Minhang's report to 'Two Sessions' looks to achievements, aspirations
Minhang district's lawmakers and political advisers met earlier this year to review last year's progress and set goals for the current year at the annual "Two Sessions." The following is a review of the district's 2023 achievements and its 2024 aspirations.
Hongmei Road elevated way
2023 achievements
Further promotion on innovation
The district kept developing its Hongqiao International Central Business District in the north and saw 23 headquarters companies and seven key projects added to its construction list last year. Biomedicine, new energy and fashion sectors in the region accelerated their growth momentum, with regional tax revenue increasing by 40 percent year-on-year.
The CBD's Hongqiao Import Commodity Exhibition and Trading Center created trading records with more than 900 companies. Fruitful results were also achieved in ecology, traffic and infrastructure construction. The first phase of Qianwan Park in the area, slated to be the largest riverfront park in downtown Shanghai, was roughly completed by the end of last year.
In the Grand NeoBay in the south, high-tech innovation was further propelled. The CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science signed an agreement to build up its Minhang research center in the bay area, which had been a cluster of more than 4,000 hard- and core-technology companies.
A Grand NeoBay financial harbor was officially put into use and a sci-tech financing alliance league set up a foundation worth 15 billion yuan (US$2 billion).
Throughout the district, the transaction volume of technology-related contracts reached 32 billion yuan last year, up 20 percent year-on-year.
Stable growth of economy
To achieve stable growth of the economy, the district announced 16 policies to support private sectors, 166 policies on improving the business environment, and 12 on encouraging market needs and confidence. The amount of tax reduction, reimbursement and postponement granted to companies surpassed 6 billion yuan.
With a focus on driving a first-store economy, brand economy and night economy, the total retail sales of consumer goods in the district in 2023 was expected to rise by 8 percent. Construction of the second phase of the Hongqiao Import Community Exhibition and Trading Center was completed, and that of Caohejing Comprehensive Bonded Zone International Trade Import and Export Community Exhibition and Experience Center commenced. About 100 Shanghai Express China-Europe freight trains set out annually from Minhang.
Last year also saw the addition of 203 key projects in the district's industrial expansion blueprint. Those included the Avic Airborne and Moderna projects.
The investment ratio of advancement manufacturing accounted for half of the total.
The district also redeveloped about 66.7 hectares of land in stock for more vigorous industrial benefit.
Improved urban management
The district further optimized its urban space throughout 2023. It returned 79 hectares of less-efficient construction land back to nature, ranking first citywide. Regulations on the second phase of the Dalu waterway was completed and the channel opened to navigation.
Overall traffic construction was carried out on the Airport Railway, Jiading-Minhang Regional Railway, Yangtze River Delta demonstration zone intercity railway, Yindu Road Cross-Huangpu River Channel, Caobao Road expressway, Puye Road first phase, East Fengpu Bridge and the Metro Line 15 south extension line.
The district's ecological preservation was carried out stably. The district launched its third round of an air cleansing project and started construction of five stormwater retention tanks. It accomplished regulation on a 10-kilometer waterway and dredged rainwater and sewage systems in 79 neighborhoods. High-quality Level III water now accounts for 72 percent of the entire water volume.
In 2023, the district expanded its greenery land by 100 hectares, its vertical planting by 30,000 cubic meters, greenways by 30 kilometers, and added 30 pocket parks.
Several parks, including the Meilong Ecological Park, Chunshen Park, and the South Bund Park, opened to the public. Gumei Park transformed into the first urban furniture theme park nationwide.
Ten bridge tunnels were given facelifts and the enclosures of 10 parks were removed. About 9.2 kilometers of riverfront waterway was connected.
The district also built Huidong Village into a celebrated village for rural revitalization. Two of its cooperatives were selected as national-level ecological farms. A brand of Minhang rice was awarded a gold medal during the China Green Food Expo and three routes selected as nationwide rural tourism recommended routes.
Better public welfare
The district set up 16 employment service stations in communities and offered 50,000 job vacancies in 2023.
Seniors were also better cared for with 600 senior beds added to nursing homes and other newly-founded facilities including five senior care service centers, 20 elderly community canteens, and eight professional day-care centers.
A total of 181 beds for seniors with cognitive impairments were modified and more than 1,150 households were adapted for better living conditions for seniors.
An urban renewal project of a former industrial workers neighborhood at 5530 Longwu Road was carried out smoothly. Three hundred elevators were newly equipped in residential buildings in the district and 45 old neighborhoods underwent fire risk prevention.
The district also offered 12,000 talent departments and set up 22 talent service stations.
Education and medical care services had also been improved accordingly.
Chunshen Lake in the Xinzhuang business district
2024 goals
Hongqiao CBD as a highlight
The district will further empower the strength of the Hongqiao International CBD and introduce 20 new headquarters companies to greatly develop its headquarters economy.
The Hongqiao International CBD will become a leading professional service highland in China and attract talent, world-renowned law, finance and tax institutes to set up there.
Trading will become further convenient in the CBD area. The Hongqiao Import Commodity Exhibition and Trading Center will be developed into an industrial products launch platform, while supporting Shanghai to build itself into a Silk-and-Road e-commerce pilot area.
Quality cross-region e-commerce and art display projects will enjoy a higher priority.
