An industrial park in Yongjia county, Wenzhou. [Photo provided by Yongjia county]

In Zhejiang province, counties classified as "mountainous" or "island" regions hold a special status, often indicating the need for targeted policy support.

The province removed Yongjia county, Cangnan county, and Jiangshan county-level city from its list of designated mountain and island counties and county-level cities, according to an announcement at a provincial meeting held on May 28.

This marks the second round of updates since the province launched a dynamic classification system in 2023 to track regional progress and promote tailored development policies. With this change, the total number of designated mountain and island regions has been reduced by three.

To encourage economic mobility, Zhejiang eased its removal criteria in 2024. Counties and county-level cities with a GDP above 40 billion yuan ($5.56 billion) and per capita disposable income exceeding 50,000 yuan in the previous year are now eligible to apply for reclassification.

Despite progress, economic gaps remain. In the first quarter of 2025, mountain and island regions accounted for just 9.7 percent of Zhejiang's GDP. Average resident income in these areas reached only 75 percent of the provincial average, with four regions posting below-average income growth.

To address these disparities, Zhejiang will continue to enhance its dynamic classification system while deepening targeted support mechanisms, mountain-sea cooperation zones, and income-boosting initiatives for rural residents, officials said at the meeting on May 28.