Editor's note: As 2026 marks the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–30), the mountainous Guizhou has been reshaped by a wave of changes, leaving people here looking forward to the next five years.

Nearly 300 heavy machines are working around the clock in Bijie, Guizhou province, on the province's largest single industrial investment — a phosphate-coal chemical integration complex valued at more than 70 billion yuan ($10.16 billion), which is nearing startup.

To ensure production in June as planned, workers continued working even during the recent Chinese New Year holiday. The plant will turn local coal and phosphate into higher-value chemicals and new-energy materials, including iron phosphate and lithium iron phosphate for electric vehicles.

Developers said the complex will generate more than 120 billion yuan in annual output and directly create over 14,000 jobs, a potential shot in the arm for the regional economy.

Long viewed as emblematic of western China's lagging development, Bijie sits in the heart of the Wumeng Mountains. Once dominated by extractive industries, the region is being repurposed for chemicals, textiles, and tourism as more firms choose to locate their operations in the city.

"Bijie's economy grew 4.9 percent in 2025," said Guo Xiwen, Party secretary of Bijie, noting sharp gains in key sectors. Value added rose 23.7 percent in phosphate mining, 20.8 percent in coal chemicals, 27.2 percent in new-energy batteries and materials, and 50.3 percent in light textiles.

Officials said those headline gains reflect the real effects of industrial clustering and inbound investment, signaling a shift from poverty relief toward sustained development.

For years, limited local opportunities sent many residents elsewhere to work. That trend is changing as labor-intensive textile factories relocate inland from coastal provinces such as Zhejiang and Guangdong in search of deeper labor pools and lower costs.

Local wages are now competitive enough that it has become a realistic option for migrant workers to return and work near their home.

Bijie's average age is 32.9 years, and a stable labor force of more than two million people aged 16 to 40 is another demographic strength.

Apparel firm Metersbonwe is among the new arrivals.

The company is building a downjacket production line due for full operation in 2028. The project has a price tag of 1 billion yuan, with an initial annual capacity of 20 million garments and an expected 4,000 employees in its first year — rising to more than 10,000 as output ramps up, Metersbonwe chairman Zhou Chengjian said.

Voices on the shop floor underscore the pull. "Recruiting is already harder in places like Guangdong, but remains easier in Bijie," said Pang Yonggui, general manager of Bijie Jingwong Garment Co. The company is a subsidiary of Crystal International Group, one of the world's largest garment contractors.

According to Pang, roughly 30 percent of the plant's products are exported to Southeast Asia, Japan and other markets. Bijie is one of its six major production bases in China, and the group supplies international brands including Uniqlo and H&M.

Local officials and companies also point to policy support.

Pang said that procedures that once required trips to multiple departments can now be handled through one-stop services. The city government has issued an ordinance to optimize the business climate and is prioritizing key firms and projects on land, energy, financing and staffing.

By upgrading infrastructure and lowering enterprise energy costs, officials said they hope to attract more investment, accelerate industrial agglomeration and drive a broader economic transition in the region.

Contact the writers at liuboqian@chinadaily.com.cn