The region will set up an international trading import and export goods display and experience center, while increasing the frequency of Shanghai Express China-Europe freight trains.
Monthly investment promotion events will be launched to attract high-quality companies and projects to Minhang. Five multinational headquarters and 15 foreign-investment research and development centers will be added as the district's "headquarters economy" development plan.
The successful experiences in land redevelopment in the Moderna project will be further applied in land leasing, project filing and processing.
Grand NeoBay as an impetus
The district will focus on constructing its Grand NeoBay Sci-tech Innovation Zone, including the CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Disruptive Technologies Innovation Center, and the University of Hong Kong Shanghai Transformation Center. A Grand NeoBay fund alliance worth 30 billion yuan is in formation. The bay area will also become a trial place to offer excellent services for young talents.
The district will actively build up a modern industrial system that will include high-end equipment, biomedicines, new generation information technology, artificial intelligence, gene and cell therapy, synthetic biology, and medical robotics.
It will further expand its domestic needs through highlighting brands' first store and flagship store economy. Its Wuzhong Road commercial complexes will be further improved as a national level night culture and tourism area.
The district will accomplish fixed assets investment worth more than 78 billion yuan, and build up 20 high-quality "smart manufacturing space" projects. It will also encourage state companies to redevelop their industrial lands in stock.
Urban renewal
The district will allocate 9,200 subsidized rental housing apartments. The New Era Builders and Managers Home, a star public welfare project in 2023, will be extended to all sub-districts and towns in Minhang to benefit migrant populations with at least 5,000 dormitory beds.
About 210,000-square-meter temporary housings will be allocated for 1,400 households while their own apartments are in urban renovation. Three hundred elevators will be installed in old neighborhoods and 800,000-square-meter neighborhoods will go through neighborhood renewal.
The district will also improve its comprehensive traffic system that includes the Airport Railway, the Jiading-Minhang Regional Railway, the south extension of Metro Line 13, 23 and 15, the Yangtze River Delta demonstration zone intercity railway, the Yindu Road Cross-Huangpu River Channel, Caobao Road expressway, Puye Road First Phase, East Fengpu Bridge, and Metro Line 19.
About 1,200 new energy public charging stations will be newly added in the district.
Urban renewal will take place more thoroughly: contracts of approval will be signed with all the residents at the 5530 Longwu Road neighborhood in Wujing Town, while reconstruction steps will be quickened in Jiuxing Village of Qibao Town, Zhongxin Village of Zhuanqiao Town, and the Zhaojialou area in Pujiang Town. Redevelopment on Duhang Old Street in Pujiang Town and Zhudi Village in Huacao Town will commence this year.
The district will also study and survey renewal plans on Qibao Old Street and Xinzhuang Old Street.
Some industrial zones, including those along Youdong Road, Zhongchun Road and Meilong New Center, will be on the agenda for renewal.
Rural revitalization
The rural development plan of Minhang in 2024 will include an overall regulation on the region in the south of the Dazhi River, research and survey on the Pujin Riverfront area, and model rural revitalization construction on Huinan, Guangji and Zhengyi villages in Pujiang.
In addition, its 3.7-kilometer rural highway will be upgraded.
The district will also develop its metropolitan modern agriculture sector through building a high-end vegetable production model base and Shanghai farm and agriculture demonstration zones. In particular, Gexin Village in Pujiang will be developed into a rural tourism demonstration village.
Villagers' income will be increased and their ways of income will be broadened.
Culture and humanity
The district will treasure its ore of red culture that covers its aerospace heritage and history of pioneering heavy industry. Red culture facilities that include the Huacao Memorial Hall of Chinese People's War Against Japanese Aggression will be constructed and historic and cultural figures of Minhang, as well as its township and village level histories, will be compiled.
The district will quicken its steps in building its Chunshen Lake islands and Feng Yuan Art Gallery. Public cultural venues will benefit their visitors with longer opening hours and more diverse art events. The district will support its Shanghai International Illustration Festival.
Facelifts will be made to the Pujiang Country Park and Jinjiang Amusement Park. More streets and blocks will be cultivated for tourism and leisure purposes. Key sports events such as Shanghai Masters will be considered to bring more cultural and tourism values.
Cultural and tourism events such as the Shanghai Lakeside International Music Festival, Minhang Culture and Art Festival, and Minhang Tourism Festival will shed more influence.
Each town and sub-district in Minhang will have a festival brand of its own.
In the public and competitive sports sectors, the district will open its Grand NeoBay Sports Center in 2024. A citizen's fitness center, three fitness tracks and 68 indoor gyms will be newly opened or reconstructed. Minhang local brand sports events such as the Maqiao Half-Marathon and Xinhong Yangtze River Delta Kayat Contest will go on benefiting sports lovers.
More greenery space
The district will increase its greenery land by 80 hectares, its greenery paths by 30 kilometers, and add 20 pocket parks in 2024. The average greenery space per person will reach 11.6 square meters and the forest coverage rate will mark 19 percent.
The Qianwan area of the Hongqiao International Central Business District and the Xinzhuang Industrial Zone will be developed into a pilot zone of low carbon emissions. The Minhang Economic and Technological Development Zone will be developed into a carbon-neutral industrial zone.
In addition, 8 kilometers of waterways will be dredged in 2024 and high-quality Level III water will account for 75 percent of the total water volume.
(Compiled by Yang Yang)
