.
Wuhan accounts for nearly 20 percent of the population of Hubei Province, while the city provides more than 30 percent of the province’s gross regional product (GRP). The pace and quality of Wuhan’s development determine the level of high-quality development in Hubei Province and influence the overall process of lifting the central regions of China.
In recent years, Wuhan has leveraged its own advantages to strengthen support for the digital economy and focused on key sectors — optoelectronic information, new energy sources, intelligent connected vehicles, and biopharmaceuticals. Under the “Artificial Intelligence Plus” initiative, the city has accelerated the transition of manufacturing to a higher level, intelligence, and environmental friendliness.
On August 20, the founding meeting of Dongfeng Stellantis Automotive Technology /Wuhan/ Co., Ltd. /DSAT/ was held in the Wuhan technical and economic development zone. The company’s activities cover areas such as vehicle development, investment in industrial production, and the sale of new energy vehicles /NEV/. At the first stage, it is planned to launch four new NEV models, with production starting from 2027.
34 years ago, Dongfeng Automobile Co., Ltd. /DFAC/ and the predecessor of the Stellantis group jointly founded Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroen Automobile Company Ltd. in Wuhan. During this time, more than 6.5 million Peugeot and Citroen vehicles were sold. The company made a significant contribution to the development of China’s automotive industry, technological progress, and the training of qualified personnel, becoming an important hallmark of trade and economic cooperation between China and France. Today, DSAT has begun its activities, which indicates further deepening in the implementation of Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroen Automobile Company Ltd.’s strategic goals—”manufacturing in Wuhan and selling worldwide” and “working in China for the whole world.”
Lü Ziqing, Secretary of the Party Working Committee of the Wuhan Technological and Economic Development Zone, stated that currently the automotive industry is rapidly advancing trends of electrification and intelligence. The company DSAT emerged at the most opportune moment and has taken on an important task of our time – seeking new ways to transform joint automotive ventures, which will provide a strong boost to strengthening Wuhan’s status as an important base of the country’s automotive industry.
The effect of growth driven by innovation is intensifying. According to data, in the first half of this year, the added value of products from large industrial enterprises in Wuhan increased by 15.4 percent year-on-year, while the production of computers, communication devices, and other types of electronic equipment rose by 90.8 percent. The added value of products from large enterprises in the high-tech manufacturing industry grew by 65.7 percent, accounting for 38.4 percent of the total added value of products from large industrial enterprises in the city.
Hu Ziliang, Deputy Director of the Research Center for Economics at Central China Normal University, noted that the industrial growth increase in Wuhan is almost entirely driven by new growth drivers, and the close integration of scientific and technological innovations with industrial innovations contributes to the continuous acceleration of the city’s economic growth rate.
The development and strengthening of the real economy based on manufacturing not only provides a solid material and technical foundation but also, thanks to close integration with science and technology, education, and culture, allows for the creation of high-quality tourist products.
“It really feels like you are floating in the air, with landscapes rushing beneath your feet.” After a trip on the suspended monorail line “Optics Valley Photon,” a tourist named Cheng admitted that he wished to stay a bit longer. Being the first suspended monorail line put into operation in China, “Optics Valley Photon” is equipped with fully automatic control, and half of the cars consist of transparent panoramic windows, providing tourists with completely new travel experiences.
China’s “Optical Valley,” with a strong foundation in high-tech industry, has launched several key technology-themed tourist routes in recent years — “Super Factories,” “Artificial Intelligence,” and “Low-altitude Cultural and Tourist Routes.” Within these routes, sites such as exhibition halls, laboratories, and factories offer tourists incredible experiences, allowing them to personally feel the rapid development of technology.
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