An analysis on the economic cooperation and the industrial synergy of the main river region: from the perspective of the Yangtze river economic zone

The Yangtze River, as the third longest river in the world, is the longest river which just runs through one country. This paper firstly analyses the current development of the Yangtze River Economic Zone and the prominent issues restricting the economic competitiveness and the industrial synergy of the region. And then the economic synergistic development model and the industrial synergistic development model of cities in the Yangtze River Economic Zone are established. The statistics of Anhui Province and Jiangsu Province are selected as examples. The analysis indicates that the main cities in the Yangtze River Economic Zone have a slight influence on each other. The central city lacks of the impetus function and industrial linkage, so that the feasible supporting industries have not been developed. According to the analysis, the development strategy of the main trunk river region, the Yangtze River Economic Zone, is presented, which recommends strengthening the reaction among cities, driving the overall economic expansion, optimizing the urban industrial layout, forming a new industries supporting pattern with upstream and downstream linkage and improving the rapid development of “manufacturing and services”, “manufacturing and the Internet” and so on. The analysis on the economic cooperation and the industrial synergy of the Yangtze River Economic Zone could have a significant influence on improving the feasible division of China’s regional economy and the industry linkage and support the implementing of China’s “the Belt and Road initiative”. Meanwhile, the analysis also has important significance for researching the main trunk river regions’ coordinating development, industry linkage and resources in the world.